"One… two… three…"
As Shinji's gaze swept over the labels on the display rack, his heart filled with shock.
The labels alone clearly marked the destruction of three worlds and the decline of over a dozen civilizations.
Shinji didn't know exactly what role Ryūhei Ubuyashiki played in these events, but one thing was certain: Ryūhei had been involved in plundering these worlds.
"No wonder Ryūhei was so much more adept at using the 'Lamp' than I am. He's already plundered so many worlds!"
Shinji sighed inwardly, gaining a clearer understanding.
Ryūhei Ubuyashiki, standing at the pinnacle of the Demon Slayer world, had already developed the ability to plunder numerous worlds.
In other words, many worlds' power levels were inferior to that of the Demon Slayer world.
Otherwise, Ryūhei wouldn't have been so brazen, plundering so many worlds and civilizations, amassing such a vast collection of trophies.
"If even the Demon Slayer world counts as a strong world, then what about the shinobi world…?"
A spark of hope to confront the Hegemon ignited within Shinji's shadow clone.
Ryūhei was indeed powerful, but in the shinobi world, he'd be considered at the Super Kage level at best. If his information were exposed and he were targeted, a team led by a Kage-level shinobi could likely subdue him with sealing jutsu.
While the shinobi world lacked clear tier divisions, above Super Kage lay at least the "Six Paths level," and beyond that, a distinctly higher tier: the "Bloodline Encompassing" level!
Shinji's shadow clone's thoughts began to wander. "If I could achieve a 'Bloodline Encompassing' state like Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, maybe I could stand against the Hegemon of Fear!"
After a while, he reined in his thoughts and shook his head.
The biggest problem was that he had no idea how powerful the Hegemon of Fear truly was or even what form it took. Without that knowledge, comparing the "Bloodline Encompassing" level to the Hegemon was impossible.
Moreover, achieving the "Bloodline Encompassing" state wasn't something to be taken lightly.
In the shinobi world's thousand-year history, only Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had undeniably reached that level. As for the "Sage of the Six Paths," he might have briefly touched the "Bloodline Encompassing" state at some point, but his actions—founding the ninja creed and splitting the Ten-Tails—weakened him, causing him to fall back to the "Six Paths level" and eventually die of old age.
So, even if the "Bloodline Encompassing" state could rival the Hegemon of Fear, Shinji would struggle to reach that level!
Calming his mind, Shinji's shadow clone moved past the display rack to the inner part of the secret chamber.
Inside, there was a desk with three ornate wooden boxes resembling safes. Two of the boxes were open and empty, while the third was closed, its contents unknown.
Shinji's shadow clone observed the boxes carefully but didn't act rashly. Instead, he turned to the desk and began inspecting it.
After searching, he found a notebook on the desk—Ryūhei Ubuyashiki's record of his travels across various worlds.
"Finally found it!"
Overjoyed, Shinji's shadow clone eagerly opened the notebook.
Ryūhei had traversed seven worlds in total. Three of them, weakened by the Hegemon's consumption, had fragile spatial barriers, allowing Ryūhei to cross them as easily as Shinji had once done.
Unlike Shinji, however, Ryūhei immediately began plundering these near-destroyed worlds, taking advantage of their "Lampbearers" being preoccupied with their worlds' impending doom to reap massive gains.
This excessive plundering fueled his greed, and during his raid on the third world, he lingered too long, catching the Hegemon's attention. It traced his aura back to the Demon Slayer world.
As for the other four worlds, their power levels were lower than the Demon Slayer world's, so Ryūhei engaged in a mix of trade and plunder.
According to the notebook, Ryūhei had unleashed over a dozen demon calamities, wiping out numerous weaker civilizations. His ability to hold his own against Nagato in the Land of Grass, even while surrounded by elite shinobi and managing to kill an Ōtsutsuki branch elder, stemmed from harvesting the blood and flesh power of those civilizations, putting him at his peak state!
"Good thing I didn't act recklessly back then," Shinji's shadow clone thought, a chill running through him.
If he hadn't orchestrated the gathering of forces in the Land of Grass to wear Ryūhei down, Shinji wouldn't have stood a chance against him in a one-on-one fight at his peak.
After finishing the notebook, Shinji's shadow clone fell into thought.
Ryūhei had traversed fewer worlds than Shinji had expected, suggesting that even for a "Lampbearer," crossing to other worlds required specific opportunities. It wasn't a matter of going wherever one pleased.
Moreover, most of the worlds Ryūhei visited had lower power levels than the Demon Slayer world. Only one—a technological world where he acquired the Ω Restraint Device—was roughly on par with it.
Fearing that world's technology, Ryūhei had been more restrained there, opting for bartering.
Closing the notebook, Shinji turned to the wooden boxes.
The three boxes likely contained the three items Ryūhei had deemed valuable even at his level.
One likely held the Ω Restraint Device, which had been used up in the Land of Grass battle.
Another, according to the notebook, contained an exotic treasure called "Blood Dissolution Particles," which allowed Ryūhei to maintain his will and form in a blood-based state, preventing genetic collapse.
That box was empty, meaning the treasure had also been destroyed in the Land of Grass battle.
As for the third box, it likely held a spiritual artifact called the "Feathered Serpent Compass," which Ryūhei had stolen after assassinating another world's "Lampbearer."
Shinji's shadow clone cautiously opened the third box, revealing an exquisite compass inside.
After examining it and cross-referencing the notebook, he quickly understood the "Feathered Serpent Compass's" function.
Its purpose was simple: once a world was marked, no matter how far it drifted from one's own world, the compass allowed easy traversal back to it.