Chapter 55: Binding Vow, Endless Slash Domain
A Binding Vow is a method in jujutsu kaisen that can be called a 'cheat.'
Simply put, a so-called Binding Vow is a trade-off where one accepts a disadvantageous cost to gain a 'cheat' that strengthens oneself for a specific purpose.
Depending on the size of the 'cheat,' the degree of absurdity varies.
For example, Sukuna originally only needed to form the Enmaten Hand Sign to perform the Dismantle. However, because Gojo Satoru blasted him until only one hand remained, Sukuna established a Binding Vow to activate it.
At the cost of three conditions—needing hand signs and incantations for future World Slashes, and using his palm to point the direction—he gained a single Dismantle with no wind-up.
One could say 'Binding Vows' are a purely rogue method; if used poorly, they still boost strength, but if used well—like by Kinji Hakari, Yuta Okkotsu, and Sukuna—one can not only get something for nothing but also instantly turn defeat into victory.
Now, Lin Xuan established a Binding Vow for himself.
This Binding Vow was very simple.
From this moment on, every activation of the Malevolent Shrine Martial Soul's First Soul Skill would require three conditions as a cost: forming hand signs with both hands, chanting incantations, and having used the slashes 'Dismantle' and 'Cleave' beforehand.
In exchange, the power of the First Soul Skill would increase by fifty percent, and it would only consume half of the Soul Power originally required for the ability.
While the three conditions might seem intimidating, for Lin Xuan, there were hardly any consequences at all.
After all, having fought using the Ten Shadows Technique for a long time, he was already well-versed in the pattern of hand signs and incantations; as for using 'Cleave' and 'Dismantle' beforehand, that was even more of a moot point.
As the incantations left Lin Xuan's mouth, Mysterious Bone, who still hadn't figured out the situation, finally reacted.
But he wasn't panicked at all.
"Talking big about summoning some Mahoraga if this Soul skills doesn't kill you? This is the Sunset Forest's Six-Armed Demon Ape! So what if it's a ten-thousand-year Soul skills? You still can't beat it!"
Mysterious Bone waved his hand and shouted harshly,
"Go!"
The Six-Armed Demon Ape roared to the heavens, its six giant arms swinging simultaneously, stirring up a gale. Like six collapsing celestial pillars, they smashed down with the force to shatter mountains and crack stones toward Lin Xuan, who remained in his hand-sign posture, seemingly wide open!
A satisfied smile already appeared on Mysterious Bone's face.
"Even if this Soul skills of yours is powerful, so what? This is a Six-Armed Demon Ape of nearly fifty thousand years! Can you one-shot me? If you can one-shot me, I'll—"
Before the flag in Mysterious Bone's heart was even finished being set and before the Six-Armed Demon Ape's attack landed, a change occurred.
"First Soul Skill: Endless Slash Domain."
As the words fell, the world lost its color.
With a certain point behind Lin Xuan as the source, a darkness so deep it reached the extreme suddenly erupted!
Like ink poured into clear water, the darkness instantly swallowed everything within a hundred-meter radius centered on Lin Xuan!
Vision was stripped away.
mental force extended out, only to hit an invisible bronze wall, being compressed tightly within three meters of his body, unable to extend any further.
Even more terrifying, space seemed to freeze into ten-thousand-year profound ice, and an irresistible force of imprisonment locked onto every existence within the Domain!
Mysterious Bone discovered to his horror that even moving a finger felt like pushing a small mountain!
The Six-Armed Demon Ape's violent downward smash also suddenly became incredibly slow and difficult, as if trapped in an invisible muddy swamp!
"Not good!"
Warning bells rang wildly in Mysterious Bone's heart. His Soul Power erupted frantically in an attempt to break free, but to little effect.
Just then, he heard a sound.
It seemed like the sound of wind.
No! That's not right!
That wasn't the wind; it was the soul-shuddering shriek of something extremely sharp cutting through the air and the darkness at an unimaginable speed!
Puchi!
Almost at the same moment he heard the sound, a cold sensation came from the base of Mysterious Bone's left thigh, followed immediately by a volcanic eruption of pain!
"Argh—!"
He let out a miserable howl, wanting to look down, but his neck felt incredibly heavy.
He struggled to move his left hand toward the source of the pain.
What he touched was a pool of warm, thick, spurting liquid.
Further down... there was nothing!
His left leg was gone from the root.
A sense of death, like a python's coil, swept through his body.
No! Impossible! What kind of Soul skills is this?!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
More dense cutting sounds rang out from all directions, without any pattern, like a storm of a thousand cuts from the depths of the darkness!
"My... hand!"
Mysterious Bone felt his left arm lighten, followed by his right leg.
Before the intense pain could fully reach his brain, a deeper chill had already frozen his thoughts.
He found he could no longer make any sound; only warm liquid continuously overflowed from his mouth, carrying a rusty, metallic sweetness.
"I'm going to die... how... can this be... this monster..." His consciousness was like a candle in the wind, rapidly dimming and flickering.
In his last remaining senses, the endless'swish' sounds became more frequent, eventually merging into a continuous sound of a rainstorm, completely swallowing his final thoughts.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Outside the Domain, the sunlight was still bright.
Inside the Domain, however, was a storm of slashes.
The 'Dismantle' slashes were like the Reaper's scythe, ricocheting and stacking repeatedly, frantically cutting into the massive body of the Six-Armed Demon Ape.
Flesh and blood flew, and bone-deep wounds increased rapidly, as if a cruel execution of a thousand cuts was being performed.
However, at the moment Mysterious Bone's life force was completely severed, the Parasitic Demon Spine that had been deeply embedded in the Six-Armed Demon Ape's spine to control its body suddenly lost its source of power and fell off like a withered vine.
Free.
Enslaved for over ten years, reduced to a puppet since it had a ten-thousand-year cultivation, the dignified forest overlord could only watch helplessly as it became a killing tool for a human Evil Soul Master... The accumulated anger, resentment, and humiliation erupted at this moment like a volcano suppressed for ten thousand years!
"ROAARRRR—!!!"
A roar that shook the darkness, full of endless rage and violence, exploded!
The Six-Armed Demon Ape's eyes were as red as blood, and a physical dark-red resentment rose from its body like flames. Its violent aura actually caused the spatial imprisonment in the darkness to ripple!
Then, its six muscular arms no longer swung wildly but moved in pairs, tightly protecting its head, heart, and other vital points!
Simultaneously, a solid spherical barrier, flowing with dark-red runes, suddenly expanded with it as the center, like a giant blood-colored eggshell, guarding it firmly inside!
Puff, puff, puff, puff—!
Countless invisible slashes fell on the barrier like a rainstorm, making dull impact sounds.
Most of the slashes were violently deflected or slid off by the dark-red barrier, with only a tiny portion managing to penetrate the shield and add new wounds to its already scarred body.
"This is...?" Lin Xuan's gaze suddenly sharpened.
He hadn't expected that this Six-Armed Demon Ape, after breaking free from control and being driven into a corner, could still burst forth with such powerful defensive capabilities.
If this continued, and if this beast really managed to endure until the duration of [Endless Slash Domain] ended... with the Soul Power he had left, he might truly fall into danger.
Just then, within the Spiritual Sea, the extremely grave voice of the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm rang out.
"Lin Xuan, we're in trouble! This is 'Limit Break,' a talent Soul skills that only a few of the Six-Armed Demon Ape clan can awaken! It has two forms: one is like this, the 'Rebound Shell,' which can deflect most attacks; the other is even more troublesome, the 'Binding Grip,' which can temporarily seal an opponent's Soul skills!"
The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm said anxiously, "With its strength of nearly fifty thousand years, even if it's heavily injured now, it might actually hold out with that turtle shell! You can't let it catch its breath!"
It paused for a moment, as if making a great decision.
"Let me do it! By burning part of my Origin Power, I should be able to completely finish it off!"
Hearing this, Lin Xuan withdrew his gaze from the stubbornly held dark-red barrier and gently shook his head.
"It hasn't come to that yet."
"I didn't want to reveal another card so soon..."
Lin Xuan whispered to himself, his tone somewhat helpless. "But now it seems I have no choice."
"Huh? There's... there's another trump card?!" The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm exclaimed in shock. "It sounds like... it's not Mahoraga? Lin Xuan, just how many things are you hiding?!"
"It's a secret."
Lin Xuan smiled and said no more.
Under the wide-eyed gaze of the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, Lin Xuan slowly raised his right hand.
He didn't attack; instead, his five fingers spread slightly, and he made a gentle beckoning motion toward the ink-like churning darkness behind him.
In the next moment, the deep darkness at his feet seemed like a calm lake surface with a stone thrown in, suddenly rippling in layers.
Then, at the center of the ripples, an object slowly emerged and was immediately grasped by Lin Xuan...
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