"Lord Kenmyo."
The three men and one woman kneeling before Kenmyo were the ones selected from over a thousand Jujutsu Sorcerer within the entire Kamo Family, possessing the qualifications and ability to become his Personal Guards.
From left to right:
The first is a handsome, extremely tall and thin man with long golden hair, looking refined and elegant, dressed in a white kimono. His name is Kamo Ward, an active Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer.
His ability is the derivative Cursed Technique of Blood Manipulation—Dragon Blood Cursed Technique. It uses blood to greatly enhance the body to achieve the effect of "Dragon Power," and he specializes in Swordsmanship. Don't let his frivolous appearance and seemingly frail physique fool you; once he activates his Cursed Technique, he becomes a Berserker.
The second is a man with a gaunt face, prominent cheekbones, and tattoos on his eyebrows and eye corners. A strand of white hair hangs down to his mouth from his medium-length black hair, and his expression is unusually solemn. His name is Kamo Akajuro.
He is an active Semi-Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer. His ability is the derivative Cursed Technique of Blood Manipulation, Blood Red Hand, which allows him to gather his own blood into a dozen extremely flexible and ultra-hard giant hands to mercilessly tear apart enemies.
The third is a white-haired man with a buzz cut, who looks very cold. His skin is quite dark, and his right eye appears to be blind. His name is Kamo Richie-Barrow, and he is wearing a cloak and tights suitable for fast movement.
His name sounds strange because he is a mix of the Kamo Family and an ancient Jujutsu Sorcerer family from North Africa.
He is a Jujutsu Sorcerer not registered with the Jujutsu Sorcerer Association. His ability is the Blood Annihilation Arrow Cursed Technique, which constructs a bow and arrows from his own blood, capable of causing piercing splash damage.
The fourth is the granddaughter initially recommended by the Third Elder, Kamo Shutora Senjumaru. She has black, medium-length hair with side-swept bangs, wears intricate golden hair ornaments, and is clad in a luxurious black haori that conceals her hands, giving the impression of an exceptionally cold, glamorous, and arrogant Older Woman.
She is an active Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer and the Kamo Family's Grand Weaver, responsible for the attire of the high-ranking members during major Kamo Family festivals. Like the Third Elder, her manifestation of the Blood Manipulation Cursed Technique is needles, but hers are not acupuncture needles; they are weaving needles. She can use Threads of Blood to bind Cursed Spirits and then pierce them with Blood Needles.
"A Berserker, Blood Hand, bow and arrow, and needles, huh."
Kenmyo looked at the four people kneeling before him with heads bowed.
All of their Cursed Techniques, achievements, and abilities were displayed in this document.
The fact that these four could each develop their own derivative Cursed Techniques from the inherently low-potential Blood Manipulation is already a sign of exceptional talent.
They are excellent. As a team, the four of them form a system integrating a Tank, an Archer, Crowd Control, and Damage Output.
But they are still weak, too weak!
Even if they formed a team in their current state, Kenmyo's strength alone would be enough to slaughter all four of them.
As long as the things they shape using Blood Manipulation are liquid, they cannot escape the fate of being frozen. A Domain of Ice would be enough to freeze all of their attacks in place, rendering them useless.
The inherent characteristics of the Kamo Family's Blood Manipulation already dictate that encountering enemies with high-temperature or low-temperature Cursed Techniques is akin to meeting a natural predator.
Kenmyo has very high standards for them. If they were the Guard Teams of the Patriarchs of the other two families, they might be sufficient, but for him, it is far from enough!
"I've reviewed your files. You are excellent. If you formed a team, you could even defeat a Special Grade Cursed Spirit."
Kenmyo's words brought a simultaneous smile to the faces of the four. Being chosen to serve by their lord's side felt like the greatest honor.
"However..."
Kenmyo's next sentence plunged them into despair.
"The way you are now is far from enough."
This caused those who considered themselves the most qualified to stand beside their great Family Head to nearly break down, staring wide-eyed in disbelief as they looked up at their Lord Family Head.
"Lord Kenmyo..."
"See, you're getting anxious again. Listen until I finish."
Kenmyo's words and gaze immediately snapped Kamo Akajuro, who had been the most impatient, back to his senses. He felt as if a bucket of icy water had been poured over him from head to toe, and his voice trembled.
He lowered his head, not daring to look at Kenmyo again.
"My apologies, My Lord."
Of course, Kenmyo wasn't some great villain who had to make them break down only to save them afterward.
"The Great Elder must have told you that being initially selected is just the first screening step to becoming my Personal Guards."
Kenmyo explained.
"As for whether all of you are screened out, it makes no difference to me."
"After all, whether the Personal Guards have four members or not makes little difference to me."
"The most crucial part is the second step. Only by enduring my trial will you barely qualify to stand by my side."
Dying from the trial is impossible; their lives are already linked to the River of Death. As long as the River of Death does not dry up, all Jujutsu Sorcerer of the Kamo Family can be resurrected from it.
But there is a kind of suffering worse than death, where one wishes they could just die while enduring it.
Kenmyo waved his hand, and a Stemmed Glass appeared before each of the four, floating motionless in the void.
It was filled with some unknown blood-red, crystal-clear liquid, but it felt utterly devoid of vitality, like stagnant water—extremely ominous.
Moreover, the moment this sinister substance appeared, they all felt the air become unusually viscous, and a subtle sense of terrifying malice settled upon them, making it difficult to breathe.
"This is the water from the source of the Blood Lake at the deepest part of the River of Death."
Kenmyo also didn't know the origin of this "Blood River," only that it was a mutation resulting from the mixture of the blood of saint giles and Ordinary Blood, allowing him to harness the Blood River's power.
Of course, just drinking one cup wouldn't be enough; they needed to add some extra ingredients.
"Lord Kenmyo!"
When Kenmyo decisively sliced his wrist, and blood flowed freely from his artery, the four of them cried out in alarm.
"It's fine. This is a necessary process."
Simply the water from the River of Death, while beneficial to them who have become Blood Thralls, is very limited, offering only basic enhancements like increased Cursed Energy and increased defense.
But if Kenmyo's blood is added, it becomes completely different. His blood is the key to unlocking the Second Stage Liberation effect of the Blood River. That is the true enhancement. It directly affects their core Cursed Techniques, helping them evolve and transform their techniques.
They might even obtain the more terrifying Power of the Origin.
The Origin signifies infinity.
They will gain the most terrifying power from the infinite Power of Transcendence.
The best way to understand it is actually:
It is equivalent to a foundational "Daemon Ascension Ritual."
Kenmyo is acting like the Four Chaos Gods, performing the Daemon Ascension Ritual for his subordinates, granting them Blessings and allowing them to gain greater power.
At that time, these people will be equivalent to his Greater Daemons. Moreover, they have an advantage over the Demons serving the Chaos Gods: their loyalty is extremely high, and they won't be easily incited into betrayal by a few words of trickery.
Kenmyo let approximately 100 milliliters of blood flow out, which was evenly divided into four portions and added to the Blood River water, which occupied about one-third of each Stemmed Glass.
The moment the two liquids touched, it was as if a catalyst had been added. The liquid in the glasses began to boil, but this was a positive development. The stagnant water seemed to be injected with life, gradually changing from blood-red to dazzling Crimson-Gold.
The four glasses, shimmering with golden light, were neatly arranged before the Kamo Family members, seemingly harboring unparalleled power that tempted them.
"Lord Kenmyo, watch me. I'll be the first."
Contrary to Kenmyo's expectation, the first to quickly grab the entire stemmed glass and drink it all in one gulp.
It was not Kamo Akajuro, the one who had been hasty and questioned him earlier, but Kamo Richie-Barrow.
That is, the one who looked slightly dark-skinned, the product of the union between the Kamo Family and a certain Jujutsu Sorcerer family in North Africa.
Kenmyo hadn't expected the person who appeared to be the calmest to be the first one.
Kenmyo felt a mix of amusement and frustration. Was this his way of preemptively showing loyalty?
After all, he had stated that drinking this substance was absolutely dangerous, involving pain that was difficult to endure, perhaps even worse than being tortured to death.
Wasn't Kenmyo the same before? He drank the blood of saint giles and lay for a full day and night before he could digest it. The pain he suffered during that time was unimaginable; it was truly dangerous then, and if he hadn't endured it, he would have truly died.
The path to gaining great power is inherently arduous, especially when acquiring it prematurely. The hardships and pain suffered during the process are inevitably settled all at once in a single second. One can only imagine how terrifying that experience must have been.
Yes. The glass cup fell to the ground, emitting a crisp shattering sound.
It was the glass cup in Kamo Richie-Barrow's hand. He gulped it down in one go, but immediately couldn't bear the terrifying power. Almost instantly, his eyes were covered by blood-red crosses, and his previously blind eyes now emitted a golden light.
It looked like it was removing necrotic tissue, and it was all very horrifying.
Painful wails filled the entire room, making one's heart ache. What kind of pain could make such a seemingly iron-blooded tough guy unable to bear it?
Kenmyo even raised an eyebrow, suddenly noticing that at a certain moment, all his deep suffering seemed to vanish instantly.
Kenmyo immediately raised his arm, and soon a small cage made of Cursed Energy appeared around Kamo Richie-Barrow.
The next second, Kamo Richie-Barrow exploded. His flesh and bones were torn apart as if hit by a cannonball. The glass cage Kenmyo had constructed was covered in his flesh, bones, and splattered blood.
A large cloud of blood mist, formed from a living person being blown apart, looked exceptionally eerie.
He was as dead as dead could be.
Soon, a small window extended from the shadow on the ground near Kenmyo's feet. This was a projection of the River of Death.
From the projection, a bloody, peeled hand, devoid of skin, rested on the edge of Kenmyo's projection. It clutched on as if to a life raft, gripping so hard that the bones trembled.
This is what Blood Slaves are, from their death to their resurrection.
Soon, a complete skeleton,
with not a trace of flesh, vaguely stood and crawled out of that gap.
But having crawled out after dying once, do you think he wouldn't suffer anymore?
On the contrary, this process will continue several times. It is a process of destruction and regeneration. The transformation of the body continues, penetrating into every cell.
This happens simply because the origin of Cursed Energy has changed, and there are so many transformation projects that if the human body's structure isn't destroyed multiple times, the ultimate goal cannot be achieved.
Kenmyo originally thought that the tragic sight of their colleague, Kamo Richie-Barrow, would deter the other three.
However, after seeing Kamo Richie-Barrow's gruesome state, the three of them still resolutely took the cup of blood wine from the air and drank it down heroically.
Three more sounds of shattering glass cups echoed, and their upgrade and transformation also began.
As expected, Kenmyo's holy blood caused severe abnormalities in all of them once it entered their bodies.
Is this ritual of demon ascension so terrifying?
Kenmyo prepared to move away from here. The blood from these people's deaths almost stained the entire floor and walls red.
The wails in the secret chamber were incessant, a continuous process of death and resurrection.
After an unknown period, a massive blue Cursed Energy swept across the entire area. It belonged to Kamo Richie-Barrow, who had initially undergone the ritual. At this moment, he had completely merged with the blood wine.
His previously blind right eye was now fully restored, its pupil shining with a blue light.
Moreover, a tattoo resembling a scope appeared around Kamo Richie-Barrow's formerly blind eye, covering a quarter of his face.
The most surprising thing was that his original Cursed Technique was to construct a bow made of blood and attack with arrows.
But this bow was gone, replaced by something resembling a Barrett heavy anti-materiel sniper rifle.
The thick, dark barrel and the muzzle's caliber all demonstrated the principle of 'bigger is better'.
This wasn't a sniper rifle; it was clearly a sniper cannon.
This was the power bestowed by Kenmyo, directly transforming the Cursed Technique from a cold weapon into a hot weapon, and specifically, a terrifying anti-materiel sniper rifle among hot weapons.
Its power, destructive force, and accuracy underwent earth-shattering changes, especially with the awakening of the second Cursed Technique, Absolute Penetration, which brought the power of this Cursed Technique to its peak.
"Thank you, my Lord, for granting me this power."
Kamo Richie-Barrow carried the black heavy sniper rifle with both hands, knelt before Kenmyo, lowered his proud head, and his face was filled with resolute determination.
He said earnestly,
"I humbly request your acceptance of my loyalty, and that you allow me to accompany you, clearing all obstacles in your path."
His success was just the beginning; the other three also completed their evolution almost simultaneously.
The Berserker's original sword was made of alloy, but now he could directly forge an extremely massive cross-shaped sword from his own blood, and even a very hard blood-red cross shield for his use.
His awakened second Cursed Technique was Harmony of All Things. Whenever an enemy was attacked by his weapon, their reaction speed, movement speed, and all other attributes would decrease in unison.
These ratios are compared based on the Cursed Energy of the two individuals, with a maximum reduction of 80% in one go. This means that if the Berserker's Cursed Energy completely overwhelms the opponent, a single strike would directly incapacitate the enemy, leaving no room for retaliation.
Kamo Akajuro, whose emotions were the most volatile, had his blood hands directly evolve into chains, and these chains were poisonous. The poison originated from his awakened second Cursed Technique, Lethal Dose. For example, he could inject these toxins into the enemy's body to manipulate the life activity of red blood cells, proteins, white blood cells, and so on in their blood.
But what surprised him the most was the granddaughter of the Third Elder, Kamo Shutora Senjumaru.
At this moment, Kenmyo and the other three had already been dragged into another space by her awakened ability.
This was unconscious, and quite terrifying.
"Dong, dong, dong,"
Ethereal bell sounds came from all directions, layering upon each other, extremely horrifying.
The knowledgeable Kamo Ward blurted out directly,
"Domain!"
Yes, what covered them all at this moment was Kamo Shutora Senjumaru's Domain.
This Domain, named "Satagaro Gaishirakujutsu," possesses six different killing effects, and thus can also be called the Six-Colored Floating Pattern Machine of Death.
Kenmyo saw a giant red carpet, about a hundred meters long, speeding forward. All around, golden gates hung luxurious red silk ribbons, which connected to form a huge, wide path.
The roaring sound of hundreds of meters of giant mechanisms operating was incredibly shocking.
They were in a vast expanse of luxurious silk, adorned with layers of golden gates, looking exceptionally opulent.
The main theme of the entire Domain was golden architectural gates, vibrant red silk fabric, and countless other colorful, luxurious silk fabrics used for embellishment.
In front of Kenmyo and the others, a golden platform appeared. A hundred-meter-tall golden gate concealed luxurious blue and green silk fabrics, and within them, a figure stood like a proud plum blossom in snow: Kamo Shutora Senjumaru.
"Merciful Lord."
The more powerful the strength obtained, the stronger the reverence for Kenmyo became.
Kamo Shutora Senjumaru walked gracefully, and like her three colleagues, knelt before Kamo Kenmyo.
She said very respectfully,
"Please accept this concubine's loyalty."
And at this moment, the other three, led by Kamo Shutora Senjumaru, also knelt before Kenmyo.
"Please accept our loyalty." X4
Kenmyo smiled at this, looking at the four people before him.
"I accept your loyalty."