Chapter 128: Gojo Satoru Falls Behind, Gojo Satoru's Desperate Reversal
In the heated battle, Gojo Satoru suddenly curved his lips into a playful smile.
The next second, a faint blue Cursed Energy glow appeared on the surface of his right fist, and an invisible suction force suddenly spread out.
That was his exclusive attack method, 'Blue Fist,' which applied his Cursed Technique 'Blue' in its forward rotation to his fist.
"Be careful~"
Before his laughter faded, Gojo Satoru's figure had already broken the sound barrier.
Although Rin's Sharingan: Insight captured the trajectory of the punch, his body was firmly restrained by the suction force of 'Blue'; the speed augmented by Crimson Blood Manipulation - Crimson Scale Leap instantly slowed by half a beat, as if he had sunk into viscous mud.
In a hurry, Rin crossed his hands in front of his chest, the Cursed Energy defense condensed by Weapons of War instantly thickened, and the scarlet patterns of Scarlet Scale Leap glowed to their maximum.
But when that fist, wrapped in a faint blue Cursed Energy glow, struck his defense, he truly understood the terror of 'the strongest.'
"Bang!"
A dull thud vibrated the ground of the training field.
A violent surge of Cursed Energy poured into his body through his arms; Rin felt a churning in his chest and a bone-chilling numbness in his hands.
He was like being hit by a runaway train, his body uncontrollably flew backward, drawing an arc in the air, flying more than ten meters before barely stabilizing himself, his feet plowing two shallow grooves in the ground.
Meanwhile, within the Divine Tree Space, Sukuna, firmly sealed by vines, clearly witnessed this scene through Rin's perception.
He, who had been secretly accumulating power, now felt his entire body's Cursed Energy slightly agitated with excitement, and an unprecedented light burst from his eyes, almost breaking through the vines' restraint to roar out.
What kind of body is this?!
He could clearly perceive that four completely different Cursed Techniques were simultaneously operating within Rin's body.
Weapons of War, which was controlled by the brain, Crimson Blood Manipulation - Crimson Scale Leap in his left eye, Hymn of Prayer in his right eye, and the Insight ability inherent in those blood-red pupils.
The four Cursed Techniques did not conflict with each other; they flowed smoothly within his body like four parallel rivers, forming a perfect synergistic effect.
This was something unprecedented in the Jujutsu World!
Even he himself had never seen such a situation.
Not to mention that Rin's body also stored a large amount of other Cursed Techniques, like a mobile Cursed Technique treasury.
And those eyes!
Sukuna could feel the strangeness of those blood-red pupils.
Not only could they precisely capture Gojo Satoru's movements, but they could also independently carry the operation of Cursed Techniques, practically a divine artifact tailor-made for "simultaneous activation of multiple Cursed Techniques."
This talent, this physique, was more perfect than any body he had ever seen.
"Rin…"
Sukuna murmured in his heart, his vertical pupils filled with greed and fanaticism:
"Your body is truly captivating."
He had lived for a thousand years and seen countless powerful vessels, but never had one like Rin, who possessed both the potential to contain a massive amount of Cursed Techniques and the compatibility for simultaneous operation, along with a nearly heaven-defying special talent.
Such a body was practically a perfect host tailor-made for him; as long as he could successfully take over, he could use the potential of this body to push his strength to new heights, even surpassing his former self.
"I must have him."
Sukuna's eyes grew even more resolute, his obsession spreading like a wildfire.
The previous apprehension towards the Divine Tree Space was now replaced by this intense possessiveness.
He even began to scheme, looking for an opportunity to take over.
The faint golden Cursed Energy on the vines was still formidable, but there was no trace of fear in Sukuna's eyes; instead, they gleamed with determination.
He watched Rin get up repeatedly on the battlefield, charging towards Gojo Satoru again and again, feeling the surging vitality and potential within that body; his desire grew stronger and stronger—this body could only belong to him, the King of Curses!
Rin looked down at his slightly trembling hands, a hint of solemnity flashing in his blood-red pupils.
This was Gojo Satoru's strength; even when weakened by Hymn of Prayer and with his Limitless defense restricted, he could still form an overwhelming advantage simply by Cursed Technique forward rotation and Cursed Energy output.
Rin clearly understood that an insurmountable chasm lay between him and Gojo Satoru: Cursed Energy output efficiency.
This was the core reason why Gojo Satoru and Ryomen Sukuna could stand at the pinnacle of the Jujutsu World.
Ryomen Sukuna's advantage lay in his massive Cursed Energy reserves; that ocean-like Cursed Energy base allowed him to unleash an output far beyond ordinary people without deliberate optimization.
Gojo Satoru, on the other hand, relied on the special ability of his Rikugan / Six Eyes to directly remove the physiological restrictions on Cursed Energy output, enabling a terrifying burst of equivalent magnitude even if his total Cursed Energy was less than Ryomen Sukuna's.
In contrast, even with the enhancements of Crimson Blood Manipulation - Crimson Scale Leap and the form manipulation of Weapons of War, Rin's Cursed Energy output efficiency could only reach the top tier of Special Grade Sorcerers, still paling in comparison to Gojo Satoru's "rule-breaking" output mode.
The weakening effect of Hymn of Prayer was merely a drop in the bucket in the face of such an absolute output gap.
"How about it? Can you still fight?"
Gojo Satoru stood still, the faint blue Cursed Energy glow on his right fist slowly dissipating; his tone held no hint of pride, only pure fighting excitement.
He could see Rin's limits but also appreciated his resilience in not backing down despite knowing he was outmatched.
Rin wiped away a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, flexed his numb wrists, and his body's injuries rapidly healed under the operation of Reverse Cursed Technique.
He looked up, his blood-red pupils showing no frustration, but rather a fiercer fighting spirit:
"Continue."
Rin felt the lingering Cursed Energy vibrations within his body and decisively gave up the operation of Hymn of Prayer.
The silver-white Cursed Energy quietly dissipated; that weakening effect was, after all, merely a drop in the bucket against Gojo Satoru's absolute strength, and it only wasted a portion of his Cursed Energy output.
Instead of being passively restricted, it was better to go all out!
The next moment, a strong pink glow emanated from Rin's body, and a warm yet extremely explosive Cursed Energy swept forth.
This was his trump card amplification Cursed Technique, Enhancement Spell, which sacrificed defense for extreme offensive enhancement, causing his Cursed Energy output efficiency to surge at this moment.
Even the scarlet patterns of Scarlet Scale Leap on his body were covered by the pink light, instantly pushing his strength, speed, and explosive power to their peak.
"Getting serious?"
A hint of approval flashed in Gojo Satoru's eyes, and the Cursed Energy around him also boiled; his previously restrained aura completely unfurled, and even without Limitless defense, the oppressive feeling of 'the strongest' still made the air congeal.
Rin did not respond; his figure transformed into a pink afterimage, breaking the sound barrier. His fist, carrying the triple power condensed from the violent effects of Weapons of War, the enhancement of Scarlet Scale Leap, and the amplification of Enhancement Spell, directly struck Gojo Satoru's chest.
Sharingan: Insight was pushed to its limit, firmly locking onto the core of Gojo Satoru's Cursed Energy flow, attempting to break the situation with one strike.
"Excellent!"
Gojo Satoru laughed loudly, clenching his right fist; the faint blue Blue Fist condensed again, this time with a more concentrated Cursed Energy glow and an even more violent suction. He did not dodge but chose to confront it head-on, unleashing his Cursed Energy to its maximum as he met Rin's attack.
The three people by the side of the training field were already dumbfounded.
Panda clenched his paws, muttering to himself:
"This... what terrifying aura! How can Rin-kun unleash such powerful strength?"
Inumaki Toge's eyes were wide, and he urgently shouted "tuna!" (meaning "It's amazing").
Maki Zen'in gripped the cursed tool katana in her hand, her eyes full of shock. She had never seen anyone display such a resolute offensive stance in front of Gojo Satoru; not even Suguru Geto in his prime had clashed so freely and exhilaratingly.
"Bang—!!!"
The moment the two fists collided, a terrifying shockwave spread out from their center; the stone slabs on the training field ground shattered in response, dust flew everywhere, and the surrounding green plants were tossed about by the airflow.
The pink and faint blue Cursed Energy glows violently collided, emitting a piercing hum, as if even the air was being torn apart.
Rin felt a force several times stronger than before surge into his body through his arms; the amplification of Enhancement Spell was still insufficient against such absolute output, his bones throbbed with sharp pain, and the pink light flickered violently, almost dissipating.
Gojo Satoru also felt an unprecedented impact; Rin's fist actually penetrated part of 'Blue''s suction, causing his arm to tingle slightly and his feet to subconsciously take half a step back.
This was the first time he had been pushed back in this sparring match.