Mahito wasn't crazy, because he genuinely had both the idea and the strength to challenge Gojo Satoru.
He had now obtained a body, but it was an unrefined incarnation, and its degree of compatibility with him was insufficient, so the synchronization rate could not reach 100%.
In this regard, Kenjaku was the true master.
All Ancient Sorcerers who signed a Binding Vow with Kenjaku used specially prepared incarnation bodies from Kenjaku, and these special incarnation bodies could even perfectly unleash the Ancient Sorcerers' strength from before their deaths.
However, the Jujutsu Sorcerer whose body Mahito currently inhabited was not carefully prepared, but rather one Kenjaku had grabbed at random.
The difference was immense.
Cursed object incarnation was actually simpler than imagined.
Taking a Special Grade cursed object like the Death Painting Wombs as an example, it only needed to be placed into an ordinary person's body.
After that, the ordinary person's body would complete the incarnation due to the infection of the curse.
If Mahito wished, he could certainly do the same.
In fact, his current incarnation body was similar to this.
He only cared about the Construction Technique; as long as the Cursed Technique of the incarnation body was satisfactory, nothing else mattered.
But in reality, this kind of incarnation was very crude.
Kenjaku had a lot to say about this.
Over a thousand years, he had continuously collected Binding Vows from powerful Jujutsu Sorcerers.
After these powerful Jujutsu Sorcerers died, Kenjaku made them into cursed objects, but Kenjaku did not casually put them into ordinary people's mouths to incarnate them.
On the contrary, he carefully selected suitable vessels and spent several years refining their bodies until the game began, allowing all Ancient Sorcerers to revive in their peak state.
Hmm, Mahito would only realize later that things weren't that simple.
Kenjaku was far more insidious than Mahito imagined, with methods so superb that Mahito's current understanding couldn't even grasp them.
This was especially true for Ryomen Sukuna.
To create an incarnation body that could allow Ryomen Sukuna to unleash his full power, he personally took on the role, transformed into a woman, and personally gave birth to a child.
(T/N: Kenjaku taking the white splash so that Yuji could hit a black flash)
—This child was Itadori Yuji, the protagonist of Jujutsu Kaisen.
Itadori Yuji also played his role well.
He broke the pattern of incarnation bodies that had never appeared since the emergence of the Special Grade cursed object, Ryomen Sukuna's Fingers, becoming Ryomen Sukuna's vessel, which was also the main storyline of the original story until the end.
Mahito had an idea, an idea similar to Kenjaku's:
to possess an incarnation body that was 100% compatible.
If he could achieve this, he was confident that he could truly challenge Gojo Satoru.
He told Kenjaku his idea, hoping to gain the approval of this thousand-year-old Jujutsu Sorcerer.
Kenjaku, dragging his shattered body, lay on a beach chair, carefully pondering Mahito's ingenious idea.
He asked,
"You are a Cursed Spirit in the domain of the soul."
"Even after a thousand years, my understanding of the soul is far inferior to yours."
"So, I ask you, Mahito, what do you think the soul is?"
This was a conversation three days after that question-and-answer session.
Mahito, like Kenjaku, lay on a beach chair, and upon hearing the question, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
This was a good question, because before this, he had never seriously considered it.
Although due to his previous life, he still had a filter regarding the soul, after transmigrating into Mahito's body, this filter had almost vanished.
Body and soul were the same to him.
Due to his ability, he even felt that the soul was easier to modify than the body.
He cautiously said,
"A component of human action?"
Kenjaku did not deny it.
He brought up a philosophical idea.
"A Western philosopher proposed an interesting idea."
"He said that if there was a ship that, during its voyage, constantly wore down its components, requiring frequent replacement, until eventually even the most important keel was replaced, then—"
"—is this ship still the original ship?"
To be honest, Mahito didn't understand what Kenjaku was talking about.
What did this have to do with his incarnation?
The question he asked didn't even touch upon the domain of the soul, only the domain of incarnation.
Mahito thought Kenjaku would talk about incarnation-related matters as usual, never expecting him to discuss matters related to the soul and even involve a philosophical idea.
Kenjaku's lips curved upward.
Every time he saw this arrogant King of Curses show a bewildered expression, it made him happy.
He clearly knew that as time passed, Mahito's physical performance and wisdom would only become more perfect, until eventually, even he wouldn't be able to teach him.
On the contrary, in the future, he would be the one needing to seek guidance.
Therefore, while Mahito had not yet fully matured, this time spent as a mentor only made him cherish it more.
Kenjaku pointed to the brain.
"According to modern medical explanations, the most important component of the human body is the brain, because human memory and sensation ultimately reside in the brain."
"I ask you, Mahito, does the human soul also reside in the brain?"
"No," Mahito said definitively.
"Where then?"
Kenjaku asked.
Mahito pointed to his chest.
"Here."
Kenjaku knew that although Mahito was pointing to his chest, it didn't actually mean that the soul resided in the human heart.
Sure enough, Mahito said,
"The position of the soul completely overlaps with the body."
"The soul exists in every part of the body."
"They are two sides of the same coin, inseparable."
This was also why whenever Mahito used Idle Transfiguration to reshape the soul, the body would be pulled along with the soul, because the soul was a part of the body.
Moving one part affected the whole.
Humans can see the body with their eyes but not the soul, so they mistakenly believe the soul is nobler than the body.
In fact, the opposite is true.
The soul is very ordinary, so ordinary that it is one with the body.
Cutting off a part of the body is, to some extent, no different from cutting off a part of the soul.
Kenjaku nodded.
"Returning to the previous question, which component on that ship do you think is the soul?"
"Don't misunderstand."
"Although this is a philosophical thought experiment, we are not discussing a philosophical problem, but a practical one."
"Don't treat it as philosophy; treat it as medicine."
Treat it as medicine?
If this philosophical question was delved into, would it also relate to the soul?
Mahito thought seriously, then said hesitantly,
"It should all be related."
Kenjaku looked deeply at Mahito and smiled.
"No need to be so hesitant, Mahito."
"As I said, in the study of the soul domain, you are definitely above me."
"I will listen carefully to all your conclusions."
"You just said 'all,' right?"
"Then, let's discuss it from the perspective of 'all.'"
Mahito secretly sighed that his theories in this area were indeed too few, and he was being led by Kenjaku.
But he couldn't be blamed, because he simply didn't have the means to learn and could only rely on Kenjaku.
Fortunately, because of the Binding Vow, the knowledge Kenjaku provided would certainly be correct—
at least, what he himself believed to be correct.
He asked, "What was the answer you originally intended to give?"
"It's humanity," Kenjaku said, maintaining his unchanging smile.
"The soul should refer to the driver on that constantly replaced ship—no matter how many times the ship's components are replaced, only the driver remains unchanged."
"The ship's soul is neither the keel symbolizing the 'heart' nor the steering wheel symbolizing the 'brain,' but the person holding the steering wheel."
Mahito suddenly understood.
This was indeed a very Kenjaku-esque answer, because that was exactly how he himself operated.
Kenjaku's tone shifted.
"However, since it comes from you, Mahito, a master in the domain of the soul, perhaps you are the correct one."
"'Body and soul as one' may be the true answer."
"Hmm, sometimes I also feel faint fluctuations of the original consciousness of the incarnation body."
"I originally thought it was a coincidence, but if your theory of 'body and soul as one' is correct, then it shouldn't be coincidence."
"Rather, as long as this vessel is used, the backlash from the vessel owner's soul is unavoidable."
This was Kenjaku's own problem, which he didn't elaborate on, instead returning to the previous topic.
"For you to create your own incarnation, the primary condition to break through is to prepare the place where your soul will reside."
"Unlike ordinary incarnations, this is the most crucial point for a specialized incarnation, because the compatibility with the cursed object needs to be adjusted to 100%."
"Therefore, its soul must also be changed, just like that ship."
Adjusting the compatibility between the soul and the body.
Mahito pondered.
Kenjaku said with a smile,
"The most compatible method, without a doubt, is to be reborn, which is transmigration."
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