Chapter 80 : Jiang Lai's Domain
"[Trillion Year Hexagram]."
Jiang Lai calmly spoke the domain's name.
In an instant, the surrounding scenery was enveloped by an boundless vast river. Above was white, below was black, with stellar brilliance and sun and moon flowing within the surrounding misty river, radiance shining and surging endlessly.
Myriad landscapes reflected in the warm brown eyes of the navy blue figure.
Long-haired Gojo slightly widened his azure Six Eyes, observing this distant, boundless scenery that embraced all things.
At his current teenage age, he hadn't yet awakened a domain.
So this was the first time Six Eyes had been completely within someone's domain, and in a posture where he could wholeheartedly relax and experience it.
Within a breath, the earth covered by the domain reversed through time and space.
Dust and wood chips flew and reassembled into houses and village dwellings, white bones and flesh silently condensed back into their former lives, curious, confused, painful memories were turned back to before everything began, returning to the original fearless ignorance.
Amid the heavy snowfall, a small town that had been destroyed in an instant was rebuilt in an instant. A scene like a divine miracle unfolded before their eyes.
"Huh, I could still see some sunlight on my way home just now, how did it get dark in the blink of an eye..."
"Whew, this snow is getting heavier, better hurry home..."
The villagers' casual murmurs reached their ears as the bustling crowd began moving again.
The low-key [Existence] wearing a mask, accompanied by the white-haired youth, emerged from an inconspicuous corner path and merged into the daily order of the mortal world that had been restored once more.
"The children and girls on the mountain are all included in the domain, their time and space reversed together. They're probably in the previous unconscious state now." Jiang Lai said quietly to Gojo Satoru. "I excluded the demon from the domain, so it remains in its dead state."
"Then I'll leave the rest to you." He smiled, his voice still gentle. "Satoru-kun."
The navy blue figure was like a deity who would disappear after performing miracles, leaving only fragments of words to those fortunate enough to witness them, allowing later generations to spread imagination and legends.
Faced with the black-haired youth who was about to turn and leave for unknown destinations, long-haired Gojo instinctively reached out his hand.
"What's wrong?" Noticing the white-haired youth's movement, Jiang Lai half-turned, deconstructing and dissolving the mask on his face to reveal his own face.
"Ah..." Long-haired Gojo paused for a long while before speaking: "I don't like owing people favors, so at this parting, let me give you something."
He reached into his pouch and pulled out a very small item, his expression showing some annoyance, like a long-haired white cat that hadn't been able to bask in today's best sunlight:
"I left home on impulse this time and didn't bring anything from the family treasure pavilion. All I have on me right now is this..."
He opened his hand, revealing the item in his palm.
Jiang Lai's gaze focused on it, seeing in the white-haired youth's palm an ornament that resembled jade but wasn't jade, shaped like a white feather.
Wait, a feather necklace?!
He instinctively raised his hand to his neck, only to realize that since returning to this [Thousand Years] chapter, his feather necklace and locust wood pendant were no longer on his body, only the book remained in his hand.
This meant that in this Jujutsu Kaisen world setting, the book (Phone-kun) was something he originally possessed. But the feather necklace and locust wood pendant were not carried by him initially in the thousand-year past, but acquired later.
"This thing was received at some year's festival. It's said to have been enshrined at some feng shui treasure land for hundreds or thousands of years, having some luck of rebuilding after destruction at crucial moments."
Long-haired Gojo seemed to recall for a few seconds, explaining.
Then he said in a cheerful, casual tone: "Of course, you can hear these routine phrases about any item. They're just what charlatans say to drive up prices. I originally just thought this ornament looked rather pleasing, so I took it."
Jiang Lai observed that jade-like feather ornament.
The original feather necklace didn't have the special function of adjusting transparency and blurring cursed energy identity, it was just an ordinary ornament. Jiang Lai still remembered the beginning of the Yesterday's Past chapter.
It wasn't until the clock at his heart moved during the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons restart, returning time to the modern main story, that the feather necklace gained additional functions.
This ornament probably absorbed some leaked divine nature essence and the karma from reversing time and space when the [Existence] divine nature was damaged, thus gaining special abilities, somewhat like the radiation-affected liquid fox.
Thinking this way, the feather necklace did somewhat fit the description of "luck of rebuilding after destruction at crucial moments." Thoughts flowed through Jiang Lai's mind. Maybe this really was a blessed item that had been enshrined for some time.
"Ugh, I can't help it, this is all I brought on this trip... or should I give you the jade pendant?" The white-haired youth interpreted the other person's silence as something else. "Hey, hey, although it's really not something precious, it's not worth disdaining, right?"
"No." Jiang Lai came back to his senses, reached out to take it, and smiled: "I don't go deep into the mortal world, so I don't care about the so-called value or worthlessness that circulates among humans. When friends give gifts, what matters is the sentiment, and that makes it the best."
"You really know how to talk. But, good, you accepted it!" Long-haired Gojo held his guide cane with one hand, his tall figure radiating nobility and boldness. "Consider it a parting gift and also repaying a favor. I never owe anyone anything."
"Of course," Jiang Lai smiled in response. "We've always been equal friends. Thank you for your gift."
He waved his hand, bidding farewell to the long-haired Gojo from a thousand years ago, walking toward the distant horizon under the moonlight and against the wind and snow.
After expanding the domain [Trillion Year Hexagram] to reverse time and space, a large amount of cursed energy was consumed, but for Jiang Lai whose power was nearly infinite a thousand years ago, this cursed energy wasn't a problem.
The problem was probably that he had revived the results of annihilation determined by [Death], bearing sins in the [Existence] sense. This made Jiang Lai feel fatigue spreading from the depths of his soul.
But he hadn't shown this during the farewell conversation just now, still maintaining his usual composure while smiling goodbye. Only now, walking alone into the wind and snow, did he let the weariness show in his expression.
He walked forward casually, thoughts flowing through his mind.
Speaking of which, he didn't know who the [Existence] that Gojo Satoru had mentioned might be in the Supervisory Committee in the main timeline was.
Judging purely by abilities, Jiang Lai felt it was somewhat like [Birth]. But after the recent meeting with [Birth], he didn't think the other was someone who would actively participate in human affairs.
[Birth] seemed to have no interest in getting deeply involved in the mortal world, more like a true observer and outsider than himself.
So what was the situation with the Supervisory Committee? If it really was [Birth], did the other still have self-awareness? How were the sins accumulated from too much subjective interference eliminated? What were the people used as "feed" for?
Various questions arose in his mind, and Jiang Lai temporarily noted them down.
Fortunately, during the December 25th reunion when the topic of whether to seize divine nature came up, he hadn't given Gojo Satoru any clear response. He'd just brushed it off lightly, simply replying "Can this thing even be seized?"
Such an answer had quite a bit of room for interpretation. If the [Existence] in the Supervisory Committee really turned out to be his familiar elder sister (brother), it would be convenient to explain to Gojo Satoru in the future.
Additionally, Jiang Lai now vaguely understood why the Supervisory Committee's initial target had been focused on objects.
It might not have been because the [Existence] on the Supervisory Committee's side was in object form, but because the terms mentioned in the prophecies they obtained were [Clock] rather than [Time-Space].
The Supervisory Committee probably had some understanding of [Existence]. [Clock] was a subordinate term under [Time-Space], thus more like a derivative object rather than a humanoid [Existence] itself.
Actually, maybe [Clock] itself did refer to an object, which was his heart.
The version of himself from Yesterday's Past no longer had the ability to casually reverse time and space from a thousand years ago. The remaining time manipulation power had gathered at his heart, transforming into a clock with power so great it could affect the entire world, but could only be used once.
Jiang Lai placed his hand on his left chest, feeling the regular, steady, powerful heartbeat beneath his ribcage.
The snow gradually lessened, the bright moon hung among the branches, and the fatigue after using his ability wasn't dispelled by the cold air.
Jiang Lai lowered his hand, actually feeling some drowsiness that [Existence] shouldn't have.
But he wasn't in a hurry to rest. Instead, he held the floating book with one hand, planning to check the official website updates, forum intelligence, and messages from friends before resting.
The official website already had new updates, but what Jiang Lai first noticed was the last published chapter. The title indicated this wasn't story content from the Thousand Years chapter, but official character information.
He clicked into the character information, planning to look at this first.
Basically one character per page. Jiang Lai's gaze swept past himself and landed on other characters.
Next to the white-haired youth in kimono was the identity notation: [Six Eyes from a Thousand Years Ago, Gojo Satoru (Ohagi)]
He had two character illustrations. One showed the noble, reserved image wearing black-gold cloth strips and holding a guide cane with one hand, the other showed his completely exposed beautiful Six Eyes after dropping the pretense, his attitude incomparably free and arrogant.
Below were his views on other characters.
[On Others: Nobles are boring, commoners are weak.]
[On Ryomen Sukuna: Though somewhat strange, still a peer companion → (After the village massacre) → Recognized his true nature, they are not traveling the same path]
[On [Existence] Lai: Mysterious youth with mist on his face but Six Eyes can see his face clearly, very pleasant to interact with → (After witnessing time-space reversal) → Non-human with powerful abilities, temporarily cannot form bonds through names, but this doesn't affect them being friends]
Jiang Lai's eyes curved with amusement, somewhat surprised that the other had once considered Ryomen Sukuna a friend. But that made sense, both the Six Eyes from a thousand years ago and a thousand years later were initially high above and lonely, rarely encountering peers of similar strength.
Very cautious about himself, not easily forming bonds. Jiang Lai's gaze fell on the last part. But even without knowing his name, they were still friends.
He turned the page and saw the next image of Ryomen Sukuna. The original Sukuna from a thousand years ago in his youth, a cherry-pink haired boy with smooth muscle lines marked with black patterns, four arms hanging casually at his sides.
The identity section simply read: [Ryomen Sukuna ([Death] Existence)]
Below were also his views on other characters, but unlike long-haired Gojo's clarity, they were:
[On Others: Weak & Food]
[On Ohagi: ???]
[On [Existence] Lai: ???]
Jiang Lai: "..." What were all these question marks?! Indeed, Sukuna's heart was like a needle at the bottom of the sea.
He hadn't expected to be singled out along with Gojo. Was he considered special?
But maybe the question marks appeared because the content was too dark and bloody, so it was censored. Jiang Lai thought silently. Some kinds of special treatment were better avoided.
He continued walking forward aimlessly, circling around several clusters of withered bushes. Just as he was preparing to look at the manga and forums, his peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a cherry-pink haired figure walking ahead.
It was Ryomen Sukuna!
What a coincidence, they met again so soon after parting. Jiang Lai was somewhat surprised, his mood turning a bit strange.
After all, he had just been told that the other was his conceptual "little brother," and had also left him a big mess.
The moment Jiang Lai saw the other, the other seemed to sense something too, half-turning around.
Jiang Lai flicked his wrist, constructing a transparent cat box with spatial techniques before any possible conversation or attack could begin.
Jiang Lai: Here to kidnap the little cat (lynx) again, family!