Based on my understanding of the original work from my past life, the Ten Shadows Technique is the most powerful killing move of the Zen'in clan, truly establishing the Zen'in clan's status among the three great families.
In Sukuna's hands, it could even surpass the Six Eyes and Limitless.
However, no one knows how to awaken the Ten Shadows Technique.
Zen'in Toji, a Heavenly Restriction user, had not a trace of jujutsu, yet he could still produce Megumi Fushiguro, who awakened the Ten Shadows Technique.
Who could explain such a thing?
However, as a transmigrator, Zen'in Ming had an entirely new idea.
Whether it was the Six Eyes trait of the Gojo clan or the Ten Shadows Technique of the Zen'in clan, they were essentially manifestations of the three great families' bloodlines.
If he couldn't awaken the corresponding technique through his own talent, couldn't he undergo his own genetic modification?
If his genetic modification allowed him to adapt to the Ten Shadows Technique like Megumi Fushiguro, would he then be able to awaken that technique?
Based on this conjecture, Zen'in Ming proposed this bold idea to Kenjaku.
After Kenjaku confirmed that Zen'in Ming had no talent for techniques, he officially began implementing this genetic modification plan on Zen'in Ming.
Though Kenjaku was a hidden mastermind, at that time, in the Meiji era, his vision wasn't as broad as that of the transmigrated Zen'in Ming.
Thus, when Zen'in Ming proposed the genetic modification plan, Kenjaku felt enlightened.
The key factor in this genetic modification plan was obtaining enough genetic samples from the Zen'in clan.
Especially from deceased Zen'in clan members who had awakened the Ten Shadows Technique…
Zen'in Ming couldn't do such a thing, but for Kenjaku, a grave-robbing specialist, it was a piece of cake.
…
After Kamo Noritoshi's departure, Zen'in Ming wandered through the Buddhist hall. He caught sight of Kenjaku's previous work: "Cursed Womb: Death Painting."
Nine different fleshy masses soaked in separate containers.
And the woman who gave birth to the Nine Cursed Wombs, Rika, lay in a coffin in the Buddhist hall.
As an assistant, Zen'in Ming had provided significant help to Kenjaku during the birth of the Cursed Womb: Death Painting.
However, he also sympathized with the woman who gave birth to the Cursed Womb. Thus, after she died giving birth to the final Cursed Womb, he quietly helped prepare a coffin for her and performed funeral rites, wishing her early enlightenment.
And right beside that coffin, Zen'in Ming suddenly noticed something unusual.
There were clearly only nine vessels for the Nine-Phase Diagram, so why did it seem like there were ten when he glanced at them?
Zen'in Ming turned his head and looked. The label on the final container read: "Zen'in Clan Ten Shadows Technique, Deceased Genetic Fluid, Ming-kun, use it at your discretion."
Now, Kenjaku had left without taking the Nine-Phase Diagram and had even left him the Zen'in clan's genes.
Zen'in Ming felt somewhat moved. Whatever Kenjaku's reason for leaving these items, he knew they were extremely important to him at this moment.
Whether he could become stronger in the future, whether he could carve out a place in the jujutsu world filled with powerful individuals, depended entirely on the genes Kenjaku provided.
— [Kenjaku, I know you just want to experiment! I also know I'm just your test subject, but I won't resign myself to this fate.]
— [If I can awaken the corresponding technique, I might still become a chess player. After all, we're still in the Meiji era, not the main storyline of *Jujutsu Kaisen*!]
— [In this world, there's no Gojo Satoru, no awakened Ryomen Sukuna, the time of the Culling Game hasn't arrived, and after awakening the Shadow Technique, it's enough to enjoy this life.]
Zen'in Ming looked at the genes in his hand and made his decision.
After all, it was better than becoming an ordinary person, no matter what! Besides, once he lost Kamo Noritoshi's protection, his fate would hardly be better.
"Let me try. In this peculiar world, can genetic modification give me the right to change the world?"
"As long as I awaken, this world without Gojo Satoru or Ryomen Sukuna should revolve around my will, right?"
"If I don't awaken, dying like this isn't so bad either."
Zen'in Ming looked again at the genetic fluid in his hand, his expression growing increasingly serious.
He knew there were too many uncertainties in genetic-level evolution!
The genetic fluid Kenjaku left him could be the key to changing his destiny, but it could also naturally be the poison that ended his life.
At that moment, he had neither the resources nor the ability to conduct in vivo experiments.
After all, finding a Zen'in clan bloodline for experimentation was extremely difficult! The hardest part was that he only had a limited amount of genetic fluid, so he had no resources to waste.
At this point, Zen'in Ming couldn't even estimate his survival probability.
But he could only take this gamble!
Whether he could control his own destiny in the future, whether he could live with dignity and escape the fate of ordinary people devoured by special-grade cursed spirits.
It all depended solely on the bottle of genetic fluid Kamo Noritoshi left him.
As for whether Kamo Noritoshi had tampered with this bottle of genetic fluid?
Zen'in Ming didn't care. At worst, it would be death! He could accept the worst, and other issues were mere details.
Without much hesitation, Zen'in Ming steeled his heart and directly injected the genetic fluid into his body.
"Ah…"
Almost the moment the genetic fluid was injected, Zen'in Ming couldn't control himself and screamed loudly.
He swore he had never felt such pain in his life.
It was excruciating!
It was terrifying!
He had initially thought that after conducting so many experiments with Kamo Noritoshi, his body's resistance and tolerance were already strong enough.
According to Zen'in Ming, no pain could compare to the helplessness of not controlling his future.
However, when the pain truly hit at that moment, he realized he was just an ordinary person.
So ordinary that he couldn't even endure the pain.
Zen'in Ming had initially been lying on a wooden bed beside the coffin for the injection, but in his unconscious writhing from pain, he fell into the coffin he had prepared for Rika.
Then, he completely lost consciousness.
The next second, a mutated curtain spread through the room, and Kamo Noritoshi's memory image suddenly appeared in the room.
"Ming-kun, this is your chance! This genetic fluid contains the Six Eyes gene of the Gojo clan, the Ten Shadows Technique gene of the Zen'in clan, and the Red Blood Manipulation gene from my body…"
"If your genetic modification hasn't misled me, I may have created a terrifying monster?"
"But, genetic modification or something like that, it's impossible, right?"
The memory image of the Brain in the room completely vanished after a self-deprecating remark.
This basement behind the temple was completely isolated from the world.
The genes of the Gojo, Kamo, and Zen'in clans began to continuously break down and reorganize in Zen'in Ming's body…
The genes of the three great families simply couldn't fuse in Zen'in Ming's body.
The Brain's experiment was merely a fantasy.
If Zen'in Ming had known that this tube of genetic fluid contained a mix of the three great families' genes, he would never have foolishly injected it into his body.
He was a bastard child of the Zen'in clan, not the Gojo or Kamo clans.
He only coveted the Zen'in clan's Ten Shadows Technique, not the Gojo clan's Six Eyes or the Kamo clan's Red Blood Manipulation!
"Damn…"
Zen'in Ming understood the Brain's experimental plan the moment he lost consciousness.
Deeply resentful toward the Brain, he completely lost control of his body. If he had the chance to awaken, he would personally thank the Brain for giving him this terrifying human experiment.
…
Zen'in Ming, unconscious, began to waste away day by day. Soon, he would die in this secret room.
That was part of Kamo Noritoshi's plan.
And also within Zen'in Ming's expectations after understanding Kamo Noritoshi's experiment.
Zen'in Ming, this weak transmigrator, was about to vanish from this world.
He was neither a protagonist like Gojo Satoru nor an antagonist like Ryomen Sukuna. He didn't even have the right to leave a mark in this world.
Three months later, the entire secret room was permeated with Zen'in Ming's resentment, which lingered from before he lost consciousness.
The Brain had also forgotten Zen'in Ming, this test subject.
However, no one expected that within this mutated curtain, Zen'in Ming still retained a trace of vitality.
The hatred in the entire secret room transformed from one type into two…
The mother of the Cursed Womb: Death Painting—Rika—awakened under the resonance of Zen'in Ming's hatred.
Though Zen'in Ming had lost consciousness, the continuous reorganization of the three great families' genes brought him unprecedented jujutsu power.
And this jujutsu, which he couldn't control, unconsciously cursed Rika beside him, transforming her into a special-grade cursed spirit.
Upon awakening, Rika regarded Zen'in Ming, who also possessed the Kamo clan's bloodline gene, as her "child."
With the help of Rika's jujutsu and the support of the nine other Cursed Wombs, Zen'in Ming's vitality remained unextinguished.
Thus, a delicate balance was achieved between the speed of the three great families' gene reorganization in Zen'in Ming's body and the repair speed of Rika and the Nine Cursed Wombs.
Within the Brain's mini "curtain," which consumed almost negligible energy, Zen'in Ming was thus forgotten, barely clinging to life…
One day, one month, one year, ten years, a hundred years…
One hundred fifty years later.
…
Ling Yan Club (Spiritual Research)
"Sasaki-senpai, Iguchi-senpai, I have to be back by five today, so let's not explore any more supernatural phenomena today, okay?"
Inside the club, a young man with short, spiky pink hair, clear golden pupils, wearing a light yellow hoodie and jeans, looked helplessly at his two school seniors.
The only reason he joined the Ling Yan (Spiritual Research) Club was because Sasaki, the president, told him he only needed to hold a nominal position as a member of the Void Kingdom and didn't have to participate in activities.
If his grandfather hadn't forced him, Yuji Itadori wouldn't have wanted to join a club at all.
"Okay, okay, Yuji, don't worry! This place isn't far; we'll definitely be done before 5 p.m."
"Please, Yuji!"
Sasaki clasped her hands in a pleading gesture.
Though both she and Iguchi were official members of the Ling Yan (Spiritual Research) Club, they were truly timid. Now that Yuji Itadori, a physically strong young man, had joined them, how could they not bring him along for activities to bolster their courage?
"Seriously!"
Yuji Itadori scratched his head and finally agreed.
"It's settled then; we have to finish before five."
He still had to rush to the hospital to see his grandfather. Though his grandfather hadn't said anything and seemed full of energy, Yuji had a premonition that he would leave this world in a few days.
"Thank you, Yuji! Without you, Ling Yan (Spiritual Research) really wouldn't know what to do."
Sasaki and Iguchi let out a sigh of relief. Without Yuji Itadori, they wouldn't have dared explore this dilapidated temple today.