Demon Slayer: Can I add points to my Breathing Technique?

"Learning is merely the starting point."

"Yes!" "Hmm."

Sabito nodded seriously in agreement.

Yi Yong nodded slightly in agreement.

Seeing the three children return to training, Urokodaki began to think about things other than training.

Yi Yong seems to have become much more cheerful than before lately.

He still remembered what the child looked like when he first came to lead the Misty Mountain; apart from the occasional hint of pain in his eyes, there was almost no emotion to be seen.

He neither spoke nor showed any expression.

It's like a sculpted wooden puppet.

I am not a very good speaker.

I've tried to persuade him more than once, but to little avail.

It was only after spending a lot of time with Sabito that he would occasionally show a smile.

These past few days, since the arrival of the nine-car boy.

I've been talking much more often these days.

So, it really does require spending more time with children of the same age?

……

As the sun sets, it paints the sky and mountain streams in a warm orange hue.

Xia Xi remained seated in the center of the waterfall, her body constantly subjected to the impact and pounding of the powerful water flow.

Sitting quietly under waterfalls and in rivers is part of the daily practice of Sakai and Sakai.

The aim is to feel the ever-changing form and eternal power of water amidst the surging sound, and to continuously hone one's sense of balance and physique while learning to maintain a calm and composed mind.

"Senior, today's training can end now."

The sound of the hawk-like rabbit pierced through the sound of water.

Then Xia Xi slowly opened her eyes, leaped up from the rock, and splashed water in the process.

He asked while wringing out his soaking wet hair.

"Oh? Is it almost dinnertime?"

"If the sun hasn't set yet, I'll cook dinner tonight. Giyu, come with me to catch some fish later, we'll have fish soup, tofu, and miso soup for dinner..."

"You can leave dinner to Mr. Urokodaki." Sabito held up a piece of paper in his hand: "There's a letter for you."

Giyuu whispered, "...It would be really troublesome. (Let Senpai cook, otherwise eating Urokodaki-sensei's food would be quite a hassle.)"

After glancing at Sato and the other two, Xia Xi dried herself off and walked over with a hint of doubt.

"Will anyone still write to me?"

Could it be that the cheap delivery guy sent it over?

Upon picking up the letter, the first thing that catches the eye is a line of neat handwriting.

[To Xia Xijun, by your kind]

[Snow Walks Away, Vow]

"Oh, it's persimmons."

Xia Xi didn't shy away from it; she opened the letter right in front of the two little ones and read it in the setting sun.

Sabito and Giyu exchanged a glance.

Yiyong (tilting his head): Sabito, who can write a letter to the senior?

Qiantu (shaking his head): I don't know... Judging from the signature, it seems to be a girl.

Yiyong (surprised): Huh? A girl?!

Yi Yong's eyes brightened slightly, and he couldn't help but raise his head, trying to catch a glimpse of a ripple on Xia Xi's face.

Then the pink-haired boy gently pulled him aside.

Since our parting after the final selection, it has been a long time since I last inquired about you. I hope your swordsmanship improves and that you are in good health.

[The other day, while on a mission, I saw the river under the moonlight and suddenly remembered the wind blade you wielded by Lake Ashi...]

The letter paper bore the slight wrinkles from its long journey and carried a faint herbal scent.

The handwriting, however, was neat and beautiful.

Yet, the brushstrokes subtly reveal the gentleness and seriousness of the writer.

In the letter, she shared her trivial experiences after becoming a swordsman: the color of her newly forged Nichirin Blade, and the nervous process of her first solo slaying of an evil spirit.

The following section mentions some of her insights and confusions while practicing breathing techniques.

She said that she mustered up the courage to write this down because she remembered how Xia Xi earnestly asked everyone about breathing techniques during the final selection, hoping it would also be helpful to his spiritual practice.

She also mentioned that she had inquired about Xia Xi within the team, only to learn that he had not yet begun his mission.

Although she was a little confused at first, she quickly realized that Xia Xi must be somewhere, focusing more intently on honing his swordsmanship.

At the end of the letter, she earnestly added that she wrote these words simply to prove that she would strive to become a swordsman as powerful as him.

There was absolutely no other intention.

[Enclosed are some snacks and medicines I purchased during the mission the other day. Also, future missions are treacherous, so please be extremely careful.]

May your military career prosper.

[Snow Walks, I Vow]

Putting the letter away, Xia Xi asked Qian Tu, "Besides the letter, is there anything else?"

The boy honestly replied, "There are some ointments, and... there's a box of dried persimmons, senior."

"It's a persimmon."

He repeated it softly, and the cool evening breeze in the mountains stirred up some complicated emotions.

"Senior Kusha, is this letter from another Demon Slayer Corps senior?" Sabito asked curiously. "After all, this time the letter was delivered by a member of [Kakuna].

"Yes, we were classmates."

On the way back, Xia Xi answered somewhat absentmindedly, "Speaking of which, she is also a swordsman who practices the Breath of Water."

Sabito's eyes lit up slightly: "Then, compared to you, senior, who is stronger?"

"Of course it's me." Xia Xi answered without hesitation: "Whether it's rank or record, I'm number one in the selection. MVP, understand?"

Although it didn't fully understand these unfamiliar words, Qiantu understood their meaning.

Xia Xi is undoubtedly the strongest among her peers in the final selection.

"You must have killed a lot of demons during the selection process, senior."

The rabbit suddenly stopped.

"Senior, please have a match with me."

"Use your full strength, and let me see for myself what a sword capable of slaying demons really looks like."

Giyu, who had been silent nearby, looked surprised.

Xia Xi also looked curiously at this usually well-behaved pink-haired boy.

"Dinner's almost ready, why the sudden urge to fight?"

The pink-haired boy said earnestly, "I'm not doing this out of competitiveness."

"I just want to know how far we are from becoming a qualified Demon Slayer swordsman."

Furthermore, I also want to confirm whether I have the power to protect others.

He glanced at Yiyong beside him.

This boy was like a younger brother to him.

“I’d like to see it too,” the black-haired boy said calmly, raising his face.

If you're asking about assessing strength, you could definitely ask Master Urokodaki...

Ultimately, these two children probably harbor their own pride as well.

Xia Xi stroked her chin, but did not refuse.

He brandished the wooden knife in his hand.

"Okay, let's practice with a wooden sword."

"You two can come together. I'm in a hurry, don't let it delay my meal."

Chapter 19 Hurry up, I'm in a rush

In some ways, Senior Kusha is quite similar to Giyu.

Faced with Xia Xi's answer, Sabito couldn't help but think.

They often say things that are easy for others to misunderstand.

Despite having no malicious intent, they said something disrespectful like, "Come at me all at once, we're in a hurry."

This is really infuriating.

The pink-haired boy smiled and gripped the wooden sword in his hand tightly.

"Then you'd better be careful, senior."

Yi Yong, standing to the side, didn't think much of it. After all, in his opinion, both Sabito and Kusha Xiaxi were swordsmen far stronger than him.

Xia Xi, on the other hand, did not think there was anything wrong with what she said.

Whether it's my overall attributes approaching the 60 mark, or my breathing technique entering the second half of LV3.