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

A hint of a wicked smile inadvertently appeared on Lan Zhu's face.

It's only thanks to the Igarashi family's substantial wealth that they were able to withstand such mischief. In a typical coffee shop, they would probably have already kicked this incredibly destructive apprentice out.

Of course, Xia Xi's spiritual practice goes far beyond coffee.

On the third day, they took him to the banks of the Ooka River.

This time, he was instructed to use the full concentration technique while calmly fishing by the river.

It's harder than grinding coffee.

The intense excitement brought on by the thunder and the ultimate tranquility required for fishing are two completely opposite extremes.

Xia Xi felt like an overloaded engine that was forced to perform a micro-carving task.

The result was that the ripples continued to spread, startling the fish countless times.

I spent a day as an air force pilot...

On the fifth day, Igarashi arranged for Natsumi to go to the Yokohama Library.

I handed him a thick philosophical book.

He was asked to maintain full concentration while browsing through this book, reading, understanding, and taking notes.

Xia Xi felt her temples throbbing.

How do you read this?!

With my brain and body constantly agitated at high speed, even turning the pages smoothly became a struggle.

The constantly erupting yet controlled power caused Xia Xi to tremble uncontrollably.

He even felt as if the words on the pages were about to break free and dance before his eyes…

Not to mention having to actually read it.

It's a philosophy book, for crying out loud.

Xia Xi had no doubt that even if the book in her hand was pornographic, she wouldn't be able to read a single word at the moment.

He glanced up at Igarashi, who was leisurely gazing at the street scene from the window.

This senior brother... this bastard is laughing, isn't he!

They're definitely laughing at themselves!

……

When Kaki returned to Yokohama after completing his mission, he saw this strange scene.

Xia Xi was watering the flowers and plants in Igarashi's yard, trembling all over.

He looked as if he had suffered a great injustice but was determined to endure it.

She even saw that the water pouring from the spout split into several thin streams because of Xia Xi's trembling right hand.

"Um... what is Xia Xi-kun doing?"

She couldn't help but ask the other two swordsmen who had returned a few days earlier.

Geng, who was even less worthy of the oath, naturally looked completely bewildered.

On the contrary, Dojima, who is about to advance to the [C] rank, knows a little.

"This... is probably a form of cultivation within the realm of the complete concentration of knowledge."

Shui and Hu looked completely bewildered.

Dojima could only give them a general explanation of the concept of "Changzhong".

"Wow, amazing! Is senpai preparing to become a Pillar?" Kojiro exclaimed.

Dojima was speechless at Kojiro's slowness: No matter how you look at your stepson, he's a candidate for Pillar.

Shizi stared wide-eyed at Xia Xi intently.

Xia Xijun... he really has never stopped moving forward.

The three of them had their own thoughts, but none of them expected something else at that moment.

The difficulty level of the subsequent sparring sessions increased dramatically.

Because Xia Xi is now extremely clumsy in "holding back" and "guiding" in his cultivation.

He could no longer control his strength as easily as before.

Every block, every dodge, and every counterattack he made carried the almost instinctive speed and superhuman strength of his [normal state] at full power.

It was just a light touch for him.

But for the three apprentices, it was a heavy blow that they had to deal with with all their might.

After being dodged by Xia Xi once again with almost predictable footwork and then retaliated with an exaggerated counterattack.

Kojiro was the first to give up.

Clutching his injured abdomen, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Xue Zou Shizi gritted her teeth, her body covered in bruises, and her eyes slightly red from the exertion.

Dojima, being stronger, still had some stamina left, but he could only silently lean on the ground with his sword.

Sweat had already soaked through the heavy training clothes.

"I swear," he said, panting heavily.

"Xia Xi-kun, your strength is just too great... I can't take it anymore..."

Despite feeling a significant improvement in his skills over the past few days, he found himself back in a situation where he couldn't even withstand two or three casual moves from his opponent.

Even though she knew Xia Xi had tried her best to hold back.

But the immense force that kept pressing down on her like a tidal wave suffocated her to the point that she couldn't resist at all.

They couldn't even catch their breath.

Dojima was equally embarrassed: "It's not just his strength, his skill and awareness are far superior to ours..."

"Let alone Xue Zou, even I couldn't handle it."

Xia Xi looked at the two of them apologetically.

He originally intended not to use [Changzhong] during the training of the three.

Unfortunately, his senior brother said that this was a necessary part of his cultivation, and even battles had to be integrated into his cultivation.

Otherwise, why would I have resorted to such methods against the three persimmons?

Am I that kind of person?

Xia Xi glanced at her system panel.

The progress of Thunder Breathing is advancing at an unprecedented speed.

It is much faster than practicing kendo and meditating alone.

It was also much faster than when I was grinding coffee, fishing, and reading philosophy books a few days ago.

Sorry, Kaki, Dojima, and Gengjiro.

I'm afraid I'll have to make do with you for now.

If anyone's to blame, blame the evil Igarashi Yuzome.

The training plan was set by Lord Storm Pillar.

Xia Xi clenched her fists again and took a step toward the two who were still barely standing.

In the attic, Igarashi, who was enjoying a leisurely moment outside of his mission while drinking coffee, suddenly had a twitch in his eye.

Why did I feel like that just now...

Is someone talking badly about me?

Chapter 66 Sayonara, everyone!

In the days that followed, Xia Xi began to consciously adjust her self-control.

He then focused more on controlling his strength and maintaining a peaceful state of mind, and tried to concentrate on doing one repetitive action.

For example, grinding beans continuously without actually brewing them.

For example, if a fish bites the rod, just quietly feel the tremor of the rod tip without lifting the rod.

For example, you can look at the same line of text on a page of a book without choosing to turn the page down.

Just as he expected.

Gradually, the game's "fast forward animation" feature was quietly unlocked.

He was able to devote himself wholeheartedly to the practice of harmonizing the "normal state" and "life" in waves.

The process can be slow because the breathing technique is interrupted from time to time.

But it was effective nonetheless.

Coffee powder no longer flies everywhere, the water surface where I fish no longer ripples violently, and I can finally concentrate on reading the little yellow book in my hand.

When he finally managed to brew a cup of coffee with a balanced flavor, albeit with some difficulty, he was able to do so.

When he even had the strength to pull out a crooked tulip on top of the milk foam, Arashijo smiled and acknowledged his progress.

At the same time, the departure of the three "disciples" also arrived as scheduled.

Kojiro was the first to leave.

The members of the Demon Slayer Corps will not stay in one place for too long.

The instructions brought by the raven led this Geng-rank swordsman further south.

Before leaving, he bowed deeply to Xia Xi several times.

After repeatedly expressing that "Xia Xi's kindness can never be repaid in this lifetime," he wiped his reddened eyes, picked up his Nichirin Blade, and left.

【Kondo Kojiro (Level: 61)】Water Breathing LV.3