Demon Slayer: After raising Shinobu, I died in front of her.

Before Kokushibo could think further, an unprecedented feeling of suffocation washed over him.

The once quiet mansion was instantly transformed, and Kokushibo's senses were forcibly pulled into a boundless sea of ​​fury!

The surrounding air seemed to transform into thick seawater, with towering waves roaring and surging in the void, crushing towards him with the power to destroy everything.

This is not merely a visual illusion, but a tangible domain formed from Ling Chuanche's unreserved and all-out killing intent!

Amidst this vast ocean, a figure, carrying the weight of a thousand waves, arrives in an instant!

Clang—!

A piercing clang of metal rang out as Kokushibo held his alien blade horizontally in front of his chest, but his feet involuntarily slid back half an inch, crushing the stone steps beneath him.

"What an astonishing aura..." Kokushibo's six eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of seriousness appearing in his gaze. "To be able to condense killing intent to such an extent... makes me feel as if I am at the bottom of the deep sea."

This power... is indeed qualified to fight me.

Ling Chuanche gave his opponent no chance to breathe. The Nichirin Blade in his hand transformed into a continuous, raging torrent, each strike faster and heavier than the last!

"Breath of the Azure Sea, First Form: Wave Slash!"

"Breath of the Azure Sea, Form Three: Water Needle Penetrating Bone!"

Each swing of the blade was accompanied by a deafening roar, like a tsunami crashing against the rocks.

"Breath of the Moon, First Form: Dark Moon, Night Palace".

Kokushibo's composed demeanor was forced to change. The blade in his hand danced rapidly, and the crescent blade of Moon Breathing constantly collided with Lingchuan Tetsu's raging waves.

"Not bad swordsmanship, not bad breathing." Kokushibo said in his ancient and steady tone while parrying the storm of attacks, "But these alone... are not enough to kill me. Your anger... has become your weakness."

"Shut up!!" Ling Chuanche roared, his eyes bloodshot, the light of his blade growing increasingly violent. The entire mansion swayed precariously in the aftershocks of their fight, with wood chips and rubble flying in the "waves".

Looking at the crazed human before him, Kokushibo felt a long-lost excitement and appreciation for talent well up within him: "My name is Kokushibo."

Demon Slayer, you have great talent. It would be a great pity to die like this. Why not abandon this fragile human body and become a demon with me?

"Once you become a demon, you'll have eternal time to hone your swordsmanship, and perhaps even... surpass me."

Chapter 40 Even if my body is destroyed

"Hurry! Hurry up!"

Sanemi Shinazugawa ran wildly across the wilderness like a madman, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his throat.

But he dared not slow down, much less stop!

His gaze was fixed on what was ahead, and the fear in his eyes had never been so intense!

Upper Moon One!

Master has actually encountered Upper Moon One! Why would such a monster appear here?

At this moment, Sanemi Shinazugawa was completely enveloped by a tremendous panic. Kichijo had just flown in to ask for help, informing him that Toru Ayakawa had encountered Upper Moon One and was embroiled in a bloody battle.

Judging from Jixiang's flustered tone, his master's condition was definitely not good.

Right now, Jixiang is rushing to the vicinity with his and Kuangjin's raven to call for reinforcements. From the moment he received the news, he has been running towards his master's location at the fastest speed he has ever been!

Kuang Jin was unable to move due to his severe injuries, so he was the only one who could quickly provide support to his master!

Upper Moon One... just Lower Moon One nearly cost him and Kuang Jin their lives.

He simply couldn't imagine just how strong Upper Moon One, one of the twelve demon moons, really was!

He could only tell himself over and over again: Master will be alright. Even if it's Upper Moon One, Master won't lose. He's the strongest Pillar! No one can defeat him!

However, the violent beating of his heart at that moment clearly indicated that his heart was not truly resolute.

Master, please be alright! I beg you, please don't let anything happen to you!

He wished he had two more legs. Although he was weak, he possessed rare blood flowing through his veins!

He can bleed people after he gets there. As long as he can get there in time, even if he bleeds himself dry, it doesn't matter as long as it helps his master!

"Cough cough!"

Suddenly, he didn't notice his footing and tripped hard on a protruding stone.

Having just endured a fierce battle with Lower Moon One, and still recovering from the fall, he collapsed to the ground, unable to get up again.

"Damn it! Why did it have to be this time!"

Shinazugawa Sanemi gritted his teeth, his entire body writhing in excruciating pain as if it were falling apart.

But he did not give up. He struggled to his feet and painfully moved forward, stumbling and shuffling step by step.

……

"Huh...huh...huh..."

Lingchuan Che was panting heavily, his hands gripping the Nichirin Blade tightly. His haori was tattered and his clothes were soaked in blood. He could no longer tell where the blood was coming from, because he had too many wounds.

Kokushibo stood not far away, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration as he looked at Ryoukawa Toru.

"Your body limits your growth... The human body... is so fragile..." Kokushibo said in a deep voice, his tone carrying an ancient and indifferent regret, "A single injury... a wound... can directly reduce your strength... Why not completely abandon this body... and pursue a higher realm with me..."

"I can assure you... within fifty years... I will make you one of the top three Upper Moons..."

Ling Chuanche closed his eyes, completely ignoring Hei Shibo's persuasion.

He knew he was no match for the demon before him. He had given it his all in the battle, using every trick in the book, yet the demon could heal almost instantly from any damage inflicted. It was stronger than any demon he had ever encountered before, unbelievably strong, overwhelmingly so…

This won't do; we need to change our approach and think of a solution. Continuing to fight like this won't kill him.

Calm down, Ling Chuanche, calm down! Don't let hatred control your thoughts.

You must improve, you must improve immediately, or you have no chance of winning this battle!

He closed his eyes and forced himself to take a deep breath.

During the fight, for a fleeting moment, he seemed to see that guy's attack trajectory suddenly slow down. It was as if he had entered slow motion, as if he had entered a mysterious state.

And when he attacked, it was the same. It was as if the evil spirit knew his next move. Every time he attacked, he could anticipate and react in advance. Several times he was almost seriously injured!

He must have entered that feeling as well.

Ling Chuanche knew that in order to win this battle, he had to continue to enter the state he had just been in!

He began to try to capture that feeling; he had to actively seize it!

The next moment, Ling Chuanche suddenly opened his eyes.

Then, the appearance of the black-faced man before him changed!

His heart, his muscles, his bones were all presented to Ling Chuanche in a transparent way!

Every breath it took, every tiny change in its body, was exposed to Ling Chuanche in a "transparent" manner.

Lingchuan Che gripped his Nichirin Blade tightly; he had entered that world!

Ling Chuan Che exhaled a breath of turbid air, and the next moment, he rushed towards Hei Shi Mou.

"Breath of the Azure - Form of the Wild - Whirlwind Spiral!"

Ling Chuanche spun around and lunged forward, his blade slicing through the air with a spiraling force.

Seeing that Lingchuan Che was still attacking, Heishibo sighed: "It seems you still can't see your weakness."

"Breathing of the Moon, Third Form, Aversion to the Moon, Erosion".

Kokushibo unleashed two crescent-shaped blades of wind, and around those two crescent-shaped blades of wind were countless crescent-shaped blades of varying sizes, densely packed, leaving no doubt that anyone touched by them would be torn to shreds in the next second.

However, when Ling Chuanche stepped into the wind of blades, those deadly blades were unable to touch him!

Kokushibo quickly realized something was wrong.

Whenever Ling Chuanche was about to be attacked, he could always dodge the attack with the slightest movement.

Despite being surrounded by countless blades of wind, none of them could harm him.

In the midst of thousands of flowers, the leaves do not stick to the body.

The next moment, Lingchuan Tetsu was already in front of Kokushibo, his Nichirin Blade slashing towards Kokushibo's neck!

Kokushibo tried to raise his longsword to block, but the Breath of the Azure Form, through continuous rotation, created a reverse current, and his Nichirin Blade was deflected.

In that instant, the Nichirin Blade was already close to his neck.

Kokushibo could only raise his arm to defend himself.

Pfft!

The Nichirin Blade sliced ​​through his arm and continued its attack towards his neck!

A terrifying gust of air suddenly erupted from Kokushibo's body. Lingchuan Che gritted his teeth and resisted, but was still thrown back. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kokushibo created distance, touched the shallow mark on his neck, and his gaze towards Lingchuan Che changed.

His eyes shifted between surprise, doubt, astonishment... a variety of emotions constantly changing.

At that moment, he keenly noticed Ling Chuanche's change.

"Have you entered that state too?"

His tone was affirmative, not questioning.

Kokushibo looked at Ayakawa Tetsu with increasing satisfaction and appreciation: "I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

Chapter 41 will surely slay the evil spirit.

"Even so, you still can't defeat me."

Kokushibo's tone remained calm, as if he were stating an eternal truth.

“I have lived for hundreds of years, and your talent ranks among the top five of everyone I have seen in these hundred years. It would be a great pity to die like this... If you are willing to become a demon, a hundred years from now, there will be no more than three people in this world who can defeat you.”

At this point, Kokushibo suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question: "How old are you this year?"

“25,” Ling Chuanche answered calmly.

Kokushibo said calmly, "You may not know this, but since ancient times, only swordsmen who have awakened their markings have survived to the age of 25. You are already 25 years old, which means that even if I don't kill you today, you won't live past tomorrow."

Lingchuan Che tightened his grip on the Nichirin Blade.

Kokushibo smiled faintly, with a condescending and persuasive air: "So, become a demon. Don't waste your life on meaningless things. Become a demon and join me in reaching the pinnacle of this world."