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

He was no longer a confused teenager, but a swordsman with a clear goal.

"What's your name?" Ling Chuanche suddenly asked.

“Tokito Muichiro,” the boy replied.

“Muichiro…” Lingchuan Tetsu repeated, “Remember your name, remember why you took up arms!”

On the twenty-fifth day, the boy launched his first attack.

His swordsmanship was as smooth as flowing water, carrying a sharp and powerful aura.

Ling Chuanche was slightly taken aback, then swung his sword to meet the attack. The two clashed fiercely in the courtyard, the sound of their wooden swords clashing crisp and melodious.

In the end, Ling Chuanche took a step back and put away his wooden sword.

“You’ve passed,” he said.

Muichiro was panting, but a smile was on his face.

Shinobu stepped forward and handed him a towel: "Congratulations, Muichiro."

Muichiro took the towel, wiped his sweat, and then looked at Ayakawa Tetsu: "Thank you, Master."

Ling Chuanche nodded, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

In less than a month, Muichiro Tokito completed a journey that would normally take several years to complete.

He grew from an amnesiac boy who couldn't even hold a wooden sword properly into a swordsman capable of standing on his own.

Behind this lies the rigorous training of Lingchuan Tetsu, like a strict father, and the gentle care of Kocho Shinobu, like an older sister.

Tianyin is right. This child is truly talented. No, it's not just talented; his talent is terrifying.

To be able to fight Ling Chuanche to a standstill after only one month of training—such talent can only be described as monstrous.

As expected of the bloodline of the first swordsman.

Lingchuan Tetsu originally didn't believe in these things, but Tokito Muichiro used his strength to shatter Lingchuan Tetsu's prejudice.

Lingchuan Tetsu placed his hand on the boy's head: "Work hard, I'll be waiting for you in the Demon Slayer Corps."

Tokito Muichiro was taken aback: "Master, are you leaving?"

"Ah."

Ling Chuanche chuckled: "You no longer need my guidance. From now on, you'll have to walk your own path."

Ren walked over and said softly, "Be good on your own. I've put some medical supplies in your pack. Remember to use them if you go on a mission. Don't force yourself if you encounter an enemy you can't defeat while you're alone."

Living is the most important thing. As long as you come back alive, tell us if you encounter any difficulties.

You have many senior female and male classmates; you'll see them all when you join the Demon Slayer Corps.

In short, remember that you are not alone; we are all behind you.

Muichiro Tokito gripped his Nichirin Blade tightly, raising his arm to wipe away his tears.

These past few days, Shinobu Kocho has brought her warmth. While her rapid progress is certainly due to Toru Ayakawa's training, Shinobu has played a crucial role.

She dispelled the confusion in Muichiro Tokito's heart, making him feel at home and understand what family truly means.

Ling Chuanche: "You can cry now, but don't shed any more tears in the future."

"Yes!" Tokito Muichiro nodded emphatically, swallowing all his weakness.

Then, he raised his head, and his once empty purple eyes now seemed to burn with two inextinguishable flames. He looked directly at Ling Chuanche, his voice clear and firm: "Teacher."

"You haven't been using your full strength against me all this time, have you?"

This is not a question, but a statement.

Tokito Muichiro took a deep breath, his eyes blazing with unprecedented fighting spirit: "I want you to fight me with all your might. I want to see just how big the gap is between us!"

Ling Chuanche looked at him, a smile of approval curving his lips: "Sure. Since you have this idea, I will naturally grant it."

The two men, each holding a wooden sword, stood at opposite ends of the courtyard.

A gentle breeze swept by, stirring up fallen leaves from the ground.

At this moment, the aura emanating from Tokito Muichiro was vastly different from that of the bewildered, amnesiac boy he had been a month ago. Though slender, his back stood ramrod straight, like a sword about to be drawn. His eyes were no longer lost or empty, but instead held a tangible sharpness, carrying a calmness and resolve beyond his years.

It was a pure fighting spirit belonging to a swordsman.

"Get ready, I'm coming."

The moment Ling Chuanche finished speaking, his figure vanished from the spot.

There was no sound of wind, no afterimages, only a suffocating sense of oppression surging in like a tide.

Muichiro Tokito's pupils contracted sharply, his body's instincts outpacing his thoughts. He gripped the wooden sword tightly with both hands, holding it horizontally in front of him at an extremely precise angle, attempting to block this thunderous blow.

However, at the very moment the wooden swords made contact, Muichiro felt an overwhelming, crushing force that he could not resist at all.

That wasn't a clash of power, but an absolute suppression of realms.

"boom!"

Calm and calm.

Lingchuan Tetsu had appeared behind Tokito Muichiro without anyone noticing, and the wooden sword in his hand was firmly placed at the back of the boy's neck.

"Clap."

A crisp cracking sound pierced the quiet courtyard.

Tokito Muichiro's wrist trembled violently, and the wooden sword in his hand could not withstand the terrifying force, breaking in two and falling to the ground.

The boy froze on the spot, cold sweat instantly soaking his back. He stared blankly at the broken sword on the ground, then turned to look at the calm-looking Ling Chuanche, his eyes filled with shock and awe.

Is this... Cangzhu's full power?

Ling Chuanche sheathed his wooden sword and looked at the defeated but still defiant young man before him, a deep sense of admiration flashing in his eyes.

Chapter 113 Sword Forging Village

After waving goodbye to that small, thin figure at the end of the mountain path, Lingchuan Tetsu and Kocho Shinobu embarked on their journey back to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.

Along the way, the mountain breeze carried the fresh scent of grass and trees.

Ling Chuanche frowned slightly, a thoughtful look in his deep eyes.

Shinobu, walking beside him, noticed his unusual behavior and finally couldn't help but ask curiously, "What's wrong? You've been like this ever since you parted ways with Muichiro. You've been walking all this way."

Ling Chuan stopped and looked at the distant, rolling mountains. He said softly, "I don't know why, but I felt a very familiar feeling about Tokito Muichiro."

He paused, a hint of doubt in his voice: "Tenon said that Tokito Muichiro's ancestor was the first swordsman, but I feel a sense of familiarity with his bloodline. It's like... he's like my descendant."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding air fell silent.

Ren narrowed her eyes slightly, a dangerous glint flashing in her purple pupils as she silently watched him.

Ling Chuanche suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Just as he was about to explain, Ren withdrew his gaze and sighed softly.

She still trusted her master. After all, Muichiro was a child with parents. And according to the age calculation, if Muichiro was really Ling Chuanche's child, wouldn't that mean that Ling Chuanche gave birth to him when he was twelve years old?

"Is it because your ancestor was one person?" Ren tilted his head and asked in confusion.

"No." Ling Chuanche denied without hesitation.

He explained, "What I said may not be accurate. If he were my child, even if he stood right in front of me, I probably wouldn't recognize him. We are human beings, and it's impossible to tell whether someone is your offspring just by looking at them and feeling them, without relying on any testing methods."

“The reason I have this feeling is probably because of my constitution.” He murmured, the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. “I have the constitution of a demon eater. If I had eaten the flesh and blood of Tokito’s ancestor before, I might have had that feeling.”

"Miss Tamayo seemed to have mentioned to me before that the first swordsman defected from the Demon Slayer Corps because of his Demon Slayer Mark and joined Muzan Kibutsuji..." Ayakawa Tetsu's pupils suddenly contracted, and a chilling name flashed through his mind, "Upper Moon One..."

"What?" Shinobu Kocho keenly noticed his change in mood.

Ling Chuanche's face darkened, and his tone became solemn: "Tokito might be a descendant of Upper Moon One. Upper Moon One was the first swordsman, and I survived by eating its flesh and blood. That's why I can sense Tokito's bloodline."

Ren's mouth was slightly agape, too shocked to speak from this earth-shattering news.

"No wonder Tokito has such strong talent!" Lingchuan Tetsu exclaimed. To be able to fight him on equal terms even when not taking it seriously after only a month of wielding a sword—that kind of talent is truly terrifying. And if he has the bloodline of Upper Moon One, then everything makes sense.

Shinobu said softly, "If that's really the case, then it's best not to let Tokito know about this."

Ling Chuanche also had this plan: "However, this is just my guess, and no matter who Tokito's ancestor is, it has nothing to do with us."

Ren looked at him, a smile playing on her lips: "Master really cares about Shi Tou." She sighed softly, her tone tinged with a hint of coquettishness, "You've been neglecting me these past few days."

Knowing that she was saying it on purpose and not really meant it, Ling Chuanche still went along with her and smiled, "That was my fault."

The girl's eyes lit up, and she came up with a mischievous idea: "Then let's not rush back."

"If you're not in a hurry to go back, where are you going?" Ling Chuanche asked, puzzled.

The ninja said, "My Nichirin Blade needs some modifications; it can't hold all my poison right now. Let's go to the sword-forging village!"

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Ling Chuanche. Modifying the Nichirin Blade was just an excuse; the key was that this way, she and Ling Chuanche wouldn't be disturbed. She'd heard there were hot springs in the sword-forging village; it had been so long since she'd soaked in one.

Lingchuan Che thought for a moment and nodded: "Then I'll tell Yaozai first."

……

The location of the Sword Forging Village is the Demon Slayer Corps' biggest secret.

This concerns the very survival of the entire Demon Slayer Corps. If the village of swordsmiths is destroyed, the Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen will be without weapons to fight demons.

Therefore, anyone wishing to enter the Sword Forging Village cannot do so alone; instead, several members of the Hidden Clan must carry that person in sections.

These hermits only know their current route; they don't know where they're going next.

Nobody really knows how to get to the sword-forging village.

But Lingchuan Che is an exception.

As the Demon Slayer Corps's Hashira and Kagaya Ubuyashiki's brother, he always enjoyed special privileges.

They arrived at the sword-forging village with Shinobu.

This is a village hidden deep in the mountains, surrounded by dense forests, with a faint smell of charcoal and rust in the air.

As soon as they stepped into the village, villagers wearing fire-man masks came up to them, eyeing them warily.

"It's Lord Cangzhu and Lord Chongzhu." The leading villager recognized them and quickly bowed. "Our lord has already informed us in advance. Please follow me."

Led by the villagers, the two walked through the narrow mountain path and arrived at the center of the village.