Countless wind blades scraped Chu Yang's body like steel knives. Through the wall-like tornado, people could only vaguely hear the sound of metal colliding and sparks, brilliant like fireworks, erupting occasionally.
Only Sanemi Shinazugawa, who was in the eye of the storm like Chu Yang, could clearly see that Chu Yang hadn't bothered to defend against the dense wind blades. He simply stood still, looking at him with a playful expression.
That look seemed to say...
Is this your full-power attack?
Sanemi Shinazugawa was extremely unwilling. He wanted to roar, but his mouth was only filled with bitterness.
Yes.
This is my all.
Sanemi Shinazugawa's eyes, caught in self-doubt, gradually became blank. The double blow of physical and mental exhaustion completely broke this young genius.
He could no longer hold on.
Sanemi Shinazugawa's vision went black, and his consciousness fell into a haze. Besides some anxious cries for help, his body gradually went numb, feeling as if the entire world was peeling him away.
It felt like his soul was leaving his body.
If Chu Yang hadn't held back, his life would have ended that day.
Everyone looked at Sanemi Shinazugawa, who had collapsed unconscious on the ground. Aside from Kagaya Ubuyashiki and Kanae, who remained relatively calm, many people's expressions had changed several times, their minds a chaotic mess.
The defeat of a Hashira was already shocking enough, but even more terrifying was the absolute advantage Chu Yang displayed in the battle.
If this were a true life-or-death battle, it would mean Sanemi Shinazugawa would have been tortured and killed by Chu Yang.
"Is this the gap between a Hashira and an Upper Moon?" Tengen Uzui's eyes flashed with horror, and he asked in a deep voice, "With such a powerful enemy, how can we defeat them?"
His question caused most of the people present to fall silent. Only Kyojuro Rengoku and Gyomei Himejima remained unaffected, their expressions normal.
These two had incredibly resilient spirits. Although they would also feel fear, they chose to face the enemy directly.
Chu Yang carried the unconscious Sanemi Shinazugawa back, then handed him to Kanae for care, and said to Tengen Uzui, "You said something wrong just now. This isn't the gap between you and an Upper Moon, but the gap between an Upper Moon and me."
Tengen Uzui's face instantly flushed red.
Iguro Obanai and Mitsuri Kanroji whispered to each other nearby.
"Did you see? That guy doesn't have a single scratch on him, not even his clothes are torn!"
"Yes, I saw. If I hadn't seen him during the day, I would definitely think he was a demon. This isn't something a human can do."
"However, he is really strong. He defeated Sanemi Shinazugawa so easily. Although his temper isn't great, his strength is undeniable."
"Honestly, Sanemi is stronger than me. If that battle had been me, it might have ended even more decisively."
Tomioka Giyuu stood quietly to the side, listening to their conversation, silently nodding in agreement.
He actually had a good impression of Chu Yang. Although he had never met him, he had heard some things about Chu Yang from Sakonji Urokodaki and Makomo.
Chu Yang had slain the Hand Demon in the Final Selection, fulfilling Sabito's wish, and for this, Tomioka Giyuu was deeply grateful.
Therefore, regarding Chu Yang's extraordinary strength, he had no other thoughts, simply feeling that it was respectable for someone to reach this level as a human.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki was very emotional, trembling uncontrollably. He had long seen a glimpse of the future, but witnessing it firsthand, he still found it difficult to suppress himself.
If not for his physical ailments, he would even want to shout out loud, releasing all the frustration accumulated by the Ubuyashiki family over a thousand years.
"How did you do it? Can you teach me?"
Kyojuro Rengoku stepped forward, walking directly to Chu Yang, gazing at him with clear eyes. If it were anyone else, it would probably be difficult to set aside their pride and humbly ask for guidance.
If anyone else had asked that, Chu Yang would probably have brushed them off with a comment about talent, but facing Kyojuro Rengoku's sincere gaze, he found it difficult to give a casual answer.
"A while ago, while on a mission, I unexpectedly acquired an ancient Breathing Style. At first glance, this Breathing Style seemed very similar to Flame Breathing, but it was completely different."
"Later, I learned that this Breathing Style was called Sun Breathing, created by a man named Yoriichi Tsugikuni..."
Chu Yang systematically recounted the origin of the Breathing Style and the story of Yoriichi Tsugikuni. His calm words, however, stirred immense waves in everyone's hearts.
After Yoriichi Tsugikuni's death, the Demon Slayer Corps was subjected to Muzan Kibutsuji's furious retaliation, suffering severe blows several times throughout history, almost breaking their lineage. Therefore, this part of history had long been forgotten.
Through Chu Yang's narration, they finally understood how Breathing Styles had truly originated.
Even Kagaya Ubuyashiki, as the head of the family, was hearing this for the first time. Chu Yang's narration resolved some of the confusions he had about his family and the Demon Slayer Corps from earlier years.
It turned out that the Demon Slayer Corps once had such a glorious period, and was even on the verge of completely eradicating demons.
"Can I see what Sun Breathing truly looks like?" Kagaya Ubuyashiki's eyes gleamed with hope as he spoke.
In fact, it wasn't just him; the expressions of the others were similar.
Even though Kanae had witnessed it once during her battle with Doma, she still wanted to see that reassuringly powerful force again.
Chu Yang demonstrated the state of Sun Breathing to everyone. When the flame-like aura wrapped around him, its presence indeed looked very similar to Flame Breathing.
But very quickly, everyone noticed the difference.
The temperature generated by Sun Breathing was much higher than that of Flame Breathing; there was a genuine sensation of being scorched by the intense sun. Thinking of the sunlight that demons feared most, everyone could understand why Muzan Kibutsuji, the progenitor of demons, would fear practitioners of this Breathing Style.
Just when everyone thought that was all, Chu Yang borrowed Kyojuro Rengoku's nichirin blade and began to perform Hinokami Kagura.
The thirteen forms of Sun Breathing's sword techniques, refined by Yoriichi Tsugikuni, were flawless, each movement incredibly perfect, possessing an indescribable beauty.
While Flame Breathing sword techniques carried flame-shaped battle aura, the Hinokami Kagura performed by Chu Yang, in addition to similar battle aura, also had distinct white halos at its center, like the sun, shining brilliantly.
In just an instant, Kyojuro Rengoku was completely captivated by Hinokami Kagura.
Many sword techniques of Flame Breathing had been lost over time, and other Breathing Styles faced similar situations. So, when the perfect thirteen forms of Hinokami Kagura appeared before their eyes, their subconscious felt as if a missing part had been completed.
Kyojuro Rengoku and Gyomei Himejima both found inspiration for refining their own sword techniques from it.
From this moment on, they were absolutely certain that the Sun Breathing Chu Yang spoke of was the origin of all Breathing Styles.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki stood at the farthest distance, feeling the heat radiating from Chu Yang. It was late at night, and the temperature had dropped sharply, yet he felt as if he were embracing the midday sun.
After performing it several times, Chu Yang stopped, a fine layer of sweat on him. Each time he performed Hinokami Kagura, he pushed his own limits.
The warm sunlight disappeared, and expressions of lingering satisfaction appeared on everyone's faces.
Just a short ten-odd minutes had greatly benefited them.
"If everyone in the Demon Slayer Corps could practice Sun Breathing, wouldn't we have driven out the demons long ago?" Kagaya Ubuyashiki said with a sigh.
Chu Yang shook his head and said, "Sun Breathing is very strong, but the threshold for training is also very high. Not everyone can cultivate it to a profound level. Hundreds of years ago, besides Yoriichi Tsugikuni, there were other practitioners, but in the end, Muzan Kibutsuji still killed them all."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki nodded, smiling wryly, "You're right. I was thinking too simplistically."
Having done this much, Chu Yang didn't mind doing a little more.
"Sun Breathing is powerful, but that doesn't mean derivative Breathing Styles are poor. In fact, after Total Concentration: Constant, any Breathing Style can elevate human bodily functions to a higher level."
"When you reach that realm, your body will develop strange marks. Yoriichi Tsugikuni had these marks from birth, and also possessed even greater abilities."
Chu Yang continued to explain the concept of the marks, but during his explanation, he concealed the fact that the marks would overdraw one's lifespan.
Because Chu Yang could resolve this drawback; if the marks overdraw vitality, then Chu Yang could just replenish it for them, couldn't he?
The marks overdrawing vitality was different from Tanjiro's situation; the latter was already suffering from a severe illness, and there wasn't much Chu Yang could do.
Replenishing vitality and curing a terminal illness are two different things.
Chu Yang didn't know how to treat illnesses.
But if someone could cure Tanjiro's severe illness, Chu Yang could restore his vitality to its peak, allowing him to live a normal life.
"So, if we awaken the marks, we can also become as strong as you?" Tengen Uzui looked at Chu Yang with burning eyes.
"It varies from person to person," Chu Yang replied. "If you truly awaken it, you can come and test it with me."
Tengen Uzui smiled, genuinely showing an eager expression.
After learning about the concept of the marks, Tomioka Giyuu, who had been silent, suddenly asked, "Then how do we awaken the marks?"
"It's simple." As soon as Chu Yang finished speaking, marks began to appear on his face and arms, somewhat resembling the feathers of an animal or scales.
"Among swordsmen, if one person awakens the marks, others will gradually awaken them too, because the marks, like breathing, resonate," Chu Yang said calmly. "You just need to let it happen naturally."
Kyojuro Rengoku scratched his head, smiling awkwardly, "It feels a bit like cheating."
Chu Yang shook his head and said, "The awakening of the marks is not the pinnacle of Breathing Styles."
"Although the marks can be 'transmitted,' you must master the movements of your Breathing Style even more precisely based on your existing foundation. You must try to exert maximum power with the smallest movements. During this process, your mind will gradually become transparent."
"As your five senses open up, you will feel more and more information from your body. This information, usually blocked by the brain, will cause you great pain. You must persevere and learn to control it."
"Then you will be able to shut off unnecessary things, making all your movements as swift and precise as blinking, constantly hiding your presence. At that point, a Transparent World will appear in your mind. This state is called Transparent World."
"In the state of Transparent World, human bodily functions are greatly enhanced. You can discern the flow and pulsation of blood vessels within an enemy's body through their breathing, clearly seeing their movements and weaknesses."
Everyone listened attentively, afraid of missing even a tiny piece of crucial information.
It wasn't until a cold wind blew in the deep night, causing Kagaya Ubuyashiki to cough violently for a while, that everyone snapped back to reality and quickly helped Kagaya Ubuyashiki into the house.
Everyone settled down in the brightly lit hall and began to discuss their next steps.
"My appearance and the demise of the Upper Moons should have already caught Muzan Kibutsuji's attention. His attitude is yet unknown, but it will be one of two situations."
"Either he will use his strongest power to eliminate me before I become even stronger, or he will be wary of my power and hide somewhere, just like he did hundreds of years ago."
Listening to Chu Yang's opinions, everyone's expressions varied greatly. These two possibilities represented two extremes.
No one spoke in the hall; everyone was contemplating which situation was more likely to occur.
"Actually, no matter what Muzan Kibutsuji chooses, we must first do our part."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki looked around, his gentle gaze sweeping over everyone, "Only by awakening the marks and comprehending Transparent World can we fight him. Before that, any preparations we make will be in vain."
"Therefore, starting today, I will temporarily consolidate all the power of the Demon Slayer Corps, giving the enemy no opportunity to erode us. Once you have all fully awakened the marks, we will then launch a decisive final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji in one fell swoop."
At the same time, inside the Infinity Castle, Muzan Kibutsuji gathered a large number of demons.
Besides the Twelve Kizuki, there were also many evil demons who had survived for many years and mastered Blood Demon Arts.
Muzan Kibutsuji did only one thing.
He gave them large amounts of his blood, allowing them to evolve with an extremely low probability.
Most of the demons present would die from being unable to withstand his blood.
But Muzan didn't care at all.
Inside the Infinity Castle, blood surged like a tide.
It was bizarre, yet mixed with an indescribable beauty.