The Fusion of Breathing and Cursed Energy

Training on Mount Sagiri entered its second month. The morning mist remained, but the boys had grown accustomed to starting each day in the thick fog.

Moyu discovered that his body was undergoing a qualitative change. Climbing the mountain with weights every day had gone from agonizing to effortless, and during stake training, he could now strike thirty flying stones in a row without missing. The most obvious change was in his waterfall training—he could hold his wooden sword in the current for a full eight seconds.

But none of those outward signs showed his fastest progress.

The fusion of his Six Eyes and Breathing Style was quietly undergoing a qualitative change.

One morning, Moyu sat cross-legged in a pool, practicing his breathing as usual. After a month of practice, he no longer needed water as a medium to enter a state of deep breathing, but Urokodaki insisted that he continue the exercise.

"Water is the most honest mirror," Urokodaki had once said. "It reflects every flaw in your breathing."

Moyu closed his eyes and turned the Six Eyes inward. He observed the flow of energy in his body: Breathing Style energy circulated along specific meridians like a stream, while the small amount of Cursed Energy converted by the Six Eyes spread throughout his body like mist. The two did not interfere with each other, like oil and water.

If only I could fuse them... The thought had been on Moyu's mind for a long time.

He tried to guide the Cursed Energy into the circulation path of his breathing energy. At first, the two repelled each other, producing a faint sting where the meridians met. But Moyu did not give up, carefully adjusting the frequencies of the two energies.

Inhale for four seconds—the Cursed Energy entered his lungs with the airflow.

Hold for seven seconds—the energies vibrated and probed within his body.

Exhale for eight seconds—he tried to release both in sync.

Failure. Another failure.

Just as Moyu was about to give up, the Six Eyes suddenly detected a subtle opportunity. At one instant during his exhale, the breathing energy and Cursed Energy briefly reached a resonant frequency, like two tuning forks struck at the same time.

Now!

Moyu focused all his attention and forcibly fused the two energies in that instant. Agony erupted from his chest, as though something had exploded inside him. He grunted, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

But in the next moment, an entirely new energy was born.

It possessed both the vitality of a Breathing Style and the mysterious properties of Cursed Energy, ringing like a clear spring as it surged through his meridians. Wherever it passed, the fatigue in his muscles vanished, and even the internal injuries left by yesterday's training began to heal rapidly.

[**Ding!** New energy system detected]

[Name: Breathing Cursed Energy (Elementary Fusion State)]

[Effect: All physical attributes increased by 30%, energy recovery speed increased by 50%, Six Eyes strain reduced by 20%]

[Reward: 500 gold coins. Achievement unlocked: "Path Creator"]

The system's notification lifted Moyu's spirits. He opened his eyes and found that the world looked clearer. It was not that the Six Eyes' analytical ability had improved, but that his brain had become better at processing information—his headache threshold had risen noticeably.

"What did you do?"

Urokodaki had appeared beside the pool at some point, his eyes fixed on Moyu from beneath his Tengu Mask. As a former Water Hashira, he was extraordinarily sensitive to energy; the sudden qualitative change just now could not have escaped him.

Moyu stood up in the water and told him the truth. "I tried to fuse the power of my eyes with my Breathing Style. It hurt, but... I succeeded."

Urokodaki fell silent for a moment, then suddenly picked up a wooden sword. "Attack me. Use all your strength."

This was a test. Moyu took a deep breath and gripped his Wooden Sword. Breathing Cursed Energy circulated through his body, and he felt a sense of power unlike anything he had known before.

Water Breathing, First Form—Water Surface Slash.

But this time was different. The instant he swung his wooden sword, a faint azure sheen appeared along its edge, the manifestation of Cursed Energy fused with his Breathing Style. The blade was thirty percent faster than usual, and it cut through the air with a sharp whistle.

Urokodaki raised his sword to block.

The swords collided, and the wooden blade did not break as expected. The instant Moyu's wooden sword met Urokodaki's, it turned slightly, using a deft motion to divert most of the impact. It actually blocked the strike.

"Continue." A hint of interest entered Urokodaki's voice.

Moyu unleashed a series of strikes. Second Form: Water Wheel. Third Form: Flowing Dance. Although he had only formally learned First Form, he had memorized the basic movements of the other forms with his Six Eyes while watching Urokodaki demonstrate them.

Every strike carried an azure sheen, and every strike was as fast as lightning. More remarkably, with the aid of Breathing Cursed Energy, his movements and breathing had reached perfect synchronization—as long as his breathing continued, so did his sword strokes.

On the tenth strike, Urokodaki suddenly changed his technique. His Nichirin Blade cut in at a bizarre angle, aimed straight at Moyu's throat.

I can't dodge it! The Six Eyes calculated that conclusion with clarity.

But his body moved before he could think. Moyu shifted his footing and slid backward like flowing water, flicking his wooden sword upward at the same time. He barely managed to deflect the lethal strike.

"That's enough." Urokodaki sheathed his sword. "Your progress... is beyond imagination."

He walked up to Moyu and studied his disciple closely. "People have tried to fuse special abilities with Breathing Styles before. But very few succeeded, and most suffered qi deviation. You're very lucky, but you're also in great danger."

"Danger?" Moyu was puzzled.

"New power comes with an unknown price," Urokodaki said gravely. "Breathing Styles already burn through your life. Has your fused energy doubled that price? No one knows. Use it cautiously until you're sure it's safe."

Moyu nodded. The warning was necessary, and the system had provided no explanation of the side effects either.

"However," Urokodaki continued, changing the subject, "now that you've started down this path, follow it well. Starting today, we'll change your training schedule. You'll do basic training with Tanjiro in the mornings, and I'll give you individual instruction on developing your fusion ability in the afternoons."

At that moment, Tanjiro finished his morning training and came running over with the wooden box on his back. Nezuko seemed particularly active today, shifting gently inside it.

"Good morning, Mr. Urokodaki, Moyu!" Tanjiro greeted them energetically. A month of training had made him considerably sturdier, and his gaze was sharper.

"Tanjiro, go to the waterfall," Urokodaki instructed. "Today, try striking the surface with your wooden sword. Your goal is to make the water splash three meters high."

"Yes, sir!"

After Tanjiro ran off, Urokodaki said to Moyu, "You go too, but your goal is different—use your new power to make no splash at all."

"No splash?" Moyu stared at him.

"Cutting through the water isn't difficult. Cutting it without disturbing it is," Urokodaki said. "This is the ultimate exercise in control. Once you can do it, you'll have mastered the 'Stillness' form."

Moyu made his way to the waterfall, deep in thought. Tanjiro had already begun practicing, striking the surface with his wooden sword again and again. Water splashed everywhere, but at its highest, it rose only about two meters.

"Tanjiro, try concentrating your strength at one point," Moyu said, unable to resist offering advice. "Don't slap the water with brute force. Pierce the surface like a needle."

Tanjiro nodded and adjusted his stance. On his next swing, the splash was noticeably more concentrated and reached two and a half meters.

Meanwhile, Moyu began trying the exercise of making no splash. He stood in the shallows, his wooden sword touching the surface lightly. Breathing Cursed Energy slowly flowed into the blade, forming an extremely thin film of energy along its edge.

He swung gently.

A slit opened in the water, but there was almost no splash. Only fine ripples spread outward in rings.

"Not enough," Urokodaki called out. "You still disturbed the surface. True 'Stillness' doesn't even leave ripples."

Moyu fell into thought. Producing no ripples meant his sword had to move so fast that the water had no time to move, or... could he use energy to smooth the surface in advance?

He chose the latter. He activated the Six Eyes to their fullest and observed the movements of the water molecules. An instant before the wooden sword touched the surface, Breathing Cursed Energy penetrated the water ahead of it, "fixing" the molecules in that small area in place.

The blade passed, and the water parted. No ripples, no splash.

I did it!

But that strike had consumed ten times as much energy as usual. Moyu felt dizzy, and the strain on his Six Eyes suddenly increased.

[Warning: Energy overload. Using Breathing Cursed Energy consumes twice the mental energy]

[Recommendation: Adapt gradually. Do not use more than ten times per day]

The system's warning appeared just in time. Moyu quickly stopped using Breathing Cursed Energy and continued practicing with an ordinary Breathing Style instead.

During their midday break, Tanjiro asked curiously, "Moyu, that strike just now was amazing! The water didn't move at all!"

"It was just a trick." Moyu smiled wryly. "It takes too much energy to use often."

"But it was amazing!" Tanjiro's eyes shone. "I'm going to develop a move of my own too! There has to be something in my father's kagura dance that I can use in a Breathing Style!"

Seeing Tanjiro so full of fighting spirit, an idea stirred in Moyu's mind. In the original story, Tanjiro had only gradually transformed Hinokami Kagura into Sun Breathing after the Mugen Train arc. If I could guide him sooner...

"Tanjiro, are you free tonight?" Moyu asked. "I'd like to see your kagura dance."

Tanjiro paused, then nodded vigorously. "Sure!"

Late that night, when all was quiet, the two went to a clearing in the mountains. Moonlight poured through the forest like water.

Tanjiro took a deep breath and began to dance.

It was a dance Moyu had never seen before. Its movements blended strength and softness, its steps leaping like flames and winding like flowing water. Most remarkably, as Tanjiro danced, the temperature around him seemed to rise slightly, and the moonlight cast a faint golden-red sheen over him.

Through the Six Eyes, Moyu saw an astonishing sight—an ancient and powerful force lay dormant within Tanjiro, gradually awakening with the dance. That force shared the same origin as Breathing Styles, but it was more primal and more scorching.

As the dance reached its climax, faint, illusory flames appeared around Tanjiro. Though they vanished in an instant, they were indeed flames.

When the dance ended, Tanjiro was panting, but his eyes were bright. "That's Hinokami Kagura. Father said you have to dance all night to pray for blessings... but I can only dance for an hour at most."

"That's already incredible," Moyu said sincerely. "Tanjiro, your dance contains the beginnings of a Breathing Style. Not Water Breathing, but something older—a breathing style of the sun."

"The sun?" Tanjiro looked bewildered.

"I've heard a legend," Moyu said, beginning to reveal some information. "The first Breathing Style was called Sun Breathing. It was the source of all Breathing Styles. Water, Flame, Thunder, Wind, Rock... they all came from it. And your dance reminded me of that legend."

Tanjiro stood there in a daze, digesting the information. After a long while, he clenched his fists. "You mean, if I perfect this dance, I can create a Breathing Style of my own?"

"Right." Moyu nodded. "But it will be a difficult path. Are you willing to take it?"

"I am!" Tanjiro answered without hesitation. "As long as I can get stronger and protect Nezuko, I'll do it no matter how hard it is!"

Under the moonlight, the two boys looked at each other and smiled. One possessed eyes and a system from another world; the other had inherited an ancient ritual dance. Their paths were different, but their goal was the same—to grow stronger and protect the people important to them.

In the distance, Sakonji Urokodaki watched the scene quietly. He did not disturb them, only turned and silently walked away.

After returning to the cabin, Moyu opened the system interface. After a day of training and the achievement reward, he had accumulated 800 gold coins. At last, he could exchange them for something useful.

Browsing the beginner section, his gaze fell on "Universal Breathing Style Enhancement (Elementary)." It cost 350 gold coins, well within his budget.

[Exchange confirmed: Universal Breathing Style Enhancement (Elementary)]

[Effect: Breathing Style mastery speed increased by 50%, energy efficiency increased by 30%, side effects reduced by 20%]

[Use immediately?]

"Use it."

A warm energy surged into his body and fused perfectly with his Breathing Cursed Energy. Moyu felt his understanding of Breathing Styles deepen instantly, and many principles that had previously been obscure suddenly became clear.

More importantly, the side effects were reduced by 20%—which meant he could use Breathing Cursed Energy for longer.

Late that night, Moyu lay in bed, feeling the changes within his body. Breathing Cursed Energy circulated through his meridians on its own, as though it had a life of its own. The strain on his Six Eyes had indeed eased, and his headache threshold had risen a little further.

Outside the window came the sound of Tanjiro practicing his sword swings. Again and again, steady and persistent.

Moyu closed his eyes. There were two months left until the Final Selection, and he had to get stronger. He needed not only to improve his Water Breathing, but also to develop a fighting style uniquely his own.

There was still much to explore in the Six Eyes' abilities. Limitless's passive defense had already saved him once, but what about active applications? And since he had Cursed Energy, could he develop a simple Cursed Technique?

His thoughts spread through the darkness. On the system interface, a new notification quietly appeared:

[Host's energy system has begun to take shape. Exclusive task unlocked: Create a unique Breathing Style]

[Task requirement: Before the Final Selection, develop a unique form based on the fusion of Water Breathing and the Six Eyes]

[Reward: Unlock specific items in the intermediate exchange section based on completion level]

A unique Breathing Style?

Moyu opened his eyes, his azure pupils gleaming faintly in the darkness.