Infinity Castle.
An upside-down world that would make even Newton turn in his grave.
Space is distorted, gravity is broken. The monotonous Biwa echoes like a death knell in the empty wooden labyrinth.
Inside a spacious attic at the very center.
Muzan Kibutsuji was nestled in a luxurious European-style leather sofa, his legs crossed, his right hand gently swirling a transparent crystal goblet.
Muzan seems to be in a pretty good mood today.
On that handsome, androgynous face, there was a hint of the arrogant smile unique to big capitalists, a smile that suggested they had everything under control.
Before Muzan, Upper Rank One Kokushibo, sat upright and solemnly.
Kokushibo's six eyes were lowered, and his hands were placed flat on his knees, making him look like an emotionless time clock.
"Kokushibo."
Muzan shook the cup in his hand, and the scarlet liquid drew eerie arcs on the inner glass.
"What do you think of the new Upper Rank I promoted, that guy named Yaoshi?"
Muzan asked the question very casually, like a company CEO discussing a new department head with a vice president.
Kokushibo remained silent for a moment.
"Your subordinate is dull-witted."
"Excuse my bluntness, sir... that man is too weak."
As a martial arts Kokushibo genuinely despises researchers like Yaoshi who rise to power through their intellect and various bottles and jars.
In Kokushibo's eyes, this kind of trash who didn't even have the courage to take a blow from him head- Upper Rank was simply rubbing salt into the wound by infiltrating the Upper Rank Demon's ranks.
"Hehehe..."
Muzan wasn't angry at all; instead, he laughed out loud, his laughter filled with pleasure.
"Kokushibo, your thinking is outdated."
Muzan stood up, walked up to Kokushibo, and looked down at his strongest laborer.
Times have changed.
"Strength is not merely about swinging a knife and causing destruction. Intelligence, sometimes, is a weapon sharper than any blade."
"The value of Yaoshi lies not in how many Demon Slayer Corps Pillars he has killed, but in his mind, which is full of ingenious ideas and dares to challenge all rules."
In Muzan plum blossom eyes, a deep longing lingered.
Having lived like a rat in a dark, sunless corner for a thousand years, Muzan had long since had enough of this humiliation!!
"After some time, I will arrange a meeting between you, and you will understand why I have such high hopes for the Yaoshi."
Muzan painted a rosy picture, radiating blind confidence.
A hint of confusion flashed in Kokushibo's six eyes, but he still lowered his head obediently.
"Yes, sir."
However~
Kokushibo couldn't help but remind him.
"That man is too ambitious. A subordinate who doesn't even have respect for you might turn against you."
It's alright.
Muzan waved his hand, a cruel sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.
"A hamster locked in a cage, no matter how ambitious, can only run a few more laps on its wheel."
"As long as I control the cage, the Yaoshi will never escape my grasp."
Muzan was even eager to see if the research projects he had invested in had made any breakthrough progress.
However, as time went by, the sky outside the window changed from dusk to complete darkness.
Muzan's smile gradually crumbled.
The expected work report from the Yaoshi never materialized.
The entire Mental Network was deathly silent.
It was as quiet as if the research director, on whom so much hope had been placed, had simply absconded with the core technology.
The temperature inside the attic dropped instantly.
The oppressive aura emanating from Muzan grew increasingly intense and terrifying, causing Nakime was far away, to tremble violently as she plucked the strings.
Kokushibo remained kneeling in place, trying to minimize his presence, afraid that even a slightly louder breath would make him the boss's punching bag.
Where is the Yaoshi?
What are you doing now?
Is it because the research is not progressing and they are afraid of being punished that they dare not speak up?
Muzan's face was so gloomy it was almost dripping with water, and his scarlet eyes were filled with a frenzied mix of negative emotions, including suspicion, anger, and rage.
What I hate most is this feeling of things getting out of control!!
"Snort!"
Muzan gritted his teeth, crushed the crystal goblet in his hand, and shards of glass mixed with blood clattered all over the floor.
"Since you won't report it to me, I'll come and see for myself what you're up to!"
Muzan closed his eyes violently, and his immense and violent spiritual power, like an invisible tentacle, instantly traversed spatial distances, precisely and ruthlessly connecting with the Mental Coordinates imprinted deep within the Yaoshi's soul!
At the same time.
A secluded wooden cabin deep within the Mount Sagiri.
Yushiro's face was ashen, his body drenched in cold sweat, and he clutched Yaoshi's head tightly, veins bulging on his forehead.
"They're here!!"
Yushiro let out a shrill roar in his heart, enduring immense mental pressure that felt like it was about to shatter his brain.
That overwhelmingly powerful and unreasonable spiritual force of the Demon King ruthlessly tore through the surface defenses of the Yaoshi's brain and frantically drilled into the core memory area!
"Hold on! For Tamayo's sake! This young master absolutely cannot lose to this old corpse!!"
Yushiro bit his tongue, using the excruciating pain to stay conscious, and used all his strength to activate the Blood Demon Art: Eye Veil.
Infinity Castle, Muzan closed his eyes, his consciousness venturing into the depths of Yaoshi's memories.
As soon as his vision cleared, Muzan's heart skipped a beat.
The scene shows the Mount Kumotori the blazing sun!
The dazzling golden sunlight cascaded down like a waterfall!
The Yaoshi didn't hide in the shadows at all; instead, he stood with his arms outstretched, directly in the sunlight with an extremely arrogant posture!
Instead of being burned to ashes by the sunlight, the Yaoshi burst forth with an unprecedented and perfect vitality, and his mouth was emitting a maniacal laugh that resounded through the sky!
Muzan's breathing stopped completely.
His scarlet pupils trembled violently at that moment, and the whites of his eyes were filled with bloodshot veins of excitement!
Sunlight!
It's sunshine!
The Yaoshi actually overcame the sunlight!!
This is definitely the final result of eating that flower!!
Muzan's excited soul trembled as he eagerly waved his spiritual tentacles, trying to flip through his memories.
Muzan wanted to see exactly where Yaoshi had found the flower, and he wanted to see what that damned flower actually looked like!
However, as soon as the image rewound, it instantly turned into a blurry, chaotic jumble of snowflakes!
All specific information about the Blue Spider Lily is firmly locked away by an impenetrable fog!
"Damn it! What's going on!?"
Muzan vomited blood in his mental world. Just as he was about to unleash his power, the scene before him changed drastically once again!
The Yaoshi, who was laughing wildly in the sunlight, suddenly froze.
A stream of icy blue water ripped through the void without warning!
Giyu Tomioka's deadpan face, as if the whole world owed him money, was starkly placed at the very front of the memory!
The sword light from Water Breathing erupted wildly like a meat grinder!
The Yaoshi's supposedly perfect, ultimate body was sliced into Muzan pieces of raw flesh before Muzan could even react!
The image finally freezes on the Yaoshi's terrified face.
With a blank expression, Giyu Tomioka grabbed the Yaoshi's head and packed up Yaoshi body parts to take away!
"Bang!"
The memory ends here, shattering with a deafening crash.
Infinity Castle.
Muzan opened his eyes.
A violent aura instantly swept through the entire area, and the wooden floors of the attic creaked under the weight!
Kokushibo immediately gripped the hilt of his sword, thinking Muzan was about to unleash a Muzan rage.
However, to everyone's surprise...
Muzan was trembling violently.
That wasn't anger, but an overwhelming, uncontrollable ecstasy!!
Muzan's lips began to curl upwards uncontrollably, widening until he finally let out a hysterical, morbid laugh!
"Ha ha ha ha!"
A rare look of astonishment appeared in Kokushibo's six eyes.
Has the boss finally gone mad from the shock?
Muzan doesn't care about Yaoshi's life or death at all! He doesn't care even more about why the memories of that flower are hidden or blocked!!
Looking for flowers?
Find a P-shaped flower!
At this moment, only one insane thought was swirling wildly in Muzan's mind!
The Yaoshi overcame the sunlight, which means that the medicinal effects of that flower have been perfectly integrated into the Yaoshi's cells!
The opportunity has arrived! A tremendous opportunity has finally fallen into Muzan's lap!!
There's no need to search for herbs all over the mountains anymore. Just capture the Yaoshi, swallow Yaoshi whole, skin and bones, and absorb all those perfect cells!
A thousand years of humiliation and curse can finally end!!
As for the Demon Slayer Corps? As for those annoying Pillars?
Before Muzan, who was about to become the perfect Ultimate Lifeform, they were all just a bunch of ants that could be crushed with a flick of the wrist!
"Kokushibo!"
Muzan suddenly turned his head!
"Pass down the order!!"
"Summon all Upper Rank!!"
"All units mobilize!!"
"Target: Mount Sagiri!!"
Muzan clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his flesh, his mind already conjuring up an invincible image of himself standing in the sunlight, reigning supreme over the world.
Trap? Ambush?
Who cares!!
Before absolute power, all schemes and tricks are nothing but paper tigers!
"It's been a thousand years~"
Muzan took a deep breath, his face contorted in extreme pain.
"True perfection... is finally within reach!!"