Training Before the Selection

Due to excessive blood loss, Han Zhiqi remained in a semi-conscious state all day. Even when he woke up, his mind was muddled, unable to distinguish between reality and dreams.

In the evening, Lang Beiwei specially stewed chicken and fish soup to nourish him.

What Han Zhiqi didn't expect was that an old man over fifty years old could take care of someone just as well as a woman, at least better than the three chattering women at the Butterfly Mansion.

Han Zhiqi's mouth tasted bitter. Although he couldn't discern any flavor, he forced himself to drink two large bowls for the sake of his speedy recovery.

After dinner, Lang Beiwei set up a makeshift stove outside the wooden house. He took a large wooden tub from the warehouse behind the house and placed it on the stove, then filled it with water.

Han Zhiqi sat on a stone stool by the door, watching Lang Beiwei busily moving about. His dim heart couldn't help but feel a warmth.

His village was massacred, his sister was abducted, and he thought he would live the rest of his life in despair. But unexpectedly, he first met the people from the Butterfly Mansion, and now he had met the old man.

In the darkness, it seemed as if some mysterious power had brought him to these people.

Lang Beiwei was currently preparing a medicinal bath for him.

He was already recovering from serious injuries, and yesterday he had encountered an attack by demons. Not only had he lost a lot of blood, but he was also scratched in multiple places by the demons.

The demons' nails were poisonous, and the toxins were seeping into his body through the wounds. Therefore, the old man suggested a medicinal bath to expel the toxins from his body. At the same time, the medicinal bath could also improve his physique, speed up his recovery, and reduce some unnecessary sequelae.

Lang Beiwei ignited the firewood in the stove, and soon, steam began to rise from the wooden tub.

Lang Beiwei tested the water temperature and, feeling it was about right, walked over to Han Zhiqi.

"Should I carry you in? Or will you walk in yourself?"

Carry? He had only heard of carrying women, never of carrying men. Just the thought made his scalp tingle.

"N-no, I'll go in myself."

Han Zhiqi leaned on the wall and struggled to get up from the stone stool, walking unsteadily towards the wooden tub.

After just a few steps, his stomach churned, and stars swam before his eyes. In the end, he was helped into the wooden tub by Lang Beiwei.

Lang Beiwei sat on a low stool in front of the stove, occasionally adding firewood. The firelight illuminated his weathered face.

"Hey, old man, you talk so much, why do you live alone on the mountain? Isn't it lonely without anyone to talk to up here?" Han Zhiqi leaned on the edge of the tub and glanced sideways at Lang Beiwei.

Lang Beiwei shot Han Zhiqi a look. "Hmph, old man? No wonder the little butterfly said you're impolite. What's lonely about it? I'm not on the mountain every day. By the way, I've submitted your information today. You'll participate in the selection for the Demon Slayer Corps on Mount Fujikasane in two months."

Han Zhiqi turned his head, gazing at the starry sky, and replied indifferently, "Whatever."

He was now eager to join the Demon Slayer Corps. That way, he could use his own strength to inquire about his sister's whereabouts. Relying on others always made him uneasy.

Thus, under Lang Beiwei's meticulous care, Han Zhiqi's body recovered about seventy to eighty percent in just one week.

Although strenuous exercise still took a toll, simple movements were no longer a problem.

Afterward, Lang Beiwei devised a complete set of systematic rehabilitation and basic training plans for him. One was to help him fully recover his health, and the other was to prepare him for the formal training a week later.

Soon, Han Zhiqi ushered in his formal training. With half a month left until the Mount Fujikasane selection, he had to master the correct usage of breathing techniques within this period.

Although breathing techniques were merely auxiliary methods, they were the soul of combat.

Breathing techniques were different from ordinary breathing. They involved inhaling a large amount of air at once. A portion of the air would enter the bloodstream, accelerating blood flow and increasing body temperature, thereby stimulating the body's potential in a short period.

Another portion of the air would fill the gaps between muscles, indirectly enhancing muscle density. This not only provided a cushioning effect but also improved resistance to blows, which was the ultimate effect of breathing techniques.

Therefore, to truly master breathing techniques, one needed strong cardiopulmonary function. In addition, physical strength was also indispensable, otherwise, the air filling the muscle gaps would place an immeasurable burden on the body.

From the essence of breathing techniques, it could be seen that the stronger the physique, the more effectively breathing techniques could be utilized.

To effectively train Han Zhiqi's cardiopulmonary function and physical strength, Lang Beiwei specially designed a detailed body refinement plan.

The six-week training was divided into three stages, with each stage lasting two weeks.

The training content mainly included physical fitness training, body agility and coordination training, sensory training, cardiopulmonary training, and combat skill training.

Twice a day, morning and evening, they would run up and down the mountain. The first stage was running barehanded, the second stage with a 5kg weight, and the third stage with a 10kg weight.

In the morning, they would survive in a forest filled with traps and hidden weapons, training body agility, coordination, and sensory perception.

In the afternoon, they would practice sword slashes under a waterfall. The sword slash practice was also divided into three stages.

The first stage was practiced in the usual way.

The second stage involved wearing 2kg weights on the wrists and ankles, totaling 8kg.

The third stage involved wearing 5kg weights on the wrists and ankles, totaling 20kg. Moreover, these wrist guards could not be removed even during normal times.

In the afternoon, in addition to practicing sword slashes, he also had to sink to the bottom of the lake for cardiopulmonary training. Afterward, Lang Beiwei would personally guide him in practical combat training.

After a day's work, Han Zhiqi could only rest at night. This so-called rest was not like usual, sleeping comfortably in bed, but rather meditating, combined with breathing techniques, to maintain his sensory perception.

This state of maintaining the operation of breathing techniques even while sleeping was called "Total Concentration: Constant," a higher level of comprehension of breathing techniques.

Most people in the Demon Slayer Corps were at the "Total Concentration" level, and only a very few could reach "Total Concentration: Constant."

To achieve "Total Concentration: Constant," one not only needed extraordinary talent but also repeated training.

Although Han Zhiqi could now achieve "Total Concentration: Constant," he had not been practicing for long and could only be considered to have just scratched the surface. His state was extremely unstable.

Often, after maintaining it well at night, he would wake up the next day to find that he had reverted to normal breathing.

Even so, Han Zhiqi's growth rate still astonished Lang Beiwei.

From their first meeting, he felt that the young man was extraordinary. Not only was he exceptionally intelligent, but his will was also firm. The days of training further confirmed his judgment.

No matter how rigorous the training was, he would complete it without a word. Even the great Himejima was not as smooth as him back then.