A cool breeze blew, and a light mist drifted.
Waves rippled, birds sang.
A ship with a large "Water" painted on its hull cut through the wind and waves, passed through clouds and mist, and sailed quietly onward.
On the deck, a handsome young man held a book in his hands, his eyes fixed upon its pages. From time to time, he murmured softly, clearly absorbed in it.
That person was naturally Araki.
Faced with Demon King Tanjiro's third stage, he wisely chose to retreat.
Because after testing it, he discovered that before mastering a special Breathing Technique, any damage he inflicted upon the Demon King would be healed instantly, causing no fundamental harm.
In other words, even if his opponent did not resist, he had no way to kill him.
How the hell was he supposed to fight that?
So, for the first time, he voluntarily withdrew from the Consciousness Space.
Afterward, he tested it a few more times. Fortunately, dungeon progress was not saved. Every time he entered, the first person he encountered was still Stage One Water Breathing Tanjiro.
And as long as he did not force him into a deathtrap, the Demon King's third-stage form would not easily reveal itself.
That let Araki breathe a sigh of relief.
Otherwise, if the boss progress remained stuck at Demon King Tanjiro's stage, things would have been troublesome.
This was perfect now. The first two stages of Tanjiro could be used to grind experience for his Water Breathing and Sun Breathing. Though it was not as fast as directly defeating him and absorbing the experience, the progress was still visible to the naked eye.
Moreover, Araki did not merely want Breathing Techniques to enhance bodily activity, producing effects similar to the Eight Inner Gates.
He even wanted to use