25. Tsugikuni Yoriichi

"Oh my... found you! This should be the place, right?"

"It really is well-hidden!"

"Is this some kind of illusion-based Blood Demon Art? It makes people subconsciously overlook this spot..."

Kujo Tachibana stopped in front of a courtyard wall and muttered to himself.

The next second, Kujo Tachibana walked straight into the wall in front of him.

The wall acted like thin air, showing no intention of blocking him at all.

With most of his body already inside the wall, Kujo Tachibana suddenly turned his head toward the southwest and whispered to himself:

"Kibutsuji Muzan, you just wait for me!"

"It won't be long before your new daddy comes looking for you."

Yes, while searching for Tamayo in Asakusa, Kujo Tachibana had accidentally picked up the trail of Kibutsuji Muzan.

It was that rotten, foul stench emanating from the depths of a soul that had endured for over a thousand years.

Kujo Tachibana was certain that, aside from Kibutsuji Muzan, no other demon could reek like that.

However, Kujo Tachibana was not confident that he could take on Kibutsuji Muzan in a one-on-one fight just yet.

Moreover, that guy was exceptionally good at running away and had several powerful lackeys; going there now would just be serving himself up on a platter.

If he were dragged into the Infinity Castle by Nakime, he wouldn't even have a place to run!

Kujo Tachibana was not like some of the Hashira in the anime, who would get as excited as a mad dog the moment they heard news of Kibutsuji Muzan.

"Ahem..."

Give him a few more years, and Kujo Tachibana believed he could treat Kibutsuji Muzan like a low-level mob, just like Tsugikuni Yoriichi did.

But it had to be said, Tsugikuni Yoriichi, the strongest man in this plane, was truly leagues ahead of everyone else.

Born with the Transparent World!

Born with a permanent Demon Slayer Mark!

Born with his own Breathing Style!

(The other five basic breathing styles were derived by Tsugikuni Yoriichi based on his own breathing method; in other words, his natural breathing was different from ordinary people's! He came with "Sun Breathing"!)

He didn't have to do anything, and his body would grow stronger every single moment!

As for Kujo Tachibana, the only area where he might surpass Tsugikuni Yoriichi was perhaps in his senses, or rather, his mental power.

After all, he possessed Sword Heart Clarity as a sixth sense, and combined with the Transparent World, he should be superior to Tsugikuni Yoriichi in that regard.

As for the Demon Slayer Mark, Kujo Tachibana actually already knew how to activate it, but he simply didn't want to!

Activating the Demon Slayer Mark could significantly boost one's combat ability, and patterns symbolizing the activation would appear on the user's body.

Different Demon Slayer Mark users had different patterns.

The prerequisite for activating the Demon Slayer Mark was for the body temperature to reach thirty-nine degrees, the heart rate to exceed two hundred beats per minute, and for a massive amount of adrenaline to be secreted!

At that moment, the human body would feel as scorching as if it were burning, and whether one could survive after entering such a high-temperature, high-risk state was the watershed moment that determined whether the mark would appear.

Whenever a person with a Demon Slayer Mark appeared, those around them would also manifest marks as if by resonance.

The Demon Slayer Mark was an ability that overspent one's life force, and those who activated it could not live past the age of twenty-five.

Only the uniquely born Tsugikuni Yoriichi lived past twenty-five.

But if someone over the age of twenty-five activated the mark, they would not be long for this world.

In Kujo Tachibana's understanding, the Demon Slayer Mark was like a Gene Lock on the human body!

This Gene Lock could seal your life force and control your power, but once opened, it could not be closed!

Life force would flow away endlessly...

After all, he, Kujo Tachibana, was not Tsugikuni Yoriichi, who was born with the mark; if he activated it, he wouldn't live past twenty-five!

Given his current physical condition, barring any accidents, he should be able to live to eighty or ninety, if not over a hundred.

Trading the flow of life force for the power of the Demon Slayer Mark—the price of this power was far too high!

Unless absolutely necessary, Kujo Tachibana would not activate it!

Returning to the subject of breathing styles.

Thunder Breathing was a notch weaker than Sun Breathing.

However, for the time being, Kujo Tachibana found Thunder Breathing very comfortable to use.

Kujo Tachibana felt that even if he learned Sun Breathing, if his physical attributes were not perfectly matched, forcing himself to use a style he was not suited for would be counterproductive.

The power he could unleash would struggle to reach the level of his current Thunder Breathing, let alone compare to Yoriichi Tsugikuni.

Sun Breathing was, in truth, a style exclusive to that man.

Others could only rely on existing breathing styles to grow stronger, but they would absolutely never be able to surpass Yoriichi Tsugikuni through them!

Much like the power Tanjiro displayed in the story, compared to Yoriichi Tsugikuni, it was truly a difference as vast as clouds and mud...

After all, when it came down to it, all existing breathing styles were actually the very breathing method that man had been born with!

If Kujo Tachibana wanted to surpass Yoriichi Tsugikuni in terms of breathing techniques, he had only one path.

He had to create a breathing style that belonged solely to him!

Having entered the courtyard, Kujo Tachibana made no effort to mask his footsteps.

He walked slowly toward the exquisite Western-style house before him.

Inside the house, Tamayo and Yushiro were currently conducting medical experiments.

Hearing the footsteps, the two "demons" stopped their movements simultaneously and exchanged a glance!

"Lady Tamayo! It is daytime outside, so it shouldn't be a demon. Could a human have wandered in by mistake?"

Tamayo frowned, shook her head, and said:

"The footsteps are steady and the strength is well-controlled. This person is not an ordinary human; they must be here to find us."

"Yushiro, go open the Space Gate and let him in!"

Yushiro's expression was hesitant.

"But..."

Tamayo looked at Yushiro with a gentle gaze and smiled, saying:

"He likely harbors no malice."

"Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to hear his footsteps at all."

Kujo Tachibana arrived outside the door and said softly:

"This beautiful lady is correct; I truly have no malicious intent."

"Hmph!!" Upon hearing this, veins bulged involuntarily on Yushiro's forehead!

"This detestable human!"

"How dare he be so disrespectful to Lady Tamayo!"

At this moment, Yushiro cast aside all other concerns and stormed toward the front door.

He carefully opened the door just a crack.

Standing in the shadows behind the door, he urged:

"You detestable human!"

"Get in here quickly!"

Hearing this, Tamayo immediately scolded Yushiro from inside the room:

"Yushiro! Do not be rude to our guest!"

Yushiro's expression changed in an instant! He immediately put on an obedient face, looked toward Tamayo, and replied:

"Understood, Lady Tamayo!"

Kujo Tachibana scratched his head; this kid really had no manners.

Too lazy to bicker with him, Kujo Tachibana squeezed through the gap Yushiro had opened.

Looking at the tall, handsome youth before him, dressed in a sky-blue haori with two swords at his waist, Yushiro had to admit that he was a little bit jealous...

He now wished, more than anything, that this youth had never appeared before Lady Tamayo!