In the darkness, clear moonlight draped over a mountain forest like a gauzy curtain.
Lin Guang moved through the woods under the moonlight.
After passing through the trees, Lin Guang spotted a small village.
A few lamps glowed along the village paths, as if lighting the way home for those returning late.
Lin Guang activated Telepathy and searched the village, but found no trace of any demons.
Leaving the small village, Lin Guang reached a fork in the road. Looking at the two paths before him, he wondered where a demon might be.
Just then, a man approached from the opposite direction, carrying several rabbits on his back. He seemed to have just returned from hunting.
As the man passed Lin Guang, he suddenly turned and called out to him.
"Hey! If you're traveling, I wouldn't recommend that road. You'd be better off taking this one." The man pointed to the road behind him.
Hearing this, Lin Guang pretended to be a traveler and asked, "Why?"
The man replied, "I don't know what's been going on with that road lately, but wild beasts keep appearing there at night. Several people have already died. If you insist on taking it, be careful."
With that, the hunter headed straight into the village. Lin Guang thanked his retreating back, then took the path where the man said wild beasts had been appearing.
As Lin Guang walked along the path, he suddenly sensed something drawing closer from behind.
"Come and look! Someone's lost their way!"
A sinister, nauseatingly harsh voice came from behind Lin Guang. In an instant, countless black strands swept toward him from behind, surrounding him.
Suddenly, the black strands tightened sharply, as if trying to bind Lin Guang and drag him away.
Lin Guang placed his hand on his Nichirin Blade. In a flash, its white edge gleamed coldly beneath the moonlight.
In an instant, every black strand surrounding Lin Guang was severed.
A scream rang out.
"Ah! My beautiful hair!"
Lin Guang turned and saw the remaining black strands slowly retracting toward a tree, where a demon was clinging.
With a boom, the Hair Demon jumped down. Clutching her severed black hair, she glared at Lin Guang with a savage expression.
Lin Guang could now make out the Hair Demon's appearance. Her long black hair reached the ground, and a single horn protruded from her forehead. Judging by her figure, she appeared to be female, but her voice was so harsh that it was unpleasant to hear.
"You dared to cut off my beautiful hair! I'll kill you!"
The Hair Demon spread her hands, and all her black hair surged toward Lin Guang like a living thing, blotting out the sky.
Rather than retreating, Lin Guang charged straight into the encircling hair.
"Shave!"
In an instant, Lin Guang vanished and appeared directly in front of the Hair Demon.
"Ice Breathing! Third Form! Raging Blade Ice Shatter!"
White sword light flashed. Lin Guang cut off all her hair at the roots and severed all four of her limbs.
The Hair Demon howled in agony as buds of flesh quickly began to sprout from her severed limbs.
Looking up at Lin Guang looming over her, the Hair Demon suddenly grew afraid and began begging him for mercy.
"Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I'll never eat another human! Please don't kill me!"
Lin Guang withdrew his Nichirin Blade and smiled faintly. "If you do me a favor, I might consider it."
As he spoke, Lin Guang placed a finger between the Hair Demon's eyebrows.
"It's just a little experiment. No need to be nervous."
As his words fell, Lin Guang silently invoked, Curse Purification!
Green light shone from Lin Guang's finger. The Hair Demon immediately began screaming, her entire body trembling uncontrollably.
"Aaargh!!!"
Before long, the Hair Demon stopped screaming, and her hair and limbs grew back.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Japan, Muzan Kibutsuji suddenly sensed that a trace of his blood had completely escaped his control.
"Another demon has broken free of my control!? Tamayo! That little girl! And now this one-that makes three!"
"What is going on!"
The Hair Demon knelt on the ground, panting heavily. Gradually, her body began to change.
Her black hair grew an even deeper shade.
Seeing the Hair Demon's transformation, Lin Guang frowned slightly.
"Tell me what you know about Muzan Kibutsuji."
"Heh... hehehe... hahaha!"
The Hair Demon laughed as she lay on the ground, then slowly rose to her feet. Veins bulged all over her body as she stared at Lin Guang.
"I don't know what you did, but I can feel that Muzan Kibutsuji is no longer watching me. And his blood has become entirely my own power!"
"I'll repay you well-by making you the nourishment I need to grow stronger!"
The Hair Demon pressed her hands together in front of her chest. In an instant, countless strands of hair shot out like a fine rain of steel needles.
"Blood Demon Art! Demon Hair Senbon!"
As the Hair Demon's attack hurtled toward him, Lin Guang shifted his Nichirin Blade into a defensive stance. A burst of cold froze the entire attack into ice crystals.
"Ice Breathing! Sixth Form! Unbreakable Profound Ice: Turtle!"
The instant the Hair Demon's attack entered the range of Lin Guang's blade, it turned into ice crystals and shattered completely.
At the sight, the Hair Demon flew into a rage.
"Are you kidding me! I'm strong enough to rival even the Twelve Kizuki now! How can I fail to kill an ordinary member of the Demon Slayer Corps!"
"Blood Demon Art! Hair Blade!"
The Hair Demon's hair gathered together, forming dozens of sharp blades that slashed toward Lin Guang.
"Ice Breathing! Sixth Form! Unbreakable Profound Ice: Snake!"
In an instant, Lin Guang's blade traced a strange arc and cut straight through the Hair Demon's neck.
Lin Guang flicked the blood from his blade and slid it back into its sheath. Then he said, "Sorry, but I just killed one of the Twelve Kizuki a couple of days ago."
The Hair Demon's head fell to the ground, her eyes fixed on Lin Guang in disbelief.
"How is that possible..."
Then the Hair Demon crumbled into ash and dispersed into the air.
[Ding! The host has killed one Special Ability Demon. Drop: Black Iron Treasure Chest ×1.]
Hearing that only one Treasure Chest had dropped, Lin Guang immediately grew displeased.
"System, this demon should have been as strong as Susamaru and Yahaba, right? Why did she only drop one Treasure Chest?"
[Ding! The demon's strength increased due to the effects of the host's skill. Therefore, this does not increase the Treasure Chest drop rate.]
Hearing the system's explanation, Lin Guang sighed.
"Sigh... fine."
Lin Guang casually picked up the Treasure Chest and glanced at the spot where the Hair Demon had turned to ash.
"The experiment went very well. You shouted Muzan Kibutsuji's name without being killed by his cells. That means I can bring Rose out now."
Afterward, Lin Guang found a rundown hut on the mountain and slid a finger across his Spatial Ring.
A beautiful ice sculpture appeared before Lin Guang. The demon inside was Rose, the Spider Mother he had subdued on Mount Natagumo.
Lin Guang raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Cracks began to form in the ice sculpture, gradually multiplying and widening.
Finally, there was a crack!
The ice sculpture shattered into a cloud of icy dust, revealing Rose, the Spider Mother, before Lin Guang.
Before you continue