Mount Fujikasane was another old haunt familiar to Xia Xi.
Sabito and Giyu had taken their Final Selection here back then.
Smelling that familiar, rich fragrance of wisteria, Xia Xi nearly blurted out, "Giyu-san, the wisteria back home is blooming again."
Who knew what secret arts those priests possessed that let the wisteria here bloom all year round?
And at that moment...
More than twenty boys and girls stood scattered before the torii gate, their expressions varied. Some were still whispering among themselves.
Nervousness, anticipation, and even fear.
All those emotions mingled together, lending a restless air to what should have been a tranquil sea of wisteria.
"Thank you all for gathering here at this hour."
"However, please settle down."
The speaker was a middle-aged priest, but compared with the priest who had overseen Xia Xi's selection at Lake Ashi back then...
This one was considerably more burly.
He looked like a swordsman.
"You should already have heard the rules of the Final Selection from your respective Cultivators."
"So I won't repeat them at length."
"Within this Wisteria Flower Barrier are numerous demons captured alive by Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen. Your task is to enter and stay for seven days."
"On the first day, you will hear screams."
"On the second day, you may see parts of other people's corpses."
"On the third day, you will discover that fewer of your fellow candidates remain."
He paused, then continued intimidating them.
"When you emerge on the seventh day, you may be the only one left."
A faint stir ran through the ranks.
Some went pale, some clenched their fists, and others remained expressionless, seemingly unafraid.
"However, this selection will be somewhat different from previous years."
The middle-aged priest said, "Rather than how you endure the seven-day trial, we place greater importance