Water Breathing

Walking at the very front was the former Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki.

Though the old man's mask hid his expression, his steps were so light that they did not crush even a single fallen leaf, making it clear that he was deliberately testing the limits of the three young people behind him. No, to be precise, he was testing Rokuya's limits.

This boy's stamina... it's practically bottomless. Beneath his mask, Urokodaki was secretly astonished.

Ever since they left the foot of the mountain, he had deliberately increased his pace, specifically choosing routes riddled with natural traps and dangerously steep slopes. Mount Sagiri's uniquely thin air was enough to make any ordinary person who had not mastered a Breathing Style collapse along this route. Yet the boy named Rokuya was neither flushed nor out of breath. He was even carrying someone on his back now, and his steps remained as steady as though he were strolling on level ground.

He hardly seems human. He's more like... Those demons that had lived for over a hundred years flashed through Urokodaki's mind, but he quickly dismissed the thought. There was no trace of a demon's presence about Rokuya. He was simply powerful.

With the boost from the "Kai" template, along with the attribute points he had previously exchanged Gratitude Points for, this level of mountain climbing did not even count as a warm-up for Rokuya.

"Old man, where exactly are you taking us?" Rokuya suddenly asked, a trace of impatience in his voice. "If you're trying to test me with these childish tricks, save yourself the trouble."

Urokodaki stopped.

He turned around, his Tengu Mask looking especially imposing in the thick fog.

"This is the destination."

Rokuya narrowed his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. They stood in a relatively flat clearing halfway up the mountain. Not far away was a simple but sturdy wooden house, with a neatly cleared yard in front and dense bamboo groves surrounding it.

"Starting today, you will live here." Urokodaki's voice was low and stern. "My name is Sakonji Urokodaki, and I am a Cultivator. I don't know where you learned to wield that brute strength, nor do I know why you can cleave through a Special Ability Demon's Blood Demon Art with your bare hands. But here, everything starts from zero."

Rokuya set Shinobu Kocho down from his back and rolled his shoulders, a sharp gleam in his eyes. "Start from zero? Sounds like a hassle. I just want a way to kill demons. The sooner, the better."

"Killing demons is no child's play!" Urokodaki suddenly raised his voice. His figure blurred as he rushed in front of Rokuya like a gust of wind. A wooden sword had appeared in his hand at some point, and he brought it straight down toward Rokuya's face.

So fast!

The Kocho Sisters did not even see Urokodaki's movements clearly. They only heard the whistle of air being torn apart.

"Just what I wanted."

Rokuya's gaze sharpened. Instead of retreating, he advanced. He did not draw the unidentified longsword, but raised his right hand directly, meeting the descending wooden sword with precision.

Thud-!

A dull impact exploded across the clearing.

Urokodaki's pupils abruptly contracted. Rokuya had actually caught his wooden sword with his bare palm. Moreover, the recoil transmitted through the blade left the webbing between his thumb and forefinger numb.

"Old man, your speed's pretty good, but your strength is a little lacking." Rokuya grinned and suddenly exerted force through his wrist. With a crack, fissures appeared in the hard wooden sword under his one-handed grip.

Urokodaki swiftly pulled away and retreated, a trace of disbelief flashing through his eyes. "That grip strength... are you really only fourteen?"

"Age means nothing in a fight to the death." Rokuya brushed the wood splinters off his hands, his gaze calm.

"Rokuya..." Kanae gently tugged at Rokuya's sleeve from beside him, signaling him not to be so rude to the old man.

Urokodaki watched Rokuya in silence for a long while, then suddenly let out a low laugh.

"Very good. I don't dislike that kind of arrogance that knows no bounds. Since you have that resolve, let me see how long you can last on this Mount Sagiri."

The first week of training was hellish.

Urokodaki taught them basic knowledge about demons, as well as a swordsmanship system called "Water Breathing." It was a method that used a special breathing rhythm to expand the lungs greatly, allowing the blood to absorb large amounts of oxygen in a short time and unleash instantaneous bursts of strength beyond human limits.

"Water has no fixed shape. It can gently nourish all things, or violently destroy everything. The essence of Water Breathing lies in an unbroken offensive, and a defense capable of neutralizing any attack."

Beneath the waterfall, Urokodaki loudly explained the core principles of the Breathing Style.

Rokuya sat cross-legged on an icy rock, his eyes closed as he felt the flow of the air around him.

"Breathe in... press the air into the bottom of your lungs, and feel your blood boil..."

Following Urokodaki's instructions, Rokuya took a deep breath.

[System notification: high-concentration energy circulation pattern detected-Water Breathing (basic).]

[Adapting to host's panel...]

[Adaptation complete. Host's constitution is extremely high. Water Breathing training efficiency increased.]

The instant the system notification ended, Rokuya's eyes snapped open.

Boom!

He rose and drew the longsword at his waist. Without any flashy movements, he simply followed the rhythm of his breathing and swung fiercely forward.

A faint, illusory roar of ocean waves actually sounded in the air!

A slash of pressure visible to the naked eye instantly cleaved the waterfall before him. The flow was forcibly cut off for two whole seconds before crashing down, sending spray flying everywhere.

"This..." Watching from the bank, Urokodaki nearly dropped his jaw to the ground beneath his mask.

It had taken only one day!

In just one day, this boy named Rokuya had not only fully mastered Water Breathing's basic circulation, but had even used his inhuman strength to give that power tangible form to such a terrifying degree.

But Urokodaki soon noticed a problem.

"No... although your Breathing Style is Water Breathing, your sword aura lacks water's adaptability and variation." Urokodaki walked over to Rokuya, his tone conflicted. "Your sword is too overbearing. That isn't Water Breathing. It's more like... a raging surge that will crush every obstacle."

"As long as it kills the enemy, who cares whether it's a raging surge or a drop of water?" Rokuya sheathed his sword and wiped the droplets from his face. "I don't like defending. The best defense is to chop every enemy in front of you into mincemeat. There's nothing in this world that one slash can't solve. If there is, the slash just wasn't heavy enough."

Listening to these dangerous remarks that completely contradicted Water Breathing's original intent, Urokodaki was so angry that his beard bristled. Yet he could not refute them, because the power of Rokuya's last slash was already enough to kill most ordinary demons instantly.

Compared with Rokuya's rapid progress, the Kocho Sisters were having an exceptionally difficult time.

"Hah! Ha!"

In the nearby clearing, Shinobu Kocho gritted her teeth as she struggled to swing a wooden sword.

This was the practice-swing training Urokodaki required: two thousand swings every day.

For Rokuya, never mind two thousand swings-even twenty thousand would only make him sweat a little. But for Shinobu, who was only eleven and naturally petite with a slender frame, it was practically an insurmountable mountain.