Another half year passed, and Feng Yu's training with Sabito and Makomo was already plete. Now, all that remained was the arrival of the final trial.

  During these six months, Feng Yu's swordsmanship and breathing teiques had both improved signifitly.

  At the same time, a ask appeared in the system's list, and the rewards were a timely boon for Feng Yu.

  Character: Zhong Feng Yu

  Sword Strikes: Breathing Teique: Water Breathing (Minor Aplishment) Martial Arts: Swordsmanship (Major Aplishment) Physique: Immortal Body Pet: Xiao Bai (White Fox: Not Awakeask 1: Sy the Demon King, Kibutsuji Muzan

  Description: Kibutsuji Muzan is the source of all evil in this world. Sy him to end the source of this malevolence. Reward: Sword Strikes 10 million, Specified World Travel 1, Mysterious Gift Pack *1 Status: Unpleted Task 2: Pass the Final Trial

  Description: You are a disciple who has emerged from the mountains. To prove yourself as a qualified demon syer, you must pass the final trial. Reward: New system fun, Sword Strikes 1 million, Demo Breathing Teique Demo Breathing Teique: This teique allows a demo to learhing teiques, helping trol their size and gain strength. Status: Unpleted Task: Sy Evil Demons

  Description: After su, endless demons begin to hunt. You are human; sy all evil demons. Reward: Unknown (depends on pletion pertage; the higher the pletion, the better the rewards) Status: Ongoing

  “Almost there... just a little longer...”

  Feng Yu muttered as he gazed at the massive rock he had just split with a sirike of his sword.

  “Sabito, Makomo, thank you for your panionship and guidahese past months.” “Once I kill that demon, I’ll return to let you fourtee in peace…”

  Feng Yu poured himself a drink from a bottle he retrieved from the system space, and then poured drinks for Sabito and Makomo as well. Leaning against the stone, he raised his gss in a silent toast.

  After bidding farewell to the bamboo forest, Sabito, and Makomo, Feng Yu mounted Xiao Bai’s bad desded the mountain.

  After Feng Yu left, the figures of Sabito and Makomo appeared.

  “Feng Yu, I hope you succeed…” Feng Yu felt their gaze on him as he oward the rear mountain.

  Over the past six months, Xiao Bai had grer, resembling an adult Tibetan mastiff, thanks to various strange elixirs and items Feng Yu had obtaihrough system sign-ins and draws. Xiao Bai’s intelligence had also been steadily increasing.

  Feng Yu estimated that Xiao Bai’s intelligence was nhly equivalent to that of a-year-old human child.

  The only drawback was that Xiao Bai had grown se that hunting now required Feng Yu’s direvolvement. Fortunately, the reward from Task 2 would help with this issue.

  This had led to the sight of a giant white beast with white fur often spotted by hunters from nearby towns, prowling around Mount Sagiri.

  Moreover, since Xiao Bai never harmed anyone and even helped vilgers in danger, it had been revered as a divine being—an ination of the mythical Tamamo-no-Mae.

  The once solitary Mount Sagiri had bee a bustling pce.

  However, people dared not asd the mountain. The mountain was shrouded in mist year-round, and its dangers were well-known.

  During this period, Feng Yu had ordered Xiao Bai to remain at the summit of the mountain, forbidding it from desding without his and.

  After the vilgers stopped seeing Xiao Bai, most of them gave up on their search. However, those vilgers who had been saved by Xiao Bai built a shri the foot of the mountain. Ihe shriood a small fox statue, and every day, the vilgers would e to pray, bringing fruits as s.

  It was during this time that Feng Yu noticed the words "Not Awakened" on Xiao Bai’s status panel.

  Feng Yu specuted that once Xiao Bai awakened, it could indeed bee the legendary Tamamo-no-Mae.

  Looking at Xiao Bai's single white tail, Feng Yu smiled slightly.

  “The legendary Tamamo-no-Mae is a ailed fox, Xiao Bai. You only have oail, so you’ll have to work hard.”

  “Ying ying ying!” Xiao Bai cheerfully responded.

  ...

  “Feng Yu has arrived, e on in...” Sakonji Urokodaki called out as soon as Feng Yu arrived at his dwelling.

  “Have you made your decision?” The campfire before them crackled, sending out occasional popping sounds.

  “Mm, I’ve decided.” Feng Yu smiled faintly.

  Sakonji Urokodaki seemed to see the determination in Feng Yu’s eyes. He turned and opened a et.

  He took out a white fox mask.

  “This is an exorcism mask. It will protect you from harm and evil spirits. I hope all goes well for you, and I’ll wait for your return here.” Sakonji Urokodaki said solemnly.

  Feng Yu took the mask and noticed the red Tengu mask nearby. He couldn’t quite say it, but he remembered that it was because of such exorcism masks that all his previous fourteen disciples had been devoured by the Hand Demon.

  Through the mask, Feng Yu seemed to sehe struggle and on Sakonji Urokodaki’s face.

  “What a devoted master…” Feng Yu thought to himself.

  Suddenly, the call of a g crow echoed outside.

  Sakonji Urokodaki and Feng Yu stepped outside.

  They saw that a message scroll was tied to the crow’s foot.

  Sakonji Urokodaki opehe scroll and read it for a moment before speaking in a low voice.

  “I o desd the mountain for a while. There’s a child I must retrieve…”

  “Master Sakonji, I’ll go instead…” Feng Yu offered.

  This erfect opportunity to rack up Sword strikes. He had just stolen a g the envelope, seeing the words "Tanjiro and his two siblings" written on it, and had already guessed what the matter was.

  Feng Yu remembered that when the main character was on his way to Mount Sagiri, there had been a demon lurking around.

  This erfect opportunity to gain some rookie experience, and Feng Yu wouldn’t miss it.

  “Alright, take this sword with you.” Sakonji Urokodaki handed him a Nichirin Sword. Feng Yu realized that Sakonji Urokodaki must have sehe presence of a nearby demon.

  “That child has deep red hair and eyes, and wears flower paper earrings.” “When you find him, bring him back. Don’t harm his sister.”

  “Uood, I’ll head out now.” “Xiao Bai, stay here.” Feng Yu patted Xiao Bai on the head.

  Xiao Bai let out a slightly pitiful cry, seemingly aware that it wasn’t being brought along because of its rge size.

  After tidying up his hair and clothes, Feng Yu set off down the mountain.

  “The air and sky that haven’t been polluted really feel different…” Feng Yu took in the warm light of the setting sun, his body bathed in its glow.

  The chirping of birds and is filled the air. Feng Yu let go of his mind, feeling at oh nature in that moment.

  He hadn’t noticed, but a few strands of his inally bck hair had turned a deep red.

  Feng Yu had no idea what was happening.

  He only khat he seemed to have entered a special state. When he closed his eyes, his breathing seemed to move of its own accord.

  The light in his mind grew brighter…

  Feng Yu opened his eyes. A new dire for his breathing teique—different from Water Breathing—had suddenly clicked.

  “Is this what they call an epiphany?” Feng Yu wondered.

  “I feel like I saw a beam of light. It was warm, like it had always been inside me, but only now had it bloomed. I didn’t catch it in time… but I’ve grasped a bit of the teique. With more practice, I should be able to master it…”

  Then, Feng Yu was shocked.

  “What the heck? Why does the breathing teique now show an unknowhing style? Did I just realize a new breathihod…"

  “A beam of light... maybe I'll call it Light Breathing…”

  “But isn’t Light Breathing just another form of Suhing?”

  After settling on Light Breathing, the unknowhing style on his panel ged to Light Breathing, though it was still marked as “Unawakened.”

  “Fet it. I’ll figure it out ter. For now, I’ll focus on finding Tanjiro and his siblings.”

  The su, and night fell.

  Feng Yu tinued his journey.

  But then, he suddenly remembered something and found a quiet spot to rest.

  “Maybe it’s better if Tanjiro gets some practice…”