Four hundred years. Even if he advanced a little each year, that would be over four hundred steps forward.
Therefore, Kokushibo was no longer the same as he was, no longer nearly one-shotted as he had been over four hundred years ago.
Staring at the glinting blade, a hint of excitement flashed in Kokushibo's eyes.
I've gotten stronger! Definitely stronger!
He was no longer completely helpless against Yoriichi.
The moment his toes touched the ground, Kokushibo's waist arched quickly, and his legs bent to accumulate power.
The next second, with a thump, Kokushibo's powerful legs propelled him forward with tremendous force. Amidst the swirling snowflakes, Kokushibo shot out like an arrow released from a bow.
The entire sequence took only a second or two. Yoriichi Tsugikuni was still in the middle of his horizontal sword swing.
In that instant, Kokushibo's blade flashed from its sheath. The tip of the sword carved a path across the snow, angling towards Yoriichi's waist, leaving multiple crescent moon blades in its wake.
"Moon Breathing First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace."
Iaido, the art of the quick draw, was already renowned for its speed. Combined with Kokushibo's inhuman physique and his Breathing Style, the speed of this iaido strike was unimaginable, a blinding flash even for the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, who were already far beyond ordinary humans.
But was Yoriichi Tsugikuni an ordinary human?
Even over four hundred years ago, Yoriichi couldn't be considered an ordinary human.
And today, Yoriichi was even further from being a regular human. Why?
Because he was a pay-to-win player!
"...I'm stronger!"
Yoriichi Tsugikuni slightly raised his head, finishing the second half of the sentence he hadn't spoken before. A trace of sadness flashed in his eyes as he spoke. He rotated his level blade, and in an instant, he swung it dozens of times. The trajectory of the crimson blade formed a beautiful flower of flames, blooming in mid-air.
Kokushibo, who was in mid-flight, instantly shattered like a piece of glass hitting the ground, scattering behind Yoriichi Tsugikuni and landing in the snow.
Far away, Kokushibo's head lay quietly in the snow, his six eyes trembling.
"Why? Why! Is it possible that my over four hundred years of persistence, over four hundred years of effort, were all in vain?!"
Kokushibo roared, questioning Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
"Elder brother, you have indeed become stronger."
Yoriichi Tsugikuni looked at Kokushibo's furious face and said, "The first strike I made was at the same level as over four hundred years ago."
"And the subsequent series of slashes are the level I'm at now," Yoriichi Tsugikuni said after a pause. "I've become stronger."
"Is that so…"
Kokushibo's eyes flicked towards Muyang standing in the distance on the snowy ground, a look of understanding in his eyes.
Yoriichi, having received that person's help, was indeed an existence he couldn't defeat.
This failure was acceptable. Kokushibo then asked about another matter, "Can I surpass you from four hundred years ago?"
Meeting Kokushibo's gaze, Yoriichi Tsugikuni was silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking, "Perhaps."
Hearing this, a smile tugged at Kokushibo's lips; he seemed very pleased.
In a state of contentment, he turned to black ash and dispersed.
"Is the last thing you said true?" Muyang asked Yoriichi Tsugikuni, walking over after watching the scene.
"I don't know." Yoriichi Tsugikuni replied truthfully. "I haven't fought him; I don't know if I'll win."
Muyang recalled the descriptions of Yoriichi Tsugikuni's battle against Muzan Kibutsuji. Muzan Kibutsuji had self-destructed, splitting his body into over 1800 pieces that scattered to escape, while Yoriichi Tsugikuni had slashed and hit over 1500 of them in a very short time.
That kind of feat was simply inhuman.
No, even Kokushibo, who had already become non-human, probably wouldn't be able to slash and hit 1500 or more pieces of flesh flying in different directions with pure swordsmanship in the same amount of time.
Therefore, Muyang patted Yoriichi Tsugikuni on the shoulder and said, "I think you can win."
"Thank you." Yoriichi Tsugikuni looked at the snow pit where Kokushibo's head had been lying and said, "Lord Muyang, you should go back first. I'd like to stay here a while longer."
"Alright."
Muyang, understanding Yoriichi Tsugikuni's intentions, waved his hand and walked off alone. As he moved away, a transparent barrier also dissipated.
One of Muzan Kibutsuji's abilities as the progenitor of demons was to share information by connecting with other demons, even from a great distance.
Therefore, Muyang's purpose in setting up the barrier was to cut off the connection between Muzan Kibutsuji and Kokushibo, preventing Muzan Kibutsuji from learning about Yoriichi Tsugikuni's resurrection.
After all, seeing is believing, right?
Thinking this, Muyang granted Yoriichi Tsugikuni a temporary buff. The effect was that only by seeing him directly could one perceive his appearance; any other method would fail.
For example, if you took a photo of Yoriichi Tsugikuni with a camera, his appearance wouldn't be visible on the camera's screen, and the photo itself would be blurry.
When would the buff disappear?
It would disappear once Yoriichi Tsugikuni met Muzan Kibutsuji.
"I'm so excited, so excited!"
Muyang said with his hands in his pockets, laughing. "I'm really looking forward to seeing Muzan Kibutsuji's expression when he sees Yoriichi Tsugikuni! Will it be terror? Or utter terror?"
Somewhere in the mountains.
A young man wearing a grey and white striped suit and a grey and white bowler hat suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, a coldness that shot straight to his head, causing his scalp to tingle.
"What's going on? I suddenly feel a sense of malice!"
Muzan Kibutsuji turned his head left and right, his crimson pupils reflecting the silent forest, but he couldn't find a single living thing.
"Is it an illusion?"
Muzan Kibutsuji frowned in thought. Uncertain, he decided to play it safe and not dismiss it as a mere illusion.
So, who harbored ill will towards him?
It seemed like a lot of people!
He couldn't pinpoint anyone…
Muzan Kibutsuji gave up on the thought and decided to ignore it, continuing onward.
After a while, Muzan Kibutsuji suddenly stopped, looking at a house nestled in the woods not far away.
"I didn't expect someone to live in such a deep mountain."
Generally, even ordinary people wouldn't live too deep in the mountains, since there were too many ferocious beasts in the deep forests, like bears and wolves!
Of course, it wasn't as if there weren't any humans living in the deep mountains and forests for various reasons.
"I'll just do it since it's convenient."
Wasting the experimental subjects that came to hand would be a shame.
Thinking this, Muzan Kibutsuji walked to the door of the house and punched through the wooden door, entering amidst a chorus of gasps.
At the same time, not far away, in the snowy field…
Yoriichi Tsugikuni, who was building a cenotaph, suddenly raised his head. He seemed to have heard the sound of something breaking and a woman's exclamation.
After a moment's thought, Yoriichi Tsugikuni decided to go and see what was happening.
Holding his sword sheath, Yoriichi Tsugikuni immediately set off.
-----------------------
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