In the core area of the Infinity Castle, the twisted space was eerily silent.
Only countless sliding doors and beams extended and intersected in ways that defied the laws of physics.
Muzan, in her female form, wearing a complex black tomesode kimono, stood still amidst it all.
In the depths of her plum-red eyes, a storm seemed to be brewing.
Through the blood curse link, she had just "watched" the final moments of Zohakuten and Rokuro being beheaded.
The moment she saw Mr. Cheng Mo's nichirin blade, wreathed in lightning, ruthlessly annihilate Hantengu's core, a terrifying pressure uncontrollably erupted from her body!
Rumble—
The surrounding floating architectural debris, sliding doors, and even massive beams instantly turned to dust under the impact of this invisible wrath!
"Useless! A bunch of useless creatures!"
A low, distorted roar squeezed from her throat, breaking the deathly silence of the Infinity Castle.
Her exquisitely beautiful face was now covered in frost, and her plum-red eyes churned with ferocity and a hint of disbelief.
The death of Upper Moon Four was a major loss, one not seen in a hundred years.
But her anger wasn't solely due to this; it was also because of Himura Senichi's "Blood Armor Manifestation," which had awakened after he completely broke free from her control!
That power... that strange evolutionary possibility that didn't rely on consuming large amounts of humans, could even resist her will, and transform the obsession of protection into tangible strength.
It made her feel an unprecedented threat and... jealousy.
She forced herself to calm down, rapidly analyzing the situation.
Mr. Cheng Mo's strength was unfathomable; killing an Upper Moon was like cutting melons and vegetables.
Moreover, the methods he displayed were too bizarre and varied.
Muzan instinctively did not want to confront such an existence directly.
A thought emerged.
Should she choose to completely lie low, just like during the era when Tsugikuni Yoriichi appeared?
Using the Infinity Castle and the long passage of time to simply outlive Mr. Cheng Mo?
Humans, after all, had their limits.
But... Himura Senichi's "Blood Armor Manifestation" was like a poisonous seed, taking root and sprouting in her heart.
It represented a new direction of evolution, one that didn't rely on endless slaughter, and might hold immeasurable value for her ultimate goal of "conquering the sun."
She truly couldn't give it up easily.
What's more, with technology advancing rapidly in the outside world, her research into the "Blue Spider Lily" also seemed to be seeing new dawn... she was getting closer and closer to achieving her goal.
It was truly difficult to weigh.
After much deliberation, cold rationality ultimately overcame rage and greed.
What was most troublesome about Mr. Cheng Mo was not his absolute strength... If one were to judge by the abilities he had currently displayed, dragging him into the Infinity Castle and having all Upper Moons and herself attack together might not fail to kill him.
However... his speed was truly astonishing.
Muzan recalled Mr. Cheng Mo's lightning-fast movement, akin to teleportation.
Once he locked onto someone, the initiative in battle was entirely in his hands.
Not to mention whether they could successfully drag him into the Infinity Castle.
He might even defeat them one by one before they could even encircle him... He was too troublesome.
Ultimately, stability and caution prevailed.
However, this expedition by Hantengu and his group was not entirely without gain.
Mr. Cheng Mo... he was clearly able to discern the energy trajectories of Blood Demon Arts, and even perform crude imitations.
This intelligence was crucial.
She immediately transmitted a cold will and a clear image through the curse in the blood—
Any demon possessing a Blood Demon Art, upon encountering Mr. Cheng Mo, must immediately self-destruct.
They must absolutely not allow him to probe the mysteries of their abilities!
At the same time, she strictly ordered all Twelve Kizuki to go into full hibernation, never to show themselves proactively without her command.
She also secretly dispatched more special ability demons skilled in stealth and reconnaissance to lurk and observe all movements of the Demon Slayer Corps, but demanded that they absolutely not be detected.
She ultimately chose to wait, to wait for Mr. Cheng Mo to reveal a weakness.
Or... to wait for him, like all humans, to be defeated by time itself.
She had come to regard Mr. Cheng Mo as her most troublesome arch-enemy since Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
"Nakime," she said coldly.
Nakime, holding her biwa beside her, bowed slightly.
"Enhance the concealment of the Infinity Castle."
"Yes," Nakime responded softly, gently plucking a string.
The structure of the Infinity Castle began to undergo more secretive and subtle changes.
On the other side, Mr. Cheng Mo, wreathed in faint lightning arcs, returned at high speed.
What greeted his eyes were the broken walls and ruins on the outskirts of Butterfly Mansion.
Charred wooden beams and broken tiles had not yet been cleared away.
Dark brown bloodstains seeped into the soil were visible everywhere.
Busy members of the "Kakushi" corps silently cleared the ruins like worker ants, moving supplies, or assisting the wounded.
The once tranquil and beautiful wisteria sea was largely destroyed, with withered flowers mixed with dirt.
The air was filled with a faint smell of blood and char, replacing the usual elegant floral fragrance.
His expression was normal, and he walked steadily into this tragic post-battle area.
But the faint golden glow of the Eye of Truth silently flowed in his eyes, quickly scanning the entire scene.
The area of the ruins, the number and severity of the wounded, the distribution of personnel... all information flowed into his mind like data streams, rapidly assessing the extent of the damage and casualties.
His gaze lingered for an extra second as he passed the completely destroyed isolation room area.
The once sturdy walls and sealing devices there were now a pile of twisted metal and rubble.
His gaze swept over the mess, and a faint, almost imperceptible chill flashed in his eyes, then disappeared.
His sight moved.
He saw that Himura Senichi had fallen into a deep sleep again, placed on a temporarily erected simple bed.
The demon's aura was weak, but seemed to have stabilized somewhat.
Himura Ruri stood by, carefully wiping her father's forehead with a damp cloth.
The girl's face was pale, her eyes red and swollen, but her gaze held a sense of relief from surviving a catastrophe.
Uzui Tengen sat on a relatively intact stone step not far away.
He was bandaged in many places, and one arm was still splinted, clearly not lightly injured.
But he still maintained his flamboyant posture, loudly directing the cleanup work on site.
"Hey, over there! Be careful when clearing the broken wood, don't smash good timber too, it's not flamboyant at all!"
When he saw Mr. Cheng Mo return, he visibly sighed in relief, but complained, "Oh, Mr. Cheng Mo, you're finally back! This scene is truly a disaster, so unsightly!"
Kochou Shinobu was bandaging a team member's arm.
Her smile was much more strained than usual, and deep fatigue and sadness were hard to hide beneath her violet eyes.
But her hands remained steady.
Seeing Mr. Cheng Mo, she nodded gently, as a greeting.
Kochou Shinobu's voice was still soft, but with a hint of hoarseness: "Mr. Cheng Mo, you're back."
She did not immediately ask where Mr. Cheng Mo had gone.
But in the depths of her eyes, there was a subtle, almost imperceptible hint of inquiry and complex emotions.