Ryosuke understood.
This move was precisely the one Uzui Tengen used in his rage against Mōmenbō, smashing through the clay armor with brute force and a nascent Breathing Technique!
Now, it had been perfectly refined, becoming the First Form of Sound Breathing!
Uzui Tengen sheathed his swords, chin raised, his silver ponytail swaying.
"How's that for flashy! The name is direct enough too! 'Boom'! It perfectly embodies its essence!"
"...Impressive."
Ryosuke couldn't help but stifle a laugh.
Hmm~
It could be called "Boom" or "Smash."
My Flashy Brother, setting aside everything else, certainly has a knack for naming things.
Sometimes, flashy isn't as good as straightforward and unpretentious.
At the same time, Ryosuke felt a bit helpless.
Because Sound Breathing wasn't extensively showcased in the original story, he had no idea what the Second and Third Forms were.
He couldn't offer much constructive advice on how to develop it.
He could only continuously spar and practice with Uzui Tengen, letting him explore through practical experience.
Uzui Tengen understood perfectly, grabbing a wooden sword and thrusting it into Ryosuke's hand.
"Come on! Ryosuke! Spar with me! I feel like the inspiration for the next form is almost within my grasp!"
"Let's go!"
Ryosuke stood, sword held horizontally.
Uzui Tengen roared and charged forward!
His speed was incredibly fast, his figure hard to discern.
Ryosuke's eyes narrowed, and he struck fiercely with his sword.
Clang, clang, clang! Boom!
The training ground was instantly filled with thunderous roars and sonic booms.
The two figures crossed paths at high speed, each collision erupting with astonishing air currents.
However, after a dozen moves, Uzui Tengen took a step back first, a look of astonishment on his face.
"Wait! You kid... something's off!"
Uzui Tengen frowned, flexing his numb wrist.
"Your sword... it's heavier! No, it's not the sword that's heavier, it's your ki! Yes, it's your ki!"
Uzui Tengen paused, looking at Ryosuke with a peculiar expression.
"Your ki is completely different from before! How long has it been since we last met, and you've gotten so much stronger?!"
That feeling was hard to describe; it wasn't a simple increase in strength or speed, but rather something more condensed and oppressive entwined around Ryosuke's blade and his entire being.
It made every one of his slashes carry a heart-pounding penetrative force, even subtly interfering with the rhythm of his own Breathing Technique!
Ryosuke sheathed his sword and let out a few dry laughs. Before he could explain, Jigoro, who had been watching from the side, walked over, leaning on his cane.
"It's Fighting Spirit."
"Fighting Spirit?"
Uzui Tengen raised an eyebrow.
Clearly, he had never heard of this concept before.
Jigoro's gaze was sharp, his eyes shining as he looked at Ryosuke, as if he were an unpolished gem that, after countless trials, had finally begun to glow.
"I didn't expect that after a trip to the Rengoku Family, you would actually learn this family secret."
"Although it's still very raw, it is indeed Fighting Spirit."
"It's more closely integrated with your Breathing Technique and sword skills, so its power is naturally incomparable."
Hearing this, Ryosuke nodded.
"I was fortunate to grasp it, thanks to Mr. Rengoku's guidance."
Although the shadows of his past life still lingered, he respected Shinjuro from the bottom of his heart.
Many people in his previous life adhered to the principle of "teaching the apprentice starves the master."
Shinjuro's willingness to guide juniors without reservation showed an exceptionally rare mindset.
"There's no need to belittle yourself."
Jigoro shook his head: "The difficulty of Fighting Spirit lies in the condensation and sublimation of one's will and power. Countless swordsmen spend their entire lives unable to even touch the threshold."
"That you could initially condense it in such a short time speaks volumes about your potential and comprehension."
"Rengoku Shinjuro, that guy, actually did something good this time."
Uzui Tengen, standing nearby, listened with gleaming eyes.
"Fighting Spirit! Flashy! So flashy!"
He suddenly grabbed Ryosuke's arm.
"Ryosuke! Quick! Use it again! Let me get a good feel for it! This is definitely the key to making my Sound Breathing even flashier!"
Ryosuke: "..."
He knew this would happen.
Thus, under Uzui Tengen's extremely enthusiastic and forceful dragging, Ryosuke quickly plunged into a new round of sparring.
The afternoon in Peach Mountain once again echoed with thunder and sonic booms, along with Uzui Tengen's energetic laughter.
However, creating a Breathing Technique and sword moves is by no means easy.
After three days of high-intensity sparring, although Uzui Tengen became more proficient in the use of the First Form, the anticipated Second Form remained veiled, difficult to truly grasp.
Every time he felt a glimmer of inspiration was within reach, it would slip away in the next clash.
"Tsk! Still not right! Not flashy enough!"
Uzui Tengen took a step back, shaking his somewhat sore arms.
"It feels like it's just missing that little bit! The points of breath and power release are always unsatisfactory!"
Ryosuke stood with his sword sheathed, breathing slightly.
His Fighting Spirit had become more condensed with each practice session, but the high-intensity training and sparring were taking a toll on him.
"Let's rest for a bit. The path of creation isn't accomplished in a single day," Ryosuke advised.
Uzui Tengen, though unwilling, knew Ryosuke was right.
Just as the two were about to rest, footsteps echoed from the long corridor outside the courtyard.
"Brother Ryosuke! We're back!"
The voice arrived before the person.
Rika bounced over, throwing her arms around Ryosuke.
She had returned safely from her first mission.
What was different, however, was Shota, who followed behind her, looking utterly dispirited, completely unlike the worried mother hen he had been at the start.
He watched the two being intimate, a fire in Shota's eyes, but he lacked the energy to scold Ryosuke, instead lying down on the corridor to rest.
"Brother Ryosuke! The mission was so—tiring—oh~"
Rika rubbed against his chest, deliberately drawing out her words, her voice soft and sweet, laced with a hint of a whine.
"The mountain paths were so hard to walk, and it was so dark at night, and that demon was super scary~ It scared me to death~"
Shota's lips twitched.
Good heavens!
You little thing, you have two faces!
What you're saying is completely different from how you acted outside!
Ryosuke noticed Shota's unusual behavior and ruffled Rika's hair.
"It's good that you're back. You worked hard, go rest first."
"No~ Brother Ryosuke, let me tell you, that demon was really too much, it even tried to ambush us..."
Rika hugged him tighter, chattering away as she recounted her mission experience.
However, her speech was full of interjections, with all the emphasis on creating a terrifying atmosphere and portraying herself as weak, pitiful, and helpless.
Shota, listening nearby, rolled his eyes so hard they almost went to the back of his head.
Ultimately, it was Jigoro who arrived and pried the clingy Rika off Ryosuke, telling the siblings to go wash their hands and eat.
At lunch, the atmosphere was somewhat subtle.
Rika ate with relish, occasionally serving food to Ryosuke.
Shota, however, had little appetite, his eyes constantly glancing at Rika.
Ryosuke noted Shota's unusual behavior.
Logically, this was Rika's first mission, so the difficulty wouldn't be too high, and with Shota accompanying her, even if there were twists, it shouldn't have been too troublesome.
After the meal, Ryosuke handed Shota a glass of water.
"What's wrong? Was this mission not smooth?" Ryosuke sat beside him and asked directly.
Shota took the glass, giving a bitter laugh.
"Not unsmooth at all, it was almost too smooth..."