"You..."
The old man stared fixedly at Luochuan, momentarily speechless. Judging by the proficiency Luochuan had just displayed with the First Form of Thunder Breathing, his strength was not far behind Zenitsu's.
How was this possible? When he first started training on the mountain, Luochuan's progress had been grueling. While Zenitsu was first learning the First Form, Luochuan had remained stuck at the starting line. But now, how had Luochuan suddenly mastered it?
"A sudden epiphany," Luochuan answered with a straight face. Epiphanies were mysterious things, difficult to explain or verify, making them the perfect excuse.
"An epiphany?" The old man was stunned. It was a plausible explanation, though the timing—right before the Demon Slayer selection—seemed incredibly lucky.
"Come, use the First Form against me," the old man said, beckoning to Luochuan. Although the sudden mastery seemed coincidental, if Luochuan had the strength, the old man didn't mind recommending another student.
Luochuan glanced at the old man, who held only a cane, and silently used his Inspection skill.
> [Name: Jigoro Kuwajima]
> [Race: Human]
> [Rank: Mid-Hashira (Disabled)]
> [Comprehension: High]
> [Aptitude: High]
> [Talent: None]
> [Skills: Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash (Perfect), Second Form: Rice Spirit (Perfect), Third Form: Thunder Swarm (Perfect), Fourth Form: Distant Thunder (Perfect), Fifth Form: Heat Lightning (Proficient), Sixth Form: Rumble and Flash (Proficient), Total Concentration: Constant (Proficient)...]
>
"Mid-Hashira? There are different strength levels for Hashira?" Luochuan wondered to himself. The system categorized Hashira strength into four levels: Super, High, Mid, and Low. The old man was at the Mid-Hashira level, and the "Disabled" tag likely referred to his broken leg. However, even with a broken leg, dealing with Luochuan would still be child's play.
Luochuan took a stance, leaning forward slightly with his feet planted firmly on the ground. His breathing became rhythmic, deep, and powerful. With every breath, the electrical charge in the air seemed drawn to his presence. His silhouette looked exceptionally tall amidst the flickering light.
He closed his eyes, his steady breathing seemingly resonating with the surrounding lightning. For a moment, the air felt thick with static, trembling with faint crackling sounds. The charge flowed into Luochuan's body and exploded outward with his exhaled breath, forming small arcs of electricity.
Luochuan slowly opened his eyes, sparks dancing in his pupils. He whispered firmly: "Thunder Breathing, First Form — Thunderclap and Flash!"
In an instant, Luochuan's entire body erupted in blinding light. The surrounding arcs of electricity surged toward his blade, and the golden light on the sword reached its peak. His form blurred as he became a bolt of light, charging straight at the old man.
The golden sparks exploded as Luochuan moved faster than the human eye could track. Facing this surging light, the old man stood perfectly still, his eyes filled with amazement. He no longer doubted the "epiphany"; it would be impossible to reach this level of mastery in so short a time otherwise.
A golden arc sliced through the air with a faint crackle. The blade stopped just inches from the old man's face. A stray spark brushed the old man's collar, leaving a scorched scent but causing no harm.
Looking at the sword tip inches away, the old man's expression changed from amazement to complete shock. Luochuan had actually controlled the First Form? The First Form's defining trait was its extreme speed, which granted it terrifying power but made it linear and difficult to control. It had taken the old man years of training to master such control, yet Luochuan had achieved it through a single epiphany. Was Luochuan a hidden genius?
While the old man was in shock, Luochuan was internally cursing. Why didn't the old man move? Luochuan wasn't trying to look cool by keeping the sword held out; he had cramped his wrist so badly trying to control the momentum that he couldn't lower it. His entire arm felt numb.
"Come, let me see the other forms," the old man said seriously.
Luochuan's expression froze. He only knew the First Form! How could he explain that his "epiphany" only covered one form? That would make it look pathetic. Then, he remembered the old man's status panel.
"Ahem, Gramps... are we friends?" Luochuan asked.
The nonsensical question broke the old man's serious mood. "What? Why are you asking that?" the old man asked, bewildered.
"We are master and disciple, but also friends, right?" Luochuan tried a different approach.
The old man didn't understand, but seeing Luochuan's sincere face, he nodded hesitantly. "Um... yes... I suppose so."
Ding!
[Successfully added Jigoro Kuwajima as a friend.]
[Detected a Master-Disciple relationship. Converting intimacy level...]
[Conversion successful! Intimacy level is "Friend." Two random rewards obtained:]
* [Skill: Second Form—Rice Spirit (Perfect)]
* [Skill: Fifth Form—Heat Lightning (Proficient)]
[Would you like to fuse them now?]
No. Luochuan knew the fusion would cause physical changes. To prevent the old man from noticing anything, he chose not to fuse immediately.
"Gramps, my wrist cramped. Give me a second," Luochuan said, slowly lowering his arm despite the pain. Unexpectedly, the old man grabbed his wrist. A numbing current flowed up Luochuan's arm, clearing the cramp and his fatigue instantly.
"Feeling better? Now, continue," the old man said supportively.
Zenitsu could only use the First Form, and Kaigaku could use everything except the First Form. The old man had always been saddened that Thunder Breathing could not be passed on in its entirety. With Luochuan's sudden breakthrough, he was determined to take this seriously.
Seeing no way to delay further, Luochuan decided to fuse the rewards right there, hoping the flash of lightning would mask the process.
[Fusing Skill: Second Form—Rice Spirit (Perfect)]
The moment fusion began, a burst of golden electricity exploded around Luochuan. The old man stepped back, looking confused. Wasn't this the starting stance for the First Form?