"Wow! Big Brother, you're amazing!"
Senjuro was the first to react, rushing to his Big Brother's side. His eyes were wide with adoration, practically sparkling.
Kanao, however, stood frozen in place, completely stunned.
The Flame Hashira's attack just now... it had truly startled her. In that single moment, she understood the massive gap in power between herself and a Hashira.
Just as she started to feel disheartened by this, a steady hand suddenly rested on her shoulder.
Kanao's body trembled slightly. She stared blankly at the hand before looking up.
Su Chen spoke softly, "It's alright. I'll teach you."
Kanao looked down at the ground, her face warm. She shyly lowered her head, responding with a tiny hum that was almost silent, "Mhm."
"How was that, Mr. Su Chen? Do I need to demonstrate it again?"
Kyojuro's voice called out from a distance. He had already sheathed his Nichirin Sword and was waiting patiently for Su Chen's answer.
Su Chen smiled slightly. "No need, Big Brother Rengoku. I've already learned it."
He said this as he walked over to the Rengoku brothers.
Seeing Su Chen's confident smile, Kyojuro asked again, just to be sure, "Are you sure I don't need to demonstrate it again? This move is very difficult for even us in the Rengoku family to learn."
Su Chen just nodded, his smile not fading. "No, really. Thank you, Big Brother Rengoku, but I've learned it."
When he heard this, Kyojuro didn't ask again.
In his heart, he knew Su Chen was not the type to be blindly overconfident. Since he had chosen to trust Su Chen with the Breathing Style, he had to give him his full trust now.
However, Senjuro, who was hiding behind Kyojuro, couldn't help himself. He muttered sarcastically under his breath, imitating Su Chen's voice.
"No~ need~, I~'ve~ al~rea~dy~ learned~ it~."
His words were thick with a sour, jealous taste. He didn't believe for a second that Su Chen could learn his family's ultimate technique with just one look!
But the next moment, Su Chen proved him wrong with his actions.
"Big Brother Rengoku, may I borrow your Nichirin Sword for a moment?" Su Chen asked seriously.
Hearing this, Kyojuro didn't hesitate. He generously drew his Nichirin Sword and offered it hilt-first.
After taking it, Su Chen couldn't help but look at the blade. Dusk had fallen, and night was gradually descending. The blade, which should have been a different color, seemed to shimmer with a faint red tint from Kyojuro's own flame. The handguard was shaped like a flame, and the hilt felt very comfortable to grip.
This was a Nichirin Sword perfectly made for Flame Breathing.
"Flame Breathing—First Form: Unknowing Fire!"
A streak of red light cut through the air.
The angle of the slash, the landing point after the dash, the sword technique itself... it was all perfect!
Su Chen twirled the blade with a flourish.
At this point, his understanding of the original Flame Breathing was just as good as the Flame Hashira's.
"Then..." Su Chen's expression changed. He became serious.
He settled into a stance and shouted inwardly, Total Concentration - Focus!
Then, he took a sharp, loud breath of oxygen.
"This is!" Kyojuro couldn't help but widen his eyes.
He had felt it before, but now he was sure: the Total Concentration Breathing - Constant that Su Chen used was... off. It was different from his.
If it were normal Total Concentration Breathing - Constant, his lungs wouldn't need to expand so much. He shouldn't be taking in that much oxygen!
Moreover, Su Chen's inhalation speed was extremely fierce. It was dangerously fast.
With even a slight mistake, a normal person's lungs would explode from the pressure when they tried to use a sword technique!
But not only did Su Chen's lungs not show any abnormality, they seemed to circulate the massive amount of oxygen exceptionally well!
Kyojuro was stunned.
What kind of Breathing Technique is Su Chen using?!
But before Kyojuro could even think about it, the name of the sword technique Su Chen shouted next completely overturned his understanding.
He even doubted for a moment if he had misheard.
Su Chen yelled, "Blazing Flame Breathing!"
"First Form: Blazing Flame!"
Buzz!
First, there was a strange, vibrating sound from the sword itself.
Then, the blade bloomed with a fierce flame, like a flower opening!
It felt completely different from Kyojuro's flames. His flames were part of the Breathing Style, a visual effect of his mastery.
This... this was real, tangible fire!
Coupled with the dark curtain of night that had already fallen, Su Chen's single strike directly illuminated the entire gloomy night sky!
Everyone present was stunned.
In all their lives, the elemental effects from Breathing Styles were just that—effects. They were visual representations of the swordsman's skill, not real elements.
So when Su Chen wielded real flames, everyone was undeniably shocked!
And as Su Chen swung the Nichirin Sword, a new understanding suddenly flooded his heart.
[You have refined and heated the blade through high-frequency vibration and extremely fast sword swings. You have combined physics, gained enlightenment, and awakened the blade into a 'Crimson Red Nichirin Blade'!]
The next moment, right before their eyes, the Nichirin Sword in Su Chen's hand changed. It turned from its normal color to a deep, dark red-black.
A heatwave, even hotter than Kyojuro's Ninth Form: Purgatory, swept towards everyone.
It wasn't until the burning heat hit their faces that the others reacted.
They all scrambled back a few steps, looking at Su Chen in total disbelief.
"Brother, what... what was that just now?" Senjuro rubbed his eyes, wondering if he had seen wrong.
But Kyojuro didn't pay him any mind. He, too, was completely immersed in the shock.
"Flame Breathing?"
"No... Blazing Flame Breathing!"
At that moment, Kyojuro finally confirmed that he had not misheard.
What Su Chen had used just now was not Flame Breathing.
It was Blazing Flame Breathing!
What a name! What a powerful name!
Kyojuro suddenly realized. The difference was not just in the name.
It was in everything Kyojuro had just felt!
The temperature was higher than Flame Breathing!
The speed was faster than Flame Breathing!
The power was stronger than Flame Breathing!
And the movements... Kyojuro, as a master, cared most about the movements. The new Blazing Flame Breathing was even more fluid and perfect than his own family's style!
It was truly astounding.
Su Chen hadn't just learned all the sword forms of Flame Breathing in one look.
He was also able to instantly modify the sword techniques and create a Breathing Style more suitable for himself!
And this new Breathing Style was even stronger and more comprehensive than the original!
Kyojuro could see it clearly. Although the new Breathing Style Su Chen created seemed to raise the learning threshold—it looked much harder to do—its impact on high-end combat power would be huge!
Especially for their Rengoku family!
If they learned Blazing Flame Breathing, the future Flame Hashira's strength could definitely more than double!
Ah!
Kyojuro suddenly slapped his own forehead.
As a member of the Rengoku family, why hadn't I ever been able to think of this? Why couldn't I create such a Breathing Technique?!
Kyojuro was so ashamed he wanted to find a hole and awkwardly bury himself in it!
Seeing the Rengoku brothers' shocked reaction, Kanao stood quietly to the side. She silently curved her lips into a small, rare smile.
The moonlight spilled on her, making her appear like a striking, beautiful elf in the night.
But the girl's gaze remained fixed on that one young man.
Kanao's thoughts, which were usually quiet, grew more numerous.
"Su Chen... he always manages to do surprising things."
In everyone's eyes, Su Chen's performance was, without a doubt, a miracle.
But Su Chen himself was not entirely satisfied.
He quietly sighed.
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