The scouting demon froze. It looked at Cheng Mo, then at Tanjirou, who, though holding a sword, was clearly still very young.
It then turned its head to look at Giyu Tomioka, the Water Hashira, who stood expressionless, seemingly genuinely not intending to intervene, and the seemingly frail girl being protected.
The desire to survive, like a wildfire, instantly burned away most of its fear.
It could only choose to believe!
This was its only path to survival!
"Roar—!"
The scouting demon let out a hoarse roar, its inherent cruelty and ferocity completely unleashed.
It dropped to all fours and lunged at Tanjirou.
Though its speed was far from Kamanue's, it was still extremely threatening to Tanjirou in his current state!
"Nezuko, get back!"
Tanjirou shouted, pushing his sister behind him, gripping the short sword tightly with both hands, and met the attack.
Clang!
The demon's sharp claws collided with the short sword, emitting a piercing sound.
Tanjirou's arm went numb from the impact, and he stumbled back several steps, his breathing instantly becoming ragged.
The military short sword felt completely different from the axe he was used to, and he was struggling to adapt.
The scouting demon watched Tanjirou's obvious lack of combat experience, and the cruelty and bullying nature inherent to demons gradually took over.
It realized this kid was a complete novice!
It no longer hesitated; its attacks immediately became more aggressive, claws whistling as they struck Tanjirou from all angles.
Tanjirou could only rely on instinct and an extraordinary dodging intuition, desperately parrying and evading.
The military sword scraped against the demon's claws, producing a grating sound that made his tiger's mouth (the web between thumb and forefinger) ache.
He stumbled, constantly in peril; several times, the sharp claws grazed his clothes, leaving tears and shallow blood marks.
Sweat mixed with melted snow soaked his hair, and his breathing became incredibly heavy and chaotic.
Fear, like icy vines, coiled around his heart.
Was he going to die?
Just like his family... die at the hands of a demon?
A sense of despair began to spread.
"Brother!"
Nezuko's anxious cry reached his ears.
No!
He couldn't die!
Tanjirou bit down hard on his lip, the metallic taste of blood and the pain stimulating his nerves.
Nezuko still needed his protection!
His family's revenge had not yet been taken!
He still hadn't... hadn't earned Mr. Cheng Mo's approval!
The desire to survive and the yearning to grow stronger intertwined wildly, surging through his chest like molten lava.
He forced himself to calm down; he couldn't keep blindly parrying like this.
He remembered!
He remembered that strange feeling during his previous practice!
He remembered the "surprise" he wanted to show Mr. Cheng Mo!
He abruptly adjusted his breathing, no longer merely struggling for air.
Instead, he tried to combine the deep, steady rhythm of the Qi Refining Technique taught by Cheng Mo with the unique, powerful breathing rhythm of the Hinokami Kagura Dance, passed down through his family for generations!
With each inhale and exhale, his eyes became focused, and the swaying of his body began to take on an extremely subtle yet rhythmic cadence.
Something miraculous happened.
Though his movements were still clumsy, his efficiency in dodging and parrying significantly improved.
The short sword, which had felt heavy and awkward, now seemed a little more manageable.
He began to barely keep up with the scouting demon's attack rhythm, even occasionally managing one or two clumsy counterattacks.
A look of astonishment flashed in Giyu Tomioka's eyes again.
This young man... was actually improving rapidly in real combat!
This breathing rhythm... seemed even more refined than the Qi Refining Technique Cheng Mo taught?
He couldn't help but look at Tanjirou with newfound respect, musing, "As expected of a 'disciple' valued by him; this talent and resilience are truly rare."
Cheng Mo watched Tanjirou's transformation and nodded slightly.
His combat talent was acceptable.
Most importantly, this instinct to find a method and integrate different techniques in a desperate situation was very rare.
The battle in the field grew more perilous.
The scouting demon, finding itself unable to land a decisive blow, grew increasingly anxious, its attacks becoming more frantic and desperate.
Tanjirou also fought with a fierce intensity, his mind solely focused on combat instinct and maintaining his breathing rhythm, acquiring a few more wounds on his body.
But he continued to hold on stubbornly, even increasing the frequency of his counterattacks.
Finally, in a moment when they crossed paths, Tanjirou seized a tiny opening in the scouting demon's defenses.
He took a deep breath, channeling all the power from the combined Qi Refining Technique and Hinokami Kagura breathing into his arms, and swung the short sword upwards with all his might!
At the same time, the scouting demon's claws aimed for his throat.
This was a mutually destructive attack!
Giyu Tomioka's fingers instantly tightened on his sword hilt.
Just at this critical moment—
Swish!
A golden flash of lightning streaked past!
jingzhe (awakening of insects) arrived first, piercing the scouting demon's head from the side with incredible precision.
The power of lightning exploded instantly!
The demon's movements abruptly froze, its howl cut short.
And Tanjirou's full-force swing of the short sword, unimpeded, fiercely cut through the scouting demon's neck!
Thud!
The demon's head flew, its face still bearing an expression of disbelieving shock.
Before its body and head hit the ground, they began to rapidly turn into dust, dissipating into the night wind.
Tanjirou remained in his sword-swinging posture, gasping for air, trembling all over.
That instant of life-or-death struggle had almost drained all his strength.
The immense burden brought by combining the two Breathing Techniques now surged back like a tide.
He felt a burning pain throughout his internal organs, and his vision swam with black spots.
His legs gave out, and he could no longer stand, collapsing to his knees with a thud.
The short sword clattered to the ground beside him.
"Brother!"
Nezuko cried, rushing over and hugging him tightly.
Tanjirou wanted to comfort his sister, but he didn't even have the strength to lift his hand.
He struggled, using his last ounce of strength to lift his head and look at Cheng Mo.
He saw Nezuko's anxious face, and he saw a hint of undisguised admiration in Giyu Tomioka's eyes.
Finally, his gaze settled on Mr. Cheng Mo's face.
Mr. Cheng Mo stood there, his face still without any obvious expression.
But Tanjirou clearly saw that in his always calm and unruffled eyes, there seemed to be... a very faint hint of an emotion called "satisfaction."
An indescribable sense of relief and joy instantly flooded Tanjirou's heart.
Finally... had he finally received his approval?
This thought, like the warmest sunshine, dispelled the intense pain and fatigue in his body.
His lips struggled, yet genuinely, to turn upwards, forming a tired but incredibly relieved smile.
Darkness, like a tide, swiftly swallowed his consciousness.
In the instant before he completely lost consciousness, he vaguely heard a calm yet incredibly clear voice, directly imprinted deep within his mind.
"From today onwards, you are my true disciple."
These words, like a brand, were etched into his last shred of perception before he fainted.