The demon, enraged by the pain, attacked even more frantically.
Tanjirou was forced to retreat repeatedly, his breathing rhythm nearly disrupted several times due to tension and evasion.
He recalled his teacher's words, tried to suppress the panic in his heart, and fully maintained his breathing.
At the same time, he subconsciously began to try and adjust the rhythm of his breathing, incorporating a hint of an older, hotter rhythm.
As the subtle change in his breathing rhythm occurred, he felt the warm current within his body seem to become more active, flowing more smoothly, and his arms also seemed to gain a touch more strength.
Seizing on the demon's brief rigidity after a missed lunge, Tanjirou took a deep breath, channeled that scorching power into his arms, and with all his might, swung his saber upwards from below!
"Rip!"
This time, the blade cut deeper into the demon's chest, and black blood splattered!
The demon let out a shrill scream, its movements stalling.
Now!
Tanjirou's eyes sharpened, seizing this fleeting opportunity.
He shifted his feet, spun his body, and with the force of the rotation, his saber drew a cold gleam, precisely severing the demon's neck!
Thud!
The head flew up, its face still showing an expression of incredulous shock.
Cheng Mo followed up with a finishing blow, his jingzhe unsheathed and plunged into the demon's head.
The headless body staggered a few steps, then fell heavily to the ground, beginning to turn into ashes and dissipate.
Tanjirou remained in his sword-swinging posture, gasping for air, sweat dripping from his chin, his arms trembling slightly from exhaustion and tension.
He succeeded... he alone... slayed a demon!
Just then, Cheng Mo's figure appeared beside him like a ghost.
"How do you feel?" Cheng Mo's voice sounded calmly.
Tanjirou panted, his face showing a tired but excited glow: "Teacher! I succeeded! It... it was stronger than I imagined, but I..."
"Full of holes." Cheng Mo interrupted his excitement without mercy.
Tanjirou's expression froze instantly.
Cheng Mo's gaze swept over the dissipating demon corpse and he began to calmly review:
"You were overly fearful in the beginning, your breathing rhythm was disrupted three times, and readjusting it wasted a lot of stamina for nothing."
"Although you overcame it later, you were still not calm enough, and the final kill had an element of luck."
"Your exertion of force is still stiff, with too many unnecessary movements; when dodging sideways, your center of gravity leaned back too much, leading to insufficient power in your counterattack."
"The final spinning slash utilized your waist strength, which is acceptable, but your footwork was unstable; if it were a stronger demon, the recoil alone would make you drop your weapon."
"The precision of your slashes was not enough; the first two blows landed on non-vital areas, wasting energy."
"Your judgment of distance also needs to be strengthened; three times you entered the opponent's optimal claw attack range without realizing it."
Every word was like a cold knife, precisely dissecting all the problems in Tanjirou's recent battle.
As Tanjirou listened, the excitement on his face gradually faded, replaced by shame and deeper contemplation.
He carefully replayed the battle in his mind, realizing that every point his teacher made was accurate.
"I'm sorry, Teacher... I still have a long way to go..."
"If you know you have a long way to go, then work hard to make up for it." Cheng Mo turned, "Clean up, keep going, the next target isn't far."
The next evening, they found another suspicious location marked on the map—a cave beside a secluded mountain stream.
This time, Tanjirou's mindset was much calmer.
He carefully sniffed, confirming that there was indeed a demon hidden inside, even slightly stronger than the last one.
He looked at Cheng Mo, his eyes firm: "Teacher, please let me try again!"
Cheng Mo, however, shook his head.
Under Tanjirou's puzzled gaze, Cheng Mo slowly drew his nichirin blade, "jingzhe".
The pale golden blade shimmered in the twilight.
"Watch carefully, I will only demonstrate once." Cheng Mo's voice lowered, "I will suppress my strength and speed to a level similar to yours."
After speaking, he stepped towards the cave.
Almost the instant he approached, a dark shadow, carrying a fishy wind, lunged out from within the cave!
The demon was more robust in physique, and its roar was more threatening.
Tanjirou's heart leaped into his throat.
However, what happened next was something he would never forget.
Facing the lunging demon, Cheng Mo didn't even use any Breathing Technique or that terrifying lightning power.
He simply took a small step diagonally forward, precisely avoiding the brunt of the lunge.
At the same time, the "jingzhe" in his hand was like a venomous snake striking from its hole; without any unnecessary flashy movements, it was just the simplest, most direct thrust!
Thud!
The tip of the blade pierced with unparalleled precision into the demon's gaping maw, and exited the back of its head!
All of the demon's movements froze instantly, the fierce light in its eyes solidified, then rapidly dimmed.
Cheng Mo's wrist flickered slightly, and he withdrew his blade, stepping back.
The demon's corpse crashed to the ground, beginning to dissipate.
From start to finish, it was only a matter of one or two breaths.
His movements were concise, efficient, and effortless to the extreme.
It was as if it wasn't a life-and-death struggle, but merely a trivial task completed casually.
Tanjirou's mouth hung open, staring blankly as his teacher sheathed his blade, not even breathing heavily.
It was a stark contrast to his own earlier, clumsy and perilous battle.
"Did you see clearly?" Cheng Mo turned and looked at Tanjirou.
Tanjirou nodded vigorously, his heart still pounding, not from fear, but from shock.
"Battle, many times, is not about who is stronger or faster." Cheng Mo calmly explained, "It's about who is calmer, who understands observation better, who can hit the vital point in the most effective way."
"Unnecessary movements, wasted energy, and fluctuating emotions are all weaknesses; they will all make you die faster."
He walked up to Tanjirou, looking into his disciple's eyes, which were filled with shock and a thirst for knowledge.
"Remember this feeling; next time, I hope to see your blade also be so clean and decisive."
Tanjirou gripped the blade in his hand tightly, nodding heavily.
"Yes! Teacher! I will definitely achieve it!"