As the saying goes: "Sacrifice parents to verify the heavens, magic power becomes boundless. If parents aren't enough, add relatives."
Most protagonists, when encountering such situations, would explode with power and aura, shouting about bonds and family affection. Combat power soars, and the art style suddenly changes!
This so-called Battle Spirit and Momentum should be this thing.
"Mhm, Mr. Rengoku, I roughly understand," Ryosuke said.
Rengoku Shinjuro nodded, recalling the details of sparring with Ryosuke, and evaluated objectively.
"I observed your Thunder Breathing. Swift, explosive, indomitable. It fits quite well with the stubbornness and ruthlessness in your character."
"So besides Flame Breathing, Thunder Breathing swordsmen are the easiest to develop Battle Spirit."
So that's how it is...
Ryosuke nodded.
360 trades, every trade is different, each has its advantages.
Although Thunder and Flame Breathing had impressive speed and power, they lacked the unpredictable changes of Water Breathing.
Water Breathing was the same; although there were many changes, the damage was average.
Similarly, Water Breathing swordsmen often had calm and dull personalities, like Giyu.
If Giyu suddenly exploded with power and aura and got fired up, that scene...
No matter how I look at it, something's wrong, hey!
Ryosuke arranged it in his mind and smiled while touching his nose.
In that case, this Battle Spirit thing wasn't something just anyone could train.
Rengoku Shinjuro continued to add.
"Battle Spirit does not conflict with any Breathing Style; instead, they complement each other."
"If you integrate Battle Spirit into Breathing Styles and sword techniques, it can greatly enhance their power!"
Ryosuke agreed very much.
If sword forms were moves, then Breathing Styles were the internal mental cultivation method; the two cooperated to flow endlessly.
Battle Spirit was a special buff outside of the two.
Although "exploding seeds" (powering up) was a bit cliché, the improvement in strength was worth recognizing.
Shinjuro looked at him and suddenly asked.
"Young Yasui, why are you so obsessed with becoming stronger? To protect others? To kill all evil demons?"
"Partly."
Ryosuke was silent for a moment, giving a very unadorned answer: "Mainly, I want to live."
Unexpected.
Instead of being disappointed, Shinjuro laughed heartily: "Interesting! Very interesting! And a very honest answer!"
"Battle Spirit can be triggered by more than just righteousness or a heart to protect."
"Intense desire to survive, extreme hatred for the enemy, or even pure desire for battle are all sources of Battle Spirit!"
"The key lies in whether you can refine and condense this thought and pour it into your blade!"
"You have a very strong obsession with killing demons and living. This is exactly the excellent soil for nurturing Battle Spirit."
"Learning to perceive, guide, and temper your own Battle Spirit will only have benefits for you, absolutely no harm."
Knowing everything related to Battle Spirit, Ryosuke cupped his fists and bowed slightly.
"I understand a bit more. Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Rengoku."
"Good that you understand!"
Shinjuro patted Ryosuke's shoulder: "Tempering Battle Spirit is not the work of a single day. It needs to be experienced and condensed in countless battles."
"Ryosuke will keep it in mind."
Ryosuke nodded, speaking somewhat shamelessly: "Um, Mr. Rengoku, can you help me get started?"
"Hahahaha, naturally!"
Shinjuro laughed a few times, agreeing readily: "Although you are unwilling to become my Tsuguko, I am very comforted to be able to guide you to a higher level!"
He paused and continued: "Stay here for now. We start training tomorrow."
"Okay."
...
Early next morning, dawn broke.
The dojo of the Rengoku family was exceptionally wide. Shinjuro stood in the center.
"Young Yasui, come!"
Shinjuro's voice was like a bell, long-lost flames burning in his eyes: "The beginning of Battle Spirit lies in the high condensation of mind, and even more in integrating this power into breathing, into the blade edge, and even every inch of the body!"
"Watch closely!"
As soon as the words fell, Shinjuro didn't use any Breathing Style sword forms. He simply took a step and threw a punch!
Boom!
The air let out an explosive sound, and a wave of scorching, fierce air rushed over.
This was not physical strength, but a pure impact of momentum!
Ryosuke leaned back slightly, his whole body sore and swollen.
"Did you feel it? This is the power of Battle Spirit!"
Shinjuro retracted his fist, his gaze piercing: "Your Thunder Breathing is swift and explosive, indomitable. Your Battle Spirit should be like a sudden thunderclap, destroying everything in its path!"
"Okay! I understand!"
Ryosuke nodded heavily.
The subsequent special training was even harder than Ryosuke imagined, even torture.
Shinjuro's training method was crude and effective.
He no longer engaged in conventional sword skill duels with Ryosuke.
Instead, under high-intensity physical training, he used his own majestic and vast Flame Battle Spirit as a hammer, constantly oppressing, impacting, and beating Ryosuke's spirit and body.
"Focus! Concentrate your will to resist!"
"Relying on the body alone won't work at all!"
"Perceive that qi inside your body! Guide it out!"
Shinjuro's roars echoed in the dojo.
Ryosuke was pressed half-kneeling on the ground by that terrifying Battle Spirit again and again, sweating like rain.
Soon his vision went black, his lungs burning with pain, as if he would suffocate in the next second.
He felt like a ball of dough, beaten and kneaded madly by an invisible giant force, almost falling apart.
Under this extreme oppression, the faint sense of qi in his body began to circulate madly, struggling to survive.
Crushed again and again, condensing again and again.
"Ugh aaah—!"
Ryosuke let out a low growl, blood vessels spreading in his eyes. Fine electric lights uncontrollably burst out around him, resisting the mountain-like Flame Battle Spirit.
The appreciation in Shinjuro's eyes grew stronger.
"Yes! That's it! Grasp this feeling! Make it your instinct!"
One day, two days, three days...
Ryosuke was almost sleepless, immersing himself wholeheartedly in the tempering of Battle Spirit.
He could clearly perceive the faint airflow in his body growing stronger and solidifying under repeated extreme pressure, being tamed by him, and combining more tightly with Thunder Breathing.
When swinging the sword, even without using sword forms, it already carried a sharp and pressing air wave. The sound of the blade breaking the air became even more piercing.
Although Ryosuke's body was exhausted to death every day, the visible strengthening made him extremely excited.
On the evening of the fourth day, Ryosuke sat cross-legged under the corridor, trying to guide the newly formed Battle Spirit in his body to flow with his breath.
Footsteps sounded. Rengoku Kyojuro walked over carrying a wooden tray with a bowl of dark brown medicinal wine on it.
"Mr. Yasui, Father asked me to bring this to you."
Kyojuro placed the medicinal wine beside Ryosuke, his voice bright.
"This is a special medicinal wine of the family. It has miraculous effects on restoring stamina and tempering the physique. Father said you trained very hard, so this will come in handy."
"Many thanks."
Ryosuke picked up the bowl and drank it in one gulp.
A heat stream exploded from his stomach and rushed to his limbs, soothing the soreness of his muscles, faintly nourishing the newborn Battle Spirit. It felt very comfortable.
Kyojuro didn't leave immediately. He looked at Ryosuke and spoke very seriously.
"Mr. Yasui, thank you."
...
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