Based on Lu Li's understanding of the original manga, when the Hashira faced powerful demons, they relied on three major trump cards: the Transparent World, the Demon Slayer Mark, and the Crimson Red Nichirin Sword.
Lu Li interpreted the Transparent World as a specialized state that allowed one to see through an enemy's internal structure—muscle pulses, breathing frequency, and bone alignment—to predict the exact trajectory of their moves. It was a transcendent sensory ability.
The Demon Slayer Mark belonged to the category of potential liberation. However, because overdrawing the body's limits led to a shortened lifespan, those who manifested the mark usually did not live past the age of 25.
As for the Crimson Red Nichirin Sword, it was originally a technique used by Sun Breathing users to imbue the blade with high heat, granting it a searing temperature that significantly hindered a demon's regeneration. In the late stages of the manga, other Hashira could achieve this state through immense grip strength or by clashing weapons together with extreme force.
To be honest, Lu Li wasn't particularly interested in these techniques.
He already possessed a skill to liberate potential and boost combat power (Kishin). Such "burst" skills followed the law of diminishing returns and couldn't be stacked infinitely; otherwise, Explorers would simply learn those and ignore their base attributes. Furthermore, the side effects of the Mark far exceeded those of his Kishin state.
Regarding the Transparent World, the knack for masking one's own presence had its merits, but as for observing opponents and predicting power flow, Lu Li could already do that through raw combat instinct. He didn't need a perspective-shifting illusion to achieve it. In a life-and-death struggle, he relied on his primal intuition above all else.
The last item, the Crimson Red Blade, was even more redundant. It was a niche utility skill that he felt didn't fit his build.
Ultimately, he believed the most useful thing this world had to offer him was what he had already obtained: Breathing Styles.
He had been interested in internal breathing techniques since childhood. These were the things that truly provided a high ceiling for growth; simply put, Breathing Styles provided a direct, permanent boost to numerical values. Without high base stats, none of the fancy tricks mattered. A strike from the Mist Hashira with a Mark still couldn't be compared to Yoriichi Tsugikuni. It wasn't just a difference in talent—it was a difference in their raw numerical tier.
In the battle against Upper Rank One, the Stone Hashira showed that once he manifested the Mark, he achieved a state of "constant critical hits," putting immense pressure on Kokushibo.
Therefore, Lu Li felt there was no need to waste time studying various flashy auxiliary abilities. Mastering Breathing Styles was enough. Under the state of Total Concentration: Constant, Breathing Styles could permanently improve one's physical constitution over time—this was why Lu Li categorized them as "Internal Arts."
Using full-power breathing during combat further spiked a person's attributes, providing both a long-term passive bonus and an explosive active burst. In the realm of power systems, it was an excellent foundation for Explorers in the early tiers. Lu Li estimated that within Tiers 1 and 2, Breathing Styles would remain highly effective.
If he could comprehend the underlying principles and improve them, he might even extract more attribute gains and extend their longevity. Currently, Lu Li felt Breathing Styles were easy to learn but difficult to master. His base attributes hadn't increased yet; he only saw a 1- or 2-point spike when using Thunder Breathing techniques.
Of course, Thunder Breathing brought more than just raw numbers. Its core characteristic was "God-like Speed." Using it granted a massive speed bonus, making his Shunpo even more devastating. Faster speed meant higher kinetic energy for Qiu Mo. Thus, the benefits of Breathing Styles shouldn't be viewed solely through stats; the unique mechanics of each element were equally important.
From this perspective, Lu Li had also considered seeking out the Stone Hashira, thinking Stone Breathing might have excellent defensive "mechanics" worth stealing.
"Thank you all for coming to participate in the Demon Slayer Final Selection tonight."
A crisp female voice interrupted Lu Li's thoughts. He looked up to see two figures walking out of the wisteria forest—twin girls with shoulder-length hair wearing wisteria-patterned kimonos. Their large, purple eyes gave off a slightly eerie, dolls-like vibe.
At the sight of the girls, Zenitsu subconsciously drew closer to Lu Li, standing behind him and shivering visibly.
"In this Mt. Fujikasane, demons captured alive by the Demon Slayers are imprisoned. However, these demons cannot leave..."
The white-haired girl began explaining the rules. "Because wisteria flowers, which demons loathe, bloom year-round from the foot to the halfway point of the mountain. But beyond that point, wisteria no longer grows, meaning demons will appear."
Zenitsu shuddered and practically tried to fuse into Lu Li's back. Though he had known what the Final Selection entailed, hearing the reality of it out loud didn't make him any less terrified.
"Survival here for seven days is the condition for passing the Final Selection," the black-haired girl concluded.
Many of the trainees exchanged nervous glances, but some remained calm. Lu Li scanned the crowd; besides the main cast, he spotted two individuals who looked somewhat older. They were likely Explorers.
Those two also noticed Lu Li. Seeing Zenitsu following him so closely, a flash of surprise crossed their eyes, followed quickly by a dark gloom.
The two Explorers were currently in a terrible mood because they had finally faced the brutal reality upon arriving at the selection: hardly anyone had chosen the Demon Slayer Corps faction.
After the initial rush of excitement cooled, they began to doubt their choice. A total of 36 Explorers had entered this world. If the three of them were the entirety of the Corps faction, didn't that mean they had to fight 3 against 33? Furthermore, the Muzan faction naturally possessed the combat advantage of demonization. This felt like a suicide mission.
For a moment, the two Explorers felt despair. They were already strategizing how to hide in the woods and simply survive the duration of the world. As long as there was no mission penalty of Eradication, they didn't plan to complete a single objective. Survival was the only priority.
"Then, please depart safely."
The two kimono-clad girls bowed.
This only made the two Explorers more frustrated. They weren't afraid of the selection itself, but that phrase "depart safely" felt like a terrifying omen for their future in this world.
"Senior Brother Lu, although I'm very scared, I will work hard and not drag you down."
Zenitsu forced down his fear and spoke with difficulty. He knew his senior brother would look after him, but since he had come this far, he didn't want to be a useless coward hiding behind Lu Li's back. That would be a disgrace to Gramps' teachings.
Lu Li smiled. He had expected Zenitsu to cling to him like a parasite, but the boy was showing some spirit. "I'll give you a test. As long as you slay one demon, I guarantee your safe passage through the selection."
"Just one demon?" Zenitsu blinked. "But demons are so scary..."
He lowered his head, realizing his own cowardice. There were countless demons on this mountain; his senior brother had merely given him the simplest possible trial.
"Don't worry, Senior Brother Lu! I will work hard and slay a demon!" Zenitsu summoned his courage. He understood Lu Li's intent: if he didn't even have the strength to slay a single demon, he had no business joining the Corps. Even if Lu Li protected him through the selection, it would only be pushing him into a deeper abyss later. After all, Lu Li couldn't be by his side forever.
He didn't want to be the "trash" everyone talked about. He didn't want Lu Li to worry, nor did he want to disappoint Gramps. He would work hard to slay a demon and become a qualified Demon Slayer.
Lu Li saw the other participants entering the mountain one by one, so he also stepped forward. "Let's go. Let's start our selection."
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