Being outside the optimal perception range meant that Stone Pillar couldn't instantly detect Kurozawa's movements, making his actions slightly slower.
And that slightly slower reaction time was a dangerous mistake when faced with wide-range sword attacks.
*Boom!* Continuous, devastating slashes fell, instantly leaving large, horrifying sword marks on the ground, as if it had been plowed by a hurricane.
Meanwhile, Stone Pillar, standing at the center, let his arms drop. The thick iron chains wrapped around him slithered down like spiritual snakes and then instantly began to dance.
Dense, large sword lights were intercepted, striking the chains that were swirling into afterimages, producing ear-piercing metallic clashes, while large sparks flew everywhere.
A few seconds later, Kurozawa's energy was depleted, and he stopped slashing.
At the same time, Stone Pillar on the opposite side raised his hand, and the iron chains suddenly whipped out, smashing heavily downwards towards Kurozawa.
Kurozawa was startled and leaped awkwardly to the right.
*Crack!* The iron chains landed, embedding directly into the ground and creating a long crack that stretched into the distance.
The ground beneath Kurozawa's feet seemed to shake with it.
"To block a Secret Technique Sword Form and still have energy to counterattack... His physique is indeed stronger than mine."
The intense and rapid battle gradually dissipated Kurozawa's turbulent emotions, and he began to rationally assess Stone Pillar.
At the center of his sword attacks, Stone Pillar stood on the scarred, sword-marked ground. He had many fine bloodstains on his body, and his Demon Slayer Corps uniform was significantly torn. He didn't seem to have had an easy time either.
Stone Pillar had blocked nearly ninety percent of the attacks, but the remaining ones still injured him.
No matter how strong the body, it was still a human body that could be injured.
Stone Pillar exhaled a murky breath, looked at the fine wounds on his body, and sighed, "That last move was the Secret Technique Sword Form of Water Breathing, wasn't it? Kurozawa, you truly are a late-blooming genius, but it's a pity you went down the wrong path and became an enemy of the Demon Slayer Corps."
"Heh heh, didn't your Secret Technique Sword Form only cause minor injuries? We're all monsters, so let's not pretend."
Kurozawa held Mingzhou, its pristine white blade reflecting a chilling light, stained with a few streaks of blood.
Crimson blood, sweet-smelling.
Because he hadn't used Potential Points to replenish his appetite, and after the intense battle, Kurozawa felt even hungrier now.
Looking at the bloodstains on Mingzhou, Kurozawa controlled the Pitch-Black Aura to prevent it from burning them away. After a moment of hesitation, he brought it closer and lightly licked it.
"Hiss..."
There was no expected feeling of disgust. Instead, Kurozawa felt an indescribable taste. All his taste buds instantly bloomed, intensely stimulating his appetite in just a moment, making Kurozawa want to lick off the bloodstains on Mingzhou without regard for his appearance.
Feeling this impulse, Kurozawa quickly urged the Pitch-Black Aura to burn all the bloodstains away.
"The bloodthirsty instinct of the Immortal Demon Body is truly not something ordinary people can endure."
On the opposite side, seeing Kurozawa's actions, Stone Pillar's face darkened slightly, becoming a little unsightly.
"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!"
Kurozawa spat out the bloodstains he hadn't swallowed, looked up at the sky, and then said to Stone Pillar, "It's almost dawn, let's stop here."
"You can't kill me, and I don't want to waste any more energy."
Sakonji Urokodaki's death caused Kurozawa more self-blame and guilt, as well as hostility towards Divine Will. As for the Demon Slayer Corps, they were just added to his list.
Currently, the most important thing was still to obtain Sun Breathing.
Looking beyond Stone Pillar's large and sturdy physique, Kurozawa spoke indifferently to Tanjuro Kamado, who had been watching, "Perhaps you don't know, but I have the ability to sense Fighting Spirit."
"Although I can't pinpoint you, I've already recorded the Fighting Spirit fluctuations of your family."
"Next, even if you hide at the ends of the earth, I can find you."
"So, Tanjuro Kamado, continue. Show me the final breathing rhythm of Sun Breathing."
Tanjuro Kamado was stunned. After thinking for a moment, looking at Kurozawa's calm yet dangerously meaningful eyes, his expression slightly changed.
On the opposite side, Stone Pillar's face sank, and he said in a deeply oppressive, muffled voice, "Kurozawa Danryu! I didn't expect you to be such a shameless person."
"Threatening an ordinary family, where is your dignity and face as a top-tier expert?"
Kurozawa was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.
"Stone Pillar, don't you understand?"
"From the moment Master died, I stopped having any reservations."
"Dignity? Only those with fragile hearts need these useless things to adorn themselves."
"Hundred Taboo-Free, doing whatever one pleases, that is the way of the strong!"
Watching Stone Pillar's face gradually darken, Kurozawa found that his heart was leaning more and more towards darkness.
It's not so bad this way... he thought silently.
Kamado Kawarutoki always hoped for a peaceful and harmonious life, which is why he only lived through fifty-odd worlds, becoming exhausted and losing his motivation.
So, if his initial goal was to climb to the peak and steal the power of God, how many worlds could he live through? Kurozawa really wanted to know.
Seeing that Tanjuro Kamado was still hesitating, his eyes were deep, and he raised his hand, unleashing a sharp sword light over three meters long, whistling as it slashed towards the wooden house.
*Crack!* Stone Pillar moved, intercepting it in mid-air and breaking it into light particles, but Tanjuro Kamado was already covered in a cold sweat, his body trembling slightly.
"Stone Pillar, I know you're very strong and that you counter my abilities."
"But wanting to kill me here? You're thinking too much."
Stone Pillar clasped his hands together, his breathing rhythm suddenly changing. A vibrant, life-filled, energetic aura full of heat began to brew within him. Then, Stone Pillar spoke each word distinctly: "If you don't try, how will you know?"
At the same time, the iron chains wrapped around him began to turn red. A crimson color, like heated metal, spread over them, and a sizzling sound filled the air, along with some steam-like white smoke.
When Kurozawa saw this, alarm bells immediately rang in his heart, and he instinctively sensed danger.
Before this, although he thought Stone Pillar was strong, he didn't believe there was any possibility of being killed by him. But now it was different; Stone Pillar's Breathing Technique seemed to have changed.
However, because his Fighting Spirit perception had failed, Kurozawa found it difficult to be certain.
"Don't move!"
Kurozawa roared, raising his sword and pointing it at the wooden house, forcing the approaching Stone Pillar to stop.
"I can pay the price of a little injury to break through your defenses and get close to Tanjuro Kamado."
"And in the wooden house behind him, there are a total of five people."
"Five people, less than a second, I can kill them all!"
"Stone Pillar, I don't want to attack ordinary people, so don't force me. I'm very cowardly," Kurozawa narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint appearing within them.
Stone Pillar stopped, caught between a rock and a hard place for a moment, his steady expression constantly changing.
Smiling with satisfaction, Kurozawa said lightly to Tanjuro Kamado, "Alright, you can continue." His strength was inferior to Stone Pillar's, but he had firm control over the current situation.
And Stone Pillar, having reservations, had fallen into the spiderweb he himself had woven, his every move obstructed, feeling extremely frustrated. He could only watch Kurozawa act.
Not far away, seeing that Stone Pillar could no longer change the situation, Tanjuro Kamado became silent. Then his chest rose and fell, and his clear, distinct breathing sounds began again.
Soon, the final section of the Breathing Technique was demonstrated from his mouth.
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