It seemed like a lot had happened, but in reality, not much time had passed.
Seiichi, still entangled with Gyokko, had an ominous premonition. He frowned as the chilling sense of being watched constantly lingered. The subtle feeling of danger made him somewhat hesitant.
No matter what, I have to try and solve this immediate problem and return quickly. But how to do it is another question…
Instantaneous movement was indeed a very troublesome ability. Gyokko was not underestimating his opponent like in the original story. This moment truly demonstrated his worth as Upper Moon Five.
Seiichi glanced at the scattered pots, changing his grip from single-handed to two-handed on his Nichirin Sword. It was very difficult to instantly kill an Upper Moon without using a Red Nichirin Sword or Sun Breathing Style. But he had to try now!
If he could slay Gyokko before the hidden demon could react, then Seiichi could focus on dealing with that insidious demon. Even if it didn't work, forcing the opponent out would be acceptable.
A visible enemy is always easier to deal with than an unseen one!
Gyokko hid behind a tree, observing Seiichi holding his Nichirin Sword with both hands through the perspective of his other pots. His expression grew more tense.
Could he really become even stronger?
Swish!
The pot body split directly into two, along with more than a dozen surrounding trees. This was truly the work of a master tree-cutter.
Gyokko emerged from a pot not far away, a shallow sword mark on his chest.
Did it have to be this exaggerated? Now he couldn't even see clearly. He could only rely on intuition.
Before he could finish his thought, he slipped into another pot. Behind the pot, Seiichi had already appeared at some unknown point.
Boom!
The base of a nearby tree was again sliced into two sections, upper and lower.
It wasn't impossible to go faster, but there was no point. Was he judging whether I was attacking through the perspective of each pot, and then acting in advance?
Since that was the case.
He exhaled lightly, then inhaled deeply. Seiichi's pristine white Nichirin Sword was held diagonally.
"Mist Breathing—Seventh Form: Obscuring Clouds!"
A massive, dense fog arose, almost completely blinding Gyokko. He couldn't see anything and panicked, planning to quickly escape the area. He continuously created pots and instantly moved between them.
In an instant, a pristine white Nichirin Sword had already struck above the mouth of the pot he had just created. Gyokko, still unaware, was about to instantly move.
A cold snort rang out.
"Fool, you're about to die and you don't even know it."
As if drenched by a bowl of ice water, a massive sense of crisis struck. Gyokko plunged into the pot body with almost no hesitation.
The attack was fruitless.
Seiichi sighed. It was indeed not that easy to quickly kill an Upper Moon under the cover of other demons. However, his goal had been achieved. The opponent had indeed come out!
Should I use Sun Breathing Style and a Red Nichirin Sword? But if I do, Muzan Kibutsuji might not leave his house for several hundred years.
His gaze swept in one direction, where a powerful aura emanated. His eyes narrowed slightly. Seiichi could confirm that the chilling sense of being watched he had felt earlier came from this person.
Teleported here?
The newcomer had red hair tied in a high ponytail, a tall physique, and wore a purple samurai uniform. His face, however, had six terrifying eyes. Inscribed on his golden pupils were the words "Upper Moon One."
It was Kokushibo… No wonder I felt such a prickling sensation…
Seiichi frowned slightly. Things were getting troublesome. Since Kokushibo appeared here, it meant that there might be other Upper Moons in other directions. Upper Moon Two or Upper Moon Three? Either was possible.
I only hope they can hold out until I arrive.
As for the possibility of dying here, he had never considered it. He couldn't imagine anyone in this world who could kill him now.
He lightly twirled his Nichirin Sword.
"The rat in the gutter has finally come out. Let's start over, both of you."
"Hehe, since you're here, then there must be others on Hantengu's side, right?"
Gyokko appeared next to Kokushibo, emerging halfway from his pot. Since Kokushibo was here, he naturally no longer needed to hide and stall for time. The most important thing was for the two of them to quickly eliminate Seiichi together.
Kokushibo said nothing. He had no mental illness. He would use any help that could lead to victory. Otherwise, he wouldn't have accepted Muzan Kibutsuji's blood back then.
A gust of wind swept by. Kokushibo's six eyes all turned to the right. Seiichi had, at some unknown point, already appeared between the two of them. His Nichirin Sword was as cold as snow.
"You are very strong. In these three hundred years, besides him, I have not seen a stronger swordsman than you."
Kokushibo spoke slowly, his voice crisp and concise.
"Unfortunately, you will die here today."
Kokushibo drew his Nichirin Sword. His Nichirin Sword was forged from his blood and bones. Even if it was broken, it could regenerate instantly. The blade, hilt, and tsuba were all covered with eyeballs. The scabbard's exterior was tumor-like, appearing extremely evil at first glance.
Seiichi turned and slashed to the left. Kokushibo blocked with his Nichirin Sword.
Buzz!
A huge shockwave spread outwards from between the two. The ground beneath their feet cracked inch by inch, even sending Gyokko flying.
Without further ado, Seiichi had to seize the time. He wielded two Nichirin Swords, pushed off the ground, and his figure vanished directly.
Let's try a strong offensive!
When he reappeared, he was at Kokushibo's left, right, top, and bottom, in various places. Kokushibo's six eyes rotated ceaselessly, constantly observing Seiichi's position and predicting where he might strike.
A flash of white light, and Kokushibo's eyes narrowed slightly.
Here he comes!
A vast mist instantly enveloped the two. This mist was not as light as the previous one. It was very heavy, and the tiny water droplets in the air gradually soaked Kokushibo's clothes.
Still constantly observing the movements around him, Kokushibo was now using Transparent World.
As someone who had been through countless battles, having dealt with both the weak and the super-strong, Kokushibo understood that Transparent World was not omnipotent. Just like the elderly Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Although he could clearly see his movements, he still couldn't react in time. His physical reaction ability couldn't keep up with Transparent World.
Or rather, once the opponent's speed exceeded a certain limit, his Transparent World would become meaningless.
And the opponent was clearly such a strong individual. The moment he saw the opponent, he already understood.
"Void Breathing—Rainbow Flash!"
A dazzling white light erupted from the water mist. The water particles in the mist reflected in layers, and a seven-colored light covered the entire area. Along with the sound of breaking wind came the surging layers of a rainbow, grand and magnificent.
Can't see! Where is he?
Kokushibo in the middle could barely see anything. His Transparent World couldn't locate the opponent's figure.
A point of cold light arrived first, followed by the Nichirin Sword striking like a dragon. Even the strongest Hashira, Stone Hashira Himejima, would not be able to react to this strike. But his target was Kokushibo, a demon who possessed Transparent World.
He raised his Nichirin Sword to block.
Bang!
Kokushibo's right foot plunged directly into the hard ground.
Another huge shockwave, followed by the collision of countless sword lights. Seiichi's Nichirin Sword sometimes struck like a dragon, sometimes hidden in the wind. Countless variations of sword techniques reappeared in his hands.
Clang, clang, clang!
In an instant, the two had clashed dozens of times. No matter how fast Seiichi was, Kokushibo could block in time.
The opponent's strategy is very clear: counter every move. In a head-on fight, Kokushibo might risk being decapitated, but as long as he endures, he can easily slay me once my stamina runs out, since I am, after all, a human.
Seiichi, of course, knew what his opponent was thinking. But what his opponent didn't know was that his essence was 8 points. With 8 points of essence, his stamina was inexhaustible. He never considered the problem of running out of energy.
What I'm thinking is, if I use Sun Breathing Style and a Red Nichirin Sword now, I really might scare Muzan Kibutsuji into hiding for several hundred years. But if I don't, there's definitely a risk of a complete wipeout on the other side.
So, just use one!
A dazzling deep red appeared on the battlefield. The air gradually became dry, and the high temperature evaporated the previously formed water droplets. The swirling mists made Seiichi appear as ethereal as an immortal.
Now, let's move on to the second round.
Seiichi's deep sky-blue eyes looked at the gradually contorting face of his opponent.