After casually wandering around the residential area for a while, Kurozawa chose a house that looked decent and settled in.
His junior fellow disciple, Hanada Shizuka, not wanting to run around anymore, decided to stay in the house next to his.
The night was uneventful. Kurozawa went to sleep before nine o'clock to prepare for the trial the next day.
Although he was confident that the strongest Demon on Mount Fujikasane, the Hand Demon, was likely no match for him, being well-prepared and having ample rest and energy wasn't a bad thing.
At the highest point in the residential area of Mount Fujikasane, there was a large complex resembling a shrine, spanning several hundred square meters.
Standing guard at the entrance were over a dozen official swordsmen with sharp glints in their eyes. Inside the shrine complex, from the entrance all the way to the core building with a triangular roof at the very front, there were other swordsmen patrolling around, their expressions vigilant.
The security here was tight.
Inside the core building, Kocho Kanae sat respectfully on a small tatami mat. Across from her were a man and a woman.
The woman was tall and beautiful, possessing an air of nobility that clearly indicated she wasn't from an ordinary background.
Beside the woman, whom she was gently supporting, sat the man. His appearance was somewhat unusual, with half of his face disfigured.
Crisscrossing scars ran down from the man's forehead, almost covering his eyes.
These dense scars obscured the man's otherwise handsome features.
This was the Demon Slayer Corps Leader, Kagaya Ubuyashiki. The woman beside him was his wife, Amane Ubuyashiki.
"Kanae, have you seen this generation of swordsmen?"
A clear, relaxed, and refreshing voice came from Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
Kocho Kanae nodded and chuckled softly, "I encountered quite a few along the way and saw one excellent swordsman."
"Given time, the Demon Slayer Corps will gain another Pillar."
"Oh? For Kanae to say 'excellent,' he must be a promising talent," Kagaya Ubuyashiki's tone held a hint of surprise.
To earn recognition from a Pillar, the pinnacle of swordsmen, was more than just 'excellent.'
"Which lineage of swordsman is he?"
Hearing this question, Kocho Kanae paused, then smiled helplessly, "I seem to have forgotten to ask his name, but judging by his aura, he practices Water Breathing."
"He's over 1.9 meters tall, with a rugged face and extremely strong physique. He gives me a considerable sense of pressure. On him, I even saw the shadow of the Stone Pillar."
At this time, Kocho Kanae didn't know that Kurozawa had put all his skill points into his physique, and his Sword Forms were only barely passable.
"Then I know who it is."
"The Water Pillar's eldest disciple, I think his name is Kurozawa Danryu. He's tall, but his talent... seemed not very good."
As the Demon Slayer Corps Leader, Kagaya Ubuyashiki was aware of many things and had quietly observed Kurozawa before, as he was the eldest disciple chosen by Sakonji Urokodaki to inherit his mantle.
However, after observing for a while, he found that while Kurozawa had excellent innate physique, his mastery of Breathing Techniques and Sword Forms was only average. Moreover, he hadn't achieved Total Concentration: Constant after passing the golden age, so he stopped his covert observation of Kurozawa.
"For him to make you feel pressure now, he must have at least reached the threshold of a Pillar... Perhaps it's delayed growth. There have been precedents."
"Yes, I felt that he has fully mastered the Total Concentration: Constant state of the Breathing Technique," Kocho Kanae affirmed with a nod.
The golden age for swordsman training is between eleven and twenty years old.
Some exceptionally talented swordsmen, due to their high compatibility with Breathing Techniques, can possess immense power within months of picking up a sword.
However, most swordsmen tend to stagnate after reaching the fourth stage of the Breathing Technique, with their strength no longer progressing.
For instance, Sakonji Urokodaki became a Pillar at eighteen, which was the peak of his strength. Afterward, his condition steadily declined with age.
It's rare for someone like Kurozawa, who is over twenty, to suddenly see a surge in strength, but it has happened before.
There is one such individual in the current Demon Slayer Corps, and he is the strongest one, taking less than half a year from learning the Breathing Technique to becoming the head Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps.
"He is indeed somewhat similar to the Stone Pillar. He is worth cultivating."
Just as Kagaya Ubuyashiki finished speaking, he suddenly frowned and began to cough.
Beside him, Amane Ubuyashiki's brow furrowed with concern, and she quickly gently patted Kagaya Ubuyashiki's back to help him regulate his breathing.
The coughing lasted for over ten seconds. After it stopped, Kagaya Ubuyashiki took a deep breath and let out a self-deprecating laugh.
"A few years ago, I could still spar and even go on Demon Slaying Missions with you... but now... I can't even use the Breathing Technique anymore."
Kocho Kanae looked worried and said, "Master, perhaps I should retire first so you can rest."
Waving his hand and dispelling the gloom from his face, Kagaya Ubuyashiki's expression returned to calmness. He turned to look at Amane Ubuyashiki and then said, "No need. Resting or not makes no difference to me. Until the curse is lifted, this body will not live past thirty."
His physical condition worsened daily. Now, the curse was already spreading to his eyes. Perhaps in a few more years, perhaps in a few more days, he would no longer be able to see this beautiful world.
"Kurozawa Danryu, I've made a note of him."
"Kanae, when you leave, inform the Kakushi. After Kurozawa Danryu becomes a swordsman, assign him more difficult Demon Slaying Missions."
"Ah? Alright, alright..." Kocho Kanae's mouth slightly opened, then she agreed somewhat guiltily.
If she didn't agree, the Master would just instruct someone else to convey the message anyway. It would be the same.
However, the kind-hearted Kanae felt a sense of guilt, thinking that it was because she mentioned Kurozawa that the Master had taken note of him.
"More difficult Demon Slaying Missions." Kagaya Ubuyashiki said it simply, but Kocho Kanae knew that those few words were filled with bloodshed.
Because that's how she herself had come this far.
Kocho Kanae didn't believe that just because she had endured hardships and trained to become a Demon Slayer Pillar, others could necessarily do the same.
She had seen many people with more talent than herself who went on a Demon Slaying Mission somewhere and never returned.
A Demon Slayer Corps swordsman never knew whether tomorrow or death would arrive first.
"Next, tell me, have you found any signs of Lower Moon activity?"
"Yes, we have some leads. There have been large-scale disappearances in Lotus Town, Autumn Leaf Town, and Jujube Forest Town. Based on the number of people missing, it could be demons who have lost their minds, or it could very likely be Lower Moons with large appetites."
"Continue the investigation. If we can find the location of an Upper Moon, we might have a chance to lure Muzan Kibutsuji out through them."
"Okay, after my sister finishes her training, I'll go take a look at Autumn Leaf Town first."
Muzan Kibutsuji, recorded by the Demon Slayer Corps, is the name of the Demon Progenitor.
No one had ever seen their true appearance. Every so often, Muzan would change identities and live in the human world in a different guise.
Behind their seemingly peaceful life lay a hidden trail of countless corpses.
The Demon Slayer Corps had been tracking Muzan's whereabouts for a long time, but many times, upon arriving at a suspected location, Muzan had already disappeared, leaving behind only a town or city with a sudden surge in missing persons.
Meanwhile, Kurozawa, who was sleeping soundly, drowsily sneezed.
"Huh? I think I dreamed a demon was trying to harm me."
After being groggy for a moment, Kurozawa buried his head back in the covers, completely unaware that he had been targeted by the Demon Slayer Corps Leader.
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