*BOOM!*
Shinjuro Rengoku was kicked flying, crashing through a Japanese juniper several people thick. As he continued to be sent backward in shock, he quickly circulated his Breathing Technique, adjusting his body in mid-air before landing on the ground.
He plunged half of his Nichirin Blade into the earth, simultaneously pushing off with his legs. Only after carving a ten-meter-long gully behind him did Shinjuro Rengoku manage to stop himself.
Slowly standing up, Shinjuro Rengoku gazed at Hongyue, feeling the intense pain on the side of his chest, his expression extremely solemn.
Suddenly, Shinjuro Rengoku clutched his chest, his brows furrowed, letting out a muffled groan.
Inside him, a surge of hot blood suddenly became uncontrollable, rushing from his chest cavity into his throat, only to be forcibly swallowed down.
With just one simple counterattack, Shinjuro Rengoku had sustained a significant injury.
"I was careless... Her strength is truly far, far beyond my expectations."
Shinjuro Rengoku had never fought an Upper Moon before, but he had defeated Lower Moon Twelve Kizuki. Judging by Hongyue's displayed power, it far surpassed the strongest Demon Shinjuro Rengoku had ever encountered.
Taking a deep breath, Shinjuro Rengoku controlled the injury to his body, blocking the blood flow on the side of his chest. The turbulent blood circulation within him improved considerably.
"Who are you?! An Upper Moon Twelve Kizuki?" Staring intently at Hongyue, Shinjuro Rengoku's expression was wary and grave as he asked in a deep voice.
Tapping the tip of her foot on the ground, Hongyue gently rotated her ankle, as if warming up.
Hearing Shinjuro Rengoku's words, she couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. This smile made the Wisteria Flower forest on the mountain lose its luster. "Upper Moon Twelve Kizuki? Are you referring to my subordinates?"
The speaker had no intention, but the listener took it to heart. The moment Hongyue's words fell, Shinjuro Rengoku's eyes widened.
He had already estimated Hongyue's identity at a high level, but he hadn't expected reality to be even more terrifying than he'd imagined. Reflected in the fiercely burning flames, Shinjuro Rengoku felt a sense of daze. He had a premonition that it would be difficult for him to leave Mount Fujikasane.
"Muzan Kibutsuji... I never expected the infamous Demon King to be such a captivating woman." Not daring to shift his gaze from Hongyue for even a moment, Shinjuro Rengoku did not make a move.
He was stalling for time. He had been a little overconfident just now and was hit squarely by Hongyue's kick. The injury was not light. By stalling as much as possible, Shinjuro Rengoku was manipulating the flow of energy within his body to alleviate the pain, while also waiting for support from the Swordsmen behind him.
Whether she didn't see through Shinjuro Rengoku's plan or simply didn't care, Hongyue also didn't attack him.
"That was just a name I used once, long since discarded."
"For you to take one of my attacks and not die, you are quite remarkable among humans. Are you interested in serving me?"
Hongyue was someone who appreciated talent. In truth, apart from the Upper Three Twelve Kizuki, the others were not of much help to her, but Hongyue liked to take talented individuals as subordinates. She had also bestowed her blood upon other Demons, granting them eternal life to pursue power.
Furthermore, if the Ubuyashiki people saw one of their Pillars become an enemy, the scene would be quite amusing. Sometimes, Hongyue had a little bit of a twisted sense of humor.
Behind him, the footsteps of other Swordsmen grew louder, but looking at the unmoving Hongyue, Shinjuro Rengoku's heart sank deeper.
He had held a glimmer of hope that Hongyue was just lying, but seeing her current demeanor, the confidence, aloofness, and condescending disregard for everything revealed in her words and expression, all indicated her identity.
"To catch your eye, I am truly flattered."
"However, a Demon that can only hide in the darkness, like a cockroach that avoids the light... whoever wants to be one can be one. I have absolutely no interest!"
"You want me to abandon the light for the darkness? You're thinking too much."
Shinjuro Rengoku's words did not anger Hongyue. Her expression remained calm, and she even kept a smile on her lips because she was in a good mood.
Swordsmen had already arrived and saw the injured Flame Pillar, as well as Hongyue opposite him, radiating a powerful aura. After no longer suppressing her presence, Hongyue felt like a terrifying beast, a top predator, possessing the aura only beings at the apex of the food chain could have.
Within a hundred meters of her, all the Swordsmen couldn't help but feel their hearts pound. Their hands holding their Nichirin Blades trembled slightly. Those with weaker willpower even felt a sense of suffocation, as if their throats were wrapped in an invisible rope, and every cell in their bodies screamed for them to distance themselves from Hongyue, this fatal source.
"Abandon the light for the darkness?" Shinjuro Rengoku's words seemed to remind Hongyue of something. She shook her head and couldn't help but let out a scoff.
"The Ubuyashiki family... they certainly have a way with managing people's hearts."
"An organization clearly built for their own selfish desires, yet it can be regarded as a creed by you foolish Swordsmen."
Because she was in a good mood and the burning Mount Fujikasane was quite beautiful, Hongyue had the rare leisure to say a few more words.
The Swordsmen present were all carefully selected by the Demon Slayer Corps. Upon hearing Hongyue's words, some Swordsmen immediately glared in anger: "We know what the Demon Slayer Corps is! If it weren't for you rampant Demons, could the Demon Slayer Corps have lasted this long?"
The Swordsmen who arrived later had not heard the conversation between Hongyue and Shinjuro Rengoku. Although they knew from Shinjuro Rengoku's injuries that the opponent was definitely very strong, they hadn't thought of her as the Demon King. After all, the Demon Slayer Corps hadn't found any trace of the Demon King for hundreds of years.
Looking around at the Swordsmen who were full of righteous indignation, Hongyue showed an expression of looking at pathetic people:
"You are just a group of pathetic individuals used by the Ubuyashiki, unable to control your own destinies."
"Very well, I shall free you."
Regardless of the true purpose of the Demon Slayer Corps, their positions were different. In Hongyue's view, when the Ubuyashiki family first established the Demon Slayer Corps, their goal was to eliminate her and lift the so-called curse of the Demon.
Hongyue couldn't remember ever placing a curse on them, but for some reason, the Ubuyashiki family stubbornly believed she had done so and were determined to eliminate her.
A thousand years ago, Hongyue couldn't be bothered with the Ubuyashiki family, as there were some ties between them, but the Demon Slayer Corps relentlessly pursued her, batch after batch dying and being replaced. It was too annoying. Ultimately, Hongyue decided to create Demons, partly for this reason.
Seeing Hongyue's eyes turn cold, her entire body filled with killing intent, Shinjuro Rengoku shouted to those around him, "You all leave here quickly! That woman is the Demon King, there is no point in you staying!"
As for Hongyue's words, he completely disregarded them. Their positions were different. Regardless of what they truly thought or what the initial reason was, after a thousand years of entanglement, they had become sworn enemies who would never rest until one was destroyed, regardless of the cause.
After shouting, the other Swordsmen stood rooted to the spot, breathing rapidly as they stared at Hongyue. The Swordsmen's uneven breathing indicated a huge fluctuation in their emotions. In this state, it would be difficult to even use Total Concentration, and their Sword Forms would be full of flaws.
They were stunned by Hongyue's identity.
Shinjuro Rengoku had no time for further explanations. Clenching his teeth, he fully circulated his Breathing Technique, his aura climbing steadily.
Flame Breathing, Total Concentration! Layers of flame surrounded him, like a burning sun rising from the ground.
Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire! With a flash of fire, the ground suddenly cracked. Shinjuro Rengoku crossed a distance of over ten meters, his body seeming to instantaneously move beside Hongyue. His scorching Nichirin Blade slashed towards Hongyue's slender neck.
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