A dimensional journey starting from the Dragon Clan

Chapter 385 378. Overlapping pictures

The next day during the day.

In an ancient house somewhere.

In the courtyard of the ancient house, the pine trees were covered with pure white snow, and the branches bent by the heavy snow in the biting cold wind were shaky and seemed to be broken at any time.

A young man wearing a white robe sat under the eaves, looking at the white world and thinking about something.

He is the current master of the Demon Slayer Corps - Ubuyashiki Yoshiya.

At this time, Ubuyashiki Yoshiya was still a handsome boy in his teens, but purple-black veins could already be vaguely seen on his forehead. This is a family curse that has not improved even after hundreds of years.

But at this moment, Ubuyashiki Yaoya was in an unusually happy mood. Even though the sky was filled with frost and snow, he still had a smile on his face.

Because the man woke up and came to him.

Ubuyashiki Yōya cast his eyes on the man standing in front of him in the wind and snow.

He had seen this long face since he could remember, and he should be very familiar with it by now, but this was the first time he saw this man with his eyes open.

‘This man named Xuan Hao may be the hope of the Demon Slayer Squad. ’ This is something that his father has engraved in his memory since he was a child.

According to his father, this was a prophecy passed down from the ancestors of the Ubuyashiki clan hundreds of years ago. When this man wakes up, the era of ghosts will come to an end.

But no one knew when this man would wake up, because he had been sleeping for hundreds of years, and even Muzan Kibutsuji thought the man was dead.

To be honest, Ubuyashiki Yoshiya never thought that he would be able to see the day when this man wakes up, because in a few years his life will reach its limit, and he can only continue to pass on hope to future generations.

But the happy thing is that this man woke up and was right in front of him at this moment!

"Mr. Xuanhao...can I call you this?"

Ubuyashiki Yōya asked softly, his tone gentle and reassuring.

"Um."

Xuanhao looked at the young head of the Utsuyashiki family in front of him and couldn't help feeling a little emotional.

Five hundred years have passed, and the Ubuyashiki clan is still burdened with the same fate.

Uyashiki Yaoya smiled and invited Xuanhao to come in and sit down. The two sat at the table and looked at each other for a long time.

Xuan Hao looked at the young man in front of him carefully.

Looking at the young man in front of him who was only a teenager. For some reason, it always gave him a special feeling. This young man's voice seemed to have the magic power to soothe people's hearts. Not only that, the young man's eyes smiling at him at the moment made him feel a little familiar.

Xuanhao couldn't help but think of a person - Jiguo Enichi! Yes, that's the kind of look that seems to be able to see through people's hearts.

"May I have your name?"

"Ubuya Shiki Yoshiya."

Ubuyashiki Yōya gently leaned forward and saluted the man in front of him.

No one knows what kind of existence this man is, but what is certain is that he is not a ghost but the hope of mankind.

It has been over a thousand years since the appearance of Oniitsuji Muzan. Apart from Tsukikuni Enichi, this man is the only one who has ever defeated Muzan.

Originally, everyone thought that this man would meet the same fate as Jiguo Enichi.

But as if by God's will, this human hope did not die of old age, but fell into a long sleep, waiting to wake up today.

The Uyashiki clan has always believed that this man would wake up one day, and maybe this man was sent by God to put an end to Kibutsuji Muzan's crimes.

But now, Ubuyashiki Yoshiya firmly believes that this must be the case.

"'Mingzhu', Mr. Xuanhao."

Ubuyashiki Yōya murmured the title and name of the man in front of him, and a glimmer of light seemed to flash in his eyes that had become a little cloudy due to the effects of the disease.

"The dawn without ghosts, the sunrise that has not happened for thousands of years, may be coming soon. I guess the ancestors were hoping for such a day before placing such a title on you, right?"

Actually... I got this name because I often take ghosts to watch the dawn. Xuan Hao wanted to tell the truth, but looking at the hopeful eyes of the young man in front of him, he swallowed the words on his lips.

What kind of obsession is this?

Five hundred years have passed, and these people have still been fighting with this hope to this day.

Although Xuanhao, who is trapped in the power of law, cannot feel what is happening in the outside world, for the past five hundred years, the Ubuyashiki clan has always let the pillars guard his body, as if worshiping gods. intermittent.

Xuanhao felt as if he had failed these people's expectations. After all, if he could never wake up, then everything the Uyashiki clan had done would be meaningless.

"Sorry I slept for so long."

"No, there is no need to apologize, Mr. Xuanhao. The reason why we are fighting so far is not only for you, but also for our own future." Ubuyashiki Yoshiya shook his head with a smile, and his somewhat cloudy eyes seemed to see through Xuanhao's thoughts. .

"Moreover, if it weren't for Mr. Xuanhao, the Demon Slayer Squad might not be able to continue to this day."

"No, you think too highly of me." Xuan Hao smiled helplessly, "Even without me, I believe everyone in the Demon Slayer Squad can survive that disaster."

There is no reason for a group of people who fight with consciousness to lose to cowards like Muzan Onibatsuji.

In response to Xuanhao's humble words, Ubuyashiki Yoshiya just smiled.

After a long time, he finally spoke again, "Now that Mr. Xuanhao has woken up, what are you going to do?"

After exchanging pleasantries, the two finally got down to business.

"How to do it? In short... I plan to observe it for a while first." Xuan Hao thought for a moment and replied, "After all, I don't know the current situation very well. How is Kibutsuji Mukai doing now? Is he still shrinking all the time? come out?"

"Although it's not like he never showed up hundreds of years ago, he rarely appears in human sight. At least we haven't met him for a long time. None of the pillars today have any experience fighting Wu Mei. ." Ubuyashiki Yoshiya replied softly.

"It seems...even if I disappeared for five hundred years, is that guy still so cautious?" Xuan Hao had a headache, thinking how cowardly a coward really is? Are you still wary of him, a man who has been 'dead' for five hundred years, pretending to be a corpse?

"Haha, yes, but it's not entirely his fault."

Saying this, Ubuyashiki Yoya suddenly smiled, as if he remembered something happy.

"Oh? What happened?" Xuan Hao asked.

"This is your contribution, Mr. Xuanhao." Ubuyashiki Yoshiya said with a smile, "When the Demon Slayer Corps was bloodbathed, Demon Slayer Mukai was wary of your presence and did not dare to show up in person. He only discharged the Twelve Demon Slayers. , originally the Demon Slayer Team was at an absolute disadvantage, with only one pillar left.

But because of you, Lord Shinichiro Purgatory, who was reborn because of you, has greatly increased in strength, and your disciple Maya Kagamigawa has also grown up.

According to the records left by their ancestors, the combined strength of these two adults may be close to that of Jiguo Yuanyi. The twelve demons under Kibutsuji Muzai suffered heavy losses. Except for one of the upper strings, almost all of them were defeated by these two adults. Onibatsuji Muzai, who did not dare to show his face, had no choice but to stop the attack on the Demon Slayer Team. The battle between humans and ghosts The decisive battle finally came to an end. "

"That is to say...it turns out that it wasn't you who were hiding from Tsuji Muzan, but you beat that guy until he shrank again?" Xuan Hao felt a little ashamed.

"No, the Demon Slayer Squad did suffer heavy losses..." Ubuyashiki Yōya shook his head with some regret, "Almost all the pillars at that time were sacrificed in the attack that night. If it hadn't been for those two great men who turned the tide, it might have been true. It’s very difficult. Even with the help of those two adults, the strength of our Demon Slayer Corps has not really recovered until recently.”

"I see."

Xuan Hao nodded thoughtfully. It seemed that neither side had gained any advantage in this war between humans and ghosts... No, generally speaking, it was the human side that suffered heavy losses.

Because for Onibutsuji Mumei, it is too easy to create new ghosts, but a strong human must go through all kinds of training before he can truly grow up.

"So what happened after that? The two of them..."

"Mr. Xuanhao... the human lifespan is very short." Ubuyashiki Yaoya shook his head with regret.

"Um……"

Although he already had the answer in his heart, Xuan Hao still felt a little sad after all.

"So, did they leave any descendants?"

Ubuyashiki nodded slightly when he heard this, "The people of the Purgatory clan have been the pride of our Demon Slayer Corps since then, and the position of 'Flame Pillar' will always be reserved for them. It's just... this year's 'Flame Pillar' because For some reason, I have been locking myself at home and refusing to come out.”

"What happened?" Xuan Hao was a little confused.

"I don't know the specific situation, but I guess it has something to do with the death of the wife of 'Yanzhu'." Ubuyashiki Yoshiya smiled helplessly, as if he didn't want to blame this Yanzhu who was not doing his job properly.

"Yes." Xuan Hao nodded lightly. The pain of losing a loved one was indeed very heavy. "So, is the position of 'Flame Pillar' vacant now?"

"Yes." Ubuyashiki Yoshiya answered truthfully, "But someone will probably inherit the position of 'Flame Pillar' soon."

"Do you already have someone in mind?"

"Yes, the eldest son of the Purgatory family, Purgatory Anjuro." Ubuyashiki Yoya couldn't help but smile when he mentioned the name. "That's a very good child. He will definitely become the new hope of the Demon Slayer Corps."

"Yes." Xuan Hao nodded slightly, "What about the other person? My apprentice..."

Ubuya Shiki Yoshiya was stunned, "Kashinikawa..."

"What's wrong with her?" Xuan Hao asked.

"No, there's nothing wrong with her." Ubuya Shiki Yoshiya shook his head slightly, "It's just that Kagami-sama didn't seem to have left any inheritance. She said that 'breathing of the sun' was a breathing method that was targeted by Kibutsuji Muzan, and she didn't want anyone to suffered a tragic fate..."

"That's it, it seems like something that girl would do." Xuan Hao smiled helplessly.

"Lord Kashenkawa also said..."

Having said this, Ubuyashiki Yōya stood up.

He dragged his tired-looking body into the back room, and after a while, he took out an exquisite long box from the back room.

"The inheritance of 'Breath of the Sun' will never be broken, because she believes that her most respected teacher will wake up one day."

Yoya Shiki held the box in front of Xuanhao with both hands.

Xuanhao opened the lid hesitantly.

He probably already had an idea of ​​what was in it.

This was the sword that Ji Guoyi had given to him, and it was also the sword that he had given to this girl.

This ancient Nichirin sword had been lying in the box for an unknown number of years, and it reappeared in the world like a guide of fate.

"This knife...can it still be used?"

"Of course, every once in a while, it will be sent to the swordsmith village for maintenance." Ubuyashiki Yoshiya smiled.

This is the only thing their family can do, and it is also their mission.

Swordsmen fight for humanity, and they are responsible for remembering those important things, the names of everyone who has ever fought for humanity and the hope they have passed down.

Xuan Hao caressed the Sun Lun Knife, but the cold handle seemed to be able to feel the warmth that remained from hundreds of years ago.

But eventually, he fastened the box again.

Because now is not the time to unsheath this knife again.

This sword should be regarded as a shadow in Kibutsuji Muzan's heart, right? It would scare this coward if he reappeared in the world.

"Mr. Xuanhao, I leave the knife to you. As for when to use it, I think you have your own plans in mind."

Ubuyashiki Yoya smiled and put the tightly clasped wooden box into Xuanhao's hands.

"Well, thank you."

Xuanhao carried the slender wooden box on his back.

"Then I'll take my leave."

"Yes." Ubuyashiki Yoshiya nodded slightly, "Please also ask Mr. Xuanhao not to appear in the ghost's sight for the time being."

"I understand." Xuan Hao nodded lightly.

"By the way, if possible... Mr. Xuanhao can go and see the kid Purgatory Anjuro," Ubuyashiki said with a smile, "He is now an 'A' grade swordsman. I will let him be the final selection for this session. He oversees it.”

"'Final Selection'? OK."

Xuan Hao was stunned, but did not refuse.

Anyway, he just planned to wander around and get to know the environment of today's world. After all, five hundred years have passed and the changes should be quite big. For this strange world, it doesn't really matter where he goes first.

After leaving Ubuya Shiki Yaoya's residence, Xuanhao returned to the 'Butterfly House'.

Butterfly Residence is the mansion where the two girls with butterfly hair accessories live, and it is also the current nursing home of the Demon Slayer Corps.

Everything here is taken care of by 'Style' Butterfly Kanae.

These two sisters have been responsible for taking care of Xuan Hao's health in recent years.

Of course, not all swordsmen have the same preferential treatment as Xuanhao, who can be taken care of by Hua Zhu himself and his biological sister in turns.

Xuanhao is in a special situation. His ward is separated from other swordsmen. The Lord has specially ordered to take good care of him, so the only people who take care of him are the Butterfly Sisters. Few others even know that there is such a person in Butterfly Curie. Special patients.

As for those ordinary patients...

The kind-hearted Kanae took in many orphans left by the Demon Slayer Swordsmen in the Butterfly Center. When she was too busy on weekdays, the task of taking care of other patients fell on these children.

The problems caused by this were also obvious. Xuanhao returned to Butterfly House and was stopped in the yard.

Because he doesn't wear the Demon Slayer uniform, most people here don't recognize him.

"who are you?"

A girl who also wore a butterfly hair accessory and twin tails stopped in front of Xuan Hao, blocking the door to prevent this strange man from entering.

The girl was sweeping the floor in the yard with a broom in her hand. At this moment, she was frowning and staring at the man who suddenly broke in before her.

Xuan Hao was a little embarrassed. He seemed to have frightened the little girl when he suddenly came in. The girl saw that he didn't have a Demon Slayer uniform nor did he look like a patient and refused to let him in.

"Little sister, I am not a bad person."

"That's what the bad guys say!" The girl with twin ponytails stared at him warily.

"Um...I'm from the Demon Slayer Squad." Xuan Hao explained.

"No! Whether they are swordsmen or hidden members of the Demon Slayer Corps, they all have special uniforms!" The girl didn't seem to be that easy to fool.

"I just came out of here, so I'm not wearing uniform..."

"You're lying! I've never seen you here before!"

"..."

Someone please save me... Xuan Hao felt a sense of powerlessness rising in his heart. He had never felt so powerless when facing an enemy.

"Pfft——"

There was laughter from behind, and it sounded like the person making the laughter was having a hard time enduring it.

Xuanhao followed the sound.

"Oops, exposed."

The Butterfly Ninja watched the shriveled man turn around and felt his head shrink back behind the tree.

But she seemed to be a step too slow.

"Butterfly ninja, right?"

Xuan Hao had already arrived behind the tree where she was hiding, and blocked her here with a look of helplessness.

"You...what do you want to do?"

The Butterfly Ninja knew that he had done something wrong and seemed to feel guilty.

In fact, her sister had asked her to remember to take this man in when she saw him coming back.

But this man had scared her before, and she was still a little dissatisfied, and... I don't know why, her sister respected this man so much? The sister she is most proud of is the ‘Pillar’ of the Demon Slayer Squad.

So...she happened to see this man looking embarrassed, so she planned to read the joke first. Unexpectedly, this man was so sharp, and she had already laughed very quietly!

"I...don't want to do anything."

Xuanhao looked at this careless girl helplessly.

He didn't understand why there was such a big gap between the sisters...

The kid's sister seemed gentle and polite, and the girl...

"Bad guy! What are you doing!"

The girl with twin tails in the yard was chasing after Xuan Hao. She chased Xuan Hao and came behind the tree. Seeing Sister Ren being blocked and forced to lean against the tree as if she was being bullied, she started calling the man in front of her a bad guy.

"Hey...don't you plan to explain it? Miss Ren?" Xuan Hao sighed helplessly.

"What's the explanation..." Butterfly Ninja whispered.

"Um?"

Butterfly Ninja felt bad when he heard Xuan Hao's doubts, but he was heard again. Why is this guy's ears so good?

"Ha ha……"

She smiled and said, "Xiao Kui, this is a misunderstanding. This gentleman is my sister's guest."

"Huh? Is that so?" The girl named Xiaokui was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized, "I'm sorry!"

"It's okay...you're a good boy who corrected his mistakes when he knew they were wrong." Seeing the little girl admitting her mistakes so sincerely, Xuan Hao had a smile on his face, "See how polite this kid is?"

There was something in his words. He squatted down gently and touched Xiaokui's head, "Good boy, what's your name?"

"My name is Kanzaki Aoi, I'm sorry, big brother!" Xiaokui's voice sounded very energetic.

"Yeah, let's remember big brother's face next time."

Xuanhao pointed at his face and felt very comfortable. This child called him big brother. He was really a promising child.

"Yeah!" Kanzaki Aoi nodded seriously.

The butterfly ninja on the side had a 'hash' sign on his forehead.

But she still could only invite the man into the mansion in a gentle tone.

"Okay, sir, please come into the house with me. My sister is still waiting for you to come back."

"Pfft - okay, okay," Xuan Hao couldn't hold it back, "You don't have to endure it so hard, I'm not that stingy."

"snort!"

Butterfly snorted reluctantly, with a look on his face that said I believe you.

She shook her head and led the way, not wanting to see this man's face at all.

"Xiao Ren, are you rude again?"

Butterfly Kanae looked at the expression on her sister's face and probably knew what happened.

She apologized apologetically to the man who followed her sister into the house, "I'm sorry, Mr. Xuanhao."

"No, it's okay, you're a very energetic kid." Xuan Hao waved his hands with a smile. He seemed to have found a way to deal with the Butterfly Ninja.

"Really? Really? This is the advantage of my little ninja." Butterfly Kanae expressed great agreement with Xuanhao's words, as if she had forgotten that she was apologizing, with a gentle smile on her face.

Very energetic...child! ? The butterfly ninja had some veins on his forehead exposed as he listened to the interaction between the two.

"elder sister……"

"Okay, okay, Xiao Ren, please go out first. I have something to discuss with Mr. Xuanhao alone."

Saying that, Kanae pushed her sister's shoulders and walked out of the door with a smile on her face.

Then, she turned around and asked the man in front of her with a smile, "Has Mr. Xuanhao met the lord yet?"

"I've seen it before."

Xuan Hao nodded slightly and put down the wooden box he was carrying on his back.

"He told me a lot about his past."

"So what is Mr. Xuanhao going to do next?"

Kanae's expression became slightly more serious.

She clearly understood the significance of the next action taken by the man in front of her.

Legend has it that this is the person who defeated Muzan Kibutsuji, and it is a miraculous thing that this man can talk to her face to face like this.

A legend that has been sleeping for five hundred years has now awakened.

The miraculous hope is right in front of her... If possible, she hopes that this man can truly bring peace to the world and prevent more children from suffering the same suffering as their sisters and the children in the middle of the butterfly.

"I don't have any special plans for the time being, because... Oni Wu Tsuji Muzan hasn't appeared yet." Xuanhao understood the meaning in Kanae's eyes, but he couldn't promise anything to this girl now, "You should understand that if Oni Wu Tsuji Muzan wouldn't have come out if he knew I was still alive."

"Well..." Kanae nodded slightly, a trace of disappointment flashed in her eyes, but there was nothing that could be done about it, "So, does Mr. Xuanhao plan to hide it for a while?"

"Well, yes, please keep this box for me first. One day, I will need it. I will come to you to get it then." Xuan Hao handed the box to Kanae in front of him.

"This is..." Kanae asked with some confusion.

"Sun Lun Dao." Xuan Hao replied, "It's not in use now."

"Well, I understand, I will take good care of it."

Kanae nodded slightly. The look in his eyes was very determined.

She understood that this was probably a promise, and one day, when the knife was unsheathed, her wish would come true.

"In addition, I would like to ask you to prepare a 'hidden' uniform for me." Xuan Hao added.

"Do you want to..." Kanae's eyes lit up, as if she understood the intention of the man in front of her.

…

At night.

Xuanhao put on Yin's clothes, covered his appearance and started to act.

He followed his past memories and found the location of Tengxi Mountain.

The environment here remains unchanged as always, like a corner truly protected by gods. Even in the cold winter nights, wisteria flowers are still blooming all over the place, and even the wind and snow in the sky never come close to it.

He followed the mountain road full of wisteria flowers all the way to the top of the mountain.

The ‘final selection’ had started a few days ago, and it was already the last night.

When Xuanhao reached the top of the mountain, a familiar picture came into his mind.

It was the same scene as it was five hundred years ago.

With hair that was burning like flames, a similar figure stood on the top of the mountain and looked down at the bottom of the mountain.

"Purgatory..."

Xuanhao couldn't help but call out this name.

The boy whose name was called seemed to have heard the call.

The young man turned slightly and looked at the 'hidden' behind him with some confusion.

"Do you know me?"

Purgatory Anjuro scratched his head. Every member of the Anbu wore the same scarf, and he didn't know many Anbu members.

"Forehead……"

Xuan Hao looked at the young man who turned his head and was stunned.

Of course, it was impossible to kill the person he once knew. This young man was not even a 'Pillar' at the moment, and he was not wearing the Flame Pillar's iconic flame feather fabric.

It's just...the backs are really similar, no, they are exactly the same, especially the long flame-colored hair, as if they were carved from the same mold.

"No, I don't know Master Swordsman...it's just that your hair feels familiar to me."

"Hahaha..." Xingjulang smiled heartily, "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter! People often say that our family's hair color is weird! It must be because our ancestors ate too many fried shrimps!"

The boy did not blame the person in front of him, but joked about his hair color, his hearty smile as warm as a flame.

"It's really similar..." Xuan Hao murmured to himself.

However, Anjuro did not hear his whisper, and instead focused his attention on the valley at the foot of Fujisei Mountain.

Tonight is the last day of the 'final selection', and his 'disciples' are also among the participants. The closer it gets to the end, the less he can let go.

Even though this selection went surprisingly smoothly.

Yes, the selection went smoothly this time, so smoothly that it made him a little worried.

Because so far, none of the swordsmen participating in the selection have had any accidents.

This situation seems to have occurred only once in history.

The same situation as now appears in the records of the purgatoryists.

That year, Lord Purgatory Shinichiro, who was the Flame Pillar, also guarded the mountain.

That year, no swordsman died at the hands of ghosts either.

But there is a premise.

Because someone intervened to prevent the last-minute accident.

It is said that in the selection that year, a ghost that came from nowhere appeared at the end!

A rare frown appeared on Purgatory Anjuro's face.

He looked down the mountain with some worry.

Xuan Hao on the side also took a step forward and also cast his gaze.

"Lord Swordsman, is there any accident?"

"No, hahaha." Purgatory Anjuro showed a reassuring smile, "This year's selection has gone very smoothly. So far, no accident has occurred to any of the participants."

"Didn't anyone have an accident..."

Xuanhao followed Xingshou Lang's gaze downwards.

The expression under the scarf was stunned.

Because following Anjuro's gaze, he saw a girl with an even stranger hair color.

The long pink hair has green tips at the end. Xuanhao has never seen such hair color before. Of course, this is not what attracts him, because what is more eye-catching about this girl is the undulating waves on her chest.

His eyes became a little surprised. He didn't expect that the Purgatory family still had this kind of genetic gene? Shinichiro, your descendants have a bright future, but they actually like this type?

Seemingly noticing Xuan Hao's strange eyes moving back and forth between the girl and himself, Purgatory Xingjulang asked with some doubts, "Does this gentleman know my disciple?"

"Disciple?" Xuan Hao was confused.

"Hahaha, yes, Kanroji Mitsuri, my disciple." Anjuro smiled and pointed to the conspicuous figure below, "She will be a real Demon Slayer Swordsman after passing the final selection."

Sir, oh no, why are your pecs so exaggerated? Xuanhao looked at Xingshou Lang's hearty smile and felt that he had thought wrong. Judging from the innocent appearance of this child, he shouldn't be an LSP, huh? No, in that case, sp is actually me! ?

"Sir, can you clearly see the actions of the swordsmen below?" Anjuro's mind was not on the woman at all. Instead, he was curious about the hidden man in front of him.

It was not easy to clearly see the figures of the swordsmen walking through the woods. He knew very well how outstanding his disciples were. Kanroji Mitsuri's physical fitness was far superior to that of ordinary people, and his speed was naturally faster than ordinary people. There are so many, it’s even more surprising to be able to see them clearly.

"Um...a little bit, I can see a little bit clearly." Xuan Hao scratched his head in embarrassment. He was hiding now, low-key, low-key.

"That's it, hahaha..."

Xingjulang smiled and nodded. Since this person didn't want to talk, he didn't ask.

And now is not the time to ask that.

Anjuro focused his attention on the valley again.

This time, his eyes were not on Kanroji Mitsuri, but frowned at a figure that was moving faster.

Xuan Hao also cast his gaze again, because the scene in front of him was too familiar to him.

The scenes were so similar, it was almost like fate.

His eyes moved in the mountains, as if he was looking for someone.

But the final result disappointed him.

It is indeed a similar scene, it can be said that it is exactly the same as five hundred years ago.

The reason why the selection went so smoothly this time was because someone took the responsibility for everyone.

But this time it was a young man.

A young man with orange hair, what is impressive is that he wears a fox mask on his face, with a scar-like pattern painted on the right cheek of the mask.

The young man's figure shuttled back and forth in the woods, and no one seemed to be able to keep up with his steps. Because he was wearing a mask, no one knew whether he was panting from exhaustion.

People could only see the light of his sword that he kept waving in the woods, and the ghosts that fell under his sword and drifted away in the wind.

"Huh-huh-"

The breath continued to exhale from Qiang Tu's mouth, hitting the mask and making a sound.

But actually he didn't feel very tired.

Because the breathing method he learned is 'water breathing', water is endless, and this breathing method makes his physical strength as thin and long as spring water.

In addition, the ghosts here are really not very strong, so he does not feel tired.

There is no doubt that he is the strongest swordsman among the swordsmen participating in this selection.

"It's going to be over soon, so we can't take it lightly."

Qiantu thought to himself.

The steps under his feet did not stop, and the blade in his hand continued to swing.

Because he has someone to protect.

This time, there were two junior brothers and sisters who were younger than him and came with him to participate in the selection.

These two children are not as strong as him, so we must protect them! Thinking of this, Qiang Tu quickened his pace again.

"Thirty-seven..."

Counting the numbers silently in his mind, Qiang Tu fixed his eyes on a ghost that appeared in his field of vision.

The ghost seemed to have seen the oncoming humans.

A ferocious smile appeared on the ghost's face, and a snake-like tongue licked the corners of his mouth.

It excitedly rushed toward the human in front of it, waving its hands with sharp nails and opening its mouth wide.

Looking at his posture, he seemed to want to pick up this human being and stuff it directly into his mouth.

The tongue it spits out is covered with barbs, and if it is licked, it will probably not escape.

Qiang Tu looked at the oncoming ghost and did not dodge. His eyes under the mask were calm.

"tread--"

Qiantu's steps were as light as stepping on the waves.

"Breath of Water, Form of Four, Tide of Strike!"

The blade slashed at the oncoming ghost like a wave.

Before the ghost seemed to have time to react, a neat line of blood appeared on its neck. Its entire body was cut in half by the Nichirin Sword. The blood seemed to have only now reacted and flew out from the severed part.

The scattered blood didn't have time to catch up with the boy's back. The boy with the knife didn't stop just because he killed the ghost.

"That boy is very strong!" Xingshoulang saw Xuanhao's gaze and noticed the boy he had been paying attention to for a long time, and said with some admiration, "From the beginning of the selection to now, that boy rushes to the front to kill ghosts every night. It has protected other people in the valley, and until now, almost all the ghosts in the mountain have been killed.”

"Um……"

Xuanhao responded gently.

Another 'idiot', but it seems that nothing unexpected happened this time. This time, none of the ghosts here can beat this young man...

Xingshou Lang and Xuan Hao focused their attention on the young man and did not notice what was happening in a corner.

"Ahhhh!!——"

"Run, run! Why does such a powerful ghost appear!?"

One of the swordsmen screamed and ran, stumbling and even losing his sword.

Behind him, an unusually large alien ghost was chasing him carrying a corpse.

The ghost was covered with thick arms, as if the entire body was made of these arms.

The ghost slowly stretched out its hand. As it stretched out its hand, the arms wrapped around its body began to move, and each arm was entangled to extend its arm span.

He was about to catch the fleeing swordsman.

"puff--"

A flash of sword light flashed, and the outstretched hand was cut off.

The escaping swordsman didn't seem to notice all this, and kept running without looking back.

A petite figure appeared in front of the ghost.

This is a short-haired girl wearing a printed kimono with dark green eyes. She also has a mask on her face, but it does not block her cute cheeks, but hangs on the side like a hair accessory.

Her name is Zhen Shi.

Masaki held the Nichirin Sword in both hands, gritted his teeth, and looked at the ghost in front of him with a solemn expression.

"Are you here again? My cute little fox~"

The hand ghost seemed to have given up chasing the escaping swordsman, and instead focused on the girl in front of him.

There was a look of pleasure in its eyes, and it seemed very excited.

"Little fox, how old is Meiji now?"

"!? It's already...the Taisho Era."

Masaki answered Teuki's question.

She could feel that this ghost was unusual, and maybe she was no match for it, so she was stalling for time while thinking of a way.

"??!!"

For some reason, after hearing Zhen Shi's answer, Hand Ghost suddenly became extremely excited, and the joy in his eyes turned into anger in an instant.

"Taisho? Even the era name! Even the era name has changed!?"

“Ahhhhh——”

Its whole body was shaking with excitement, and the arms wrapped around its body kept scratching its body, dripping with blood.

"It's changed again! It's changed again! During the years when I was locked up in this hellish place, the year name actually changed again!"

"Ahhhhh! - I will never let him go! Lintaki!"

"Rinlong! Damn Lintaki!"

"How do you know the teacher's name?"

Masaki looked at the ghost in surprise.

"How do I know?" Hand Ghost laughed angrily after hearing this, "Of course I know! How could I forget who brought me to such a ghost place!? How could I forget this bastard Lin Long?"

"I will never forget it! That was 39 years ago...that bastard Lintaki was still fighting on the front line, during the Edo period, when the era name was clear!"

"No...how is this possible?"

Zhen Xiang's face turned pale. It was impossible for such a long-lived ghost to exist on this mountain. The only ones imprisoned in the final selection assessment venue were weak ghosts who had eaten one or two people!

The strength of a ghost will increase with the number of people it eats. If this ghost really lived for so many years... then how many people should it eat?

"Impossible? How is it impossible?" Hand Ghost's eyes showed a smile again, "Hahaha - I just like to see your surprised eyes. I remember that the last little fox like you also showed such a look. The look in his eyes is so good! Hahahahahaha——"