Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi

Boom!

With another explosion, Si Shu walked back holding a piece of Tamahagane the size of a football.

"This one is a six-point grade."

He casually tossed the ore aside and turned to find the next one.

"Enough, enough! Stop looking!"

Mo Tie rushed forward and grabbed his arm. In less than half a day, the pile of Tamahagane Si Shu had mined was nearly as tall as a person. Among them were many high-quality pieces: two seven-point pieces, eleven six-point pieces, and countless five-point pieces and below.

Yet, Si Shu showed no intention of stopping. He had gone completely wild.

"Is this really enough?" Si Shu asked, looking back at Mo Tie with a dissatisfied expression. "I still feel the quality of these ores is a bit lacking."

A bit lacking...

That simple phrase nearly made Mo Tie faint from sheer exasperation. This speed and accuracy of mining would require all the master smiths of the Smelting Village working together just to match him. What's more, the ore Si Shu extracted required no cooling; it could be used immediately. If Si Shu could stay in their village for a while, Mo Tie felt their efficiency would at least triple.

"It's enough, more than enough!" Mo Tie said, suppressing the urge to smack him. Then, a thought struck him. "There are seven-point pieces in here, and you're still not satisfied? You may have two in your hands now, but normally, our village is lucky to find one every six months!"

Si Shu shook his head, still not satisfied. "If I'm going to do something, I do it to the best of my ability. That's my principle. Since I've come to Sunlight Mountain, I will not leave without a piece of the highest quality Tamahagane!"

Seeing the unwavering determination in Si Shu's eyes, Mo Tie knew that no amount of persuasion would work. The highest quality Tamahagane... such a thing was likely not even recorded in the village's history. The best they'd ever found was a nine-point piece from a few years ago.

"I remember a swordsman came to Sunlight Mountain back then... I think his name was Yoriichi?" Mo Tie recalled, sharing what little he knew.

"Yoriichi? You mean Yoriichi Tsugikuni?"

"Yes, yes, that's the name!" Mo Tie slapped his fist into his palm, his expression growing excited.

"Ah," Si Shu said calmly. "He's my master."

"Oh, he's your mas—" Mo Tie nodded, replying automatically before the words registered. A second later, his brain caught up. "W-W-W-WHAT?! You said he's your MASTER?!"

"That's right."

Mo Tie's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head. He was so shocked he began to stammer, his tongue twisting in his mouth. "You... I... he..."

Si Shu just shrugged. Their relationship wasn't some dark secret; he and Yoriichi were just too lazy to announce it to the world.

After a long moment, Mo Tie finally managed to untie his tongue. He looked Si Shu up and down, realizing that he and Yoriichi did indeed share many similarities: confidence, power, and superb swordsmanship. Like master, like student, he thought with a sigh, filled with a sense of awe.

"Since you insist on staying, I won't try to stop you." Mo Tie took out most of the food and water from his pack, leaving only a small portion for himself. "With your help, my week-long trip has ended early."

He left two of the regular Tamahagane pieces and one six-point piece for Si Shu, packing the rest into his bag. "These are for you. Good luck!"

With that, Mo Tie turned and started his descent down the mountain.

Si Shu packed his share of the ore and supplies, then turned and headed towards the summit. The closer to the peak, the longer the sun's exposure, and thus, the better the quality of the Tamahagane. His hidden quest was surely waiting for him there.

One step, two steps, three steps. Si Shu slowly made his way toward the peak. As he ascended, the air grew noticeably hotter. The temperature here had probably reached over forty degrees Celsius, double that at the mountain's base. Standing on the upper half of the mountain, he looked up at the path still ahead. The average quality of Tamahagane here was already five or six points.

As I thought, my goal is at the very top!

After a short rest, he continued his climb. The air grew scorching hot, shimmering and distorting the view. The dark ore of the mountain itself was tinged a faint red, as if he were inside a furnace.

Hah... hah...

Wiping sweat from his brow, Si Shu felt his mouth go completely dry. He shook the canteen at his waist but resisted the urge to drink. No, I have to hold on. This water is my last hope. If he drank it all now, he would never make it to the top.

Gradually, his body began to feel sluggish. He shook his head forcefully, blinking hard to stay awake. Normally, a human body losing 5% of its water leads to anxiety; losing 15% leads to unconsciousness. Right now, Si Shu's water loss was approaching 20%—a fatal level.

Dammit. He drank the last of his water and tossed the empty canteen aside. Feeling the remaining moisture in his body slowly evaporating, he knew this was his final chance.

Just then, he felt a sudden warmth spread from within his body.

This is... Sun Breathing?

Reacting quickly, he began to cycle the breathing technique.

First Form: Waltz Second Form: Blue Heaven

As he performed all twelve forms, he was surprised to find that the surrounding heat seemed to diminish slightly. No, that's not it. My resistance to heat has increased. So Sun Breathing has this miraculous use as well.

With a sharp glint in his eyes, Si Shu continued to swing his imaginary blade, moving through the forms again and again.

Over and over, he repeated the cycle. As he continued, the Sun Breathing within him and the intense heat outside gradually fell into a shared frequency.

Resonance!

His eyes shut tight, Si Shu became completely immersed in the world of Sun Breathing. The technique inherited from Yoriichi Tsugikuni and the heat originating from the sun resonated in harmony, forming a perfect, exquisite cycle within his body.

[Influenced by the external environment, the Host's heat resistance is continuously increasing.] [Integrating with the Host's own abilities, Master-Level Swordsmanship is improving.] [Integrating with the Host's own abilities, Specialist-Level Breathing Method is improving.]

Dancing with fire, accompanied by heat, wreathed in sunlight, a breath to extinguish demons!

When Si Shu opened his eyes again, he was already standing on the summit of Sunlight Mountain!

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