Chapter 57: My Great Blade Has Long Been Starved and Restless

As a dull sound echoed, Himeyama Yukimei presented his Nichirin blade to Chu Yang. At first glance, it bore little resemblance to a traditional sword.

It was a long iron chain, one end attached to a single-edged broad axe, the other to a spiked meteor hammer, creating a striking visual impact.

Combined with Yukimei’s expansive, forceful fighting style, it embodied a brutal aesthetic.

“My weapon is rather extreme and not very conventional. As long as it suits combat, whether it’s technically a sword or not doesn’t matter,” Yukimei said, swinging the weapon. A sharp whistle cut through the air, reverberating throughout the courtyard.

A fierce wind swept across the entire yard, an oppressive force that even Chu Yang, standing at a distance, could feel.

“It contains a large amount of high-purity Crimson Ape Iron Sand, making it very heavy. You can try swinging it,” Yukimei said, placing the weapon on the ground and gesturing for Chu Yang to pick it up. He wanted to test just how strong Chu Yang really was.

The moment Chu Yang gripped the iron chain, he felt its weight. Taking a deep breath, he pulled hard and lifted both ends of the weapon.

“Can you try swinging it?” Yukimei asked.

Chu Yang nodded and wielded the weapon with impressive ease, moving it with fluid grace as if it weighed nothing.

Yukimei was surprised. He had emphasized that this weapon was incredibly heavy, and except for himself, no one in the Demon Slayer Corps could wield it.

Yet Chu Yang had effortlessly lifted it on his first try and handled it with remarkable skill.

Yukimei realized his plan to help Chu Yang condition his body might have been misguided.

It seemed Chu Yang was naturally able to adapt perfectly to this kind of strength.

“Put it down first,” Yukimei instructed after Chu Yang set the chain down. Silently, he retrieved the weapon and stored it away before continuing, “You have exceptional talent, so my expectations of you will be higher. Once you master the Breath of Stone, I will recommend you for the final selection.”

“The final selection is the trial to become a Demon Slayer Corps swordsman. There, you will face your fears, engage in life-and-death battles with demons, and only those who survive will earn the title. Otherwise…”

Chu Yang smiled, “Rest assured, I am prepared for that.”

“In that case, I have no further warnings,” Yukimei said, turning to enter the building. As he walked away, he added, “There are some large jars in the backyard, and there’s a spring at the mountain’s summit. Remember to fill those jars with water every day.”

Chu Yang clicked his tongue, recalling the training methods he'd seen on television. Tentatively, he asked, “Mr. Yukimei, won’t the tools for carrying water be an issue?”

Yukimei paused, turning his head with a surprised expression. “You’re quite perceptive. That’s how I used to train myself. You’ll understand once you see it.”

Sure enough!

Moments later, Chu Yang arrived at the backyard, beside a cluster of water jars. There he saw two large, cone-shaped iron buckets that couldn’t stand on their own, leaning tightly against the jars.

These buckets were made of iron, as was the carrying pole, which was linked to the buckets by iron chains.

“Impressive,” Chu Yang mused. “Only a true ascetic would devise such a grueling training method. Conservatively, all of this must weigh several hundred kilograms.”

Normally, even Yukimei might struggle to carry this, unless he maintained the Full Concentration breathing state constantly.

So, this setup was clearly Yukimei’s method for training in the [Full Concentration: Constant State].

“Let’s head up the mountain!” Chu Yang slung the pole over his shoulder, feeling no significant strain, then stepped out into the sunlight.

Unexpectedly, Yukimei stood at the doorway glaring at him. At his feet were several new buckets.

With hands clasped, Yukimei declared loudly, “With your strength, two iron buckets won’t provide much training. Add all of these.”

Chu Yang’s eyes nearly popped out. These buckets combined must weigh several tons!

Was this a joke?

Yukimei’s serious expression left no room for doubt. Reluctantly, Chu Yang added the extra buckets to the pole.

Now he truly felt the weight and instinctively entered Full Concentration breathing, striving to alleviate the burden on his body.

Yukimei sensed the natural emergence of the Breath of Stone within Chu Yang and smiled, then turned and returned to the temple.

The mountain path was rugged and slippery. Chu Yang stumbled after only a few steps, nearly tumbling down the hillside.

Heart pounding, he took a deep breath, glanced up at the sky, sweat blurring his vision.

At that critical moment, a surge of vitality flowed through him, easing his fatigue. He stepped forward again with steady poise.

Yukimei sat before a Buddha statue, chanting sutras. As the sun set, the outside world darkened, moonlight replacing daylight.

The chanting ceased abruptly, and Yukimei rose to leave the temple, intending to find Chu Yang. If he delayed, Chu Yang might encounter danger.

Not long after leaving, Yukimei heard faint footsteps ahead and relaxed, standing quietly to wait.

Chu Yang approached slowly, the water in the buckets reduced by half, half spilled along the path.

Sweat soaked his clothes, weighing heavily on him, yet he maintained Full Concentration breathing, knowing he couldn’t make it down otherwise.

Reaching Yukimei’s side, Chu Yang’s legs gave out and he collapsed.

Yukimei reached out, firmly gripping the carrying pole with one hand.

The two buckets swayed gently, settling calm again, while his other hand supported Chu Yang.

“You did very well. I thought I’d have to come up the mountain to get you,” Yukimei smiled, his expression as compassionate as the Buddha enshrined inside the temple.

Chu Yang returned the smile but passed out before he could speak.

Only then did his Full Concentration breathing relax.

Yukimei nodded silently, carrying him back to his room to rest, then went to the backyard to pour the spring water Chu Yang had laboriously fetched into the jars.

From then on, Chu Yang fetched water from the mountain every day.

At first, he had to set out at dawn and could only return at night, always managing to bring back only half a bucket, unable to prevent the water from spilling.

As he grew more adept with the Breath of Stone, his descent time shortened. Gradually, he could return before dark, carrying fuller buckets without spilling a drop.

Half a month later, Chu Yang could reliably reach the temple before dusk, ensuring not a single drop was lost from the buckets.

After this training period, Chu Yang could maintain Full Concentration breathing under any intense physical exertion.

The jars in the backyard were all filled by Chu Yang, enough to last a long time.

Yukimei watched silently, deeply moved beyond words.

The training he set for Chu Yang was meant to take six months, but Chu Yang had completed it in just half that time.

The next day, the special unit “Shadow,” responsible for logistics in the Demon Slayer Corps, arrived bearing supplies for Yukimei.

Half a month earlier, after deciding to accept Chu Yang, Yukimei had already ordered a batch of heavy weapons from the Swordsmith Village.

These were prepared for Chu Yang to select whichever suited him best.

How could one know which weapon they preferred without trying them firsthand?

The weapons varied in their use of Crimson Ape Iron Sand and Ore.

Without exception, they were all extremely heavy and deadly.

Just transporting these massive cold weapons required many members of the Shadow unit.

The mountain air was filled with anticipation as Chu Yang’s true journey was about to begin.