Having witnessed Luochuan's strength, Genya dared not act up again. He stood aside indignantly, though the urgency in his eyes was impossible to hide.
"Now, please, young swordsmen, choose your tamahagane from here," Nichika said, revealing more than a dozen ores behind her.
The candidates stepped forward to the table, observing the ores intently. They wanted to see if there were any differences between the pieces; after all, this concerned their future weapons, so caution was necessary.
While the others were indecisive, Luochuan walked to the table and casually picked up a piece. The others froze, glancing at the ore in his hand. It didn't seem special at all—as if he truly had just picked one at random.
Doesn't he need to choose carefully?
Seeing their eyes converged on him, Luochuan shrugged. There were differences in these ores, but they weren't as significant as one might imagine. As long as his own strength was great enough, he could easily slay demons even with a Nichirin Sword forged from the poorest ore.
Seeing Luochuan finalize his choice, Zenitsu stopped hesitating and picked up a slightly larger piece. Once everyone had selected their ore, the selection was officially over.
Luochuan and Zenitsu were arranged by the Demon Slayer Corps to stay in a nearby residence. Wisteria flowers grew around the area, and members of the Corps patrolled nearby, ensuring their safety.
Once they reached the resting place, the tension Zenitsu had held for days finally snapped. Luochuan rested his head on his hands, thinking about what came next. Passing the selection meant becoming a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, which meant taking on demon-slaying missions.
But for Luochuan, killing demons was secondary; making friends was the primary objective. In daily life and standard missions, it was difficult to encounter powerful Hashira or demons. He had to create his own opportunities.
After the selection, Tanjiro would encounter Muzan Kibutsuji and Tamayo. Muzan's strength was unquestionable—the absolute ceiling of this stage. Befriending him would yield incredible rewards regardless of the RNG.
However, while the profit was high, the risk was extreme. Although Luochuan's strength had grown, he was nothing in front of Muzan. If the progenitor wanted to kill him, it would happen in an instant.
Muzan appeared at that time to secure the vast connections of the Tsukihiko family to search for the Blue Spider Lily. To keep his identity hidden, Muzan didn't kill Tanjiro directly. And that was Luochuan's chance. Betting on the fact that Muzan didn't want to expose himself in front of the family, Luochuan could find a reason to get close. He didn't need to fight; he just needed Muzan to acknowledge him as a "friend."
As for Tamayo, Luochuan was very interested in her techniques. The Enchanted Blood: Visual Dream Fragrance which controls people, and Enchanted Blood: Mystical Aroma of White Daylight which forces out secrets, were excellent skills. However, Tamayo was overly cautious; he would likely need Tanjiro as a medium to befriend her.
Fifteen days after the selection ended.
Luochuan finally received his Nichirin Sword and his first mission brought by his Kasugai Crow. A demon fond of devouring human hearts had appeared in Naraku Town to the north. So far, thirteen people had gone missing or died.
Upon receiving the mission, Luochuan planned to set out immediately. Daily cultivation had stabilized his rank and increased his strength, but it was incredibly tedious. He picked up his brand-new golden Nichirin Sword and looked at Zenitsu, whose face was somewhat numb. Zenitsu had also received the Naraku Town mission. He had to face those vile demons again...
He was numb... truly numb.
When Luochuan and Zenitsu arrived at Naraku Town, night was falling. As the sky grew darker, the townspeople instinctively quickened their pace; staying outside felt dangerous. Soon, only Luochuan and Zenitsu were left on the street.
"Luochuan, where are we going to find the demon?" Zenitsu asked nervously. The street was terrifyingly silent; if he didn't speak, he felt uneasy.
"Keep walking. Wait for it to come out."
Opening Thread had a distance limit. Naraku Town wasn't small; if a demon didn't act, finding it wouldn't be easy. Time passed minute by minute until Luochuan's nose suddenly twitched. His figure blurred as he sprinted toward a dark alley.
"What?" Before Zenitsu could react, Luochuan was gone.
"A Shin-rank demon?" Luochuan murmured uncertainly.
The scent from this demon was even stronger than that of the Hand Demon. The pungent, bloody stench made Luochuan frown. The foul odor permeated the air like an invisible line. Luochuan turned several corners and finally stopped in front of a courtyard gate. The scent was emanating from within.
Before Luochuan could move, a scream erupted from inside. He leaped over the wall and saw a man crawling outward in panic. Behind him was an old woman with vivid red lips. She approached slowly, cornering the man. The man was terrified, trying to call for help, but no sound came out when he opened his mouth.
Luochuan observed her. If not for the stench so thick it was almost physical, he wouldn't have been able to tell her apart from a normal person.
> [Sound-Eating Demon]
> [Race: Demon]
> [Rank: Shin (辛)]
> [Comprehension: Inferior]
> [Aptitude: Medium]
> [Talent: None]
> [Skills: Blood Demon Art: Silence (Proficient), Blood Demon Art: Slaughter (Proficient), Sonic Blade (Proficient), Breath Control (Mastery)...]
>
It really was a Shin-rank demon. It seemed Kagaya Ubuyashiki knew about his progress; otherwise, his first mission wouldn't be a Shin-rank target. But that was fine; Luochuan had been looking for a demon with Blood Demon Arts.
As the man saw the old woman reach him and fell into deep despair, he saw her suddenly whip her head around. Before she could fully turn, a golden light flashed past him. The light slammed the old woman into the perimeter wall, blasting a large hole in it.
Strangely, the collapsing wall made no sound. The entire environment felt as if a mute button had been pressed. The man stared in shock, then realized a figure had appeared before him. The figure held a sword with one hand, hair fluttering slightly.
Luochuan was afraid of killing her in one hit, so he hadn't even removed the scabbard. The old woman crawled out from the rubble with difficulty, looking at Luochuan with venomous eyes. She waved her hand, and an invisible wave of air surged toward him.
"Still won't give up," Luochuan muttered.
The man then saw the figure before him erupt with dazzling golden arcs of electricity. As soon as the lightning moved, the man's hearing returned. Not just the previously missing sounds, but a violent crashing roar.
The man looked toward the noise. Luochuan was holding the old woman up by her collar. She was in a pathetic state, covered in charred wounds, her arms dangling limply.
"Hey, old lady. How about we become friends?" Luochuan poked her with his scabbard.