Zongman: Evolution Paradise

He then comforted Jolyne, saying, "Although I can't be of much help in the battle, as your lord, you are welcome to use the power of the Demon Slayer Corps if needed."

"Currently, the Demon Slayer Corps only has four Pillars left with combat power: the Wind Pillar, the Water Pillar, the Flame Pillar, and the Insect Pillar. However, due to some reasons, the situation within the Demon Slayer Corps is still somewhat complicated. I'll trouble Mr. Jolyne to take care of it."

At this point, Teruya Ubuyashiki felt somewhat apologetic and embarrassed, as the Demon Slayer Corps posed virtually no threat to Muzan Kibutsuji in its current state, and its help to Jolyne would likely be limited.

"The so-called reason is probably because of the demons within the Demon Slayer Corps."

Upon entering the village and seeing the outer illusion, Jolyne already knew that there were more swordsmen here than just swordsmen.

After all, the Demon Slayer Corps' power comes from the sword techniques of breathing exercises, which are not as flashy as Blood Demon Arts, so they naturally don't have such abilities.

Teruya Ubuyashiki nodded and said heavily, "Yes, thanks to Ms. Tamayo and Mr. Yushiro's help a year ago, the remaining members of the Demon Slayer Corps were able to escape the demons' pursuit."

Tamayo, the demon doctor, and her assistant, Yushiro, are two demons who have broken free from Muzan Kibutsuji's control.

Yushiro possesses Blood Demon Arts related to vision, which can obscure the vision of others, allow him to see what other talisman bearers see through talismans, and even create visual illusions.

The illusion in front of the village was created by Yushiro.

Although it was out of necessity, it was ultimately a collaboration with the ghosts.

The swordsmen in the Demon Slayer Corps generally harbor deep hatred for demons, especially the Wind Pillar and Insect Pillar, who equally despise all demons, regardless of whether they eat humans or not.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki hesitated for a moment before continuing apologetically, "The complicated situation within the Demon Slayer Corps is partly due to the existence of Mr. Jolyne. This is my responsibility. A year ago, when the Demon Slayer Corps suffered a major blow, I happened to foresee Mr. Jolyne's presence. In order to boost morale, I told everyone about my foresight, but I underestimated my credibility, and many swordsmen began to question the veracity of the event."

Although she was a little tired, Jolyne still expressed her understanding. After all, Kiriya was only six years old, and it was already quite good that he could take on such a great responsibility after his father's death. In the end, he would not be able to consider everything.

The sun had completely set, and it was getting late. The servants couldn't help but knock on the door to remind their lord to rest early.

Accompanied by Teruya Ubuyashiki's cough, Jolyne took the opportunity to step out of the wooden house and saw Giyu Tomioka waiting to the side.

"Mr. Tomioka, would you have time to take me to a place to rest?"

Jolyne greeted him.

Giyu Tomioka looked up at the sky, somewhat surprised that Jolyne would speak to him, but he remained expressionless.

"follow me."

He said that, and then walked ahead to lead the way, without caring whether Jolyne followed or not.

Jolyne followed behind him, considering the situation of the Demon Slayer Corps; he was hearing mostly bad news.

The Rock Pillar and Serpent Pillar are dead; the Sound Pillar and Mist Pillar are severely injured.

The Flame Pillar had just become a Pillar, while the Love Pillar was still a Rank A swordsman.

The remaining Wind Pillar and Insect Pillar were dissatisfied because the Demon Slayer Corps was cooperating with the demons.

The only normal water column is itself a problem youth, always thinking that he is not worthy of the position of water column.

The main characters are nowhere to be found now, and they can no longer activate their markings, crimson blades, or the cheat codes of the Transparent World.

This lineup wants to kill Muzan Kibutsuji?

Isn't this bullying the honest person?

"Once I find the player who messed all this up, I'm going to beat the crap out of him."

Jolyne thought viciously.

The plot has been turned into a complete mess. Even without infinite resurrection, players are undoubtedly a scourge and a nuisance to the world.

"So, which breathing technique should I learn to complete the second stage task?"

Jolyne then began to ponder this question.

The task for Phase Two is to learn a breathing technique.

The strongest breathing technique is naturally the Sun Breathing, created by Yoriichi Tsugikuni and known as the progenitor of breathing techniques. All other breathing techniques are derived from the Sun Breathing.

Unfortunately, due to its extreme difficulty in learning, the lineage has been broken. Currently, only the protagonist, Tanjiro Kamado, has mastered the Sun Breathing technique. Now, the situation is unknown, so it's impossible for him to learn it.

Secondly, there's the very cool Thunder Breathing technique, but unfortunately, there are no Sound Pillars in the present era, so it's impossible for the Demon Slayer Corps to learn it for the time being.

During this brief moment of contemplation, Yoshiyuki Tomioka abruptly stopped in his tracks.

At the same time, a violent sound, like a raging storm, reached Jolyne's ears.

"Hey, you're Jolyne, right?"

As soon as they said that, a figure blocked their way.

This person had white hair and wore a white haori (a type of traditional Chinese clothing). Upon closer inspection, his entire body was covered with scars of varying sizes and depths.

In particular, his face was marked with three huge, crisscrossing scars, resembling three centipedes crawling on it. Coupled with his fierce eyes, he exuded a menacing aura.

The newcomer was none other than the Wind Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps, Sanemi Shinazugawa!

Upon seeing him, Jolyne seemed thoughtful. The Breath of Wind seemed quite good, which was perfect since he was lacking in agility.

Before Jolyne could reply, Sanemi Shinazugawa blurted out again, "With your appearance, you think you can be the savior of the Demon Slayer Corps?!"

"Immortality River, this is our lord's distinguished guest."

Giyu Tomioka, with his expressionless face, stood protectively in front of Jolyne, responding to Sanemi Shinazugawa.

Upon seeing this, Shinazugawa Sanemi immediately drew his Nichirin Blade and aimed it at the two of them.

"Get out of my way, Giyu Tomioka. Let the person behind you answer my question."

Giyu Tomioka tried to stop him, but Jolyne had already gently pushed his shoulder aside and walked up to Sanemi Shinazugawa.

"Whether you can do it or not, you can give it a try."

Jolyne produced a katana in her hand and beckoned to him provocatively.

So quickly he encountered the doubts the Master had mentioned, and it was from the Wind Pillar, currently the strongest member of the Demon Slayer Corps.

Facing Jolyne's drawn sword in response, Sanemi Shinazugawa suppressed his anger, revealing a ferocious expression, and said roughly, "You haven't mastered the breathing technique yet. This strike will only use half of my strength! If you can't even withstand this, then let the heavens find another savior!"

As he finished speaking, the wind around him changed, as if it were the calm before a storm.

Shinazugawa Sanemi gripped his Nichirin Blade, as if to remind him, and called out the name of this sword style.

"Wind Breathing - First Form - Dust Whirlwind - Slash".

This is a high-speed, advancing sword technique. Along with the name of the move, the ground behind him shatters under this attack.

"A bit fast..."

Jolyne gasped inwardly.

The moment his opponent gripped the knife, he had already begun to prepare, but Shinazugawa Sanemi's agility still caught him off guard.

Even though Jolyne had already activated her divine eye and keenly sensed the approaching strike.

However, at this moment, his body seemed to be bound by invisible shackles, his movements were slow, he could not keep up with the rhythm of his thoughts, and he could not respond to the commands issued by his consciousness in time.

"Since the body cannot match the reaction speed, then we will compensate by having a stronger reaction ability!"

Instead of using the Golden Light Spell to protect himself, Joren continuously gathered the surging Golden Light within his body to his brow.

His divine sense swept across the entire area once more, and he saw it—he saw the point where the Nichirin Blade was about to strike.

Jolyne acted decisively, using her astonishing explosive power to forcefully twist her body, like an arrow released from a bow, to meet the approaching sharp blade.

The next moment, Sanemi Shinazugawa's attack arrived as expected.

At first glance, it looks as if Sanemi Shinazugawa is deliberately swinging his Nichirin Blade and slashing fiercely at Jolyne's blade.

In an instant, the two sharp blades collided with a loud crash, sparks flying everywhere.

This intense clash naturally led Jolyne into a realm she excelled in—a contest of strength!

Chapter 54 What are your strengths?

Seeing that Jolyne didn't seem to have reacted yet, Sanemi Shinazugawa lowered his strength and didn't intend to really hurt Jolyne.

But unexpectedly, Jolyne took the hit.

He had only used half his strength to begin with, and then reduced it even further. When the blades clashed, Sanemi Shinazugawa was sent flying by Jolyne's slash.

Sanemi Shinazugawa spun in the air, cushioning his fall to the ground and creating two dents.

His hands trembled slightly, and Shinazugawa Sanemi's face was grim. Although he hadn't used his full strength, the person in front of him hadn't even learned the breathing technique.

Being defeated like this is really embarrassing.

"How is it, Shinazugawa?"

"I'll accept you for now."

Although he said he would temporarily agree, Shinazugawa Sanemi was still irritable, his fingers gripping the Nichirin Blade tightly.

In particular, Yoshiyuki Tomioka's expressionless face suggested that he had anticipated the outcome.

This made Shinazugawa Sanemi feel extremely ashamed, and he tried to leave by walking past the two of them.

Giyu Tomioka made way for the Wind Pillar, and before he could leave, Jolyne called out to him, "Hey, I want to learn Wind Breathing from you."

Sanemi Shinazugawa paused for a moment, then coldly replied, "Come to my residence tomorrow. Tonight, I will be responsible for protecting my lord."

After saying that, he left without lingering.

Watching Shinazugawa Sanemi's retreating figure, Giyu Tomioka said to Jolyne, "That's Shinazugawa for you."

Jolyne glanced at Giyu Tomioka; this water pillar really didn't know how to talk.

What he meant to say was that "the River of Immortality has always been this irritable, so Jolyne shouldn't worry about it," but when he said it, he simplified it into another meaning.

Jolyne nodded.

“I know that Fengzhu is actually very considerate.”

He deliberately waited here instead of provoking Jolyne after she returned to the village, which was at least a way of giving Jolyne face.

Sanemi Shinazugawa, the Wind Pillar, also had a tragic life. He had seven siblings, his father was abusive, and his father was later beaten to death by others.

Sanemi Shinazugawa originally intended to protect his family with his younger brother, but one night, his mother went out and returned as a demon, and his youngest siblings were killed by their own mother.

He killed his mother, who had become a ghost, with his own hands. His only surviving brother, unaware of what had happened, angrily called him the murderer who killed their mother.

His irritable appearance was created to prevent others from thinking he was easy to bully. Apart from his relationship with demons, the Wind Pillar is actually a gentle person.

"If I can't become the Pillar of Wind even after learning the Breath of Wind, I might as well learn the Breath of Water and step down from my position as the Pillar of Water."

Although he was quite skeptical of Jolyne's statement that "the Wind Pillar is very considerate," Giyu Tomioka did not ask any questions. Instead, he spoke at length, a rare occurrence. Rather than discussing the Wind Pillar, he was more interested in finding someone to succeed the Water Pillar.

Jolyne rubbed her temples and bluntly refused, "Water Breathing is too gentle and doesn't suit me."

Water Breathing's attack methods are too gentle; he prefers to violently destroy his enemies.

Breath of the Wind is perfect for him, as it is powerful enough to attack and can effectively compensate for the blind spots in agility and ranged attacks.

"However, I can recommend a disciple to you."

"Who?"

"Hikigaya Hachiman."

One has the ability to communicate but doesn't want to, while the other wants to communicate but lacks the ability to communicate.

Jolyne is really looking forward to seeing Hachiman Hikigaya and Giyu Tomioka get along.

Giyu Tomioka pondered for a moment. The savior's follower in the prophecy shouldn't be too stupid. Teaching him to become a water pillar seemed like a good idea.

Back in the village, there were hardly any lights after dark, making it quite dark.

Yoshiyuki Tomioka led him to a wooden hut on the edge of the area.

"This place is vacant; you can stay here."

Jolyne bid farewell to Giyu Tomioka, pushed open the door, and found Yukino Yukinoshita and Hachiman Hikigaya sitting inside with candles lit.

"Oh, you two are both here."

Jolyne greeted them.

“Hey.”

This is Hachiman Hikigaya's response.

As for Yukino Yukinoshita, she was staring at Jolyne and said coldly, "Why did you keep this from us?"