Why does the world show a health bar? !

Mount Sagiri wasn't too far from the Butterfly Estate where the Kocho family lived. Following the route provided by the "Kakushi," Li Mo arrived at his destination in about four or five days.

He had originally been heading in this direction, but a chance encounter with a demon at night had caused him to deviate from his path.

At the foot of Mount Sagiri stood a wooden cabin. This was where Sakonji Urokodaki trained swordsmen. Mount Sagiri was remote, and the area was part of a vast mountain range. Finding this cabin in such a place would have been difficult without the guidance of the Kakushi. Without their help, Li Mo would have wasted a lot of time trying to locate it.

But in the end, Li Mo finally met Sakonji Urokodaki.

Sakonji Urokodaki was an elderly man dressed in traditional blue clothing, wearing a tengu mask.

His face was hidden, and his spirit was unreadable. Yet, instinct told Li Mo that this man was extraordinary.

The answer lay in his breathing. Urokodaki's breathing was steady, giving Li Mo a familiar feeling—it was the same sensation he experienced when using Total Concentration Breathing.

Though Urokodaki was now old, the habits of his youth remained.

"So, you're the foreigner who wants to learn?"

"Yes. Here's my letter of introduction."

Li Mo handed over the recommendation letter from Himejima Gyomei. It wasn't written by Himejima himself but was dictated by him and transcribed by the Kakushi.

Urokodaki read the letter. Its contents matched the message delivered by a crow a few days prior. He knew of Himejima Gyomei, the inheritor of the "Stone Breathing" style and the most likely candidate to become the next "Stone Hashira." The position of Stone Hashira had been vacant for many generations. More importantly, Himejima was a talent personally acknowledged by the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps.

At just eighteen years old, Himejima had defeated demons with his bare hands. He was undoubtedly a genius.

Urokodaki saw potential in the man before him. Not only did he already know Breathing Techniques, but he had also killed a demon without a Nichirin Blade. Additionally, there was the letter from the leader.

"Let's test your abilities first."

That day, the air was misty. After accepting the recommendation letter, Urokodaki made this suggestion.

Test?

How would they test?

Of course, it would be through hand-to-hand combat.

What followed made Li Mo understand why, in his youth, the legendary martial artist Kaioh Kaku had abandoned his physical strength and become obsessed with perfecting technique. Despite being younger and stronger than Urokodaki, Li Mo couldn't land a single hit. If it weren't for his instinctive ability to dissipate force, the fight wouldn't have lasted as long as it did.

"Your technique is interesting, but your foundation is too weak. You don't even know how to use your waist to generate power. I'm starting to doubt the truth of you killing two demons," Urokodaki said, his tengu mask hiding his expression.

"Isn't it just a matter of brute force? Demons are only slightly stronger than me, and their technique is far inferior. Why wouldn't I win?" Li Mo replied matter-of-factly.

Demons were once human. After becoming demons, their sudden increase in strength made them adept at overwhelming their opponents, not fighting on equal terms.

"You've mastered Breathing Techniques, so it's natural for you to achieve this. But… your foundation is too weak! You're completely wasting your talent."

"Training starts today!"

"Does this mean you've accepted me as your student, Mr. Urokodaki?"

The answer was clearly yes.

Though Li Mo didn't know why Urokodaki didn't question the origin of his Breathing Techniques, he had officially become his student.

Seemingly distressed by Li Mo's wasted potential, Urokodaki immediately began his training. Li Mo had expected to train on the mountain, but Urokodaki's plan was to focus on improving his flexibility.

Splits, leg stretches, lunges…

These exercises sounded simple, right?

But in reality…

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! I'm dying, I'm dying! Master Urokodaki, have mercy! It hurts so much…"

Li Mo regretted it almost immediately. Forcing his body into these positions was excruciating.

"Stop whining! Keep going."

In Li Mo's eyes, Urokodaki had transformed into a demon. Every movement brought unbearable pain. The fact that Li Mo hadn't cried for his mother was his last shred of dignity. According to the tengu-masked master, Li Mo had the physical strength but lacked flexibility. The first phase of training would focus on improving his flexibility before moving on to other exercises.

The long, grueling session finally ended. By the time it was over, Li Mo was mentally drained. It wasn't until Urokodaki applied medicinal ointment to his sore muscles that he began to recover. When it came to applying the ointment to more private areas, Li Mo had to do it himself, snapping him out of his daze.

Seriously, it was only the first day, and he had just been accepted as a student. Was this level of strictness necessary? Was it some kind of initiation?

As he applied the ointment, Li Mo finally felt some relief.

Once the ointment was applied, Li Mo remembered another important question. He poked his head out of the cabin and asked, "Mr. Urokodaki, when are we having dinner?"

"Wait a little longer," Urokodaki replied from the doorway.

Wait? For what?

Li Mo didn't know what Urokodaki was planning. He went back inside and lay down, too exhausted to move.

About twenty minutes later, as dusk settled, he heard a conversation outside. One voice was Urokodaki's, and the other was a woman's.

"Makomo, you're back later than usual today."

"Sorry, Master Urokodaki. I thought my new junior might arrive today, so I got a little distracted."

"Adjust your focus tomorrow. Prepare dinner."

"Yes, Master Urokodaki."

With the sound of light footsteps, the door opened. Then, the footsteps stopped in front of Li Mo.

In his line of sight appeared a girl with short black hair. Instantly, Li Mo was captivated by her clear, gentle eyes.

"You must be my new junior, right? Hello," the girl said with a warm smile.

"Hello, Senior Sister."

"Great. It looks like you've been doing stretching exercises. Please don't blame Master Urokodaki for being harsh. He's actually very kind. When he heard you were coming, he went up the mountain to hunt a wild boar for us. We'll have boar meat tonight. You might not have tried it before, but it's really delicious."

"I heard you've already killed a demon before coming here. That's amazing! I'm sure you'll become even stronger under Master Urokodaki's guidance."

"Alright, I'll go prepare dinner now. Junior, I look forward to working with you."

The girl chattered on, seemingly defending Urokodaki's strictness.

But Li Mo wasn't upset at all.

During dinner, Li Mo learned the girl's name.

—Makomo.