"That is truly wonderful..."
Although he said this, Kokushibo was secretly shocked to see Ren becoming more energetic the longer they fought.
In particular, he was surprised to discover that during the battle, Ren's muscle density was constantly increasing.
In other words, he could continuously improve his physique through life-and-death combat with strong enemies.
'Is it a special constitution? You really are a man favored by the gods!'
A hideous and crazy smile overflowed on Kokushibo's face, his heart filled with both hatred and excitement.
'Yoriichi, do you see this? This guy's constitution is even more special than yours, and his potential is even greater than yours!'
'As long as I defeat him, I can surpass you!'
With this thought, Kokushibo's sword aura became even sharper, his fighting spirit rising to an unprecedented height.
"Moon Breathing, Second Form: Pearl Flower Moongazing!"
Kokushibo leaped up and retreated violently to distance himself from Ren. At the same time, he swung his blade continuously, sending crescent-shaped sword waves crashing toward Ren like a violent storm.
If this move were to hit Ren squarely, even if his physique was more than twenty times that of a normal person, he would definitely be chopped into mincemeat.
Moreover, interspersed between every sword wave were countless tiny chaotic moon blades. If one failed to notice them, they would undoubtedly be flayed alive by these small blades.
"What an exaggerated sword form, but this move is useless against me!"
Ren sneered, suddenly exerting force in both arms as he swung his heavy sword horizontally with extreme speed.
In an instant, the cold wind howled and whistled as the invisible airflow turned into a barrier, lingering around him.
"Wind Combat Technique: Whirlwind Flurry."
Bang, bang, bang...
The sound of intense sonic booms rose and fell incessantly; even from a kilometer away, it could be heard clearly.
After blocking a wave of Kokushibo's sword bombardment, Ren suddenly took a step forward. Although he was a hundred meters away from Kokushibo, to him, this distance was as close as being right in front of him.
Ren sped forward like the wind. Relying on his superhuman vision, hearing, smell, and perception of airflow, he danced through the storm of sword energy like a nimble swallow, perfectly dodging Kokushibo's attacks.
It could be said that he passed through a forest of flowers without a single leaf touching his body.
Seeing Ren getting closer and closer, Kokushibo swung his blade again to intercept him.
"Moon Breathing, Third Form: Loathsome Moon - Chains!"
Compared to the violent storm of the Second Form, the number of slashes in the Third Form was much lower, but its destructive power was a notch higher, sufficient to slice a human body into fragments.
"Useless! Whirlwind Flurry!"
Ren used his combat technique again to offset Kokushibo's slash, rushing toward him without reducing his speed.
In the blink of an eye, he arrived in front of Kokushibo.
"You seemed to have fun attacking just now! How about I show you my sword technique?"
"Earth Combat Technique: Meteor Destruction!"
As soon as the words fell, Ren had already raised the heavy Nichirin Sword high and chopped down heavily.
This sword strike was powerful and fierce; this sword strike was as swift as the wind!
Like a meteorite falling from the sky, it slashed toward Kokushibo carrying a majestic heavenly might.
Sensing the ferocity of this strike in advance, Kokushibo immediately retreated, but he was ultimately a step too slow.
Pu!
Even though Kokushibo had dodged in advance, he was still hit by the heavy sword. The demon sword in his hand, along with his right arm, were severed together, blood spraying out.
"To actually sever my arm..."
Although his right arm regenerated quickly, Kokushibo was still incomparably angry. His jealousy and hatred toward Ren reached an unprecedented height.
Unknowingly, in his heart, he had placed Ren at the same height as Tsugikuni Yoriichi—both were existences he could never catch up to while he was human.
'To follow in your footsteps, I chose to stop being human, Yoriichi! I must surpass you all!'
Kokushibo screamed in his heart as a new blade, Kyokokukamasari, grew out of his restored arm.
This sword was originally forged from his own flesh and blood, so he could naturally condense another one.
Furthermore, the new Kyokokukamasari blade was covered in crescent-shaped sharp blades, and the eyes on the back of the sword suddenly snapped open.
While appearing even more grotesque, it was also far more ferocious!
"Has it changed to the second phase?"
Looking at the grotesque blade, Ren muttered to himself.
Kokushibo's Moon Breathing had a total of sixteen forms. The first six forms were ones he could use during his human era, and their power was relatively weaker.
The latter ten forms, however, were developed after he became a demon. Their power was undoubtedly much greater, and they could only be executed by using that mutated blade.
Clearly, Kokushibo was intending to go all out.
"Planning to use your full strength? Then, I will also fire on all cylinders."
As Ren's heartbeat accelerated, red cloud-shaped markings appeared on his face, and blood-red steam seeped out of his pores.
This was because his body temperature was constantly rising, causing his blood to boil.
While feeling incomparably hot, Ren also felt as if he had inexhaustible power within his body.
"Has he already awakened the Mark?"
Relying on the Transparent World, Kokushibo immediately perceived that Ren's aura had skyrocketed several times over. He was far stronger than before, and his entire being was like a massive fireball.
Ren gripped the heavy Nichirin Sword, exerting slight force with his five fingers. The heavy sword entered the Bright Red Blade mode, and in an instant, firelight shot into the sky.
Scalding heat waves roared out, blowing against Kokushibo's face and causing his body to tremble slightly.
Previously, he had always thought that only those who learned Sun Breathing could turn their Nichirin Swords bright red. It wasn't until he watched the battle between Ren and Akaza that he understood that the manifestation of the Bright Red Blade had nothing to do with Breathing Styles.
But unfortunately, the Nichirin Sword he used before had been discarded by his own hands hundreds of years ago. Now, he had no chance to verify his conjecture.
"To awaken the Mark and the Bright Red Blade at such a young age, you really are a genius. But you probably don't know that anyone who awakens the Mark will eventually not live past twenty-five."
Thinking that Ren would soon die young, Kokushibo's jealous heart felt slightly better. However, Ren's next sentence caused him to instantly break down.
"I won't die!"
It was just a simple sentence, but it was like dancing on a minefield for Kokushibo, making him jump with rage once again.
He thought of Tsugikuni Yoriichi, the man who awakened the Mark yet died of old age; the man who could still sever his neck with a single strike on the verge of death.
"It's exactly this... it's exactly this arrogant attitude! That is why I detest you self-righteous geniuses!"
"Moon Breathing, Seventh Form: Mirror of Misfortune - Moonlit!"
Kokushibo quickly distanced himself from Ren and then swept out with that mutated blade.
In an instant, seven cutting slashes passed through like a gale, forcefully shattering the ground beneath their feet. They swept past Ren with the momentum of wind curling away clouds, determined to completely obliterate him!
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]