Power was gradually returning to its rightful form.
Lan Daotianwu stretched his arms, feeling the electric arcs dancing across his palms, and exhaled a deep plume of white smoke.
Indeed, he still needed to integrate with the system of this world to bypass the constraints of the "Heavenly Lock."
It might be considered a clever shortcut, but also a necessary one.
Magnetic rotation was a power that relied heavily on the environment. If the world would not allow it, no matter the talent, one could never surpass the natural limit.
Just like Jesus and Bodhidharma, who reached the "Star Breaker" state before the advent of magnetic power, yet were still bound by the reality of their environment.
The ancestors of the White family were no different.
Haifu, Oga, Hell, and Tiandao derived their power not only from innate talent but also from one crucial advantage the Lunar Sight.
Without the natural conditions of Lunar Sight, capable of fifty thousand units of power to unlock the world's Heavenly Lock, even these prodigies could not achieve such extraordinary strength.
Lan Daotianwu, therefore, could only advance his power by adapting to the world around him, combining this world's methods with his own magnetic abilities.
If his assumptions were correct, after this world ended, a powerful being would likely send him to another world, where he would continue refining his strength with unknown techniques.
Perhaps, though, that would not be necessary.
If his magnetic rotation reached a sufficient level, allowing him to reshape the physical environment as a radiation source, the effort might no longer be required.
"Still far from enough!"
Lan Daotianwu laughed as he thrust a punch forward. The heavy impact easily tore through the already crumbling mansion.
Outside, hurried footsteps finally indicated the arrival of government officials coming to investigate.
Shinobu helped the unconscious Murata to his feet. She should have left immediately, yet she paused, glancing at Lan Daotianwu standing calmly in the courtyard.
"You'd better leave here too," she said softly.
"Why should I leave? Why should I fear them?" Lan Daotianwu looked at her with amusement.
"Governments, collectives are you really afraid of these things? Do you and your organization not aspire to rise above them?"
"Our mission is simply to slay demons," she replied.
"Really? How pure and… foolish," Lan Daotianwu murmured.
He never feared authority or the masses. His upbringing had taught him to disdain such things.
Power decided everything. Authority, politics, stability they all had to bow before strength. Absolute dictatorship, absolute rule, absolute suppression whether the White family or other war gods, this had always been the case.
Freedom and equality were nearly nonexistent in their era. Any fool who suggested otherwise would be laughed at by the war gods.
"If you want to take on Muzan, you'd better act with us. At the very least, we have information you don't know."
Shinobu herself was unsure of her own boldness in saying this.
Perhaps it was fear and caution. She could see that the boy before her was not merely powerful, but someone who held authority and life itself in utter contempt.
His destructive potential was likely greater than nine or ten demons combined. He had dared to strike at the military just to lure Muzan. Who knew what he might do next?
It was safer to bring this ticking time bomb to their leader, but only with the leader's consent.
"Lead the way," Lan Daotianwu said calmly.
"You'd better hope I don't waste my time. I'm not fond of killing, but I never hesitate when it comes to it."
Shinobu remained silent for a moment, biting her lip slightly, then jumped away with Murata and the others.
Lan Daotianwu followed, but midway he changed direction. Only one voice, tinged with electricity, reached Shinobu's ears.
"I'll deal with some trash first."
By the time she registered his words, he had already vanished from sight. With a few leaps, he reached near Asakusa Shrine.
He saw Reiyuko crawling in the grass, her body charred, and crouched down with amusement.
"You're still alive? Such stubborn will to live. Even among demons, that's rare."
"Save… me…" Reiyuko pleaded, stretching her hands toward him. She no longer cared who he was, friend or foe she just wanted to survive.
Her small hands were covered in burn marks. Abandoned by Muzan, near death, she seemed to recall faint memories from her past as a human.
Her real name was Misakiko. She had been a merchant's daughter. One night, bandits raided her home, killing her father, assaulting her mother, and dragging her from a cabinet.
The leader removed his mask, revealing the horrifying face of her uncle, her father's own brother.
They broke her limbs, violated her completely, and left her to die in the snow.
But then what happened?
Dragging her battered body across the icy ground, her sole intent was to survive. She begged, crawled, and yet no one came to help.
Finally, she encountered a demon, pale as death.
"Strong will to survive, but useless otherwise," it said.
Her first act as a demon was to kill her uncle, then his family of five. When he returned home to celebrate his youngest daughter's birthday, she devoured the child piece by piece before him.
Savoring their screams, tasting despair, she fully abandoned her past self. Only the demon Reiyuko remained.
This was her story as a human: simple, pure, yet tragic.
Lan Daotianwu decided to save her not out of pity, but for practical reasons. Reiyuko was a tool, a source of useful information.
He did not care about her past or whether she had eaten humans. His concern was only for himself.
He did not fully trust Shinobu or her organization. Securing information in both hands was the best way to prevent accidents.
"This might hurt a bit," Lan Daotianwu said lightly, placing his hand on Reiyuko's charred face.
"I've tried this kind of treatment before, but I think you can endure it."
Electricity surged through his palm, fifty-eight thousand volts converging. Countless filaments invaded Reiyuko's body.
This was no healing. He merely neutralized the residual ultraviolet radiation inside her cells, which her immune system could not eliminate.
The result was unimaginably painful.
"Ahhh!"
Reiyuko screamed as agony tore through her body like a thousand steel saws.
After roughly five seconds, Lan Daotianwu looked at what remained a small clump of tissue about the size of a ball and stood, turning away.
Whether she survived would depend entirely on her will to live. If she did, she would inevitably come to him.
"I see… now I understand," Yoriichi Tsugikuni said gently as he lay on his sickbed at the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, addressing the returning messenger crow.
"Go tell Shinobu to bring Mr. Bai here, cough cough cough."
He coughed violently mid-sentence. His wife, Amane, handed him a warm cloth to wipe the blood-stained towel, a sad expression on her face.
"Are you sure you want this unknown man to see you?"
Amane worried, knowing it was not a rational choice. The Demon Slayer Corps had hidden the headquarters for centuries to prevent Muzan from finding it.
"Rest assured, Amane. This Bai Daotianwu cannot be Muzan's ally," Yoriichi said weakly, leaning into her.
"I know Muzan well. He is cautious, even cowardly. He would never allow such a powerful subordinate, let alone one flaunting his name."
"But even so, he is still extremely dangerous," Amane frowned.
Shinobu's letter detailed everything, including their conversation with Lan Daotianwu. She had asked what he would do if Muzan could not be found.
"I'd smash the head of the emperor, or maim the crown prince. If that fails, I'd kill several officials and pin it on Muzan. If still unsuccessful, I wouldn't hesitate to seize power temporarily, forcing the government to find him. Failing that, I'd make them feel pain worse than death."
Lan Daotianwu spoke casually. The words sounded innocent but terrifying in practice.
Using government power without Muzan's knowledge was beyond the Corps' imagination.
Their culture was rigid, and such brazen, wild methods were inconceivable. But Lan Daotianwu had no concept of hierarchy or respect.
Even among the royal White family, no one had claimed inherent nobility. Strength alone determined value. Bloodlines, institutions, or skills were merely minor additions under the shadow of power.
Without strength, nothing mattered.
Magnetic masters respected only the strong. No politician, ancient family, or wise elder could command their reverence.
Lan Daotianwu's upbringing tempered him somewhat, but compared to most of the world, magnetic masters were radical and extreme.
"Master, such a dangerous man could turn against you…"
"But can I simply ignore him?" Yoriichi said weakly, holding a bloodstained towel.
"I do not know his exact grievance with Muzan, but he is at least an enemy. He improves our chances against that monster."
His grip tightened, his eyes sharp despite their failing vision.
Time was short. His own life might end within a year, yet the curse of Muzan and the Tsugikuni family would continue. Each generation suffered early death under torment.
He would not let his descendants repeat this cycle.
The strongest pillars of his generation, plus a child capable of breaking Muzan's control, offered hope. And now, fate had sent someone even stronger, like the swordsman who had created the breathing techniques.
Yoriichi could not stop his resolve. He would end this tragic cycle in his generation.
As for Lan Daotianwu, whether he became a greater threat than Muzan was irrelevant.
To Yoriichi, as long as Lan Daotianwu was human, no matter how fearsome, his actions could not be called a disaster. Humans had always killed humans far more than Muzan ever could.
Muzan existed to be stopped because he was the origin of demons, a predator of humanity. This species conflict justified any means necessary. Human conflicts were merely internal affairs.
Yoriichi knew they had to enlist Lan Daotianwu.
He had no foolish ideas about "killing a demon only to create a greater demon." He had no time for such thoughts.
If Lan Daotianwu wished to assassinate the emperor or wreak havoc to confront Muzan, so be it.
As long as he remained human, Yoriichi would accept it.
"Even without an emperor, the nation continues. Even without a country, the world endures."
Yoriichi whispered in Amane's embrace, drifting into a drowsy haze.
"But Muzan, that monster, must die."