"Alright, let's start training!" Kyoujurou said cheerfully upon seeing Chiba Yo.
"Okay, I'll do my best," Chiba Yo nodded and said firmly.
Chiba Yo then followed the Flame Pillar to the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters training ground, where two other people were present.
Both were girls; one had long black hair with purple tips at the front bangs, a butterfly hair ornament on her head, purple pupils, and wore the Demon Slayer Corps uniform with a haori featuring a butterfly wing pattern over it.
The other also had black hair and purple eyes, wearing the Demon Slayer Corps uniform, with a knee-length black pleated skirt and white long boots, and a white cape with a dark pink bow tie over her uniform.
At this moment, the two seemed to be practicing sword techniques, and upon seeing Kyoujurou and Chiba Yo arrive, Kochou Shinobu and Kanao Tsuyuri temporarily stopped.
"Mr. Rengoku is back, how was the mission?" Kochou Shinobu put away her nichirin blade and stepped forward with a smile to greet him.
Kyoujurou didn't speak, looking at Chiba Yo behind him.
Upon seeing Kyoujurou's reaction, Kochou Shinobu seemed to understand something, her smile fading as she looked at Chiba Yo with a sympathetic expression. Kanao, as usual, had a somewhat blank smile on her face.
"This is my new Tsuguko, his name is Chiba Yo!" Kyoujurou broke the silence first, introducing Chiba Yo to Kochou Shinobu and Kanao in a cheerful voice.
He then introduced Kochou Shinobu to Chiba Yo: "Xiao Yang, she is the Insect Pillar of our Demon Slayer Corps. She is a respectable strong individual who can develop poisons targeting demons and fights without being affected by her physical disadvantage!"
His voice was as cheerful as ever.
"Insect Pillar-sama," Chiba Yo respectfully greeted Kochou Shinobu after hearing Kyoujurou's introduction.
Kyoujurou had previously introduced him to the Demon Slayer Corps' ranking system, and as the strongest existences in the Demon Slayer Corps, Chiba Yo felt it necessary to be respectful towards them.
"Mr. Rengoku truly overpraises me. Xiao Yang, you don't need to be so respectful. You can just call me Shinobu-jie jie from now on," Kochou Shinobu said with a smile to Chiba Yo, feeling a little embarrassed by Kyoujurou's praise.
"Yes! Shinobu-jie jie," Chiba Yo replied, greeting her respectfully again.
Kochou Shinobu was a bit helpless at this.
"She is my Tsuguko, Kanao Tsuyuri. You two should be about the same age, right? How old are you, Xiao Yang, now?" Kochou Shinobu then introduced Kanao next to her to Chiba Yo.
"15 years old," Chiba Yo replied.
"He's even a year younger than Kanao," Kochou Shinobu sighed.
"Kanao should be participating in the Final Selection soon, right?" Kyoujurou asked Kochou Shinobu.
"Yes," Kochou Shinobu nodded.
"You can do it!" Kyoujurou loudly encouraged Kanao.
Kanao merely smiled back at Kyoujurou.
"Alright, our training for today is almost complete, so we'll be heading back now."
After saying this, Kochou Shinobu left with Kanao.
"Rengoku-sensei, what is the Final Selection you just mentioned?" Chiba Yo asked Kyoujurou after Kochou Shinobu and Kanao left.
"The Final Selection is the final assessment to become a Demon Slayer Corps member. The content is to survive for seven days on Mount Fujikasane, which is inhabited by demons. As long as you pass this assessment, you can obtain your nichirin blade and become a Demon Slayer Corps swordsman," Kyoujurou explained to Chiba Yo.
After hearing Kyoujurou's words, Chiba Yo felt a bit confused; he felt this assessment seemed too simple.
The Green-skinned demon before was something he could easily deal with, and although he later learned that these demons must be killed by sunlight or beheaded by a nichirin blade, Chiba Yo still felt it wasn't difficult.
Moreover, this Final Selection only required surviving for seven days in that mountain, so it was possible to pass even without killing any demons.
Perhaps the demons there are all extremely powerful, Chiba Yo thought to himself.
"However, the Final Selection is still too early for you. You must first gain my approval before you can participate in the Final Selection. So! Start training hard! First, do two hundred push-ups!" Kyoujurou shouted to Chiba Yo with full enthusiasm.
"Yes! Rengoku-sensei!" Chiba Yo replied, then immediately lay on the ground and started doing push-ups.
At the same time, he quickly adjusted his breathing, exhaling a white mist from his mouth.
!
Kyoujurou was instantly startled by what he had just seen.
Breathing Technique? I haven't taught him that yet.
Unsure, Kyoujurou approached Chiba Yo and observed him.
"113! 114! 115! 116!..."
Chiba Yo focused on his push-ups, his breathing rhythm extremely even. After doing so many push-ups in a row, there wasn't a single drop of sweat on his face, and he looked very relaxed.
After observing closely, Kyoujurou finally saw it clearly.
It was indeed a Breathing Technique, unlike any specific style, and it had even reached the level of Total Concentration Breathing, Constant, where he unconsciously maintained Total Concentration Breathing at all times.
Kyoujurou was silent; the current situation was beyond his imagination.
"197! 198! 199! 200!"
Chiba Yo finished two hundred push-ups, stood up from the ground, still without a single drop of sweat on his face, looking very relaxed.
"Rengoku-sensei, I'm done. What's the next training?" Chiba Yo asked Kyoujurou.
It was indeed Total Concentration Breathing, Constant; it hadn't stopped even now.
Kyoujurou was staring at Chiba Yo, his heart filled with shock. Hearing Chiba Yo's words, he asked, "Xiao Yang, when did you learn Breathing Technique?"
Chiba Yo was stunned by the question.
"I haven't learned a Breathing Technique. Sensei hasn't taught me yet…"
However, he quickly realized something, slapped his forehead, and said with sudden understanding:
"Oh, is Rengoku-sensei talking about my method of adjusting my breathing? I figured this out when I was five or six years old. By adjusting my breathing, I can greatly increase my strength and stamina, allowing me to do many things I normally couldn't. This way, I can help my mo—…"
As he spoke, Chiba Yo couldn't help but recall past events, and a wave of sadness washed over him.
However, he quickly composed himself.
Mother must have wanted me to live well, just like how I felt when I saw her wanting to end her life back then…
Chiba Yo was silent for a moment, then asked Kyoujurou, "Is this what a Breathing Technique is?"
"Yes, it certainly seems to be a Breathing Technique, and it has already reached a very high level of Breathing Technique, Total Concentration Breathing, Constant, which means maintaining Total Concentration Breathing all day long," Kyoujurou nodded and said.