A person in Japan, a sword that soars to immortality.

On the ship, Taiyi was meditating by the side of the ship, while Axia sat opposite him, staring at him with dead fish eyes.

"Hey, you're really boring. All you do all day is meditate and travel. Don't you have anything else you want to do?"

Ah Xia, resting her chin on her hand, asked with a displeased expression.

[Essence +5]

[Qi and blood +5]

Taiichi's ears twitched, then he slowly exhaled before opening his eyes with a look of relief.

Accompanied by a gentle sea breeze, and Ah-Xia's adorable expression, and behind her, the shimenawa rope resembling butterfly wings, did not respond to her complaints, but instead spoke softly:

"A beautiful woman dances like a butterfly, leaning against the sea and listening to the wind."

"What are you saying? I don't understand." Ah Xia rolled her eyes, then stood up and stretched. Looking at the dock in front of her, her eyes suddenly lit up. She then put her foot on the gunwale, pointed to her thigh, and said:

"Hey, Taichi, now that we're in Okayama, let's go to a kimono shop. Look, my leggings are all torn."

It's called leg bindings, but it's actually just Ah-Xia's black fishnet stockings.

As Taiyi listened to her words, he inadvertently glanced at her beautiful legs.

My heart skipped a beat at first glance, but I consciously calmed it down.

But the next second, he raised an eyebrow.

[Spiritual Energy +1]

Ok? ? ?

"Can mental stimulation enhance the spirit?"

Taiyi's control over his body is now unparalleled; he can quickly detect even the slightest changes.

Now his Qi and blood, as well as his essence, are growing steadily, but the growth of his spirit is causing him some headaches.

Unless, as before, one breaks through one's own mental barriers, that is, slays one's inner demons, one's spiritual soul can grow rapidly.

However, such opportunities are rare and unstable.

But now it's different; I've finally found a way to steadily increase my spiritual power.

This discovery delighted him.

It is important to know that the power of the soul is especially important for the refinement and utilization of Qi.

It can be said that if one's Qi and Blood power is 100 points and one's Spiritual Soul power is only 50 points, then one can only exert 50% of the Qi and Blood power.

But once the power of the soul is also 100%, then one can exert 100% of the power of blood and qi!

"Ah Xia, I have a request, please grant it."

Taiyi changed to a sitting posture and said in a serious tone.

"Huh? What is it?" Seeing Taiyi's expression, she immediately realized it must be something serious, otherwise Taiyi wouldn't be so serious. Therefore, she sat down as well and said with a solemn expression:

"Is there an enemy? Or have you discovered something? I promise you!"

"Please, from now on, you must seduce me often! I beg you!" Taiyi lowered his head, his tone extremely sincere.

"what?"

A-Xia tilted her head, staring blankly at Tai-Yi for a moment, then a cruel smile appeared on her lips.

Snapped!

......

Okayama Domain, the next town in Uchiyama.

On the bustling street, a striking couple stood.

The man was tall and imposing, with long hair simply tied back. He wore a black haori over a red and white kimono and hakama. The gleaming gold scabbard at his waist and the blue peacock at his feet were particularly striking; anyone who passed by would take a second look.

The woman was petite and charming, with a goldfish headdress swaying in the wind. Her orange-red off-shoulder hair was paired with a white bandage-covered bodice, brown butterfly-wing ribbons, and black fishnet stockings, which added a touch of wildness to her already mysterious and alluring temperament.

"Haha, Aya, look, that's the castle tower of the Okayama Domain. It's really magnificent."

Taiyi, holding the sword hilt, with his right hand on his hip, laughed loudly, looking up at the sky.

However, the clear handprint on one cheek made his current boldness seem somewhat incongruous.

"Humph!"

A-Xia crossed her arms in front of her chest, turned her head to one side, rolled her eyes, and didn't want to pay attention to Tai-Yi.

What the hell? How could they make such an outrageous request?!

"Alright, alright, I already explained it to you, didn't I? It really was for training!" Taiichi touched his cheek, the handprint disappearing instantly as he circulated his breathing technique. Then he pointed to the yakitori shop ahead:

"Now that we've arrived, the first thing we should do is gather intelligence."

Noticing that Taiichi had become serious, Aya also put away her temper, nodded, and followed Taiichi into the yakitori shop.

Joking aside, she hadn't forgotten the purpose of her trip: to capture Rikutaro, the giant who had wreaked havoc in Bizen, which is now the Okayama Domain.

The two had barely sat down when they heard many rumors about Rikutaro in the hall.

Unfortunately, there weren't many entertainment options in this era. The news circulating on the streets was mostly about love affairs, theft, robbery, or who had been tested with a knife—nothing particularly explosive.

Only the incident involving Rikutaro quickly attracted everyone's attention.

This is because Rikutaro from Asatsuki Village displayed superhuman strength shortly after his birth.

In Okayama, there is another figure from the cherry blossom myth: Momotaro.

At first, everyone regarded Rikutaro as a god, the human incarnation of Momotaro.

But when seven-year-old Rikutaro accidentally knocked his parents apart with a slap while playing with stones, he was no longer Momotaro's human incarnation, but a demon.

The Okayama Domain even organized a special force to capture Rikutaro, but each time they went, their team was wiped out. There were even rumors that Rikutaro was planning to attack Okayama Castle.

Listening to the occasional chatter from the crowd, Taiichi and Aya looked at each other, and even with the grilled "momo" (grilled chicken leg meat) placed in front of them, neither of them had any desire to eat it.

"It seems this matter will be a bit difficult."

Taiyi picked up his wine glass, brought it to his lips, and frowned as he pondered.

Compared to fighting the Crying Gyuki, Rikutaro's strength might not be as despair-inducing, but in a fight, it wouldn't be much different.

"Strictly speaking, the absolute ceiling of human power in Hell Music is none other than Rikutaro."

They are born with the ability to control Qi, and do not need to cultivate it. As they grow naturally, their strength will increase rapidly, like a rocket.

So much so that a slap is as powerful as a cannon, uprooting a tree as easily as pulling up a blade of grass.

Bare-handed, he could withstand Zorki's slashes head-on, and as long as he wasn't cut into the joints, his body wouldn't be damaged.

It's practically indestructible!

"We've heard enough news, it's time for us to go."

Taiyi tossed a stack of copper coins from his pocket and stood up as he spoke.

"Taiichi~~~Should we go straight to Rikutaro now?"

Ah Xia wiped her mouth and didn't rush to get up.

She hooked one finger around her strapless top and pulled it down, revealing her determination. With her other hand supporting her cheek, she looked at Taiyi with dreamy eyes.

Ok?

Hiss~ Whoosh~

[Spiritual Energy +1]

"We will first pay our respects to the daimyo, and then wait for a set of special tools to be delivered before we set off."

Taiyi took a deep breath, rolled his eyes upward, and stared at the ceiling as he spoke.

"Special tools?"

Seeing the other person's expression, A-Xia secretly found it amusing, but still asked the question calmly.

"A specially made iron net and chains, a generous donation from the Demon Slayer Corps."

Taiyi said with a chuckle.