Alone and Infinite

Simply put, human metabolism has its limits, meaning there is a limit to the number of times cells can divide. Humans need oxygen, but oxygen can also lead to oxidation and the production of free radicals. As cells divide less and less, people age more and more.

The amount of oxygen inhaled during a single, full-force breath using breathing techniques is terrifying, and the amount of oxidation produced far exceeds that of natural breathing.

It's likely that Yoriichi Tsugikuni's cells are all positively mutated cancer cells, the kind that proliferate indefinitely!

Naturally hanging on the wall!

This defect was not a problem for him at all. He just couldn't believe that such a huge hall couldn't possibly lack a way to prolong life or infinitely divide itself.

"Xia Jun, have you thought of a way to deal with that bear?"

Tanjuro drank the medicine in one gulp, and his dull red eyes showed a hint of life compared to yesterday.

"Don't push yourself too hard. Although I can't help you grasp the complete version of Kagura, but—"

Men's friendships can sometimes be quite simple; a day is enough.

“I already have a plan—” Li Xia also drank the medicinal soup in one gulp. The pain from last night had already recovered a lot thanks to her 200% self-healing ability.

After so many trials, Li Xia gradually figured out the patterns in the trials.

The normal completion rating is obviously achieved by using the royal jelly from Yunqu Mountain mentioned in the 'Killer Bear' description as bait to ambush the enemy.

It sounds simple, but it's actually not that simple.

It's like digging a big pit, covering it with grass and honey, waiting for a stupid bear to fall in and then killing it without injury, or poisoning its food with sleeping pills or the like.

That's an insult to the intelligence of the killer bear.

Ground-sinking traps can be detected by smell; this isn't some fantastical plot, but a perfectly normal occurrence.

The original ground smell was continuous and uniform.

They dug a big pit, and suddenly the smell of deep soil filled the air. To the killer bear, it was like a light bulb in the dark—no wonder it couldn't work.

The same principle applies to food baits. Whether it's poison or anesthesia, to have an effect on a behemoth comparable to an elephant, the required dosage would be extremely large in this era when science was not yet advanced.

Either there's not a single drop of honey in it, or it's some kind of black technology like Blood Demon Magic.

Unfortunately, I can't do either of those things.

"Oh?" Tanjuro raised his head, a slight ripple appearing in his usually calm demeanor.

"Does this have anything to do with Murata taking Tanjiro to town so early in the morning?"

Li Xia nodded. He had brought a boat with him when he came, which Murata needed to dispose of, and that required Tanjiro's help.

As a local with excellent interpersonal relationships, having Tanjiro around makes everything much easier, whether it's taking action or purchasing 'sensitive' supplies.

Having learned that Li Xia was already prepared, Tanjuro stopped asking questions and began to teach Li Xia breathing techniques.

For example, how to maintain breathing, the connection between breaths—under such meticulous instruction, Li Xia felt as if the system was flooding the screen.

[You have received meticulous instruction from Tanjuro Kamado, increasing your proficiency in Sun Breathing (incomplete version) by 1%]

[You have received meticulous instruction from Tanjuro Kamado, increasing your proficiency in Sun Breathing (incomplete version) by 2%]

[You have received meticulous instruction from Tanjuro Kamado, and with a sudden flash of inspiration, your proficiency has increased by 5%]

As the sun began to set, Li Xia came to his senses and was astonished to find that in just one day, his Sun Breathing had actually reached the [Beginner (100%)] level.

【Sun Breathing (Incomplete Version)】(Beginner's Guide 100%): During the activation of the breath, strength will be increased by 70%, dexterity by 50%, and perception and reaction speed will be greatly improved.

[Skill Cost]: During the skill's duration, 1% of stamina is consumed per second.

[Skill Cooldown]: None

A realization dawned on Li Xia: he had probably done enough theoretical learning; what he lacked was that one crucial opportunity for a breakthrough.

And where does this opportunity come from? Naturally, it comes from a lot of practice or life-or-death battles.

Li Xia turned off the notification and was about to speak when she saw two people carrying things slowly approaching from the bottom of the hillside, the setting sun casting long shadows behind them.

Murata and Tanjiro have returned.

"Mr. Tanjuro," Li Xia stood up.

"Interested in trying out—a rifle?"

----------------

1. Monthly pass 2. Recommendation vote

Chapter 13 Death!

In fact, it was pretty much what Li Xia had thought.

With Tanjiro's help, the small boat sold for a good price, even though neither Murata nor Tanjiro knew what a rifle was.

However, following Li Xia's instructions, he found the village chief, explained that he wanted to hunt a bear, and successfully completed Li Xia's mission.

And they also received some excellent goods.

M1903 Springfield Rifle

Grade: White (Ultimate)

[Origin: Demon Slayer - Springfield Armory, USA]

Magazine capacity: 5 rounds of 7.62mm full-power ammunition

Damage Intensity: 4 (Tier 1)

Attack: 10-15

[Evaluation: Undoubtedly the best military rifle of its time]

[Note: This product is for use only within this world.]

In addition, there were several real spears.

[Bag-shaped gun]

Grade: White

【Origin: Demon Slayer - Saitama Prefecture, Koji Blacksmith Shop】

Damage Intensity: 2 (Tier 1)

Attack: 2-8

[Evaluation: A barely usable spear]

[Note: This product is for use only within this world.]

Arrange these items on the ground; in total, there is one Springfield M1903 and six bagged guns.

That was all that the awning boat, along with the pocket watch and the gold tooth, got in exchange.

Admittedly, there are many ways to complete the task, but Li Xia wants to choose the most difficult one, which is also the one with the most generous reward.

Face the terrifying giant bear head-on.

"Have you really decided?"

It was still that same cliff, and the two stood on the protruding rocks.

"Yes, this is my plan. If I don't even have the courage to fight it, I'm afraid I'll soon die at the hands of other monsters."

Li Xia carried a cloth bag slung over one shoulder, filled with all the bagged guns, and his smile held a calm acceptance of life and death.

"Of course, I'm not afraid of death, but I won't actively seek it out, so it's all up to Mr. Tanjuro."

Tanjuro quietly tightened his grip on the Springfield rifle in his hand, and nodded after a moment of silence.

Li Xia's plan was actually quite simple: to try to kill the giant bear head-on, but he had taken precautions for himself.

Once he finds himself in a certain death situation, Tanjuro will use his gun to attack the giant bear, giving Li Xia a chance to catch his breath.

This plan seems like a pipe dream and impossible to achieve, but now that we have Tanjuro, it has become a possibility.

Just as Li Xia had guessed, Tanjuro, who possessed the Changzhong Transparent World, wielded that rifle with unbelievable speed.

After only 10 test shots, he became a sharpshooter who never missed a shot.

Furthermore, Tanjuro's ability to see through the world allows him to clearly determine whether Li Xia is in a life-or-death situation, and he can also easily find the giant bear's weakness.

Li Xia waved goodbye, then, carrying his spear, walked alone towards the cliff.

"Then I'll go."

It was evening, and the setting sun cast its golden rays across the hillside like a veil of gold.

Li Xia stood in front of the cave, six long spears stuck in the grass beside him, casting long, slanted shadows.

The trees seemed to be ignited by the fiery sunlight, glowing with a bronze hue, and the light from between the branches and leaves pierced the ground like swords.

At first there was only a rustling sound, followed by heavy, drum-like footsteps, and the enormous creature slowly emerged from the dense forest in the distance.

The giant bear raised its head, its scarlet eyes reflecting the people not far away.

A man and a bear stood facing each other dozens of meters apart, without the slightest warning.

The giant bear charged straight at them, its four paws pounding the ground.

Fast! Faster than imagined, a speed disproportionate to its size, creating a strange sense of incongruity when combined with other elements.

Li Xia pulled out a long spear with his other hand and gripped it tightly.

There seemed to be fire burning in his deep brown pupils.

"Hiss—" Streams of air rushed toward his mouth and nose.

Concentrate—Breathe!

In that instant, my heart seemed to skip a beat, and an invisible force surged from every corner of my body.

Li Xia suddenly pushed off the ground and turned around, twisting his waist to generate power. The force was quickly transmitted from his legs along his spine to his arms, and then released like a volcanic eruption.

With a "whoosh," the javelin, like an arrow released from a bow, whistled through the air and, in the afterglow of the setting sun, pierced the charging giant bear like a streak of light.

Even such a monster only had time to turn its head slightly under the javelin before the spear pierced deep into the giant bear's body, and crimson blood flowed from the point of impact.

“Ahhhhhhhh!!”

The giant bear stood upright and let out a painful roar.

opportunity!

The hot breath, caused by rising body temperature, condenses into white mist that lingers between the mouth and nose.

Li Xia's eyes grew sharper, and he felt that the monster's movements seemed to have slowed down considerably at this moment.

He shouted sharply, and with a series of quick movements, three more streaks of light shot out.

A far more agonizing and piercing roar erupted from the giant bear's mouth.

The white fur on its belly was stained with blood, and the giant bear swung its paws to knock away the spears from its chest and abdomen.

It roared again and charged straight at him. Li Xia glanced at the prompt below.

You have dealt 5% damage to the Killer Bear, which has now been enraged.

You dealt 4% damage to the killer bear.

[6%, Killer Bear]

[3%, the killer bear has entered a state of frenzy]

Li Xia pursed his lips. The seemingly fierce four attacks had not actually caused serious injuries. This beast had simply never experienced pain before.

At this moment, the giant bear drew closer and closer, and in the blink of an eye, it pounced in front of him, its paws, as big as his head, raised high, ready to strike.

"Hiss—" Li Xia's feet suddenly burst out with tremendous power, and he quickly dodged to the side by alternating steps, causing the giant bear's attack, which was accompanied by a gale, to miss its target.

He twirled the spear in his hand, its tip gleaming coldly in the afterglow of the setting sun, and thrust it out in a sharp arc, aiming fiercely at its leg.

The giant bear cried out in pain, its thick paw sweeping across. Li Xia forcefully pushed his spear against the ground, using the momentum to fly backward.

Just as he was about to thrust his spear forward again, a sharp pain shot through his abdomen. Looking down, he saw a gruesome wound across his abdomen, as if cut by a knife, with blood dripping down his body.

The bear's paw claws still managed to scratch him.

The health bar in the lower right corner emptied a small portion, and Li Xia gasped in shock. This was just from a fingernail scraping against it.

But the giant bear showed no sign of stopping. It lowered its left paw and then raised its right paw to strike.