Multiversal Chat Group: The Cultivator

As Lu Mingfei was casually enjoying the spectacle, he suddenly noticed Ren Asakura looking in his direction.

"Why are you looking at me?"

Ren smiled.

That smile sent a chill down Lu Mingfei's spine.

"Umm… Group Leader… my mom just called me home to take in the laundry, so I'll be going now!"

"Oh, no rush!"

At some point, Ren Asakura had silently appeared right beside Lu Mingfei, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

Seeing the gentle smile on Ren Asakura's face, Lu Mingfei swallowed nervously.

"Waaahhh!!!"

Still smiling, Ren Asakura spoke in an encouraging tone.

"Mingfei, you've been practicing swordsmanship for so long, but you haven't experienced a real battle yet. Your combat experience is seriously lacking. So, to help you improve, I had a little chat with our generous hosts, and they agreed! This is a rare opportunity."

A painful expression appeared on Lu Mingfei's face as if he had just realized something.

"Can I refuse?"

"Oh? You want to refuse? There aren't many places where you can train and transform yourself like this! The demons in there aren't strong—it's the perfect place for a newbie like you to build combat experience. If you go back to your own world and suddenly face a Dragon King, do you think you'll stand a chance without risking your life?"

Lu Mingfei had a strong feeling that Ren Asakura was tricking him, but he couldn't find any flaws in his reasoning.

Seeing that Lu Mingfei had stopped resisting, Ren Asakura patted his shoulder.

"Okay! That's settled then!"

Then, he turned toward the Ubuyashiki Clan Head.

"Mind lending us a Nichirin Sword?"

Ubuyashiki nodded and was about to have one of his men bring a sword over.

But Ren Asakura waved his hand.

"I got it."

With a casual flick of his wrist, a Nichirin Sword materialized in his hand.

He placed it in Lu Mingfei's grip.

"Good luck! I'll come pick you up in three days!"

Ren Asakura spoke with solemnity, as if sending him off on a life-or-death mission.

Lu Mingfei forced out a smile—one that looked worse than crying.

"Yeah… You better come pick me up!"

Ren Asakura smiled. "Off you go!"

Lu Mingfei suddenly found a hole opening beneath his feet. Before he could react, he fell straight down.

The place he landed? The Demon Slayer Corps' Final Selection site.

He hadn't expected to be sent over like this.

As the opening above him grew smaller and smaller, Lu Mingfei couldn't hold back his rage and shouted,

"You son of a—!"

Ren Asakura shook his head.

Still too inexperienced.

The Final Selection site was surrounded by wisteria trees, preventing demons from escaping and stopping outside demons from getting in.

Most of the demons inside were relatively weak ones captured by the Demon Slayer Corps.

At this point, there were still 400 years until the original story began.

That terrifyingly strong Hand Demon hadn't arrived yet, and even the current Upper Moons weren't the same as the ones from the main storyline.

Besides, Ren Asakura had already prepared countermeasures.

Lu Mingfei wouldn't die—of that, he was certain.

But suffer? Oh, he was definitely going to suffer.

—

Ren Asakura's powerful divine sense instantly locked onto Muzan Kibutsuji's hiding place.

No wonder no one could find him.

He had burrowed 100 meters underground into the Infinity Castle.

That constantly shifting domain was packed with demons.

The missing Twelve Kizuki had also been replenished.

"Looks like this is going to be fun," Ren Asakura said with a grin.

The night sky loomed overhead—this was the demons' time to roam.

Tamayo carefully carried her prepared experiment equipment, ready to set out.

Ravens flew overhead.

The Demon Slayer Corps was filled with tension.

The oppressive air before a decisive battle weighed heavily on everyone.

In just two days, all the Hashira who had been away on missions had returned.

The first assault against Muzan Kibutsuji was about to begin.

The reason they chose to attack at night was simple:

If they moved during the day, the demons would flee without hesitation.

Even so, this battle would be incredibly unfavorable for the Demon Slayer Corps.

Just like Kamado Tanjiro had once said…

Humans could only fight demons in the darkness of night, an environment that put them at a disadvantage.

The moment daylight arrived, demons would flee without hesitation.

In a traditional Japanese courtyard, all the strongest members of the Demon Slayer Corps had gathered.

At present, there were five Hashira in the Corps:

Flame Hashira, Rengoku Jiro.

Water Hashira, Suzuki Kinomi.

A beautiful woman with blue hair and a somewhat cold demeanor. She had been away on missions, but as soon as she heard about the plan to eliminate Muzan Kibutsuji, she returned immediately.

Thunder Hashira, Amano Yoshihide.

A stern-looking man wearing a yellow haori, with messy golden hair that partially covered his face.

Stone Hashira, Dan Ikuma.

A towering, two-meter-tall giant wielding a massive axe. His every breath was like the roar of thunder.

Wind Hashira, Fuuma Kotarou.

A short-statured man, but his presence was razor-sharp—like a blade slicing through the air.

Many other Demon Slayers participating in the mission were at a near-Hashira level. They had fully mastered Total Concentration Breathing, replacing their regular breathing with the technique even in their sleep.

Yoriichi observed these powerful warriors before glancing at Ren Asakura.

Ren Asakura simply gave an "OK" gesture.

Lord Ubuyashiki focused his mind—he was an exceptional strategist.

With a wave of his hand, Ren Asakura summoned a large, blue projection screen.

It was as clear as a modern LCD television, displaying a live feed from the Infinity Castle.

At the center of the largest screen stood a man dressed in a flowing black robe.

His presence radiated danger.

Yoriichi recognized him instantly.

Muzan Kibutsuji.

It was as if their very bloodlines had drawn them to this moment.

A fated confrontation.

Lord Ubuyashiki also understood immediately.

"That is Muzan Kibutsuji, the Demon King."

The eyes of every Demon Slayer in the room widened in shock.

This was the source of all demons.

The root of all their suffering.

Most of them had joined the Corps because demons had slaughtered their loved ones. Their hatred ran deep.

Lord Ubuyashiki coughed lightly and spoke,

"Remember, your mission is to assist Yoriichi-san in slaying Muzan Kibutsuji."

A thousand years of destiny had led to this moment.

For the first time in history, humanity was launching a direct offensive against the demons.

Lord Ubuyashiki then turned to Ren Asakura.

"Ren-san, I leave this to you."

Ren Asakura had described his abilities as a form of sorcery, distinct from Blood Demon Arts.

Lord Ubuyashiki had read ancient records suggesting that other nations existed beyond their own, and that their people had traveled abroad to learn from them.

The most frequently mentioned was the Tang Dynasty, a great empire that had brought back invaluable knowledge, rare plants, and advanced techniques.

If demons and Blood Demon Arts existed in their land, then it wasn't unreasonable to believe that other countries had similar supernatural abilities.

Ren Asakura didn't bother explaining further—this interpretation worked just fine.

°°°

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