Regarding the Hinokami Kagura demonstrated by Tanjiro, Su Yan only had one word to describe it.
Weird!
Extremely weird!
Logically speaking, as the strongest breathing style in Demon Slayer, Sun Breathing should have something special about it, right?
However, looking at the movements Tanjiro displayed, it felt somewhat unremarkable.
Su Yan looked at Busujima Saeko beside him and noticed her reaction was similar to his own. She was somewhat disappointed by this so-called Sun Breathing.
Su Yan pondered for a moment; this shouldn't be the case. Just looking at the other breathing styles derived from Sun Breathing, Tanjiro was able to slice a massive boulder taller than himself in half using Water Breathing after mastering it.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration crossed Su Yan's mind, as if he had realized something. He looked again at Tanjiro, who was performing Sun Breathing a short distance away.
Sure enough!
This time, he discovered the hidden profoundness of the breathing style.
He couldn't help but secretly marvel at Yoriichi Tsugikuni, who created this breathing style during the Sengoku period.
However, he chose not to immediately reveal this secret to Busujima Saeko. Instead, he quietly watched Tanjiro until the boy had performed the entire set of Sun Breathing sword forms in front of them.
Only then did Su Yan speak up, asking Busujima Saeko, "Senior Saeko, what do you think?"
"A huge disappointment," Busujima Saeko shook her head, speaking bluntly.
"Huh?" Hearing Busujima Saeko's evaluation of her brother's Hinokami Kagura dance, Nezuko asked in astonishment, "How could that be?"
Wasn't this supposed to be a sword technique created by the strongest swordsman? Why would it receive such a poor evaluation from this older sister?
Did her brother Tanjiro perform it incorrectly? Or had the Hinokami Kagura changed over hundreds of years of inheritance?
If that was the case, could it still be used to slay demons?
"Don't worry, this sword technique isn't as bad as she thinks," Su Yan said, patting Nezuko's head to comfort her. "On the contrary, in my eyes, your family's Hinokami Kagura is actually quite terrifying."
"Terrifying?" Busujima Saeko paused for a moment. She subconsciously reflected on whether she had missed something just now. Otherwise, why would Su Yan give such high praise to such an ordinary sword technique? She immediately turned her gaze to Su Yan, anticipating his answer.
"Mr. Su Yan, how was it?" At this moment, Tanjiro Kamado, having finished the entire set of the Hinokami Kagura dance, walked back and asked curiously.
Su Yan replied, "Mr. Tanjiro, could I trouble you to demonstrate it one more time? My friend didn't see it clearly."
"Alright." Tanjiro didn't refuse. He walked back to the clearing from earlier, ready to perform the Hinokami Kagura dance once again.
"Senior Saeko, watch it again, but this time remember to use Gyo," Su Yan finally revealed the secret he had discovered to Busujima Saeko beside him.
"Gyo?" Busujima Saeko was taken aback, instinctively blurting out, "Could it be..."
"Watch it first before you say anything," Su Yan smiled, not explaining further. After speaking, he fell silent, gently ruffled Nezuko's hair, and watched Tanjiro's performance together with them once more.
This time, Busujima Saeko followed Su Yan's advice. She focused her Nen into her eyes, utilizing the advanced Nen technique known as Gyo. She then looked at Tanjiro Kamado a short distance away.
She saw it.
When he executed the sword forms of Sun Breathing, the weapon in his hands emitted a golden color resembling flames. Furthermore, his body was covered in a thin layer of Nen. Although it appeared extremely faint and flickered in and out of visibility, it was undeniably there.
"..." Busujima Saeko looked at Su Yan with an expression of disbelief.
Su Yan nodded.
He had previously thought that the breathing style couldn't possibly be so unremarkable, and then he recalled the lore regarding the breathing styles in Demon Slayer. The breathing styles themselves did not generate actual elements; the elemental visuals shown in the anime were merely special effects. It was just that the more proficient a swordsman was in a breathing style, the more they could hallucinate the inherent visual effects of the breathing style when executing the sword forms.
Thus, struck by a flash of inspiration, Su Yan thought of using Gyo to observe the breathing style. This single glance allowed Su Yan to completely uncover the hidden secret within the breathing style.
He discovered that when Tanjiro executed the sword forms of Sun Breathing while coordinating with a specific breathing rhythm, his body was instinctively using Nen. Although it was very weak and couldn't be freely controlled like a true Nen user, it definitely existed.
Su Yan mused inwardly that perhaps Yoriichi Tsugikuni from four hundred years ago was a natural-born Nen user. It was just that, without anyone to guide him, he had figured out the breathing style on his own—a method that only allowed for a very superficial application of Nen through bodily instinct.
He had to admit, Yoriichi Tsugikuni was truly an exceptional figure. To be able to invent a breathing style that allowed even ordinary people to systematically train and instinctively manipulate life energy without any guidance was truly incredible.
One must know that even with a clear understanding of Nen, it still took them over a year to finally help Minami Rika successfully master the life energy within her body. If they had possessed a skill like the breathing style earlier, who knows how much time it could have saved Minami Rika.
But it wasn't too late now. Originally, Su Yan had no interest in the so-called breathing styles. However, looking at it now, before they could travel to the Hunter x Hunter world to learn the orthodox Nen system, the utility of these breathing styles might be far more important to them than he had imagined.
"Mr. Su Yan, do you need me to demonstrate it again?" Even though he had already demonstrated it twice, Tanjiro didn't feel the slightest bit fatigued.
Su Yan replied, "No need, we've already memorized it."
"That fast?" Tanjiro felt a hint of surprise, but he quickly accepted it and continued, "Then I will now tell you about the breathing techniques of the Hinokami Kagura."
"I'll have to trouble you then," Su Yan said politely.
"It's no trouble, no trouble at all," Tanjiro quickly responded.
He then began to explain the breathing rhythm of Sun Breathing to Su Yan, as well as what kind of breathing techniques needed to be coordinated when executing the sword forms. He didn't shy away from Busujima Saeko and Nezuko, who were standing nearby.
After sharing all the information he knew about the Hinokami Kagura with Su Yan and the others, and waiting for a while, Tanjiro finally mustered the courage to say to Su Yan, "Mr. Su Yan, since you know so much, you must be someone who specializes in dealing with demons."
"I wanted to ask, if I want to join you, what do I need to do?"
"I know my personal strength is very weak, but..."
"But I don't want to see anyone else suffer what happened to my mother and the others ever again."
"I hope I can contribute my strength to this cause!"
Facing Tanjiro's question, Su Yan wasn't in a hurry to answer. Instead, he slowly uttered a single word.
"Who?"
Tanjiro was confused.
Su Yan continued, "Come out!"
As Su Yan's voice fell, a figure wearing a two-toned haori emerged from the darkness, his right hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
He glanced at Kie Kamado and the others tied up to the side, then shifted his gaze to Su Yan, who was the most conspicuous figure by the campfire.
Then, expressionless, he asked in a cold voice, "There's a heavy stench of blood. What happened here?"
"Did a demon appear? Or could it be..."
The newcomer looked at Su Yan with an unfriendly gaze, his eyes falling on the silver-white chains in Su Yan's hands.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]