Uchiha Bing spoke very bluntly.
Facing a gentle Japanese-style protagonist like Kamado Tanjiro, pitching straight and direct yielded the best results.
Tanjiro blinked, slightly surprised.
Among those participating in the Final Selection, there was actually someone who didn’t know any Breathing Style?
How did he kill demons then?
Relying solely on physical fitness?
“I am self-taught; no one has ever taught me a Breathing Style.”
Uchiha Bing saw through Tanjiro’s confusion and pointed at the nichirin blade at his waist.
“Before participating in the selection, I only practiced basic physical training, and this nichirin blade was picked up from someone else.”
Tanjiro froze for a moment, then wore a serious expression.
To forcibly kill demons without knowing a Breathing Style—it seemed this was another pitiful person with a deep, irreconcilable hatred for vicious demons.
Most people in the Demon Slayer Corps had similar backgrounds; friends and family members always died at the hands of vicious demons, and the aftermath of demons consuming humans was gruesome, easily provoking hatred in people.
Thinking of his lost family and the days of bitter training on Mount Sagiri, they were all companions in slaying demons; since someone was willing to learn, he was naturally willing to teach.
“If you want to learn, I can teach you.
However, a Breathing Style cannot be learned in a day or two.
You must mentally prepare yourself and not rush.”
Uchiha Bing naturally had mental preparations.
Having the talent to barely master a C-rank Ninjutsu in three months had long since taught him to curb his impatience and stay grounded.
“It’s fine, I’m not in a hurry.
You teach me first, and I’ll practice and explore slowly afterward.”
Tanjiro stood up, draped the towel over his neck, and let his hands hang naturally at his sides.
“I will demonstrate it once first, watch closely.”
He took a deep breath, his chest visibly expanding, the rhythm of airflow inhaled into the lungs through the nasal cavity steady and powerful.
“The key to Total Concentration Breathing lies in allowing oxygen to reach every single cell of the body, strengthening cardiopulmonary function through breathing, thereby significantly enhancing physical capabilities.
The speed of blood circulation throughout the body will accelerate, body temperature will rise, and strength will also increase.”
Tanjiro closed his eyes and took another deep breath.
This time, Uchiha Bing could clearly feel the aura around him changing; the youth’s muscles slightly bulged, veins emerged on his arms and temples, and his entire presence abruptly elevated by a notch.
“Maintaining the state of Total Concentration Breathing, and then executing swordsmanship in coordination with the rhythm of breathing, forms the forms of Water Breathing.”
Tanjiro drew his nichirin blade, the blade shimmering with a light blue gloss under the noon sunlight.
“Water Breathing — First Form: Water Surface Slash.”
He swung a horizontal slash.
The movement was not fast, even intentionally slowed down, but between the flowing momentum of the blade, it truly carried a certain imagery of water.
This was a divine intent; had Uchiha Bing’s spirit not been extremely keen, he probably wouldn’t have been able to observe it.
Withdrawing his blade, Tanjiro turned to look at Uchiha Bing.
“Would you like to try?”
Uchiha Bing nodded and walked over to the nearby open space.
Mimicking Tanjiro’s appearance, he took a deep breath.
The theory of Total Concentration Breathing sounded simple, but operating it was completely different.
Everyone knew how to breathe, but making the body absorb a large amount of oxygen was quite difficult to do.
The so-called Total Concentration was not merely breathing in oxygen; it also involved the mental concentration of intent.
Unsurprisingly, the first attempt failed.
During the second attempt, his chest felt faintly stuffy.
On the third try, he found the trick.
As a Ninja, Uchiha Bing’s control over Chakra was refined to the point where he could condense just the right amount at the soles of his feet to climb trees and walk on water.
His perception of the internal energy flow within his body was far sharper than that of an ordinary person.
Total Concentration Breathing was, after all, a method of energy circulation within the body, except the medium changed from Chakra to oxygen and blood.
The learning difficulty of this thing should be on par with the Chakra refinement technique; it wasn’t as difficult as imagined.
His breathing rhythm gradually stabilized, and the rise and fall of his chest became even and powerful.
The muscle lines on his arms bulged slightly, and a thin layer of fine sweat seeped from his temples.
Uchiha Bing felt his heartbeat frequency accelerate, and his body temperature rose slightly as well.
Tanjiro’s eyes lit up.
“That’s it!
You learned way too fast; back then, I practiced for more than half a year before touching the threshold.”
Uchiha Bing did not reply; he lowered his head and looked at his hands.
Total Concentration Breathing: controlling the breathing rhythm, accelerating blood flow, letting a large amount of oxygen reach cells throughout the body to enhance physical condition—it was unexpectedly smooth to execute.
Having practiced Lightning Release nature transformation every day for three months, although he remained stuck at the output power step, his perception of internal energy had long been repeatedly polished.
The internal blood flow velocity, muscle contraction, and breathing frequency of the body—things ordinary people needed to spend a year or a half to perceive—he was already as familiar with them as the lines on his own palm.
Ultimately, Ninja Chakra was also a sort of extraordinary thing.
As an energy product formed by combining spiritual power with physical power, Uchiha Bing could completely achieve an effect similar to introspection through Chakra.
For a Breathing Style, this was no different from cheating.
And a Breathing Style only required controlling the breathing rhythm.
Control capability happened to be what he was best at.
The cells throughout his body awakened in the oxygen, blood flow speed accelerated, and his five senses became sharper.
Launching a sword strike again in this state would boost his speed and strength by at least thirty to fifty percent.
Uchiha Bing slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and opened his eyes.
“Tanjiro, thank you for your guidance.”
He nodded at Tanjiro, his tone still flat, but with a few more parts of solemnity than before.
“Hahaha, you’re welcome.
Being able to help you makes me very happy.”
Tanjiro put away his nichirin blade and looked up at the sky.
“Ah, the sun is about to set, and demons should be coming out soon.
We’d better find a place to prepare.”
“You go first.”
Uchiha Bing turned and walked in another direction.
“I still have a matter to deal with.”
Tanjiro looked at his back, his nose twitching slightly.
This smell—it was killing intent.
Just obtained a Breathing Style and already preparing to go kill demons?
With thoughts spinning in his mind, Tanjiro shouted loudly, “Wait a minute, you haven’t told me your name yet!”
Uchiha Bing’s footsteps paused slightly without turning his head.
Indeed, talking up to this point without either of them introducing themselves was truly a bit impolite.
They really should exchange names, if they wanted to make friends.
“Uchiha Bing.”
Uchiha Bing’s figure flickered and disappeared into the dense forest.
Gazing in the direction where he left, Tanjiro blinked and suddenly muttered to himself, “Uchiha Bing?
It’s an unfamiliar surname, but he’s a good person.”
His nose never lied to him.
A person who had no malice from beginning to end and carried no scent of lying must harbor gentleness deep inside—at least, that was what Tanjiro believed.