Chapter 169: The Heir of Sun Breathing, Each Seeking to Kill the Other

“Initiate Level Three emergency response immediately!”

Notify the Special Operations Team—deploy everyone! Prepare the medical and logistics teams!

Chen Zhen’s lips curled involuntarily; though he tried to keep his voice stern, the joy in his tone was unmistakable, and the entire watchroom buzzed with excitement.

Though they didn’t know why these two Ten Thousand Heaven Treasures holders were fighting, it was good they were fighting—without it, how would they know their city harbored two such holders, both at Second Stage, nearing Third Stage?

If they could recruit them into the Tian Shu Bureau, the rewards would be beyond imagination.

Screeching sirens tore through the night air as three black armored vehicles roared out of the underground garage.

“All units, attention! Target: Chaoyang Park—two suspected Peak Second Stage Ten Thousand Heaven Treasures holders are engaged in combat! Prioritize civilian safety, establish an isolation perimeter, await further orders!”

“Understood.”

Chaoyang Park, beside the artificial lake.

“Crash!”

Zhou Ming slammed into the third ginkgo tree before barely stabilizing, his pale face twisted into a grotesque snarl—he never expected that on the very night he confirmed his transformation, without any exposure, someone would come for him, let alone that the intruder would be such a being.

Beneath the moonlight, the silhouette of the boy with the sword seared into his retinas like a branding iron.

“Kyojuro Rengoku”

Zhou Ming gritted his teeth—he wasn’t saying the other was Kyojuro Rengoku; he meant the other reminded him of Kyojuro Rengoku.

The moment he saw him, his blood boiled instinctively—that scorching, nauseating aura could only belong to a successor of the Demon Slayer Corps!

But he didn’t know whose lineage it was—those who wielded Sun Breathing weren’t limited to Kyojuro Rengoku alone.

Li Shuyang advanced slowly, the wooden sword glowing crimson in the moonlight, his gaze unnervingly calm, like the man from the Demon Slayer world who stood before Muzan.

“Seeing you reminds me of a damned man.”

The boy’s voice was low, the crimson glow on the wooden sword intensifying.

Zhou Ming’s smile grew more grotesque, cold and cruel.

“Funny—I feel the same.”

He made no effort to explain he’d only gained Muzan’s power today, nor did he need to.

Demon Slayers and demons were naturally enemies.

The moment he became a demon, in the eyes of the Demon Slayer Corps, he was already dead.

So—

“Boom!”

His body exploded into dozens of bloody afterimages, surging from all directions—each shadow extended razor-sharp bone spines, tearing through the air with piercing shrieks.

Li Shuyang didn’t move, but his wooden sword suddenly ignited with crimson radiant light.

“Sun Breathing, First Form: Circular Dance!”

A blazing circular slash erupted, vaporizing every bone spine—but Zhou Ming’s assault didn’t stop.

“Sun Breathing, Second Form: Azure Sky of Bi Luo!”

Li Shuyang switched forms instantly, unleashing a horizontal slash like a blazing sun—the wound across Zhou Ming’s chest was massive, yet he grinned and regenerated instantly.

“I don’t know how you learned Sun Breathing, but as long as it’s not him, anyone wielding Sun Breathing is the same!”

Zhou Ming’s voice echoed from all sides as fleshy tendrils erupted from the ground like venomous snakes.

“Sun Breathing, Fourth Form: Illusory Sun Rainbow!”

Li Shuyang split into seven afterimages—his true form surged forward, right before Zhou Ming.

“Sun Breathing, Seventh Form: Solar Spear!”

The wooden sword pierced like a blazing sun through a rainbow, straight toward Zhou Ming’s throat!

“Spurt!”

The blade sank three inches into flesh, but Zhou Ming grotesquely twisted his neck, whipping five bone blades backward into Li Shuyang’s abdomen.

“Sun Breathing, Third Form: Crimson Mirror of the Burning Sun!”

Two arcing flames crossed midair, barely blocking the lethal strike—but Zhou Ming’s attacks came like an endless tide, twelve fleshy spikes striking from every angle!

“Sun Breathing, Sixth Form: Scorching Bone Solar Flame!”

The spinning flame slash incinerated the spikes, but Zhou Ming used the opening to retreat—seven hearts pounded wildly, regeneration reaching its peak.

“Useless—you’re nowhere near enough.”

Zhou Ming licked his lips—he didn’t care where the other learned Sun Breathing, whether from Kyojuro Rengoku or Tanjiro—it made no difference to him.

As long as Kyojuro Rengoku himself wasn’t here, even if the other wielded Tanjiro’s version, he didn’t believe Sun Breathing could harm him even slightly.

Demon King Tanjiro? The only one who ever made this body tremble in fear—was one person, and one alone.

“Boom—!”

Zhou Ming vanished instantly, reappearing before Li Shuyang—the boy barely raised his sword before a brutal roundhouse kick smashed into his side.

“Crack!”

The sound of snapping ribs was clear; Li Shuyang flew like a ragdoll, smashing through several trees before crashing hard into the lake’s embankment.

“Cough!”

Blood sprayed from his mouth; Li Shuyang struggled to rise, only to see Zhou Ming standing before him like a ghost.

“Do you know?”

“The moment you found me, I was terrified.”

“Even though I’d only gained his power less than a day ago, even though I’d never harmed anyone, I was still terrified—especially after you used Sun Breathing. That fear deepened—I even thought Kyojuro Rengoku had returned to this world under a new identity to kill me.”

“Fortunately, you’re just a lucky fool who gained Sun Breathing—a counterfeit who made me afraid.”

Zhou Ming leaned down, pale fingers gripping Li Shuyang’s throat and lifting him up.

“Crash!”

A heavy punch slammed into his abdomen—Li Shuyang’s spine bent nearly in half, his organs feeling crushed.

“See this? This is the gap between us.”

“A chasm as vast as heaven and earth.”

Zhou Ming released him, letting him slump to his knees, then stomped on Li Shuyang’s back—bones cracked repeatedly, Li Shuyang’s pupils began to dilate.

“Look at your pitiful state, Sun Breathing successor.”

Zhou Ming yanked Li Shuyang’s hair, forcing him to stare at the lake’s reflection—there, a bloodied, broken boy stared back.

I’d love to kill you—but you should be grateful that this world has strong ones who can kill me, and I don’t want to hide like Muzan Kibutsuji, waiting for them to die.

“So you’ll live.”

“Before gaining power, you obeyed rules and order because you were weak; after gaining power, you still obey rules and order because you’re still weak.”

“How regrettable.”

Human desire never shrinks with power—it swells because of it.

Zhou Ming was no exception.

In less than a day since gaining Muzan Kibutsuji’s power, he’d already devised countless plans—all aimed at becoming the strongest, at seizing absolute, unchallenged authority.

Do you understand what “Above self, all beings equal; below self, strict hierarchy” means?

You obey order before gaining power, and still obey it after gaining power—was all this power given to you for nothing?

The first thing a man does after obtaining what he desires—is forget his roots.

(End of Chapter)