Demon Slayer: Strength Gained with Every Swing of the Sword

Chapter 51: Chapter 52: The Statue of Xiao Bai



"Boom!"

Xiao Hei's massive figure flashed across the sky, and Feng Yu stood on its back, a sense of excitement bubbling inside him.

"Finally, we're returning to Sagiri Mountain..."

"I wonder how Tanjiro and the cute Nezuko are doing. I can't wait to see Tanjiro and Sakonji Urokodaki's expressions..."

"The weather is really nice today..."

Feng Yu stood contentedly on Xiao Hei's back, basking in the warmth of the morning sun. The light on his face made him feel that this world was real, not just a figment of his imagination.

"Xiao Hei's speed seems to have increased..."

The wind had become more intense, and Feng Yu could tell that Xiao Hei's strength had grown as well. Now capable of killing demons, perhaps future battles could be approached with an unexpected strategy.

Let Xiao Hei be the "sixth man" and launch a fiery surprise attack when the demons aren't paying attention.

After all, who would have guessed that a seemingly ordinary crow could fire an energy cannon?

And the key is that this energy cannon would deal deadly damage to demons.

The more Feng Yu thought about it, the more he felt it was a viable plan. Both Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai's abilities were on par with those of the average Demon Slayer Corps members, and in some aspects, they were even stronger—agile and proficient at playing the role of the "sixth man."

Suddenly, Feng Yu remembered a famous phrase from his past life that had gone viral on a certain platform: "I'm the sixth man!"

"This phrase is really addictive..."

As soon as he thought of it, the words echoed in his mind non-stop, impossible to turn off.

"No, I can't think about it anymore... If I do, it'll keep repeating in my head."

Feng Yu quickly cleared his mind, trying to meditate.

Soon enough, Xiao Hei's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Ga ga, Master, Master, we're almost at Sagiri Mountain."

Feng Yu slowly opened his eyes, and the familiar sight of the mountain came into view. In the distance, a wooden house was faintly visible on the mountainside, with a thin wisp of smoke rising from it.

"Hmm? Someone seems to be approaching..."

Inside the wooden house, Sakonji Urokodaki, who had been brewing medicine, sensed something was drawing near. He picked up his Nichirin Sword and stood up, heading towards the door.

To prevent Urokodaki from being startled, Feng Yu had already landed some distance from the foot of the mountain.

Xiao Hei had also returned to its normal size and was now circling high in the sky.

"Hmm? What's that?" Feng Yu asked as he saw a small temple at the foot of the mountain.

"Xiao Bai, look, it's a shrine dedicated to you..."

Hearing his name, Xiao Bai popped its head out of the box on Feng Yu's back and stared at the shrine.

"Xiao Bai, let's go take a look."

Feng Yu smiled.

The shrine was small—just big enough for a half-meter-high person to enter. Inside, there was a statue resembling Xiao Bai, yet somehow different. This statue had nine tails and an expression that was more seductive and oppressive than Xiao Bai's own.

In front of the statue, an incense stick still smoldered, suggesting that someone had just finished their offerings.

Xiao Bai leapt out of the wooden box and stared at the statue, confused. It resembled him but also didn't.

"Master... I feel something strange..."

Xiao Bai spoke, its voice tinged with uncertainty.

"What's wrong?" Feng Yu asked.

"I can sense that this statue is somehow connected to me... It feels like if I want to, I could absorb a special energy from it."

To Xiao Bai, the statue exuded a mysterious force, one that irresistibly beckoned him to choose whether to absorb it.

But deep down, Xiao Bai also felt that absorbing the energy might lead to something frightening...

Xiao Bai hesitated, glancing at Feng Yu for guidance, hoping he would decide for him.

"So, you're saying that this statue holds energy you can absorb, but it also feels like something bad might happen if you do?" Feng Yu asked, brow furrowing.

"Yeah, that's how I feel too..." Xiao Bai agreed.

Feng Yu thought for a moment. Based on Xiao Bai's description, it seemed this energy was similar to the incense power—offered by those who came to pray at the shrine.

"Incense has a curse..." Feng Yu thought to himself.

"In the world of Demon Slayer, there hasn't been much mention of other power systems or gods. The focus is only on humans and demons..." Feng Yu reflected, gazing at the statue. He seemed to have found his answer.

"Xiao Bai, go ahead and absorb it."

Xiao Bai nodded, the temptation of the energy too great to resist. It was already ready to absorb the power.

With a light touch, Xiao Bai's body was bathed in a burst of glowing energy from the statue.

"Ying!"

Xiao Bai collapsed to the ground in agony, as if suffering intense torment.

"Xiao Bai, what's happening?" Feng Yu rushed to his side, alarmed.

"Master... Master, I'm fine... I think I just need to sleep for a while..." Xiao Bai whispered before slipping into unconsciousness.

However, Feng Yu could feel Xiao Bai's aura growing stronger, changing with every passing moment. Xiao Bai was undergoing a transformation, and Feng Yu could sense it even as his companion lay asleep.

In this state, Xiao Bai found himself in a mysterious space...

Tiny specks of light circled around him, and countless voices whispered in his ears.

"Great God, save my child..."

"Great God, please bless me with wealth..."

"Great God, please..."

...Voices echoed endlessly, and Xiao Bai struggled, caught between them, enduring it all.

"So this is the consequence..." Xiao Bai thought in his mind.

Back in the real world, Feng Yu gently lifted Xiao Bai, placing him back into the wooden box.

He noticed the statue was slowly decaying, as if being worn down by the passage of time.

"How strange..." Feng Yu mused, but he didn't investigate further and hurried up the mountain.

As Feng Yu departed, a wisp of black smoke rose from the statue and disappeared into the sky.

The familiar path, the familiar mountain... Feng Yu couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging. After all, Sagiri Mountain had been the place he'd spent the longest time in since coming to this world.

"Welcome back, Feng Yu."

Standing outside the wooden house was Sakonji Urokodaki, wearing his red tengu mask.

"It's been a long time, Master Urokodaki."

As Feng Yu saw Urokodaki, a wave of emotion swept through him, as if he were a traveler returning home.

"It's good to have you back..." Urokodaki murmured.

The two of them entered the house together.

Inside, Nezuko had already awoken. She was a year ahead of her original timeline, her big red eyes watching Feng Yu carefully. A piece of bamboo was still held in her mouth as she observed him with curious attention.

At that moment, Nezuko looked irresistibly cute, like the epitome of softness.

"How can there be such a cute creature in this world..." Feng Yu exclaimed, his heart swelling with warmth. 

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