Yes, Hatsune had begun to plan his escape. With the cultivator still not appearing, he realized that this was likely not a test; he had indeed encountered a demon.
Shaking his head, Hatsune scanned his surroundings and picked up several sharp wooden sticks from the ground, gripping them tightly in his hands.
This would be his final strike. After this strike, he would begin his escape.
The demon possessed infinite stamina and vitality. Without the Nichirin Sword, he couldn't kill this thing at all. So, he had to escape.
Hatsune focused, took a deep breath, and his eyes sharpened.
Snowflakes began to drift from the sky again. The wooden sticks in his hands were instantly wrapped in ice, transforming into slender ice spikes.
"Phantom - Snow Drift."
This move combined the flexible footwork of "Phantom" with the freezing properties of "Snow Drift," creating a combined skill.
Before Hatsune finished speaking, his figure disappeared in an instant from where he stood. Countless afterimages filled the open space, all rushing towards the demon.
The demon twisted its body desperately, trying to stop Hatsune from approaching, but it was futile.
Seven or eight transparent figures surrounded the demon, almost simultaneously inserting the ice spikes into its body joints, especially its lower limbs—ankles, knees, aiming to immobilize the demon.
Having done all this, Hatsune, using the last of his strength, fled up the mountain path. The demon's cries of anguish echoed behind him.
Why did he choose to flee uphill instead of downhill, which would have been less strenuous?
It was indeed less strenuous, but also more dangerous.
Hatsune knew his physical condition. Even if he fled downhill, he wouldn't get far. Once the demon freed itself from the sticks and ice spikes, it would inevitably catch up with him.
He was unsure of the situation downhill, uncertain how far it was, and whether he could make it down there. Even if he did, would there be anyone to help him? And if there was help, could they defeat the demon before him?
All these uncertainties compelled him not to flee downhill.
Fleeing uphill, though more exhausting, had fewer uncertainties. At the very least, the cultivator should be able to defeat the demon before him.
Moreover, he had made preparations beforehand. The demon's cries should have already reached the mountaintop, and perhaps at this moment, the cultivator was on the way to rescue him.
All he had to do was hold on until the cultivator arrived. If he didn't arrive in time, it would only mean that his fate was to end here.
Hatsune staggered wearily towards the mountaintop, his steps becoming increasingly shaky as the altitude climbed. His legs began to ache and tremble, his vision gradually blurred, and he could only move slowly, leaning on the rocks at the roadside.
He prayed that the demon's injuries would force it to retreat.
But not long after, he heard the demon's angry roar behind him, as if it were jumping on the branches of trees.
Hatsune despaired, knowing he couldn't escape. He stopped, leaned against a nearby boulder, and slowly sat down.
Forget it; this was the end.
Hatsune smiled bitterly as he looked ahead, unsure if it was getting dark or his vision was failing, everything turning pitch black.
That stingy woman really made life difficult for me! Ah, too bad I can't go settle the score with her.
Thinking of the beautiful face of Shinobu Kocho, Hatsune felt a warmth in his heart. Besides his sister, she was the only person who made him feel warm, someone he wanted to get close to and understand.
Hatsune took out a pendant from his chest bandage and held it before his eyes. The azure pendant swayed gently, emitting a faint light.
"Hatsune, don't come looking for me, don't think about revenge, just live well."
These were the words his sister left before she left.
At that time, he was barely conscious, only managing to hear this much, single-mindedly wanting to find his sister, kill Akiyama, and avenge the villagers and his sister. But before the new journey began, it was already over.
Hatsune felt regret.
A bloody wind blew, and a dark figure descended from above, standing before Hatsune with boundless anger.
Finally, here it was!
Looks like he bet right!
The newcomer grabbed Hatsune's arm and slung him over his back like carrying a chick, striding steadily towards the mountaintop.
Hatsune lay on the cultivator's back, turning to look at the demon on the stone steps, headless and thrashing like a headless fly, soon turning into a mess of powder and disappearing.
He didn't know how this person did it. Wasn't it said that only the Nichirin Sword could kill a demon by cutting off its head? Or was it that shattering a demon's head with brute force could also kill it?
"Are you still alive?" the elderly voice sounded again.
"If you had come any later, I wouldn't be alive."
"Despite being a raw egg and carrying old wounds, you managed to hold out until now. Those wounds on the demon's body were your doing, right?"
"Too bad I don't have a blade; otherwise, it wouldn't be so embarrassing."
"Hmph, you've got some skill."
"How did you kill it just now? Wasn't it said that only the Nichirin Sword could kill it?"
"Who told you that only the Nichirin Sword could kill demons?"
"The books."
"The books only tell you one of the simplest and most practical methods. In fact, what truly kills demons is a kind of mineral that absorbs sunlight, also one of the materials used to forge the Nichirin Sword. This mineral can destroy the demon's blood regeneration system. To completely kill a demon, two conditions are necessary: firstly, sever the brain's control system, and secondly, destroy the blood regeneration system. So, the Nichirin Sword is not a prerequisite; any weapon mixed with that mineral, as long as it meets the above two requirements, can kill a demon."
Hatsune suddenly realized. It must have been some weapon the old man carried. But to crush a demon's head with sheer physical strength alone was already remarkable.
"Besides this method of brute force beheading demons, there is another method that can kill them, which is poison. The poison of Wisteria flowers can internally destroy a demon's blood regeneration system. However, the dosage is difficult to control and is only effective against weaker demons. Against strong demons, its effect is minimal, and it's inconvenient to carry around, so not many people use it."
That woman used poison.
That woman naturally referred to Shinobu Kocho.