After dinner, Urokodaki said while packing his clothes, "Lin Guang, Tanjiro, is the hot pot delicious?"
"Grandpa Linglong's craftsmanship has always been very good," Lin Guang replied.
"Hmm! I haven't eaten such delicious food in a long time," Tanjiro added.
"Children like you with big appetites will gain more strength and grow bigger as you eat."
Urokodaki changed the subject, "But it's the same with demons. Remember, essentially, the strength of a demon is equal to the number of people it has eaten."
Tanjiro was a little confused, "Will you become stronger if you eat a lot?"
"Yes, some of them will become stronger, can change their bodies, and use magic," Urokodaki Sakonji said as he took out two masks and handed them to Lin Guang and Tanjiro, respectively.
"This is called the Disaster Removal Mask. I cast a spell on it to protect you from disasters."
Lin Guang took the mask and recalled the appearance of Urokodaki's disciples before they participated in the final selection. "I will not let that hand ghost go!"
The next day, Lin Guang and Tanjiro donned the clothes prepared for them by Urokodaki Sakonji, took their Nichirin swords, and left.
As they walked away, even though she was extremely worried, all she could do was pray silently for them in her heart.
At night, Lin Guang and Tanjiro arrived at the foot of Fujiki Mountain. Tanjiro put on the disaster-eliminating mask made by Urokodaki. However, Lin Guang completely covered his face with the mask, not wanting others to see his face.
They ascended the only path up the mountain, climbing a bluestone staircase until they reached an open space paved with bluestone. In this area, many teenagers around Tanjiro's age were gathered.
Lin Guang scanned the crowd and spotted several familiar faces. "Agatsuma Zenitsu, the Wind Pillar's younger brother Fuzugawa Genya, and Kanao are all here. As for that pig-head, I guess he went in at some point."
"It seems that because Tanjiro ended his training a year earlier, the world has begun to correct itself."
Under the mask, Lin Guang smiled gently.
At this moment, two little girls in purple kimonos entered the open space, holding lanterns in their hands. They also wore headdresses made of wisteria flowers in their hair.
The two girls spoke to everyone participating in the selection. "Thank you all for coming to the final selection of the Demon Slayer Corps tonight. In Fujiki Mountain, the demons captured alive by the demon-slaying swordsmen are imprisoned, but the demons cannot escape."
"From the foot of the mountain to the mountainside, wisteria flowers, which are hated by ghosts, bloom all year round. However, beyond that, there are no more wisteria flowers, and demons are haunting."
"Surviving seven days in here will qualify you for the final selection."
"Then, have a safe journey!"
After the little girl finished explaining, everyone made their way into the depths of Fujiki Mountain, stepping into the darkness where no wisteria flowers bloomed.
"Tanjiro, let's go!" Lin Guang said to Tanjiro.
Tanjiro nodded, and together they stepped into the darkness deep in Fujiki Mountain.
As they ventured deeper into the mountain, Lin Guang ran at a steady pace, a gleam of excitement flashing in his eyes. "Treasure chest, here I come!"
Unlike Lin Guang, Tanjiro was focused on how to survive safely over the next seven days in Fujiki Mountain.
Suddenly, Tanjiro stopped, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword, and shouted loudly, "Senior Lin Guang! I smell the scent of a ghost; it's nearby!"
"Are you here so soon?" Lin Guang also placed his hand on his sword, carefully observing the movements around them.
A sound of rustling echoed through the jungle as a ghost with three horns on its head and bone spurs on its arms leaped out. At the same time, a short-haired ghost lunged at Lin Guang and Tanjiro.
Lin Guang and Tanjiro quickly positioned themselves back to back, using their swords to fend off the ghost.
"Tanjiro, can you handle it?"
"Senior Lin Guang, I'm fine!"
"Good! Let's take them down together!"
The two hungry ghosts charged toward Lin Guang and Tanjiro without hesitation.
"It's better to strike first!"
"It's been a long time since I had human flesh!"
Lin Guang opened his mouth slightly and took a breath of water into his body. "Water Breathing! Type 4! Strike Tide!"
Blue water splashed on the blade, and Lin Guang swiftly decapitated the horned demon.
At the same moment, Tanjiro's voice reached Lin Guang's ears. "Water Breathing! Form 1! Water Surface Slash!"
The short-haired ghost also met the same fate at Tanjiro's hands.
Witnessing this, Lin Guang felt a twinge of regret, but it was short-lived as he heard the system's voice.
[The host killed an ordinary ghost and obtained a wooden treasure chest. The ghost's ashes dissipated, leaving behind a wooden box visible only to Lin Guang.]
"As expected, treasure chests appear when killing ghosts. So I just need to keep defeating demons, and in the end, I can even confront Muzan Kibutsuji."
"Moreover, even if Tanjiro and I are together during the final selection, the demons killed by Tanjiro won't grant me treasure chests. It seems that we will have to act separately in the future to collect more treasure chests."