Allen slowly walked towards Muzan, each step making the Demon King feel an invisible pressure. He looked down at the recovering Muzan, his tone terrifyingly calm: "Who I am isn't important. What's important is, do you choose to cooperate with me to study your abilities, or continue to resist?"
"Wait!" Muzan suddenly shouted, a hint of panic in his voice.
"We can negotiate! What do you want? Immortality? Power? I can give you anything!"
Allen stopped, a playful smile on his lips: "Oh? Willing to talk now?"
Muzan suppressed the fear in his heart, trying to keep his voice steady: "As long as you're willing to cooperate with me, I can grant you power even greater than the Demon Slayer Corps'."
"Interesting." Allen crossed his arms: "But you've got one thing wrong."
His figure suddenly vanished, reappearing in front of Muzan the next second, his right hand gripping Muzan's neck: "Now, I'm giving you an opportunity."
Muzan's pupils constricted. He felt an unprecedented sense of pressure. The human's hand was as firm as an iron vise, leaving him no room to struggle.
"What exactly do you want?" Muzan squeezed out the words with difficulty.
Allen released his hand, letting Muzan fall to the ground: "Summon all the Upper Rank Demons you created."
Muzan sat paralyzed on the ground, a look of fear appearing on his pale face for the first time. He looked up at Allen, his voice trembling slightly: "You... what exactly do you want to do?"
Allen casually sat on a nearby sofa, crossing his legs: "As I said, I want to study your abilities. Call all your Upper Rank Demons. I need more samples."
A hint of struggle flashed in Muzan's eyes, but he quickly lowered his head: "I understand. Kokushibo and the others will arrive soon."
Allen nodded with satisfaction: "Very good. Then, before they arrive, let's chat."
He casually picked up a bottle of red wine from the table and poured himself a glass: "You've lived for over a thousand years; you must know many interesting things, right? Like some hidden secrets."
Muzan watched Allen warily: "What do you want to know?"
"It doesn't matter what I want to know, but do you want to know about the blue spider lily? It truly exists, and I know its location." Allen took a sip of red wine, looking at Muzan with a hint of amusement.
Once Muzan was tricked into consuming the blue spider lily and could survive in the sun, he could go from fighting happily for half a day to fighting happily all day without worrying about the sun, which would greatly facilitate his progress in Asura Mode.
Muzan's pupils suddenly constricted, and he unconsciously leaned forward: "If the blue spider lily really exists, where is it now?"
Could the other party be a demon even more perfectly evolved than himself?
A hint of fanaticism and greed flashed in Muzan's eyes. He stared intently at Allen: "Are you..."
Allen gently swirled the red wine glass, a faint smile on his lips: "Am I what?"
"A perfect existence!" Muzan's voice trembled with excitement.
"You can use breathing techniques without a nichirin blade, you can walk in the sunlight, and that invisible power—is that the effect of the blue spider lily, right?"
Allen didn't answer directly, but instead asked: "How long have you yearned for this power?"
"A thousand years! A full thousand years!" Muzan suddenly stood up, his hands trembling uncontrollably with excitement.
"Tell me! How can I obtain it?"
Allen put down his wine glass and slowly stood up: "I can tell you the whereabouts of the blue spider lily, but there's a condition."
"What condition?" Muzan eagerly pressed, completely losing his usual elegance and composure.
"First, have all the Upper Rank Demons come over," Allen said unhurriedly.
"I need to confirm some things."
Muzan hesitated for a moment but quickly nodded: "Alright, I'll summon them now."
He closed his eyes and sent a summons to all Upper Rank Demons through their blood connection. Allen could feel a special energy fluctuation spreading from Muzan's body.
Gyokko, who had been hiding in his bizarre pot, trembling, felt Muzan's summons, moved a small step forward, and then continued to hide in the pot, trembling.
"They'll be here soon." Muzan opened his eyes, which were filled with longing.
"Can you tell me the whereabouts of the blue spider lily now?"
Allen shook his head: "Not so fast. Wait until they arrive."
"Once his subordinates are all here, you won't be able to refuse to tell me." A hint of gloom flashed in Muzan's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure: "Alright, then we'll wait a bit longer."
The two fell into a brief silence. Allen sat back on the sofa, looking around the luxurious mansion with interest: "This place of yours isn't bad; it's much more comfortable than I imagined."
Muzan forced a smile: "If you like it, I can give you ten such residences."
"No need." Allen chuckled: "I'm not very interested in material pleasures."
After learning that Allen was a more perfect demon than him, Muzan's heart relaxed a lot. At least the other party was also a demon. Joining the Demon Slayer Corps was probably just to find him. At worst, he was on his side, which was better than the Demon Slayer Corps.
"This is a 1787 Lafite, would you like to try it?" He walked to the wine cabinet and took out an even more precious bottle of red wine, attempting to further bridge the gap between himself and Allen.
After all, this young man seemed to know a lot of things. If he was happy, he might casually mention something that could be greatly beneficial to Muzan.
Allen raised an eyebrow: "You certainly know how to enjoy yourself."
"Living too long, one has to find some fun. As a perfect demon, you should understand this better than I do, right?" Muzan skillfully opened the bottle and poured the wine: "Humans, though weak, are indeed very creative in some aspects."
Allen took the wine glass, a subtle smile on his lips, his tone teasing: "So that's why you've always been obsessed with finding a way to survive in the sunlight?"
Muzan's expression suddenly turned gloomy: "You don't understand that pain, to have eternal life, yet be confined to the darkness."
"I truly don't understand." Allen took a sip of wine.
"Because I never hide; I'm always open and honest."
These words pierced Muzan's heart like a knife. His fingers unconsciously tightened, and the wine glass shattered in his hand, red wine dripping onto the carpet like fresh blood.
"You just wait! How dare you humiliate me like this? Once my subordinates are assembled, I'll definitely kill you!" Muzan thought bitterly, but he still managed to control his emotions, forcing a strained smile: "Sorry, I lost my composure."
Muzan struggled to control his emotions, picking up a handkerchief to wipe his fingers.
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