I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1041: Niou vs. Shura! Aoto and Ogata's Duel! [4400]

"'Hidden Sword Saint'... Genichi Kinoshita..."

Qing Deng was startled, and an expression of surprise appeared on his face.

Ogata half-jokingly asked back:
"Do you know him?"

"He is my relative. It would be strange if I didn't know him."

Kinoshita Lin said herself that Kinoshita Genichi was her great-uncle (grandfather's brother).

In other words, Genichi Kinoshita is the great-uncle of Aoto's wife's grandmother... This generation is so great that it's hard to know how to calculate it.

Compared to the "Eternal Sword Saint" Ogata Issey who left a significant mark in the glorious history, the "Hidden Sword Saint" Kinoshita Genichi is much more low-key.

Because he rarely did anything earth-shattering - he may have done so, but no one knows about it - his deeds basically only exist in unofficial history and folk tales.

The rumors are so numerous and complex that it is difficult to distinguish the truth from the false.

How can he mediate the conflict between the two ninja villages alone?

What about single-handedly destroying the Iga Ninja Village...

How could he hijack a pirate ship in the Atlantic Ocean and become a pirate of the Caribbean?

They are all extremely exaggerated stories that make people feel they are all made up.

Because he was very interested in this mysterious swordsman, Qing Deng often asked Kinoshita Lin and Boss Kiryu about his story.

Whenever talking about Genichi Kinoshita, both Kinoshita Rin and Boss Kiryu would show expressions of utmost respect.

Kinoshita Lin: "Haku-kun is the true 'Sword Saint'. He deserves this title better than anyone else."

Kiryu boss: "Mr. Genichi and I are not master and apprentice, but we are better than master and apprentice. Without his careful guidance, I would not be who I am today."

According to their descriptions, this person is simply the embodiment of the word "cool"!

Because he was fond of swordsmanship, after defeating all the martial arts masters in his hometown, he immediately began to practice martial arts, traveling everywhere, and his footsteps covered the five capitals and seven provinces.

【Note: Five Regions and Seven Provinces: "Five Regions" refers to the five Ritsuryo provinces in the Gyeonggi region, also known as "Gye-nai". "Seven Provinces" refers to all of Japan outside the Gyeonggi region.】

He constantly challenged masters from all over the world, greedily absorbed the essence of various schools, and tirelessly improved his swordsmanship.

After defeating all his opponents, he began to want to "see how big the world is."

So he rushed to Nagasaki, preparing to go to Europe.

It was the middle of the 18th century, and the "lockdown order" was extremely strict.

Whether you go out to sea secretly or return from overseas, once you are discovered, you will definitely be executed. There is no room for mercy!
However, he didn't care about the "Lockdown Order" at all. He took the risk of being beheaded and successfully sneaked into a Dutch merchant ship and smuggled into Europe.

He wandered overseas for thirty years.

After traveling around Europe, he went to the American continent and drank and chatted with the Indians.

After adding new folk legends to Europe and the United States, he returned to Japan, which he had been away from for a long time, with satisfaction on a merchant ship.

It is truly amazing that such a free and easy hero could emerge in this era of inconvenient transportation and full of oppression.

The reason why he practiced swordsmanship diligently was not to defeat anyone, nor for fame and fortune, but simply because he enjoyed it.

Without any distractions, he single-mindedly climbed to the top and pursued the ultimate in swordsmanship... With this mentality alone, he was better than 99% of the swordsmen in the world, and even Qing Deng felt inferior to him.

The sword master who created countless legends was buried here...

There is no zutapo, no gorgeous tombstone, not even a name on the tombstone, only a short epitaph.

At first glance, I thought it was a tomb of no one that can be seen everywhere.

[Note: A tomb without a place to worship]

But if you think about it carefully, what level of tomb is worthy of a "Hidden Sword Saint"?
Perhaps this kind of tomb that returns to nature is the most suitable for him.

The swordsman who traveled around the world finally rests in a quiet bamboo forest far away from the world... For a legendary swordsman like Genichi Kinoshita, this should be the best destination.

At this time, Ogata took two steps forward and moved in front of the tombstone.

"Time flies... So many years have passed..."

As he murmured, he reached out and brushed away the fallen leaves on the tombstone.

Qing Deng walked forward slowly, stood side by side with Xu Fang, and stared at the tombstone thoughtfully.

"Mr. Ogata, you just said that this is the place where you duelled with the 'Hidden Sword Saint'... Can you tell me more about it?"

The duel between the two sword masters...it would be impossible for Qing Deng to say that he was not interested in it.

In response to Qing Deng's question, Ogata did not keep it a secret.

He continued to stare at the tombstone in front of him, reminiscing:
“When a person is about to die, he or she will vaguely feel that his or her end is approaching.”

"Although Mr. Genichi is very long-lived, he is still a mortal after all and cannot escape birth, aging, sickness and death."

"When he was 86, he sensed his death was approaching."

"He didn't want to die on his bed. He had devoted his entire life to the sword, so he hoped that the sword would accompany him to the end."

"So... he challenged me, wanting to fight me one more time before he died."

Qing Deng couldn't help but interrupt when he heard this:
"Have you ever fought before?"

Ogata nodded slightly:

"There must have been competitions, and quite a few times."

"He is a sword fanatic who is obsessed with swordsmanship. How could he not want to spar with me?"

"In the past twenty years, I have sparred with him at least eight hundred times, if not a thousand."

"With my young body and the blessing of 'immortality', I win every time we fight."

"However, even if I maintain an undefeated record, I will never let my guard down in front of him."

"Because we've sparred so many times, I know how strong the other person is better than anyone else in the world."

"Almost every time we fight, he's a little bit better than the last time."

"When competing with him, any carelessness will lead to disastrous defeat."

"When he asked me for the 'final battle', he specifically requested that we fight with real swords, regardless of life or death, and leave it to fate!"

"Not surprisingly, his request was met with strong opposition from everyone."

"If you stay in your mansion and recuperate, you can live a little longer."

"But once you start a real sword duel with me, there will only be two outcomes: either I die, or he dies."

"Either way the outcome goes, it's going to be sad."

"Although I understand everyone's concerns, but... Mr. Genichi's request is exactly what I want!"

"Ever since we met, I have always wanted to have a life-and-death duel with him without reservation!"

"So, Mr. Genichi and I ignored everyone's objections and insisted on having a final duel."

"We have chosen this place as the place for the duel."

"That day, Miss Lin, Jiulang, Ating...all the relatives and friends who could come came to watch the game."

"That battle was the most dangerous battle in my life."

Speaking of this, a bitter smile appeared on Ogata's cheeks.

"In order to leave no regrets and to fight with all his might in this final battle, Mr. Genichi unleashed unparalleled energy."

"Every one of his strikes was extremely sharp, putting me in danger time and time again."

"Every time he attacked, he was extremely ferocious, and it made the back of my neck break out in a cold sweat."

"Even after so many years, his bravery as if possessed by a martial god still leaves a deep impression on me. Thinking back on it now, I still feel my scalp tingling."

"At that time, I really wanted to ask him: Do you really feel that your end is coming?"

"I didn't see old Genichi in his prime."

"But I dare to conclude that in his 'final battle', he was better than in his 'prime' period!" "I will not go into the details of the duel."

"We destroyed all the bamboo within a 100-meter radius."

"Even the dust on the ground was trampled by our feet, as if it had been plowed by a hundred hoes."

"Finally, I seized the opportunity at the last second and stabbed him through the heart."

"Although he didn't win, he succeeded in leaving a deep scar on me."

After saying that, Ogata opened his shirt, revealing his strong chest.

But there was a conspicuous, large scar on his chest.

Qing Deng couldn't help but ask:

"Can't the 'Undying Power' heal this wound?"

Ogata smiled mysteriously:
"If it's the complete 'power of immortality', maybe it can be cured."

"Even the 'immortal power' in my body can't completely heal this wound... It's not hard to imagine how terrifying this blow was, right?"

"Mr. Genichi got what he wanted, and put all his life's learning into the final battle. He died peacefully in Miss Lin's arms with a satisfied smile on his face."

"Everyone knew that even if he didn't die under my knife, he would die in bed soon, so everyone was very calm."

"We buried him in this bamboo forest in accordance with his wishes."

"He specifically instructed before his death that his tombstone should not have a sūtra or any other messy words like his Dharma name or the name of his sutra. Just this sentence should be enough. This sentence is a reflection of his life."

When Qing Deng heard this, he subconsciously turned his gaze and looked at the epitaph on the tombstone again.

[I couldn't cut through the world, but I killed a lot of evil people]

This sentence sums up the life of the "Hidden Sword Saint".

Half humility, half pride!

Fascinating!

After listening to the details of the "Battle of the Two Saints", Qing Deng felt a mixture of emotions in his heart and he couldn't calm down for a long time.

After a long while, he sighed with admiration:
“What a wonderful life.”

Ogata nodded slightly in agreement.

A second ago, the two of them were chatting calmly.

But at this moment, Qing Deng changed the subject:
"Mr. Ogata, you brought me all the way here, it shouldn't be to tell me about your past with the 'Hidden Sword Saint', right?"

As he finished speaking, Qing Deng stepped back half a step to the side, slightly increasing the distance between them.

The smile on Ogata's face remained unchanged.

But... at this moment, there was a hint of sharpness in his eyes!
"I'm just telling you this forgotten story by chance."

"This is the place where I duelled with Mr. Genichi. It is filled with extraordinary significance."

"So... it's perfect for us to use this place as the duel venue for you and I!"

After saying that, he slowly turned around and faced Qing Deng.

Clearly he did nothing. Clearly he just changed his position and stared at Qing Deng with deep eyes, but the atmosphere at the scene changed instantly!
Qing Deng looked calm, and he didn't seem surprised by Ogata's words.

"Can I ask why? Why do you want to duel with me?"

Ogata smiled:

"After Mr. Genichi passed away, I have been in a state of 'retiring from practicing martial arts'."

"It's not that I don't want to draw my sword, but no one can make me draw my sword."

"After several decades, a genius like you has emerged. I am surprised and delighted at the same time."

"To be honest, I've wanted to compete with you for a long time."

"Besides...I want to confirm something on you."

Confirm something——Ogata's words made Qing Deng raise his eyebrows and look confused.

Although I really want to ask "what is that?", judging from the current atmosphere, now is not a good time to ask questions.

Facing Ogata's challenge, Qing Deng quickly responded:
“…Just right!”

He curled up the corners of his mouth, a look of joy hung on his cheeks, and a boiling fighting spirit burned in his eyes!

"Like you, I have long wanted to encounter the blade of the Eternal Sword Master!"

Ogata smiled calmly:
“I personally don’t like this title.”

"I have not done anything remarkable to deserve canonization."

"Compared to 'Eternal Sword Saint', I prefer people to call me 'Ittosai', or... 'Shura'!"

As he spoke, he untied the long cloth bag he had been holding in his hand since he left the house.

As the piece of cloth slid off, the objects inside were revealed - two long and short swords with gorgeous shapes of blue and gold.

Looking at the two knives, Qing Deng couldn't help but murmur softly:
"Great release...great freedom..."

The value of an object lies in its owner. Because these two swords are worn by the "Eternal Sword Saint", they are therefore ranked among the "famous swords of the world".

The gorgeous blue and gold shape is its classic feature.

While Ogata was putting the Great Shakyamuni and Great Freedom on his waist, he said slowly:

"Jujun, let me confirm one last time: Do you really want to take on this battle?"

"You are free to refuse. I will never force you."

"Let me be frank: once the fight starts, I will not show mercy just because you are Jiulang's apprentice and Wu's husband."

As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately received a reply from Qing Deng:

"No need to worry, just come on!"

The moment he finished speaking, he took off the hilt and scabbard of the sword at his waist, revealing the full appearance of Vairocana.

One is purple and black, the other is blue and gold...just from the color point of view, the two knives match very well.

After hearing Qing Deng's answer, Ogata smiled meaningfully, and it was unclear whether he was happy or approving.

The next moment, as agreed beforehand, the two of them stepped back in no particular order, leaving a distance of about 10 meters between them.

Ogata lowered his waist slightly, reached his right hand to his left waist, and grasped the hilt of Daishiten's sword - with a click, the latch came out of the scabbard.

The blade emerged from the sheath inch by inch, emitting a sharp and dazzling light.

Almost at the same time, Qing Deng freed Vairocana, and the purple-black blade light blurred the sunlight.

Ogata casually dragged Daishikatsu to his side. His face was no longer calm and smiling as before, and his facial expression became extremely solemn.

"Sakakihara's one-sword style, Ogata's style!"

Qingdeng raised his knife and Qingyan took action.

"Tenzen Rishin Flow, Tachibana Aoto!"

Aoto and Ogata:
"Here I am!"

The next moment after they introduced themselves to each other, they both disappeared from their original positions at the same time.

clang! !

The two men flashed in front of the tombstone, swung their swords fiercely, and slashed at each other. The deafening sound of metal hitting each other resounded throughout the bamboo forest!
In this uninhabited deep mountain, in this quiet bamboo forest, "Niou" and "Shura" stared at each other with fierce fighting intent across their crossed swords.

Although there were no spectators, the violently shaking bamboo leaves and the slightly swaying sunlight seemed to be cheering and applauding them!
Under the witness of heaven and earth, the heroic duel between the two most famous swordsmen of the world begins!

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PS：3天前是本书的3周年纪念日（4月18日），连载了足足3年，这俩人终于交手了……不容易啊！（豹感慨.jpg）