I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1134 Harvest! Harvest as much as you want! The system beeped the most times it's ever done! [5200]

The second challenger was an elderly man with white hair but a vigorous spirit.

Carrying an astonishingly long wooden spear, he darted out from the crowd with surprising speed and composure, rushing to Qingdeng's side in a single stride.

To ensure that all challengers could perform at their best, Qingdeng specifically allowed them to bring their own weapons.

"It's Hoshina Akira..."

"I didn't expect even Mr. Hoshina to come."

"I thought he had passed away long ago."

Hoshina Akira—another martial arts master whom Aoto had heard of.

He was born in Kyoto and was a successor of the Hozoin-ryu spear technique. In his youth, he was a renowned spear master who was famous far and wide.

About 15 years ago, as he grew older, he felt his physical strength was declining significantly, so he entrusted the dojo to his adopted son and moved into the deep mountains outside Kyoto to live a secluded life away from the world.

Even this reclusive old man who has long been out of touch with worldly affairs has emerged to challenge Nioh... This is truly beyond everyone's expectations.

Qingdeng quickly scanned the other person, giving him a cursory look—although he was an old man with a full head of white hair, he was full of energy and his eyes were bright and piercing, showing no signs of the aging that often accompany old age.

Qingdeng has seen far too many elderly people like this—none of them are easy to deal with!

As Qingdeng sized up the old man, the latter stared directly at him and said in a serious tone:

"Master Zuo, please guide me!"

Qingdeng nodded slightly:

"Each each other."

Kondo Isami raises his military-style fan:
"present!"

The moment after the two finished their greetings, Hoshino Akira raised his wooden spear and assumed a stance—it was none other than the most classic "medium-level spear" technique.

"Hozoin School"

"Hoshina Akatsuki!"

Qing Deng responded with the same classic mid-stance stance:

"Natural Flow of Mind"

“Ju Qing Deng”.

Because of his extraordinary strength, the wooden spear used by Akira Hoshina was a specially made "extended type," about half a meter longer than an ordinary wooden spear.

Looking up, this wooden spear almost spanned half of the dojo!
The difference in attack range between the extended wooden spear and the ordinary bamboo sword is about three or four times!
What kind of tactics will Qing Deng use to defeat this formidable enemy with such a frighteningly wide attack range?
Everyone held their breath and concentrated, not daring to blink even once, for fear of missing a single scene.

In a split second, accompanied by a loud shout, the standoff was broken.

"Drink ah ah ah!"

With a loud shout, Hoshino Akira slid forward and thrust the gun in his hand forward—the gun barrel, wrapped in cloth, shot out like a cannonball! It struck Aoto's chest!

Qingdeng used his feet to stick to the ground to dodge to the side, moving to the side of the spear, and then skillfully deflected the spearhead to the side.

The next moment, Qingdeng "went straight up the pole" and rushed towards Bao Kexiao, trying to close the gap.

However, Hoshino Akira only took half a step back before retreating to a safe distance, pulling his spear back in front of him to hold the center line, and once again aiming the spearhead at Aoto's chest.

Upon seeing this, Qingdeng immediately halted his advance and assumed a defensive stance.

An extremely long attack range means ample room for error.

Even if the attack fails, there is enough time to regroup.

As if to make up for the failed attack, Hoshino Akira furrowed his brows, the veins on his arms bulging, and he roared repeatedly from his throat:

"Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink!"

He suddenly exerted force in his waist, and the spear in his hand suddenly swung open, creating dazzling spear flowers as it enveloped Qing Deng.

Qing Deng quickly scanned the area, discerning the trajectory of each attack, and then raised his sword to defend.

*Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!*
Sword shadows and spear shadows... the two figures engaged in a dazzling display of offense and defense in mid-air!
At first glance, Qingdeng seemed to be suppressed and unable to advance or retreat.

Seeing this scene, some people at the scene couldn't help but wonder: Is the "Invincible King Niou" about to suffer his first defeat?

Of course, only inexperienced people would have such thoughts.

Any martial artist as skilled as Chao Wuxueying could see that Qing Deng might not have the upper hand, but he was not at a disadvantage either.

At first glance, it seemed that Hoshino Akira had the upper hand, but every attack he launched was easily blocked by Aoto.

To give a simple example: Qing Deng only needs to use one part of his strength to neutralize the attack that Hoshina Akira uses with ten parts of his strength.

With this shift in balance, by the time Bao Kexiao is exhausted and collapses on the ground, Qing Deng won't even break a sweat.

Although this kind of attrition will eventually wear down the opponent, it is not the style of play that Qingdeng prefers.

There are many more challengers waiting for him to face one by one, and he doesn't want to waste too much time on one person.

The 10-second window for copying his talent has passed... He's ready to end this contest!
He was already an expert on how to defeat opponents with long arms.

Even Qingdeng might not be able to compensate for the difference in attack range with skill.

The simpler and more straightforward the method, the more effective it is—just use pure "numbers" to crush the competition!

The opponent uses attack range to suppress the opponent, which is like using "numerical value" to bully someone.

Therefore, if you are bullied by "numerical values", you can't blame anyone else!
In that instant, Qing Deng squinted his eyes, staring intently at the path of the gun.

Just as the spearhead was about to strike his chest, he suddenly swung the sword away—

"Nine Oxen and Two Tigers +4", "Bear Waist +6", "Tiger Arms +6"... All "Bone Type" talents activated!

Snapped! ! !
The incredibly loud impact caused many people at the scene to instinctively raise their hands to cover their ears.

Just from that terrifying sound, it wouldn't be surprising if both of their weapons broke at the same time.

Ignoring the stinging in their ears, everyone quickly focused their attention on the center of the battle.

Qingdeng's bamboo sword is damaged.

Centered on the point of impact, spiderweb-like cracks appeared, with tiny fragments drifting down.

In terms of sheer hardness, bamboo swords simply cannot compare to wooden spears.

Although Hoshino Akira's specially made wooden gun was unharmed, it... fell to the ground.

The immense force transmitted through the gun barrel caused Hoshino Akira's expression to change drastically!
It felt as if tens of thousands of steel needles were piercing his palms, as if he were holding a scorching hot stick!
Despite his best efforts to grip the gun, his willpower ultimately could not overcome his body's instinctive reaction.

Driven by a conditioned reflex, he hastily loosened his grip, letting the wooden gun fall to the ground.

Qingdeng did not press his advantage, but slowly lowered his bamboo sword and disengaged from his fighting stance.

"Mr. Hoshina, you flatter me."

Hoshino Akira looked down at his still numb and trembling palms, gave a wry smile, and then stood respectfully with his hands at his sides.

"I lost... Thank you for your guidance."

The outcome was decided when the spear was knocked away.

According to established convention, dropping a weapon is a major taboo and can result in an immediate loss.

If it really comes down to a fight to the end, with Qingdeng's speed, he could kill Baoke Xiao several times before he could even pick up his spear!

After Hoshino Akira conceded defeat, the system voice in Aoto's mind arrived as expected:

[Ding! Talent detected]

Successfully copied the talent: "Nine Oxen and Two Tigers +2"

[Talent Introduction: Greater strength than the average person]

[Ding! Detected that the host already possesses a talent of the same type]

[Ding! Initiating talent fusion]

[Upgrade from "Nine Oxen and Two Tigers +4" to "Nine Oxen and Two Tigers +6"]

Following the rising young martial artist, even the renowned old master was defeated by the Benevolent King Sword... The tension in the air at the scene eased considerably.

Although everyone was mentally prepared to "definitely lose to Niou," none of them wanted to show their miserable defeat in front of outsiders.

Now, with the examples set by Chaowu Xueying and Baoke Xiao, everyone's worries have been greatly reduced.

Even a highly renowned and top-notch martial arts master like Niou was easily defeated. Even if we lose badly, it's not shameful.

After retrieving the wooden gun, Bao Kexiao returned to the crowd with an open and honest expression—he knew very well that even at his peak physical condition, his strength was far inferior to Qing Deng's, so he accepted his defeat wholeheartedly.

Singing fame rises again:
"Kasuga Two-Sword Style, Kasuga Torataro!"

The third challenger was a boy with a youthful face.

Except for the first contestant (Chao Wu Xueying), who was specially arranged by Qing Deng, the order in which the subsequent challengers entered the arena was randomly arranged.

Kasuga Dual-Sword Style – a style I've never heard of before.

Aoto had never heard of the name "Kasuga Kotaro" before.

Despite the fact that his opponent was an unknown person, he did not take it lightly.

Since he passed the Shinsengumi's test, his opponent must be a skilled fighter. Qing Deng changed into a brand new bamboo sword and turned to look at the new challenger.

A body of average height and build, wielding two bamboo swords, one long and one short, with arms as thick as the roots of an old tree—these are indeed typical physical characteristics of a dual-wielding swordsman.

It is worth mentioning that after he appeared, he kept casting a fiery gaze at Qing Deng.

It seems that he is also one of Qingdeng's many admirers.

Qing Deng was already used to this and responded with a slight smile.

Every time a new challenger came up, he had to bow and announce his name... Qing Deng began to get annoyed.

That being said, proper etiquette should still be observed.

Kotaro Kasuga spread his legs, lowered his waist, and adopted a unique two-sword style stance—the long sword in his right hand was raised above his head in an attacking posture; the short sword in his left hand was raised to his chest, guarding the center line.

"Kasuga Two-Sword Style"

"Kasuga Torataro!"

Qing Deng lightly flicked the tip of his sword.

"Natural Flow of Mind"

“Ju Qing Deng”.

It has to be said that he truly lives up to his name—Kasuga Kotaro's fighting style is just like a fierce tiger!
As soon as Kondo Isami shouted "Start!", he impatiently leaped up and instantly attacked Qing Deng!
The first weapon to attack was the longsword in his right hand.

The raised longsword slashed down, aiming straight for Qing Deng's face.

Perhaps it was because of his admiration for Qingdeng that he was so unreserved and immediately unleashed a formidable killing move!
Qingdeng cautiously stepped back while raising his sword to parry.

With a snap, the sword, having failed in its strike, bounced off in the opposite direction after the collision.

If the opponent is a one-sword style swordsman, then Qing Deng will be able to counterattack at this point.

The most troublesome thing about dual-wielding is that, because you have two weapons, you can balance offense and defense!

In the blink of an eye, the opponent's short sword shot out from a tricky angle, aiming for Qing Deng's side! Offense as defense!

Qing Deng's retreat just now played a huge role at this moment.

Because he was standing right at the edge of the short sword's attack range, Qing Deng only had to take half a step back to easily dodge out of the short sword's attack range.

All of the above happened in the blink of an eye.

Both Kotaro Kasuga's offense and Aoto's defense can be described as "lightning fast"!

The former managed to unleash a slashing speed with just one arm that even an ordinary martial artist couldn't achieve with two arms!
In the blink of an eye, Kasuga Kotaro had closed the gap between himself and Aoto and launched an unstoppable and swift offensive.

It is easy to see that he is very skilled at controlling the distance, constantly changing his position so that Qing Deng is always within the attack range of his long and short swords.

After deflecting the longsword, the shortsword came; after blocking the shortsword, the longsword came again... one strike after another, one strike after another!
It has been proven that as long as one has enough strength and good enough coordination to easily wield two weapons, then dual-wielding will have an overwhelming advantage over single-wielding!

This relentless and overwhelming offensive was simply too much for a martial artist of average strength to withstand!
Kotaro Kasuga's continuous slashes drew breathtaking arcs, constantly emitting astonishing wind pressure.

Unfortunately, this was just watching the spectacle.

Just like Asahi Yukio and Hoshina Akira, who had just been defeated one after the other, his bamboo sword couldn't even touch a corner of Aoto's clothes; it was either blocked or dodged.

While skillfully maneuvering against Kasuga Kotaro, Aoto meticulously observed his swordplay.

His swordsmanship was indeed quite unique, with very special transitions between moves, which made Qing Deng take a few more glances.

While Kotaro Kasuga's slash was swift and left almost no opening, he still made a mistake that almost everyone makes—even the most meticulous plans can have a flaw!
In that fleeting instant, his short sword failed to keep up with the long sword's slash, thus revealing a "gap".

This tiny flaw was clearly reflected in Qing Deng's eyes—he immediately lowered his body, dodging the longsword's slash, and at the same time, thrust the longsword in his hand from below!

His bamboo sword pierced through the "gap" and struck the opponent squarely in the chest!

Kotaro Kasuga cried out in pain and staggered back several steps before barely managing to steady himself and stop his retreat.

[Ding! Talent detected]

[Successfully replicated talent: "Ambidextrous combat"]

[Talent Description: Ability to multitask, capable of performing two completely unrelated tasks simultaneously]

[Ding! Detected that the host already possesses a talent of the same type]

[Ding! Initiating talent fusion]

[Ambidextrous Fighting Ability Upgrade - "Ambidextrous Fighting +1"]

Kotaro Kasuga rubbed his chest... The spot that had been throbbing slightly just now was no longer painful at all.

This shows how skillfully Qingdeng controlled his strength.

He was not discouraged by his defeat; instead, he cast an increasingly ardent gaze at Qingdeng.

"Lord Ren-ou, thank you for your guidance!"

Qingdeng returned the greeting while thoughtfully observing the other person.

—So it was "ambidextrous fighting"... No wonder he could coordinate the two swords so well.

Putting aside the eternal talent, "Ambidextrous Fighting" is one of the rarest talents Qing Deng has ever encountered.

Prior to this, only Chiba Michizaburo (the current head of Genbukan) possessed this talent.

It is truly rare to have such outstanding strength and talent at such a young age.

Out of admiration for this man, Qing Deng suddenly called out to him:
"Please stay."

Kotaro Kasuga, who was about to leave the stage, paused for a moment, then turned around with a puzzled look on his face.

"Your attack is too 'straightforward'."

"Every time you swing your sword, your eyes will subconsciously look towards the place you want to attack."

"This habit is not good."

"If you encounter an opponent with good eyesight and quick reflexes, you're doomed to lose."

"If you want to go further on the path of martial arts, you'd better correct this bad habit and learn more about how to deceive your opponents."

Because he didn't expect Aoto to personally give him pointers, Kasuga Kotaro stood there, stunned for a long time.

It took him quite a while to gradually regain his senses.

"Yes! Thank you for your guidance!"

He loudly expressed his gratitude while bowing respectfully to Qingdeng, his cheeks flushed with excitement.

Aoto's guidance to Kasuga Kotaro brought about a new change in the atmosphere.

In addition to sparring, Niou will even give specific guidance... In other words, if you perform well, you will have the opportunity to receive personal instruction from Niou!

Being able to spar with Niou is already a very valuable experience.

If one is fortunate enough to receive even a word or two of his guidance, one might be able to elevate one's martial arts level to a higher level!

Even if you end up with nothing, it's still a wonderful thing.

"I was once given guidance by Niou because of my outstanding performance!"—This is something you can brag about for a lifetime!
Thinking of this, some of the people present became even more excited, rubbing their hands together, eager to get on stage immediately.

Amidst everyone's eager anticipation, his fame has risen again:

"Shinto Wu Nian Ryu, Liuren Yunosuke!"

……

……

The "Nioh Martial Arts Tournament" is in full swing.

Qing Deng defeated challenger after challenger.

Some are well-known, some are unknown; some are young, some are old... and there are even some dashing "female warriors".

No matter who the opponent is, they cannot shake Qingdeng's undefeated record!
Every day, new challengers arrive in Otsu from all over the country, so Aoto has no reason to worry that the "Niou Martial Arts Tournament" will not be able to continue.

The system voice in his mind rang from morning till night, making Qing Deng extremely happy—this was the most frequent sound of the system voice since he transmigrated!
At first, Qingdeng would carefully review the daily harvest.

But not long after, he gave up on doing so because he found it too troublesome.

He decided to take stock of his gains after the "Nioh Martial Arts Tournament" was over!
In short, his recent life has revolved entirely around the Nioh Martial Arts Tournament.

Unless it was an exceptionally important event, all political and military affairs were handled by Hijikata Toshizo, Yamanami Keisuke, and others.

Aside from returning to the Orange Mansion to sleep, he spends most of his day at the Kenji Hall, tirelessly competing with various masters!
Time passed by little by little... Qingdeng had completely gotten used to this "fighting, exhilarating!" rhythm of life.

Just as he was engrossed in exploiting his talent, an unexpected surprise suddenly arrived.

Putting aside the successful conduct of the "Nioh Martial Arts Tournament," Qing Deng has been encountering nothing good lately.

First, Ito Kashitaro led a rebellion, and then he was falsely accused of "murdering Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro".

Today, finally some good news has arrived—the negotiations between Katsura Rintaro and the French government went very smoothly! A series of agreements were successfully reached!

The French government has agreed to send a corps of officers to help North Korea train a new type of army!
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