I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 960 Qing Deng Arrives! [5600]

To be honest, after personally experiencing Shuten Douji's overwhelming strength, Chiba Eijiro was also surprised.

He was actually being suppressed so tightly that he could only defend himself but had no power to fight back... Even when he duelled with Qing Deng, he had never experienced such a thing.

Of course, although he was shocked, as a swordsman who was determined to master the mysteries of kendo, how could he retreat just because his opponent was so strong?
From the beginning, Shuten-doji gave him a "strange feeling".

He gritted his teeth and held on, trying to resist Shuten-doji's fierce attack, while trying to find the essence of this "strange feeling".

Soon, he found out the truth and discovered the specific reason why Shuten-doji was so powerful.

This "strange feeling" is an extraordinary level of concentration.

If you observe carefully, you can find that Shuten-doji's concentration has reached an extremely terrifying level.

His eyes were fixed on Chiba Eijiro, without even blinking.

What’s even more terrifying is that his eyes seem to have no focus, appearing like “a pool of calm lake water”.

It's hard to tell where his gaze is focused.

It was as if I was not looking at anything, and yet it was as if I was looking at everything.

If you look closely, you can find a strange light flickering in his eyes.

This kind of situation...Chiba Eijiro is not unfamiliar with it.

After all, he'd been there before.

It is the highest realm of martial arts - "the realm of selflessness"!
The opponent in front of him has entered the legendary "state of no self"... Chiba Eijiro felt a sense of relief about this.

No wonder the opponent is so powerful, no wonder I was beaten so badly.

It is only too normal to be suppressed by the "state of no self".

It would be strange if one could compete with the "state of no self" in an ordinary state.

However, after feeling "relieved", his mood became extremely complicated.

"The state of no self"... the highest state that countless warriors have been pursuing but cannot obtain - Chiba Eijiro is one of them.

Several years ago, Chiba Eijiro briefly experienced the "state of no self" when fighting a black bear.

To be fair, it is still unknown whether the state he entered at the beginning was the "state of no self".

But the power I experienced at that time was unquestionable!

Chiba Eijiro was deeply shocked by this and has remembered it to this day!

It is no exaggeration to say that once you experience this extremely powerful state, you will become addicted! You can't wait to experience it a second time, a third time...

In recent years, Chiba Eijiro has never slacked off in his practice, all in order to enter the "selfless state" again and then completely master the "selfless state"!
As far as he knew, the "Eternal Sword Saint" Ogata Ittosai was a powerful man who could freely enter the "state of no self".

What my predecessors could do, I can do too - and just like that, Chiba Eijiro moved towards a new goal.

However... perhaps this is what is meant by "When you try to plant flowers, they don't bloom, but when you plant willows by accident, they grow into a shade."

When beating the bear, he had no psychological expectations, but he accidentally entered the "state of no self".

But now, he intended to master the "state of no self", but he could not achieve his wish.

The supreme realm that he had been pursuing but could not obtain was actually easily achieved by the opponent in front of him... Chiba Eijiro's complex feelings at the moment are truly indescribable.

Although it was hard to believe, Chiba Eijiro had to admit the fact: the other party was most likely like Ogata Ittosai, and also possessed the ability to freely enter the "state of no self"!

Judging from his temperament, Shuten-doji doesn't look like the kind of person who would devote his life to martial arts.

It was hard for Chiba Eijiro to imagine that someone who had no martial arts temperament at all could reach a level that even he had never reached.

——Is he the kind of person who is born with extremely high concentration?
To put it bluntly, the essence of the "state of no self" is extraordinary concentration.

Concentration is raised to its peak, thereby stimulating all the potential in the body.

Chiba Eijiro once heard that there is a type of people who are born with extremely high concentration.

People of this type can easily enter the "state of no self" just by moving their minds.

Chiba Eijiro had no doubt about this statement.

Because he himself is a person with high concentration.

If there really are people who are born with terrifyingly high concentration abilities, it is not impossible.

After a brief moment of shock and confusion, Chiba Eijiro gradually calmed down.

No matter what kind of person the other person is or what talents he has, this cannot be a reason for him to be timid!

"call……"

He took a deep breath and stared at the other person without blinking.

Shuten-doji took a step forward like a giant, showing the spirit of being able to defeat a thousand enemies alone, and the sword in his hand flew towards Chiba Eijiro with a "swoosh".

If it had happened just now, this blow would at least have left new wounds on his body.

But this time, Shuten-doji's attack was ineffective.

Chiba Eijiro raised the blade quickly and calmly, held it diagonally above his head, and with a "click" he deflected the opponent's attack to the side.

Although his defense seemed forced, he did successfully block Shuten-doji's attack.

Such a neat and beautiful move even surprised his opponent Shuten-doji, with a flash of surprise in his eyes.

If it were a few minutes ago, Chiba Eijiro would not have been able to make such a smooth move.

In other words, within these few short minutes, Chiba Eijiro's moves became more advanced!

——Very good, I’m gradually getting used to it.

Chiba Eijiro slightly moved the ten fingers of his hands, adding a light rhythm to the sword in his palm.

Then, he slightly widened the distance and continued to keep a close eye on the opponent's every move, guarding against any new offensive from the opponent.

To his shame, at this moment, he completely forgot the bold words he had just spoken - to protect Tokugawa Iemochi and maintain world peace.

There was only one thought in his mind: defeat the opponent! Then use this as a foundation to achieve a complete transformation!
Since becoming famous, Chiba Eijiro has rarely encountered an opponent who can crush him - basically he is the only one who crushes others.

Martial arts are the path of Shura. Only by walking on the edge of life and death can one have the opportunity to reach a higher realm.

Now he has such an extremely powerful swordsman as his opponent... There is no doubt that this is both a danger and an opportunity!

Either you win and advance further in the world of martial arts, or you die directly!

With this thought in mind, Chiba Eijiro perked up his spirit, and the fighting spirit in his eyes burned brightly!

The talent of "Concentration" is exerted to the limit, and the nerves of the whole body are tense!
In a flash, under the sunlight, the two men were fighting again.

clang! clang! clang! clang! clang!
The extremely terrifying sound of metal clashing seemed to be aimed at breaking the blade in the hand.

Chiba Eijiro countered the opponent's moves, and while defending tightly, he waited for an opportunity to launch a counterattack.

——Not quite yet...

Although he was still at a disadvantage, he would use extremely threatening moves every once in a while, forcing Shuten-doji to put away his sword and defend himself.

Seeing that he was unable to defeat Chiba Eijiro, Shuten Doji lowered his eyelids and a solemn look appeared on his cheeks.

The next moment, he suddenly stretched out his arms and released an even more fierce and terrifying attack!

One cut after another, the speed of the cut was as fast as thunder and the power was as heavy as Mount Tai.

Chiba Eijiro gritted his teeth and tried hard to withstand the opponent's fierce attack.

——Just a little bit more…!
Suddenly, Shuten-doji leaned forward and rushed forward, swinging the knife in his hand at a tricky angle, slashing towards Chiba Eijiro's head.

At the moment when Shuten-doji made his move, Chiba Eijiro also made his move as if it was a conditioned reflex!
The knife in his right hand flashed silver light from under his left armpit and swept towards Shuten-doji's neck.

Two cold lights crossed each other and flashed across the sky and earth.

While making the move, Chiba Eijiro raised his head with all his might.

In this way, he successfully avoided Shuten-doji's frontal attack.

Although he did not completely avoid it and the tip of the knife grazed his cheek, leaving a long bloody scar, at least he managed to save his life.

The situation is similar for Shuten-doji on the opposite side.

After Chiba Eijiro drew his sword, he twisted his body swiftly, and Zhenyue Nagamitsu's blade grazed the side of his neck, leaving only a shallow wound but failing to take his life.

In this round, the two sides ended in a draw.

——Just a little bit more!
Although he couldn't tell why, Chiba Eijiro had a strong premonition: just a little bit more!
He was just a little bit away from breaking free and entering a higher realm!
At this time, both sides leaped back at the same time in tacit understanding, leaving a distance of about ten meters between them.

The fight had been so intense just now, but at this moment, the scene fell into an eerie silence.

No one moved, they just stared at each other.

In reality, this is just the calm before the storm.

A battle of this level will either drag on for a very long time or be decided quickly - the duel between Chiba Eijiro and Shuten Doji is a case of the latter.

Based on their own experience and intuition, both parties came to the same conclusion at this moment: the time to decide the outcome has come!
Four more... no, three more rounds! This duel will come to an end!

The silence at the scene lasted only 5 seconds - 5 seconds later, a violent "force" stirred up the surrounding air!
In the first round, Chiba Eijiro took the initiative.

With a snap, he kicked his hind legs hard and pounced towards Shuten-doji like a cannonball.

He raised the tip of the knife and stabbed it at Shuten-doji's chest with the force of the Xiaduan sword.

His attack was so powerful and powerful that it seemed like a cavalryman charging on horseback with a lance.

If it gets stabbed, the mere armor won't be able to stop it.

Shuten-doji felt a great threat from this move, and raised his sword to meet the attack with a serious expression.

But he changed his steps lightly and stepped back to leave more room for parry, and then used his superb force-dissipating skills to push Zhenyue Changguang to the side.

In the first round, both sides were tied.

In the second round, it was Shuten-doji's turn to launch the attack.

“Haaaaaaaaaah…!”

A deep roar burst out from Shuten-doji's throat.

He raised the knife over his head, adopted the upper right posture, slid forward, instantly closed the distance, and with the help of the potential energy of the forward lunge, chopped the knife down heavily!

Chiba Eijiro didn't dare to take it head-on.

He only had to take one look to see that this was not a move he could block.

At this critical moment, a look of determination appeared on his face. In an instant, he stepped forward!

Although it was a risky move, he had already made up his mind - to replace defense with offense! Attack against offense!

As he ran forward, he lowered the blade and gathered strength at his waist.

One swung his sword downwards, the other swung his sword upwards - two silver lights suddenly appeared.

The two men's sleeves met and they passed each other.

Shuten Doji's blade scratched Chiba Eijiro's left shoulder, and blood spurted out.

Chiba Eijiro's sharp blade cut Shuten-doji's right thigh which was not protected by armor, and blood flowed everywhere.

In the second round, the two sides were still tied.

Finally... the third round has arrived!

After the two of them passed each other, they immediately stepped firmly on their feet and steadied their bodies - the distance between them was so close that they could be said to be standing back to back.

In the blink of an eye, they suddenly turned around, and using the centrifugal force of their spinning bodies, they swung the knives in their palms fiercely at each other!

This time, the moves of both sides were reversed - the one who chopped downwards became Chiba Eijiro, and the one who chopped upwards became Shuten Doji.

I don’t know if it was because the battle was too intense, or for some other reason... At this moment, Chiba Eijiro’s mind was blank, he had no thoughts at all, even the obsession of "becoming stronger through this battle" was gone.

With no distracting thoughts in mind... he just swung the sword in his palm mechanically and purely!

At this moment, his will was transmitted to the tip of the knife.

At this moment, just like Shuten Douji opposite him, there was also a strange light flashing in Chiba Eijiro's eyes, like the morning star in the dark night!
At the same moment, as if someone was leveraging his strength, his knife suddenly accelerated!
Everything happened in a flash——

Phew!

Phew!

The sounds of two sharp blades cutting through the skin rang out simultaneously.

Shuten-doji stood still, his face expressionless.

Chiba Eijiro also stood safely.

but……

Tick, tick ...

A huge amount of blood flowed out from his chest, first dyeing his clothes on his chest red, then flowing straight down, dyeing his two hakama red, and then continued to drip to the ground, dripping more and more, and dripping faster and faster.

In the previous confrontation, Shuten-doji's blade hit his chest.

The huge wound opened up like a shell, resulting in the scene of "blood gushing out".

After a while, he could no longer stand, and his body swayed back and forth, like a tumbler that had been pushed over.

He subconsciously tried to stand firm.

However, the harder he tried, the more counterproductive it became.

Due to his imbalance, his lower body supported his upper body and he staggered forward several steps.

Unfortunately...he is not a tumbler after all.

Before he fell, he used up his last bit of strength and sat down against the wall next to him, leaning his back against the wall with his head hanging down in boredom.

The strange thing is that although he was injured so badly, he didn't feel any pain.

——I have to remember it quickly...

At this moment, he felt as if he was about to grasp something.

He tried hard to recall every detail of the confrontation, trying to find the "feeling" he had just had.

He now felt like he had just woken up from a dream. He tried hard to recall the scenes in the dream, but he still couldn't remember them clearly.

Although his memory was vague, he was very sure that as long as he could regain and firmly grasp the "feeling" he had just had, he would be able to reach a higher level as he wished!
But what can he do...his body can no longer support the moment he recalls.

He could only helplessly watch as his vision was invaded by the deep darkness, letting his consciousness drift away...

"..."

Even though Chiba Eijiro fell down, Shuten Doji did not relax at all.

He adopted a determined stance, staring at the other party as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

At this moment, he suddenly felt a sharp pain on the left side of his neck.

He freed his left hand and wiped the left side of his neck - his hand was warm and sticky.

When I looked closer, I saw that my left palm was covered in warm blood.

It turned out that he was also chopped.

In the confrontation just now, Chiba Eijiro's knife swept across his neck.

If his knife had cut a little deeper, he would have injured his carotid artery.

By then, no matter how great his abilities are, he will not be able to escape death.

Being cut is not a terrible thing.

The scary thing is that Shuten-doji couldn't remember when he was chopped!

No matter how hard he tried to recall, he couldn't remember at what moment Chiba Eijiro's knife swept across his neck.

He looked deeply at the blood on the palm of his hand, then raised his eyes and looked at Chiba Eijiro opposite him again.

"……Wonderful."

After leaving this faint comment, Shuten-doji no longer looked at Chiba Eijiro, and did not care whether he was dead or alive. He turned around resolutely and looked deeper into Edo Castle.

……

……

Edo Castle, Honmaru, Castle Tower——

Elodie and his men originally wanted to retreat to the square.

But judging from the current situation, even if we retreat to the Great Hall, it may not be safe!

In desperation, they could only retreat to the castle tower in one breath.

This is the highest point of Edo Castle and also the last stronghold of Edo Castle!

Since we have retreated to the castle tower, it means there is no other way out!

"Huh...huh...huh...huh...huh..."

Running all the way to the castle tower, Elodie couldn't help feeling her lungs aching and her legs swollen.

She didn't care about her tiredness, and quickly pulled herself together, lying on the edge of the castle tower's railing and looking around.

Since it is a castle tower, the view is naturally very good.

Looking up, you can see the huge Edo Town and the scenery in the distance.

Tenshoin placed Tokugawa Iemochi on the main seat, bandaged his wounds simply, then moved lightly to Elodie's side.

"Elodie, how is it? Is there anything unusual?"

As she asked, she imitated Elodie, craning her neck and scanning every area within her sight.

Suddenly, as if she sensed something, she fixed her gaze, looked far away, and stared straight to the west.

Elodie replied worriedly:
"No findings yet. No enemy sightings..."

Having said this, she seemed to have seen something horrifying. Her eyes suddenly widened, her voice stopped abruptly, and her eyes stared straight towards the east.

Just at the end of his sight, a young man wearing heavy armor and holding a bloody sword was running like a whirlwind, heading straight towards the castle tower along the avenue.

At this moment, Shuten-douji seemed to sense Elodi's gaze and raised his head - the two of them met eyes.

Elodie subconsciously lowered her body, trying to hide herself.

Unfortunately, it's too late.

Shuten-doji looked at Elodie and Tenshoin from afar, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a happy smile... In Elodie's eyes, this smile was extremely hideous!
"hateful……!"

Looking at Shuten-douji running towards them, getting closer and closer, Elodie pounded the railing angrily, tears glistening in her eyes.

I only saw Shuten-doji, but not Chiba Eijiro...what this means is self-evident.

Elodie wanted to hold back her tears.

But the more she tried to hold back, the more tears as big as beans rolled down her cheeks.

Just as she was secretly grieving, Tian Zhangyuan beside her suddenly said:
"... Elodie, be thankful."

"Ok?"

While wiping her tears, Elodie turned her head and cast a puzzled look towards Tianzhangyuan.

From the beginning, Tianzhangyuan has been staring at the west without blinking.

Facing Elodie's confused gaze, she breathed a sigh of relief, her tone filled with irrepressible excitement:
"A miracle really happened!"

……

……

West of Edo——

Blah blah blah blah...

The sound of horse hooves hitting the ground was deafening.

Touches of light green hue cover the mountains and fields.

Two big flags fluttered in the wind.

On one side is written "It is honor to die, and shame to live".

On the other side is painted a huge word "誠".

The leader of this cavalry team rode a black bull, holding a long spear, looking very majestic!

******
******
It's the end of the month again! Book friends who have monthly tickets, please be sure to vote for this book! (crying leopard head.jpg) Please vote for the monthly ticket! Please recommend! (crying leopard head.jpg)

PS: In the past few days, some readers have been asking me when Qing Deng will come to the rescue. To avoid spoilers, I have been holding back. Now I can finally give you an explanation: Qing Deng will appear in this chapter!