Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

On the main training platform, Gen and Yusuke Omaeda stood facing each other.

"start!"

The moment the referee finished speaking, Yusuke Omaeda's obese figure suddenly blurred.

"Whoosh—!"

The sound was short and sharp; the wooden sword had already slashed down with a whoosh.

The moment the start was announced, Yusuke Ōmaeda used Shunpo to approach Gen and launch an attack, clearly intending to catch him off guard and win in one strike.

Unfortunately, Xuan reacted very quickly.

As the two bowed, Gen sensed that Yusuke Ōmaeda's spiritual energy was gathering in his lower limbs, clearly indicating that he was in a preparatory stance.

Facing an opponent who was using Shunpo (Instant Step), Xuan retreated to dodge the attack. The speed of the sword strike combined with the speed of Shunpo meant that the momentum contained in this attack was not to be underestimated; Xuan currently did not have the strength to block this strike.

Yusuke Ōmaeda missed his attack, then sheathed his sword and slashed again.

His instantaneous movement speed was indeed very fast for his age, but his sword-swinging speed was not fast, and he exerted all his strength, having to reload his sword between strikes. Xuan felt that the hammer suited him better.

Gen's right hand holds the knife, which is rotated outward and raised upward, with the tip of the knife pointing downward. The back of the knife runs along the right shoulder and around the left shoulder—a "brain-wrapping knife"—followed by a horizontal slash that deflects the blade of Omaeda Yusuke.

The "brain-wrapping knife" is one of the most basic techniques in knife fighting. There is a saying that "by wrapping the head and advancing to chop, one can master half of all knife fighting techniques in the world."

Xuanben could have dodged this attack, but by observing the opponent's strength from the sidelines, he could determine his next course of action.

As it turned out, Xuan was absolutely right not to raise his sword to block.

Xuan twisted his waist and turned his body, gathering his upper body's strength for a strike that hit Ōmaeda Yusuke's blade but only missed his attack; if it had hit the front of the blade, he would have been the one to suffer the loss after the collision.

Seeing that his two attacks had missed, Yusuke Ōmaeda let out a low shout and prepared to sheathe his sword and strike again.

Just as Ōmaeda Yusuke was about to sheathe his sword and before his new power could be generated, Gendo moved.

Gen's wooden sword clung tightly to the blade of Ōmaeda Yusuke's sword, like a vine climbing around a tree trunk.

The hissing sound of the wooden sword blades rotating and rubbing together reached their ears.

Xuan's blade seemed to come alive, entangling the opponent's blade, and a gentle yet continuous force was transmitted through the rotation.

As the two wooden swords clashed, Yusuke Ōmaeda felt the force of the swords spinning increasing, and the wooden swords he gripped in his palm seemed ready to slip from his hand at any moment.

He gripped the hilt, trying to pull the wooden sword away, but Xuan's wooden sword was like a leech, impossible to shake off.

Yusuke Ōmaeda's face turned red from straining. He tried to exert force, but not only could he not get any strength, his arm holding the sword also began to rotate with the wooden sword.

"What the hell is going on?!" Yusuke Ōmaeda was both shocked and annoyed. He was shocked because he had never seen anything like it before, and annoyed because he couldn't use his strength.

Below the stage, the other students seemed to forget to breathe, their eyes glued to the battle in the arena. In their minds, kendo combat consisted only of dodging or head-on clashes; they had never witnessed anything like this.

"A sword!" A thought flashed through Yusuke Ōmaeda's mind. "His fighting prowess lies entirely in his uncanny swordsmanship!"

Since that's the case... the panic in his eyes was replaced by decisiveness.

He suddenly let go.

The wooden sword was flung away the moment it left his hand, landing with a thud three zhang away. Almost simultaneously, Yusuke Omaeda's obese body burst forth with astonishing speed, taking advantage of Gen's loss of balance due to the wooden sword leaving its target, and kicked it down with a flying kick.

This situation took everyone by surprise, and a gasp rang out from the audience.

Yusuke Omaeda's series of punches came hurtling in.

Gen pressed down with his right hand to deliver the first punch, then slapped his left hand in the second circle and pulled it behind his back. At the same time, he squatted down and delivered a horizontal elbow strike to Omaeda Yusuke's side waist.

Yusuke Ōmaeda used the thick layer of fat on his stomach as a cushion, and although he was knocked back two steps by the elbow strike, he quickly regained his balance.

Gen stepped forward, only to be met by Omaeda Yusuke's all-out punch. Gen immediately countered with a slash followed by a parry, creating a perfect "wild horse mane" effect.

Unfortunately, his own strength was insufficient, and the opponent was too heavy, so he could only move one step.

It was this step that caused Yusuke Ōmaeda to trip over Gen's outstretched foot. This is the essence of Tai Chi's principle of "attacking by sweeping and lifting, striking by thrusting and squeezing, and striking by biting and burying."

As Yusuke Omaeda fell to the ground and tried to roll over and jump up, Gen's hand was already lightly pressed on the back of his neck, and his knee was pressing against his heart.

"The victor is Gen Shihōin."

Unlike the composed nobles on the viewing platform, the cheers from the students watching from below the stage were deafening.

Yusuke Ōmaeda—a favorite to win the championship, possessing both strength and the Shunpo technique, was defeated just like that.

"Thank you for your concession."

Xuan withdrew his hand and stepped back, extending his right hand to Omaeda Yusuke, who had just turned around from the ground.

Yusuke Ōmaeda smiled wryly, grabbed Gen's hand, and stood up. He dusted himself off, his face full of helplessness: "Gen, it's so frustrating fighting you!"

He scratched his head and continued, "I'm clearly stronger than you and not slower either, but I always feel like I can't use my strength."

Xuan nodded slightly: "Your Instant Step is very fast and your strength is very strong. If we were to fight head-on, I definitely wouldn't be able to stop you."

Hearing this, Yusuke Ōmaeda's expression softened, and he grinned, "A loss is a loss. We're simply not good enough. Third place is still something we can reassure our families."

"Oh? You're so sure you can't beat Hiruzaburo?"

Yusuke Omaeda sighed, wrinkles appearing on his chubby face: "I've sparred with that guy a few times in private, and I can't beat him even without using spiritual power, let alone the fact that he has the highest spiritual power among us."

On the viewing platform, Shihouin Sennichi picked up her teacup, took a sip, and appeared calm.

The surrounding noble parents whispered their compliments, mostly polite phrases like "The Shihōin family has produced another genius" and "The younger generation is formidable," but they couldn't hide their own thoughts in their eyes—for example, that the children of the Shihōin branch family could marry into the family.

Standing by the arena, Shihouin Shuzaburo quietly watched the entire match, pondering to himself.

Xuan's agile movements, his exquisite control of power, and the judgment and explosive power he displayed when he finally took down Omaeda Yusuke—if this is talent, it is simply too amazing.

After a 15-minute break, the second semi-final began, with Shihouin Hirusaburo facing off against Omaeda Yusuke.

This fight had a completely different style, and the students below the stage gasped in surprise.

Having experienced the frustration of the previous match, Yusuke Ōmaeda played with exceptional abandon this time, attempting to quickly end the battle with a relentless barrage of attacks.

Sunagakure adopted a steady and methodical approach, dealing with the situation flawlessly and never being greedy for quick success or making rash advances.

"Yusuke is going to lose. Hiruzaburo's fundamentals are too solid. If you all practice your fundamentals diligently, you can also achieve this level." The head instructor took the opportunity to urge the students on from below the stage.

As expected, after five minutes of relentless attacks, Ōmaeda Yusuke's breathing became heavy. Seizing the opening, Ōzaburo thrust his wooden sword forward like a venomous snake, striking Ōmaeda Yusuke's wrist.

"Snapped!"

The wooden knife slipped from my hand.

The tip of the knife stopped three inches in front of Yusuke Omaeda.

Xuan watched the entire fight from below the stage. Zhou Saburo's fighting style was clearly displayed—calm, precise, and almost flawless.

Yusuke Omaeda stepped off the training platform, rubbing his wrist as he approached Gen: "Isn't Hiruzaburo amazing? Fighting him was tough, but at least you got feedback."

Xuan nodded: "He's very steady."

At that moment, Houzaburo also came over.

Yusuke patted him on the shoulder: "Hatsuzaburo, good luck!"

Zhou Sanlang nodded, his gaze falling on Xuan: "I will do my best."

"I'm really looking forward to the finals," Hiruzaburo continued, "and I'm also curious—what exactly does the 'frustration' that Yusuke Omaeda mentioned feel like?"

Xuan met his gaze: "You'll find out soon enough."

Their eyes met, and invisible sparks flew in the air.

On the viewing platform, Feng Zongzhu asked in a low voice, "Young Master Qianri, what do you think are Young Master Xuan's chances of winning?"

"Odds of winning?" Qianri chuckled. "That kid is exceptionally talented. I can't even see how much he's hiding."

His fingertips traced the embroidery on the hem of his sleeve, a hint of interest flickering in his golden eyes: "However, Zhou Sanlang is no pushover either. The final match later might be quite interesting."

At the edge of the training ground, Chief Instructor Shifengyuan Zongyan stepped forward, his voice audible to everyone, including those on the viewing platform:

"The final match will begin after a 15-minute break. The final will be between Gen Shihōin and Hiruzaburo Shihōin!"

The resounding cheers instantly ignited the atmosphere among the trainees, sparking excited discussions.

Xuan walked to the rest area and sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing. Not far away, Zhou Sanlang was also making final preparations.

Fifteen minutes later, Shihōin Muneyoshi stepped onto the arena once again.

"The two finalists, step onto the stage."

Xuan opened his eyes and stood up. Zhou Sanlang stood up at the same time.

The two walked onto the martial arts stage and stood in the center.

The students in the audience held their breath.

The viewing platform also quieted down.

He sat upright for a thousand days, his golden eyes never blinking.

Shihōin Muneyoshi's gaze swept over the two of them, and he slowly raised his hand—

"start."