Ke Xue: He mastered the steel-cutting divine skill at the start.

Sonoko waved her little fist and shouted, "You little brat, you bullied me, now you're paying the price!"

He knew in his heart that the reason Miyazaki Yu was so furious and determined to defeat them all was to vent his anger on him.

Otherwise, to establish authority, it would have been enough to defeat Miyamoto Rujin alone; there was no need to defeat all of these hundred-plus people and offend so many at once.

Thinking of his love and care for her, she couldn't help but feel a sweet warmth in her heart.

"Clap clap-"

A round of clapping sounded, and the group looked up to see two people standing on the observation deck on the second floor of the hall. Two of them were standing beside them, and one of them, who was smiling as he watched the scene in the hall, was none other than Chairman Nakamura.

Logically speaking, these prospective members, who are all members of the Kendo Association, should be ashamed of themselves now that they have all been defeated.

However, Chairman Nakamura showed no sign of anger at this moment, but instead watched the scene in the hall with a smile.

“You bunch of kids, when I ask you to practice swordsmanship, you all have high aspirations but low skills. Although you are already considered elites in your respective schools or dojos, you should now understand just how big the gap is between you and the real geniuses in this world!”

If you don't want to fall too far behind your peers, there's only one way: practice like crazy!

Those who have never risked their lives to do something will never understand the joy that comes with hardship. I hope you can understand that!

Also, Miyazaki is a distinguished guest I invited. It was my idea to take action against you. Don't hate the wrong person. If you want to vent your anger, come find this old man.”

Everyone was stunned.

It turns out it was this old man who was behind it!

They said, "How could anyone suddenly have the urge to fight a hundred people by themselves? Even if they win, it seems there's no benefit other than embarrassing those hundred people."

But Miyazaki Yu did exactly that, and almost swept through the enemy. More than a hundred people only lasted a few minutes before being knocked to the ground and rolled around like a pile of gourds.

They might dare to hate Miyazaki Yu, but they wouldn't dare to hate Chairman Nakamura even if they had eight times the courage.

They immediately bowed to Chairman Nakamura, then hurriedly found someone to carry the unconscious Miyamoto Ryujin out of the hall.

"Hmph! These kids are getting worse and worse. More than a hundred of them couldn't even hold off one person, especially when the other side was holding back!"

Only then did everyone's attention turn to the other two.

One of the middle-aged men was Masahiro Ishida, one of the judges of the previous kendo tournament, while the real key figure was the man standing between the two.

He had dark skin and was tall and thin. One of his eyes was half-closed because of a long, narrow scar running through the corner of his eye. He wasn't blind, but it was clearly affecting his vision.

His other eye was wide open and unusually bright; it belonged to Takizaki Inosuke, a member of the Sword Masters Guild who had been secretly observing Miyazaki Yu before!

This time, however, he had clearly taken better care of himself than before. His messy hair was neatly combed, giving him a sharp and capable look.

And his beard was also cleaned up completely.

This change has piqued the curiosity of those familiar with Takizaki, especially Vice President Masahiro Ishida.

Takizaki Kensho was the person he tried so hard to curry favor with, so he was naturally very familiar with his habits.

This great swordsman from the Shinkage-ryu school was obsessed with swordsmanship his entire life, and he didn't care much about anything else.

Just like those artists who are obsessed with calligraphy and painting, they become so engrossed in it that they end up looking slovenly.

But today, she actually dressed up specially just to see Miyazaki Yu.

You should know that even when he goes to see other members of the Sword Masters Association, those highly respected great sword masters, he always does so at his own pace, and never does this.

This shows how much he values ​​Miyazaki Yu!

When Chairman Nakamura saw Miyazaki Yu staring intently at Takizaki Kengo, he knew that Miyazaki Yu had roughly guessed the other party's identity, so he spoke directly.

"Miyazaki-san, this is Takizaki Kengo, a member of the Kengo Association. He's the one who wants to meet you this time."

"The Sword Masters' Gathering!"

Sonoko looked at this unassuming middle-aged man in surprise. This man was actually a member of the Sword Master Association!

That means he is a true swordsman!

Seeing the blank looks on Xiaolan and Reina's faces, he hurriedly began to explain.

"The Sword Masters Association is a powerful organization that has existed since ancient times. It was once the most relied-upon top combat force in Japan! It has had a huge influence from ancient times to the present. However, the Sword Masters Association is very low-key and never appears in the public eye, so few people know about its existence!"

However, every member of the Sword Masters Guild is an extremely remarkable individual. Even the government holds them in high esteem and provides them with exceptionally high benefits!

The girl spoke very softly, but it was clearly not out of Takizaki Kensho's ears.

He laughed and said directly, "What the little girl said is very true. However, children from ordinary families should not know these things, but you know them very well. Whose child are you?"

Upon hearing Takizaki Kensho speak, Sonoko dared not be negligent in the slightest, straightening her body and bowing slightly before replying.

“My name is Sonoko Suzuki, I come from the Suzuki Foundation, and my father’s name is Shiro Suzuki.”

Takizaki Kengo nodded: "I see. Your father and I have had some interactions. He came to see me once, but I've been very busy, so we've lost touch since then."

Sonoko thought to herself, "My dad really fawns over you. He even mentioned this once: he met a real swordsman, but this swordsman was obsessed with swordsmanship and didn't really want to talk to him, which saddened him for a long time. It seems that this swordsman is none other than Swordsman Takizaki."

At this moment, Takizaki Kenshin's gaze was completely focused on Miyazaki Yu.

"Miyazaki! I've seen the video of you fighting Kaito Kid. If I'm not mistaken, you should have already mastered that power, and you're quite proficient at it. You should be good enough to be able to unleash ten consecutive sword strikes! Am I right?"

Miyazaki Yu nodded. When he made his move in the public eye, he was prepared that his strength would be noticed by those with ulterior motives.

However, this is inevitable. If you possess a certain power, unless you never use it, it will definitely be noticed by others. This is something he did intentionally.

To gain sufficient fame and fortune, one must demonstrate sufficient value; this applies to any era.

"Very good! The Sword Masters' Guild hasn't had a new member for a long time. Now that you've mastered that skill, it's as if you've stepped into a new world. I'm formally inviting you to participate in the Sword Master Trials!"

Chapter 124 The Conditions to Become a Sword Master (3rd Update!)

"An invitation to the Sword Masters' Guild Trials!"

With Sonoko's explanation, Ran and Rena vaguely learned about the Sword Masters Association. Although they didn't know the specifics, as native Japanese people...

Based on the legends and stories I've heard since childhood, I can roughly guess just how powerful and behemoth this so-called Sword Masters' Association really is!

This organization actually extended an invitation to Miyazaki Yu!

Xiaolan asked with a puzzled look, "What does the swordsman Takizaki mean by that? Does he mean the ability to cut steel?"

Takizaki Kensho didn't hide anything and explained directly.

"That's true. The so-called 'slicing steel' means using a sword to cut through steel, but that's just the most basic skill. Some people with great strength and talent, or those with a good sword, can also cut through steel, so we need a target."

That is, only by using a standard longsword to cut through a standard shield can one be considered to have truly mastered the skill of cutting through steel!

However, this can only be considered as stepping into the threshold of the Sword Master level, and can only be considered as a quasi-Sword Master, because many powerful people who have cultivated to the quasi-Sword Master level...

They have already gained access to many secret sword techniques that unleash bursts of energy or temporarily increase strength, allowing them to greatly enhance their power for a short period. However, this power only grants them a fraction of the strength of a true swordsman!

At this moment, Chairman Nakamura also spoke up: "What Takizaki Kensho said is true. I reached the ninth dan in kendo before I was thirty years old. Later, at the age of thirty-two, I completed my first steel-cutting and became a quasi-kensho."

However, in the years that followed, no matter how hard I tried, I could never break through to the level of a true swordsman.

Masahiro Ishida also sighed and said, "That's true. But compared to the chairman, my talent is far inferior. Even when I was young, I could only use the secret sword to draw out my blood and qi, and after that, I could no longer wield the sword."

He spoke with great emotion, and Miyazaki Yu, listening to him, also felt a deep sense of melancholy.

Because he was able to do this level of skill as soon as he woke up.

At that time, he was extremely weak. He had just woken up from the coma caused by the longsword, and his physical condition was far inferior to what it is now. His muscle control ability was only at the level of consciousness.

It's like transferring the soul of a boxing champion into an ordinary body; the power it can unleash is extremely limited.

But things are different now. His muscle density has increased dramatically, and his muscle control has improved so much that he can now control over 90% of his muscles, resulting in a significant increase in his combat power.

In other words, his starting point is the end point for most swordsmanship geniuses!

Xiaolan nodded and said, "So, you need to complete ten steel-slicing strikes in one go to be considered a true swordsman, right?"

Takizaki Kensho laughed: "This is just one of the tests. To succeed in the Kensho Trial, two major elements are required. Cutting steel ten times is just a general term. It can prove that a person is not cutting steel with difficulty, but is already at ease. It is not achieved by using desperate means."

However, even for a sword master, the technique of cutting through steel is not used casually, because it consumes too much physical strength.

Therefore, to become a swordsman, one must be able to cut steel ten times to prove that one has indeed acquired strength beyond that of ordinary people.

Miyazaki Yu nodded; what the swordsman Takizaki said was indeed true.

For swordsmen with sufficient strength or deep experience, cutting through steel once is possible, but their level of skill is insufficient.

Even if you give it your all, it's basically just a lump of putty.

Moreover, such a long charging time is of no value in actual combat.

However, being able to cut steel ten times is enough to be considered as having complete control, which is of course a completely different level.

"May I ask, Lord Takizaki, what are the benefits of becoming a swordsman?"

Takizaki Kengo chuckled: "Still a money-grubber, huh? Don't you already have a girlfriend from the Suzuki Zaibatsu? Are you short of money? Just ask your father-in-law to give you some, and that'll be enough for you to live on for a lifetime."

Sonoko nearly jumped up when she heard that: "No way! Miyazaki and I are just good friends right now!"

Miyazaki Yu smiled slightly: "Sonoko is not my girlfriend now, and I like to earn my own money and spend it myself. I'm only happy when I use money like that."

Takizaki Kensho chuckled: "If you really become a Kensho, you won't need to worry about money anymore. After becoming a Kensho, you will not only be granted the honor of being a Kensho, but you will also receive a single reward of 20 million yen."

Then there will be a monthly salary, comparable to that of an academician, plus some hidden privileges—special perks reserved for swordsmen.

Several girls, especially Rena Miyazawa, had their mouths agape in an "O" shape!

"Twenty million yen! And there's an academician-level salary, and it seems like you don't have to do anything!"

Miyazaki Yu's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected that this "Sword Master" title would have such a great reward. It was practically a profession where one could live a life of leisure without any real effort!

The reason the government set such a high reward salary is to encourage and hope that the number of sword masters in Japan can increase, because masters at this level also represent the national spirit to a certain extent.

Competition between nations is all-encompassing, and the strongest in extraordinary fields is also a crucial aspect of this competition.

That's why the rewards are so generous!

Furthermore, it is extremely difficult to become a sword master; countless exceptionally talented geniuses never reach that level in their entire lives.

Even if one reaches that level, they are already quite old, especially since sword masters are few in number, far fewer than academicians, making them even more precious.

"Haha, judging from your eyes, you're probably already interested."

Miyazaki Yu chuckled, making no attempt to hide his thoughts.

"That's true. If you become a swordsman, you should be able to stop working for the rest of your life. That would be a great thing."

Takizaki Kensho smiled smugly. Judging from this kid's past, it's understandable that he likes money.