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

"Sister Sonoko! I don't like him, I just think he's funny. He's only a primary school student, but he always acts like a little adult. But he still often causes trouble, so as long as I'm around, I have to keep a close eye on him and make sure he doesn't run around!"

Ran agreed with the little girl's words. Conan was a good kid in every way, except that he was too naughty and had an insatiable curiosity, being curious about everything.

That won't do. Some things are very dangerous, so we must keep a close eye on him and not expose him to danger.

Masahiro Ishida prepared three luxury cars, which were more than enough for Miyazaki Yu and the other seven people. Sonoko pulled Ran to sit with Miyazaki Yu.

Eri and her husband were in one car, Rena and Conan were in another, and Vice President Ishida was in the same car as the children, leaving space for the others. Conan felt a chill; this guy was too good at getting along with people.

However, his curiosity was also piqued. This Sword Master Association was not well-known, but it was no ordinary organization that the vice president of the Kendo Association attached such importance to it. He just didn't know if Miyazaki Yu could pass the test.

Soon, the vehicle arrived in front of the Kendo Association building, but instead of stopping in front of the building, it drove straight through it.

"Hey? Xiaoyu, why didn't we stop here? Isn't the Sword Master inside the Kendo Association building?"

Miyazaki Yu then explained, "I asked Vice President Ishida before, and he said that although the Sword Masters Association is closely related to the Kendo Association, everything is completely independent. The government takes into account the association's need for secrecy."

Therefore, when the Kendo Association building was being constructed, an entire area in the eastern part of the association was designated as part of the Kendo Association. However, it was actually the property of the Sword Masters Association. The entire area had only one entrance and exit, which was the Kendo Association building. Without going through the Kendo Association building, it was impossible to enter this area.

Meanwhile, in a large hall of a very simple wooden building, more than ten figures were kneeling together facing each other. A projector was playing a video, showing the scene of Miyazaki Yu and Takizaki Kensho fighting.

Everyone watched the video silently, and everyone was very serious.

"I never expected that there would be such a person among the rising stars. No wonder you called us together for the Sword Master Trial, Takizaki. It was so exciting!"

One of them spoke up.

"Umino-kun is right. I really didn't expect that there would be someone among the younger generation who could reach this level. I'm going to try it out myself in a while and see how he performs. Maybe I can feel that adrenaline-pumping feeling again!"

The other man laughed, pointing to the long sword lying across his lap. The sword emitted a hum, as if responding to its master's fighting spirit!

Chapter 144 The Swordsman's Bet

These people are naturally the swordsmen of the so-called Sword Masters Association.

They were all somewhat unwilling to be summoned together by the swordsman Takizaki for this swordsman trial.

It has been many years since a new swordsman has appeared, and many of them are already very old.

But no matter how anxious they are, it's useless. If the Sword Masters Association wants to continue its glory, it must not lower its standards, otherwise the Sword Masters Association will gradually lose its prestige.

They had been disappointed for far too long. Countless disappointments had left many of them disheartened, wondering if the era of swordsmen was over.

This time, because of Takizaki Inosuke's reputation, they all rushed over. Among them, Takizaki Inosuke was the most active in recruiting talents, especially in the last ten years, when he had gathered everyone for trials many times.

Unfortunately, these trial participants were all a bit lacking, and not a single one of them succeeded. This undoubtedly affected the reputation of the swordsman Takizaki.

Although everyone understood his urgency, they could not agree with his actions. Therefore, when Takizaki Kensho summoned everyone this time, they couldn't help but be somewhat skeptical.

Sensing everyone's doubts, Takizaki Kenshin had no choice but to show them the video of his fight against Miyazaki Yu, which instantly excited everyone.

Takizaki Kensho smiled smugly. These guys were all arrogant and proud, especially the last one to speak, Makino Harukawa. He was unruly and the strongest person besides the leader, and he never gave Takizaki Kensho any face.

Takizaki Kenshin had challenged him several times, but without exception, he had failed every time. This made him hold back his determination to make this guy fail once.

However, as I get older, it has become extremely difficult to do this on my own.

But he saw hope in Miyazaki Yu. The boy was too young, only sixteen years old. Such extraordinary talent was in no way inferior to, and even surpassed, those once brilliant names in history.

After all, times have changed. These ancient powerhouses, although they did not have the support of modern things, were all trained from childhood and devoted all their time and energy to the way of the sword.

As a modern person, there are too many things that can distract one's attention. In particular, although this kid comes from a kendo dojo, he has no connection with any particular school of kendo. The Miyazaki family's real sword learning only started with Miyazaki Hajime's grandfather.

The so-called family tradition of learning simply doesn't exist, not to mention that the other party had suffered serious injuries and been in a coma for a year.

Therefore, Miyazaki Yu's time and resources for practicing swordsmanship are very limited, but the fact that he has been able to reach this level within this limited time is enough to give him enough confidence in Miyazaki Yu.

“Makino, this kid is someone I recommended. According to the rules, if he can become a new swordsman, he will have to undergo the ‘Sword School Journey,’ which means studying under all the senior swordsmen for a period of time, and having someone record this process as learning material for the Swordsman Association.”

"And after the journey of the sword-flowing school concludes, as the recommender, I will have the authority to request that he challenge a senior swordsman as a test of his achievements. I have now decided that after Miyazaki-kun completes his task, his chosen opponent will be you!"

Makino Kensho was slightly taken aback, then let out a cold snort.

“Takizaki, I know you’ve always wanted to defeat me, or at least see me fail. But you should also know that no one in the Sword Masters Association, except for the leader, can defeat me. I admit that Miyazaki Yu is strong, and he may have reached a level close to yours, but there is still a considerable gap between him and me. Your efforts will only be in vain.”

Takizaki Kensho also snorted coldly: "In vain? I hope you can still say that when the time comes. I can assert that that kid has unlimited potential, and he may even surpass the leader within ten years!"

"Alright, let's make a bet here. If I lose, I'll bow down and apologize to you in front of everyone. If you lose, you'll give me your sword, 'Firefly'!"

Makino Kenshou narrowed his eyes slightly, and everyone else also showed expressions of interest.

One of the people who hadn't spoken until now chuckled, "Muye, do you really think you'll lose?"

Makino Harukawa was proud and arrogant, and even though she knew that she was deliberately provoking him, she still agreed to the bet.

The famous sword Ryuhoku is a family heirloom of the Makino family, passed down for more than ten generations. It is not only a sword that can cut through iron like mud, but also a symbol of the Makino family.

If Makino Harukawa loses this sword, it will definitely make that proud and arrogant guy feel bad for a while.

Clearly, this guy was also extremely dissatisfied with Makino Harukawa, which is why he agreed with Takizaki Kensho and deliberately provoked him to agree to the bet. Anyway, he would not lose anything if the other party won, and if the other party lost, he would make the other party very uncomfortable. Why not?

However, some people tried to smooth things over: "Alright, you two know what the Firefly weapon means to Muye. This kind of thing is completely meaningless."

What we should be thinking about now is how to complete today's postgraduate entrance examination, and how much of our strength should we exert to best prepare for it.

We can't let this kid underestimate the Sword Masters Association, but we also can't lose face and go all out. So let's follow the usual practice and use about six or seven tenths of our strength, just like when Takizaki made his move.

It's clear that the video of Miyazaki Yu and Takizaki Kensho's fight had been edited, with many details cut out. Otherwise, people wouldn't have failed to notice that Takizaki Kensho was actually at a disadvantage in the later part of the fight.

Using 60-70% of their combat strength is a common practice in the Sword Masters Association, which is actually quite easy to understand.

After becoming a swordsman, one receives a large influx of resources and guidance from other swordsmen, leading to a period of rapid growth in strength.

This will create a kind of power barrier.

For example, if a student wants to join the national team, there needs to be an objective standard. You can't let a member who wants to join the national team because of their outstanding talent directly compete with the players in the team to decide whether they can join.

Since those who went before were already exceptionally talented, and with the guidance of many experts and the time to hone their skills, their abilities will reach an even higher level. In other words, if the seniors continue to test the juniors, the threshold will expand like a snowball, and no one will be able to be selected anymore.

That's why the senior swordsmen only used a portion of their strength, which was actually enough. Back then, each of their so-called successful challenges only satisfied the swordsmen who tested them, not that they defeated the swordsmen who tested them, otherwise it would have been too overpowered.

However, Makino Kensho snorted heavily: "I agreed. If I lose, I will give you the Firefly. But this time, I will personally take charge of the assessment. Don't worry, I cherish the honor of a Kensho above all else. I will never disregard the rules and go all out just to suppress a junior. I want to see just how much strength a junior you praise so highly really has!"

Chapter 145 Taking the Initiative (3rd update!)

As he spoke, he stood up and walked outside.

Everyone was slightly taken aback, then smiled, clearly aware that they were all prepared for this situation.

"Makino-kun's personality is still as straightforward as ever, but it is precisely because of this unyielding character that he has such formidable strength. I just hope he won't go too far during the upcoming assessment."

Takizaki Kensho smiled and said, "Don't worry, everyone. This kid's strength will definitely surprise him. If Makino doesn't want to embarrass himself in public, he'll have to go all out. I'm waiting for that."

After the previous battle ended, he thoroughly reviewed the entire situation, using the Kendo Association's equipment to think through every single detail.

It was surprising, though. There had been swordsmen as talented as Miyazaki Yu before, but everything has a foundation and a source, and doesn't just appear out of thin air.

Skyscrapers need a solid foundation to stand tall, and the same is true for swordsmanship; many geniuses possess formidable strength at a young age.

However, experience in fighting against others cannot be gained simply through talent and intelligence; it must be accumulated through countless battles.

In fact, learning and practicing martial arts is like writing an essay. The moves are like learning idioms, allusions, and poems, while the moves are like writing an essay. Learning allusions and poems well does not mean you can write a good essay.

The difference in this is what we call experience.

The same move can have vastly different effects depending on the timing and subtle differences in its execution. Similarly, in writing, the same words can be effortlessly crafted into a masterpiece by a great writer, but become utterly ordinary in the hands of an ordinary person.

The only way to achieve better results is through continuous refinement.

Even if one wants to improve a little, most of the time it depends on talent and opportunity, which cannot be expressed in words or passed down orally.

You can think of it this way: it's like a great scientist who is desperately trying to pass on the knowledge he has learned. He wholeheartedly teaches everyone who wants to learn, but how many of them actually learn it?

However, after reviewing the game, Takizaki Kensho was surprised to find that all of Miyazaki Yu's responses were extremely ingenious, and all of his moves were intricately linked.

Although it's clear that this little guy hasn't actually learned and mastered much swordsmanship, he has already completely grasped what he has learned.

However, each move has been perfectly integrated into his own combat system. This is the state after he has accumulated what he has learned, and it is the best time to learn from it again!

So after the battle ended, Takizaki Kenshin had a bit of a toothache. Fighting him at that moment was like giving the kid a learning opportunity.

"Although I don't know how much this kid can learn, I can guess that his strength has definitely improved to a higher level. It's a joke that Mu Ye wants to defeat this kid with only 60 or 70% of his strength."

Thinking of this, a sly smile appeared on his face.

Miyazaki Yu and his party passed through a vast primeval forest. Looking out the window, it seemed as if they had arrived at a secluded and tranquil place, with no trace of human intervention except for the road the vehicles were traveling on and the fences on both sides.

"Don't be surprised, everyone. Every swordsman is a master who walks at the pinnacle of swordsmanship. They hide themselves in the deep mountains to hone their swordsmanship and do not want to be disturbed by the world. So even the sword association connected to the Swordsman Association only has this one path."

Vice President Ishida explained with a smile. His explanation was calm and unassuming, but it instilled a sense of awe in everyone.

"Wow, that's amazing! To be able to maintain such a habit in this day and age is truly impressive," Kogoro Mouri exclaimed with delight.

He suddenly looked at Miyazaki Yu and said, "Miyazaki kid, if you become a swordsman, can you live here too?"

Vice President Ishida laughed and said, "Mr. Mori, that's true. Every swordsman has a high status. Once you become a member of the Swordsman Association, the association will designate a special area in this large region as a training ground exclusively for swordsmen. Swordsmen's disciples can also enter this area to train and learn with the swordsman's authorization."

Upon hearing this, Conan was both shocked and envious.

He thought to himself, "This Sword Masters' Association is really something else. In this day and age, they actually have their own territory, and judging from their structure, they have complete control over the use of the area. It seems like the government has no right to interfere. In that sense, this organization is even more influential than the famous Knights of Malta."

Thinking about this, I couldn't help but feel a surge of displeasure.

She had turned into a child, and the prospect of turning back seemed endless. Meanwhile, Miyazaki Yu was becoming more and more outstanding. Although she was very confident in herself, she was also feeling a sense of frustration.

After passing through a vast primeval forest, we suddenly arrived at a winding mountain road. In the distance, a wide waterfall appeared, and next to the waterfall was a strangely shaped building. The building did not look like an ordinary building, but rather resembled a large hotel.

The car drove straight to the foot of the building, and everyone got out and, led by Vice President Ishida, entered the lobby.

The entire hall was extremely magnificent, with the floor paved with thick marble. The hall was over twenty or thirty meters high, and a huge seal script character for "sword" stretched down. Although it was just a single character, its sharp and piercing aura was overwhelming!

Being inside felt like being inside one of Europe's most famous cathedrals, and everyone involuntarily held their breath in awe.

Magnificent architecture has always been a powerful tool for demonstrating power, and it is no different here.

Vice President Ishida's chubby face was now filled with piety. Every time he came here, he felt as if he had reached the summit.

After becoming a swordsman, one can freely enter and leave this place, instead of having to apply every time one comes, as is the case now. He secretly glanced at Miyazaki Yu and nodded in agreement.

Ordinary young people are easily flustered, and suddenly arriving in such a magnificent and solemn place, especially since they are here to participate in a crucial assessment, it is inevitable that they will be very nervous.

However, Miyazaki Yu remained calm and composed, as if victory was assured. He couldn't help but secretly admire him, thinking that such a mindset might be one of the reasons why he had the strength he possessed.

After leading everyone out of the hall, they could see a huge square in the distance, and the deafening sound of water became clear at this moment.