Gacha games can't save this bizarre world.

I come here every year.

Packaging slow and secret

Sink all of this to the bottom of the lake.

Weaving through the bewildered crowd

Eight hundred raccoon dogs chasing and playing

Standing gracefully on the lotus flowers

Observing the relics while submerged in water

Boating on the North Sea, the shimmering waves reflect the bright daylight.

Rain batters the sand, leaving countless craters; wind whips the water's surface, creating layers of waves.

Boating on the North Sea, the shimmering waves reflect the bright daylight.

Raindrops pound the sand, creating countless craters; wind whips the water's surface, creating layers of waves.

(The song "Beihai" by the singer "Perpetual Motion Machine" is worth a listen. Or maybe someone could do a voice-over?)

The lyrics don't matter, it's just for showing off~

The sound of the pipa grew slower and slower, eventually fading into silence.

Only then did everyone realize what was happening and quickly looked in the direction of the sound.

On one side of the mountain, a young man dressed as a wanderer sat with a pipa in his arms, his eyes slightly open. Behind him were two other people and a raccoon dog.

The sunlight was behind him, its rays seeming to tear through the clouds, making it impossible to see his face clearly for a moment.

Zhao Hao learned to play the pipa overnight in order to show off this time.

With such a sharp mind, her fingers are also very obedient; she learns incredibly fast!

Behind him, Nizen Akiha leaped down from the height, sword in hand, shouting excitedly, "Now it's my turn! The first disciple of the Hayate Style—Nizen Akiha—reports for duty! Wahahahaha~~~"

He grinned widely, showing his teeth, shaking his head and laughing loudly—a gesture he deliberately imitated Zhao Hao's. His self-assured aura was astonishing!

Everyone immediately felt this guy deserved a beating! Let's beat him to a pulp!

Chapter 416 I've already taken too many sword blows, this isn't enough!

"What? No one dares to stand up and be my opponent? So you've been intimidated by me? Hahahaha~~~~" Er thought his strategy had succeeded and that he had completely intimidated the enemy.

Two before: As expected, Master's every word and action has profound meaning! From now on, let this awe-inspiring laughter become the signature of our Swift Wind Style!

Zhao Hao almost dropped the pipa in his hand down the mountain. He thought to himself that he had to be careful and help in time. He didn't want his eldest disciple to be beaten to death by accident!

This guy's taunting skills are really good; he could be a main tank without any problem, his aggro is always solid.

Zhao Hao put on such a grand show, almost like a celestial being descending to earth, but in just over a minute, everyone's attention was focused on Er Qian, gritting their teeth and wishing they could swarm him and rip his head off.

Zhao Hao likes it this way!

In the future, when a fight breaks out, we can send out the eldest disciple to attract aggro while we stay in the back and deal damage. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Sure enough, some hot-blooded young people in the crowd couldn't stand it.

That show-off on the mountain is one thing, he's obviously not someone to be trifled with. But you, you bastard, are all smiles and swaying your head, wagging your tail like that, you don't look like a decent person at all!

If I don't get rid of your leftovers today, it'll be as if you emptied your bowels last night!

The young man who jumped out was in his early twenties, with a chubby face and dressed in kendo attire, with the words "Tiger Eyes" on the back of his clothes.

This is Iwamoto Ichika, a 3-star black iron swordsman and a disciple of the Tiger Eye Style swordsmanship dojo.

Although young, he is already an outstanding disciple who has obtained the qualification for exemption from the imperial examination.

It can be said that, apart from a few instructors, he is already the most accomplished practitioner at the Tiger Eye Dojo.

In Japanese law, a permit refers to a written license that allows an organization or individual to perform actions that are normally prohibited or restricted. For example, a driver's license is called a "transportation permit".

In ancient schools, this refers to the permission granted by a school to its members to teach various techniques of that school.

Obtaining the title of "Exemption from Permission" means gaining the qualification to tell others the name of one's school of thought. It signifies being recognized by the school.

It can be said that in the Shikoku region, there are very few people who can cultivate their swordsmanship to this level in their twenties.

When Chosokabu on the hilltop saw that it was Iwamoto Ichika who came out to fight, he was first relieved, but then became nervous again.

I breathed a sigh of relief because at least the one who came out to fight wasn't someone in their forties at the peak of their fighting power.

If the various clan leaders and curators who were present were to fight, they would likely be severely injured before the second one.

However, the older generation, perhaps out of consideration for face, are unwilling to step forward and take advantage of this situation. Most of the time, saving face is still important.

What Chōsokabu was nervous about was that Iwamoto Ichika, though young, was not to be underestimated.

If it were up to me to fight, it wouldn't be difficult to win.

In terms of swordsmanship, I should be slightly better than my opponent, and in terms of spiritual energy, I am two stars higher than my opponent, so victory should not be difficult.

But the trouble started before that. He was a Black Iron 2-star, and he hadn't been a superhuman for long, less than three months. He was still a brand new 2-star!

There's already a gap in psionic abilities, but what's more troublesome is their swordsmanship.

While his basic skills were decent, there was still a significant gap compared to those like himself and Iwamoto, who had trained in swordsmanship since childhood.

Although he and Ni had undergone three days of hellish training under Lord Yasuo, Chosoka felt that he had made great progress, and Ni's progress was also visible to the naked eye, even surprising Chosoka.

I realized that my cheap senior brother was no ordinary person either; his perseverance, or rather, his stubbornness, was truly rare in the world!

Who's ever seen someone practice swordsmanship in their sleep at night?! They're practicing to the point of sleepwalking!

If it weren't for Lord Yasuo's healing magic, he would definitely have been crippled by now, three days later.

"There should be hope of winning, right? The master must have given Erqian special training. A secret weapon? What did Erqian learn before?"

Chosoka stood behind Zhao Hao, her brows slightly furrowed. Her long hair fluttered in the wind, truly making Zhao Hao look good.

If this character doesn't look good enough for the readers, then the scene could be like the "Kidney-Deficient Young Master" and the four aunties throwing flowers—the style would be completely different!

While Chosoka was still pondering, the two sides were already on the verge of drawing their swords.

The two stood three meters apart, gripping their sword hilts tightly. The atmosphere grew tense, and even the wind seemed to shift.

The clash of auras between swordsmen is real at the level of extraordinary individuals; it can even be considered part of their strength, a contest of mental power and perseverance.

If you lose momentum, you've already lost half the battle.

The two began to gather more and more spiritual energy, which surged between them like a wind.

Chosokabu breathed a slight sigh of relief, at least he hadn't lost any ground in terms of momentum.

Just then, a fallen leaf was pulled between the two by the swirling wind. In that instant, the leaf obscured the other's face, and both drew their swords!

"Clang~"

Like two white ribbons intertwined, the gleaming blade reflected the other's face.

"It's blocked!" Chosokabu exclaimed softly.

The first sword strike is the most dangerous; if the difference in strength is too great, the outcome will be decided in the first strike.

However, Iwamoto's downward-facing sword draw and reverse kasaya cloak failed to work, as it was firmly blocked by Nizen!

That's right! We've been attacked by the Three-Armed Wooden Gods too many times before, so we're definitely experienced in defense. This is experience gained through countless times of being covered in wounds!

At that moment, Er was also cheering in his heart: I blocked it! I blocked it! I can do it! I knew I could do it!

The mysterious confidence brought by his chuunibyou spirit was greatly enhanced, and he suddenly felt that he had inexhaustible strength!

Stay calm! I must stay calm! I cannot launch an attack. Just like my master said, I must use absolute defense to leverage my strengths. No matter what kind of attack it is, I will definitely be able to block it!

At this moment, many of the onlookers noticed the weapon that Er had been holding.

Judging from the material, it's rather ordinary, at most a level 1 black iron weapon. It's the kind of weapon made from extraordinary metals that can effectively utilize and absorb psionic energy. While it's considered valuable, it's hardly a treasured sword.

This was indeed an ordinary item brought out by the Tanuki Demon clan. They rarely used swords and didn't have any good ones.

But that was enough, because there were already four runes on the sword!

Zhao Hao simply dipped his finger in the wine and wrote four runes on the sword, forming a set of runic phrases.

Runeword: Confidence. This rune enhances the strength of weapons or armor and boosts the wearer's confidence, giving them an advantage in various mental assessments.

Originally, this was just a simple auxiliary rune word that could defend against mental interference such as morale blows and fear.

But this thing is different when it's on someone like Er!

The psychic powers prior to the second level possessed a kind of "chuunibyou" (adolescent delusions of grandeur)-like ability. It was the kind of ability that could enhance the physical body with the mind and even interfere with reality. If it could be developed sufficiently, its potential was enormous.

Do you think Zhao Hao takes on a disciple casually?

Zhao Hao: Okay, I didn't pay attention when I received it. These are advantages that I discovered later.

Although the first sword strike was blocked, all the extraordinary individuals present who were proficient in swordsmanship could see that there was a difference in swordsmanship between the two.

Iwamoto Ichika was in control and was launching a relentless attack, while the brat was being overwhelmed and struggling to defend himself.

It's truly remarkable that he was able to hold on; although he looked a bit disheveled, he didn't suffer a defeat.

As Iwamoto attacked with each sword strike, faster and faster, everyone felt incredibly happy!

That's right, exactly! Chop him down, chop him hard! Oh, don't kill him all at once, give him a few more hits! That'll feel better!

However, Iwamoto Ichika, who had unleashed more than twenty sword strikes in a row, began to frown.

Something's not right! Why is the opponent's momentum getting more and more stable? This can't go on.

He suddenly slashed horizontally with his sword, forcing Erqian to retreat, then sheathed his sword and assumed the posture of drawing his sword again.

The opponent's defense was surprisingly skillful. Despite his rather immature swordsmanship, how was he able to defend against my relentless attacks?

If this continues, I'm afraid my own momentum will wane. I can't afford to launch any more reckless attacks!

Er was slightly out of breath, his eyes fixed on his opponent, on his opponent's hand, on his opponent's knife.

That's right, that's it! That's it! Let's attack!

This offensive is too weak! This offensive is too slow!

Compared to the three-armed wooden swordsman who is devoid of desires, psychological fluctuations, and self-forgetfulness, this attack is not enough.

Offense, frequency, force, and angle often have many minor flaws.