I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Harada Sanosuke scratched his head, looking puzzled:

"That's strange. Mr. Tachibana's strength far surpasses that duck's. He could have defeated him in one fell swoop long ago, so why hasn't he made a move yet?"

Before he could finish speaking, Hijikata Toshizo replied calmly:

"Ju probably wants to take this opportunity to suppress and teach this guy a lesson."

……

"Haa ...

Serizawa Kamo leaped into the air, using the momentum of the jump to unleash a powerful strike that seemed to cleave Aoto and the ground beneath his feet.

Since just now, he's been acting like a madman, constantly launching attacks.

Perhaps Qing Deng's words and gaze just now had given him too much of a shock.

Faced with Serizawa Kamo's frenzied attacks, Aoto either nimbly dodged or defended with his sword, deflecting the bamboo sword to the side.

Anyone with eyes could see that Qing Deng had held back.

If he wanted to, he could have easily defeated Serizawa Kamo in at least ten different ways.

And such "discerning people" also include Serizawa Kamo himself.

Being manipulated by Qing Deng with ease; no matter how he attacked, he couldn't hurt him in the slightest... This extremely frustrating feeling gradually made Serizawa Kamo's expression dominated by intense "anxiety".

The more they fail to change the situation, the more anxious they become.

The more anxious you are, the harder it is to make a rational judgment about the situation.

Looking at the distraught Serizawa Kamo, Souji said softly:

"There's no need to continue fighting..."

At the very moment that Souji murmured—

“呀啊啊啊啊啊——！”

Serizawa Duck let out a powerful shout.

He positioned himself in the upper right corner, striking a pose reminiscent of Mount Tai pressing down.

Just as the strike was about to land, Qing Deng stepped forward, his right elbow snapping open like a bowstring breaking, and swung his sword horizontally towards the opponent's ribs, which were now exposed due to the raised arm—

Bang!

Serizawa Kamo suffered a heavy blow and rolled onto the floor.

[Ding! Talent detected]

[Successfully Replicating the Talent: "Magnificent Muscles"]

[Talent Introduction: Exceptionally Strong Muscles]

—Does it increase muscle strength?…Not bad.

Qing Deng is fairly satisfied with this new talent.

"Well……!"

Serizawa Kamo, clutching the spot where she had been stabbed, sat up in pain.

It was the same occasion, the same scene—Aoto looked down at Serizawa Kamo, who had not yet stood up, his eyes devoid of joy or sorrow.

"Your skills are pretty good. You've passed. Go over there and register your personal information."

"..."

Serizawa Kamo stared intently at Aoto's face without saying a word.

The veins on his forehead throbbed repeatedly, and the muscles in his face tensed and relaxed as he clenched his teeth.

After a moment, he stood up silently and staggered off the stage.

Just then, Qingdeng called out to him.

“Serizawa Kamo, I have a piece of advice for you.”

Serizawa Kamo stopped in her tracks and turned around.

"I don't dislike people with strong personalities."

"After all, I'm quite individualistic myself."

"However, the premise of having a personality is that you won't affect others, let alone cause trouble for the group."

"I'll accept you as a member of the Zhenfu Army because I think your abilities are quite good."

"From now on, I hope you can restrain your violent temper when necessary."

"Otherwise... what struck you today wouldn't have been a soft bamboo sword."

Having said that, Aoto cast a wolf-like gaze at Serizawa Kamo.

Such a domineering, eccentric, yet highly capable person, if recruited and properly "trained," can be an extremely useful "sharp weapon."

Serizawa Kamo is very strong; he is the most skilled applicant so far.

Moreover, his sword is not just a "dojo sword" that can only show off its power in a clean and flat dojo, but a "killing sword" that has been honed in countless actual battles.

Aside from Aoto and Kondo Shusuke, the only people in the entire Shieikan who could reliably defeat him were Souji and Kondo Isami.

Such a swordsman, possessing both excellent swordsmanship and rich practical experience, is a rare talent.

It would be a real shame not to recruit him into the army.

Therefore, Qing Dengcai specifically warned the other party.

Even though he could defeat his opponent quickly, he deliberately prolonged the battle, allowing the opponent to attack freely, like a cat playing with a mouse, slowly driving him to a dead end.

This was to show him the difference in their strength and to warn him—don't cause trouble under my command! Otherwise, I have plenty of ways to deal with you!

"..."

Serizawa Kamo glared back at Aoto without flinching.

He still didn't say anything.

After staring at Qingdeng for a while, he walked off the stage without saying a word.

……

……

Under the high platform——

Chiba Sanako tilted her head back, her eyes fixed intently on the high platform in the distance.

Chiba Jutaro, who came with Sanako, became the most dedicated and skilled bodyguard.

He took a large step forward, protecting Sanako's back to prevent others from taking advantage of the chaos to harass her.

In addition, his right hand was always on the sword at his left waist, the scabbard open.

Looking at Chiba Jutaro's fierce appearance, as if he were "ready to kill someone at any time," those who coveted Sanako's beauty were all terrified and dared only to admire from afar, not daring to provoke him.

Thus, under her brother's careful protection, Sanako was able to watch the selection ceremony of the Zhenfu Army undisturbed.

She noticed that no matter who it was, whether a commoner or a warrior; whether they were calm and collected or so nervous that their hands and feet trembled, everyone who climbed onto the platform had a look of ambition in their eyes.

Gradually, a look of deep thought appeared on her face.

Coincidentally, a similar scene unfolded on the other side of the venue.

"..."

Kondo Isami gazed thoughtfully at the high platform, his lips pressed tightly together.

……

……

That night--

Edo, somewhere—

"Moo moo moo~~"

A man and an ox rode under the moonlight, speeding back to the Shiwei Hall.

"what……"

Qingdeng slumped on Luobo's back, letting out a "ha" sound to express his exhaustion.

According to his rough estimate, he fought at least 400 people today—the first time he had fought for such a long time since he transmigrated.

For more than ten hours, apart from the time spent eating and going to the toilet, Qingdeng repeatedly waved his bamboo sword and kept announcing "You have passed" or "You have not passed".

If there were a Guinness World Records to apply for now, Qing Deng thinks he could apply for the world record for "highest number of consecutive battles".

Without the support of talents such as "Strength +2" and "Yang Essence +1", his body would probably have been crushed by such high intensity of exercise long ago.

However, although the vast majority of these 400-plus people were no match for him, fighting hundreds of battles in a row still took a toll on Qingdeng's body.

My legs and my right arm holding the sword kept aching and swelling.

It looks like I'll need at least three hours of sleep tonight to recover from the fatigue.

Fortunately, Qingdeng possesses two major "logistical talents"—"sleep god" and "strong sperm +2".

No matter how tired or sleepy you are, a good night's sleep will make you feel almost completely recovered.

Today, many applicants withdrew from the competition because they felt they were not good enough and had no chance of being selected, which Qing Deng found very regrettable.

Perhaps among these deserters, there is one who is an exceptionally talented individual.

However, on the other hand, although Qing Deng had long anticipated that the chances of finding gold in the mud and sand were not very high, the final result still surprised him greatly.

Of the more than 400 people, only about 30 passed the test and met his requirements.

The pass rate wasn't even 1 to 10.

Even fewer talents can be acquired through exploitation.

After a whole day, the number of newly copied talents plus the old talents that were upgraded was just over 10.

The strength of those who passed through was not particularly impressive.