I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The two chose an open space on the outskirts of Edo as the battlefield for their duel.

On that day, the core members of the Shieikan, Genbukan, and Kochibakenkan all came to watch the battle.

This was a grueling battle that Qing Deng still feels numb all over when he thinks about it.

The fierce battle between the two lasted for nearly an hour!

When fighting against Chiba Michizaburo, he didn't feel like he was "fighting one-on-one with someone else" at all.

His self-created "Beishin Two-Sword Style," combined with his talent for "ambidextrous combat," is practically the epitome of "cheating."

His two swords can attack from different angles simultaneously, allowing him to deliver the output of two people.

Moreover, these two people are also an excellent pair of partners who complement each other perfectly, and their cooperation is absolutely wonderful.

When attacking, it is like wind and fire, with the wind fueling the fire and the fire taking advantage of the wind's power; when defending, it is like wood and earth, with the wood relying on the earth's strength and the earth emboldening the wood.

Just defending against Chiba Michizaburo's ever-changing moves had already taken up most of Aoto's energy, leaving him unable to launch an attack that could threaten the opponent.

Chiba Michizaburo also found it difficult to break through Aoto's defenses.

Neither side can gain the upper hand... In this evenly matched battle, the key is to "avoid making mistakes".

The one who makes fewer mistakes has a greater chance of winning.

Finally, as the battle intensified, Chiba Dosaburo momentarily lost his focus—Seido seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, boldly stepped forward, swung his sword, and knocked off Chiba's mask, securing a hard-won victory.

According to Qing Deng's rough estimate... Chiba Michizaburo and Rasetsu should be roughly equal in strength.

In his duel with Rakshasa, Qing Deng barely managed to defeat his opponent thanks to the blessing of his two eternal talents: "Reversal Dragon" and "Boundless Hachiman".

And now, even in normal circumstances, he can defeat a master of the same level as a Rakshasa.

This is undoubtedly a huge step forward.

Six months ago, Chiba Michizaburo was no match for Aoto, let alone now, six months later.

In terms of growth rate, Chiba Michizaburo could never compare to the overpowered Aoto.

Despite being limited by his physical abilities, Qingdeng's swordsmanship skills never improved, but he gained or upgraded many talents that would help him in combat during the past six months.

Putting everything else aside, in this "Edo Expedition" alone, Qing Deng's talent and abilities have undergone another major upgrade.

The day after "breaching" the training hall, Qing Deng rode at full speed straight to the Xuanwu Hall.

Both Aoto and Chiba Michizaburo were well aware of the current gap in their strength.

But the latter accepted the challenge without hesitation and began a showdown with him after a six-month hiatus.

A battle that took nearly an hour to decide six months ago was decided in just 10 minutes this time.

Although the battle between the two was fraught with danger, the outcome was exactly as everyone expected—after the Academy and the Training Hall, even the Xuanwu Hall fell.

The news left the citizens of Edo speechless with astonishment.

At this point, all three major dojos in Edo had fallen!

For the citizens of Edo... no, for all those in Japan who admired martial arts, Edo's "Three Great Dojos" were unattainable sacred sites of martial arts.

Studying in Edo and honing one's skills at one of the "Three Great Dojos"—this was the dream of countless country swordsmen.

Although the military academy has gathered a large number of monsters, led by Otani Seiichiro, it lacks a sense of history and intimacy because of its short history and the fact that only children of the Hatamoto clan can enroll.

Even the three major temples couldn't withstand the blade of Niou...

The topic of the "Edo Conquest" quickly gained new popularity.

However... some observant townspeople noticed that there was still one dojo that Qingdeng had not yet conquered.

Although most of the disciples at the dojo had been Qing Deng's opponents, there was one person whom Qing Deng had never fought.

"I must have a match with him"—that's the feeling that led Qing Deng to send a challenge letter to the Chiba Sword Hall.

……

……

Edo, Okemachi, Kochiba Sword Hall —

With his back ramrod straight, hands resting on his lap, a perfect sitting posture, and Vairocana and Tsushima on the floor to his right... Qing Deng stared intently at Chiba Sadakichi in front of him.

"...King Tachibana, do you really want to have a match with me?"

Chiba Sadakichi said with a wry smile.

Qingdeng smiled slightly, adopting a humorous tone:

"As far as I know, anyone who pursues martial arts would love to spar with you."

From any perspective, Hokushin Itto-ryu, which was founded less than 30 years ago, is undoubtedly a rising star among the many sword styles in Japan.

However, this excessively young "newcomer" has, through his undeniable comprehensive qualities and incredible luck, rapidly developed into the number one school in Japan today.

Its position is so lofty that it is difficult to shake.

In his youth, Chiba Sadakichi was also a figure who stood out from the crowd.

He was exceptionally talented and assisted his brother in developing the Hokushin Ittō-ryū style, making indelible and outstanding contributions to its development and promotion.

In other words, to a certain extent, Chiba Sadakichi is Hokushin Itto-ryu himself!

Such a hero... how could Qing Deng not want to have a match with him?

In fact, he had already challenged his opponent a long time ago.

One reason is the utilitarian desire to acquire their talent.

On the other hand, it's also to broaden one's horizons—the "human form" of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū style, shouldn't we see it?

However, in the face of Aoto's repeated challenges, Chiba Sadakichi always gave the same answer: "I am too old and have the will but not the strength."

However, Qing Deng did not give up.

Today, he challenges him once again.

The other party has already clearly rejected you, yet you're still pestering them... To be honest, such behavior is quite impolite.

But sometimes, you just have to be a little shameless.

Qingdeng happens to be the kind of person who is very thick-skinned... or rather, who doesn't care about being shameless.

After all, he's the kind of amazing creature who can declare "I want to marry three wives" without batting an eye.

For Qingdeng, a face is like underwear for a man—having one is a given, not having one is irrelevant.

"Mr. Chiba, I would like to have the pleasure of seeing your esteemed presence, no matter what!"

Qing Deng added, emphasizing each word.

"If I cannot achieve this goal before going to Luoyang, I will be truly unwilling to accept it!"

As Qing Deng finished speaking, everyone's eyes were focused on Chiba Sadakichi.

All members of the Chiba family except Eijiro—Michizaburo, Tamon Shiro, Jutaro, and Sanako—were present; no one was absent.

Sanako raised her beautiful eyes, glanced at Aoto not far away, and then looked at her father on the main seat. Her expression was complicated, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

After hesitating for a while, she finally took a deep breath and solemnly said:

“Father, Tachibana-kun will be leaving Edo soon. I think it would be a good farewell gift to give him some pointers on this occasion.”

"..."

Chiba Sadakichi turned his head to the side and silently looked at Sanako.

Although he didn't say anything, his eyes conveyed his true thoughts: You're not even married yet, and you're already siding with outsiders.

Sanako understood the meaning in her father's eyes, and immediately lowered her head, her face flushed, looking down at her nose and her mind, completely embarrassed.

"Guidance... I'm not capable of giving guidance to Tachibana-kun right now."

After saying this with mixed feelings, Chiba Sadakichi let out a long sigh.

"Alright, since Sanako is here to speak up for you, let's... stretch our muscles a bit."

After saying that, he slowly stood up, his voice rising little by little as he straightened up.

Qingdeng paused for a moment, then responded forcefully:

"Please advise!"

For a moment, the Chiba disciples and the students of the Little Chiba Sword Hall, who were sitting upright on both sides of the dojo, all showed solemn expressions.

Chiba Sadakichi's participation in the battle... even his children, Chiba Jutaro and Sanako, had not seen such a sight in a long time!

Chiba Sadakichi strode over to the weapon rack, picked up two or three bamboo swords and swung them around to test them out. After choosing one, he walked to the center of the dojo.

Qing Deng handed over the Vairocana, the Tsushin, and the wakizashi at his waist to Sanako for safekeeping, and then took a bamboo sword from nearby. He then moved to stand directly opposite Chiba Sadakichi.

There was about 10 steps of space between the two sides.

The two silently bowed to each other and set up their bamboo swords.

"Come on, Tachibana-kun, I've picked up the bamboo sword as you wished, so please don't disappoint me."

The moment the words left his mouth, Chiba Sadakichi's appearance changed drastically.

His eyes, which usually sparkled with a gentle light, were now narrowed into slits, concealing a cold, razor-sharp glint within!

Such a gaze leaves no doubt that no expression or gesture of one's opponent can escape its notice.

At the same time, he casually assumed a blue-eyed stance, the tip of his sword twitching slightly.

He did not relinquish his "power".

But his seemingly casual pose actually contained a chilling and intimidating aura!

In terms of physique, Chiba Sadakichi is a very typical middle-aged man.

Her figure has become severely out of shape due to weight gain.

The facial features, due to the accumulation of excess fat, became both bloated and oily.

With the ability to give birth to a handsome, rugged man like Chiba Jutaro and a beauty like Sanako, Chiba Sadakichi himself must have been quite good-looking.

Unfortunately... being overweight ruins everything.

At present, we can only catch a glimpse of her stunning appearance in subtle details such as her eyebrows and speech.