I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

However, despite her weight and less-than-ideal appearance, her lithe arms, steady posture, and firm steps show no signs of the passage of time.

"..."

Qing Deng silently lowered his stance, tilting his bamboo sword to the left, changing his posture from Blue Eye to a more stable and steady middle stance.

Neither Aoto nor Chiba Sadakichi showed any flaws in their movements.

And so, the two men stared at each other intently, remaining motionless.

It was dusk.

During the brief moment they faced each other from afar, the afterglow of the setting sun shone into the dojo, staining the floor and walls red, and adding a deep, vibrant crimson hue to the edges of their bodies—a crimson that was both blood and rose, making them appear profound yet beautiful.

Suddenly, Chiba Sadakichi moved.

He took a half-step forward with his right foot, his sole touching the ground, before stepping back to his original position, as if he wanted to go forward but then stopped.

At the same time, Qingdeng also moved.

Unlike his opponent, he did not act cautiously; he stood tall and pressed closer with his sword.

Chiba Sadakichi watched him slowly approach, then firmly planted his heels, looking as if he was waiting for his opponent to attack.

Qingdeng moved as if he were measuring the ground with his feet.

Instead of striding forward, they moved forward inch by inch.

As the distance between the two continued to close, the "thickness" in the air became increasingly intense.

When the two were still three or four steps apart, Qing Deng suddenly lowered his waist! His body became a blur!

Stepping forward, sprinting, raising the sword, and slashing—all these actions are performed simultaneously.

At the same time, Chiba Sadakichi also dodged.

He nimbly leaped backward, standing out from Qing Deng's slashing range like a golden rooster standing on one leg.

The next moment, the "golden rooster" jumped back, and with a loud "snap," his bamboo sword slashed towards Qing Deng's face.

Qing Deng instinctively raised his sword to defend... but at that moment, the bamboo sword, which should have been aimed at his face, suddenly turned downwards at an inexplicable angle and swept towards his right wrist.

This is a classic technique of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū school: feigning an attack on the face but then turning the attack to the hands.

This skill, when it fell into the hands of Chiba Sadakichi, became the best example of "mastery".

Although this is not a particularly powerful move, even the most ordinary move can still unleash extraordinary power in the hands of a master.

Moreover, Chiba Sadakichi was one of the developers of this move.

Qingdeng's pupils contracted slightly, and his body acted before his mind could react.

Bringing his arms together, leaping back with his sword in hand, and opening up the gaps—movements as fluid as flowing water.

His retreating backward movement concealed a counterattack.

However... Chiba Sadakichi did not take the bait.

He watched helplessly as Qingdeng moved away, without giving chase, and quietly regrouped.

This time, he adopted a mid-section stance, with the sword tip still twitching slightly like the tail of a wagtail.

—The Hokushin Ittō-ryū style, honed to its highest level, is indeed troublesome…

Qingdeng smiled as he thought about it.

The Hokushin Ittō-ryū is a style that emphasizes technique.

To put it bluntly... the masters of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū style are all cunning old foxes who love to use tricks and schemes!

Although in the martial arts world, "strength can overcome skill" is an unchanging truth, it is not impossible for the weak to defeat the strong if the techniques and routines are used properly.

That was really close... If Qing Deng hadn't had the "Divine Speed ​​+5" talent, if Qing Deng hadn't had so much combat experience, and if Chiba Sadakichi had been wielding a real sword, then Qing Deng's right hand would no longer be on his body.

"..."

Qing Deng silently spread his legs, raised the tip of his sword, and switched his stance to the Xia Duan formation that he was most familiar with.

The next instant, his bamboo sword flew straight at Chiba Sadakichi.

Chiba Sadakichi dodged to the side, but his clothes were still grazed by the tip of the sword.

Qing Deng's pursuit was swift; in the blink of an eye, he unleashed his second sword strike.

This time, the other party did not dodge.

He slightly bent his knees and swished the sword in his hand upwards at an angle.

The bamboo sword struck through the air.

As Qingdeng expected—it felt like hitting cotton again, with four or five tenths of his strength gone.

After exchanging blows, both sides continued to advance without prior arrangement.

Their sleeves brushed together, and they passed each other.

When Qing Deng turned around to face Chiba Sadakichi again, the other man had already rushed up to him, his entire field of vision filled with his large, imposing figure.

Qing Deng had been gripping the hilt tightly, but now he loosened his grip slightly, giving the bamboo sword a light, rhythmic movement—the tip of the sword twitched slightly like the tail of a wagtail.

hum!

The sword's edge sliced ​​through the air, striking towards Chiba Sadakichi's face.

Just as Chiba Sadakichi raised his bamboo sword, preparing to parry Aoto's strike... the latter's sword path suddenly changed direction and plummeted downwards! It plummeted towards the attacker's right wrist.

The scene was exactly the same as before... except this time, the roles were reversed.

Chiba Sadakichi, a look of astonishment flashing across his face, narrowly dodged Aoto's trap and retreated.

"..."

"..."

The two gazed at each other in silence.

A moment later, they both smiled.

The young man's smile was filled with excitement.

The old man's smile was one of contentment.

Chapter 528 Copying God-Level Talent! [The Best Stallion 7]! [5200]

The two of them stood there, locked in a stance—Chiba Sadakichi's blue eyes, Aoto's raised rosy clouds—staring intently at each other.

The next instant, the bamboo swords clashed with a loud crash, and bamboo shavings flew everywhere in the twilight.

The innate talent "Snake Body" (superior flexibility) is activated!

Qing Deng's body twisted at an unnatural angle as if it had no bones, and he took a step forward, attacking Chiba Sadakichi's chest with a "Hah!" as his sword slashed.

Chiba Sadakichi dodged to the side and braced his sword.

The sword tip, which had suddenly stopped moving, was now brimming with potential energy.

However, before he could unleash his counterattack, Qing Deng preemptively launched a pursuit.

One move, one move, and another!

The continuous sword techniques, like the waves of Kanagawa, poured down on Chiba Sadakichi.

His bamboo sword was just like an eagle that wouldn't give up until it caught its prey, biting down on its opponent tightly and lingering on it.

Chiba Sadakichi was, after all, the master of the Hokushin Itto-ryu style.

Despite Qing Deng's fierce and swift attacks, he still managed to seize a momentary opening.

Just as Qing Deng's attack missed again, his old strength exhausted and new strength yet to come out, in that fleeting moment, he exhaled with a "Hey!" and then his upper body suddenly leaned forward, and his sword-wielding arm flew out like a broken bowstring.

The bamboo sword swept out horizontally, striking Qing Deng's shoulder precisely.

In an instant—three sounds: “snap,” “snap,” “snap.”

The first sound was Qingdeng retracting his bamboo sword with lightning speed to block the attack.

The second sound was the sound of Qing Deng flicking away Chiba Sadakichi's bamboo sword.

In terms of physical strength, Chiba Sadakichi, who is skilled but also elderly, is far inferior to Aoto.

Therefore, Qing Deng did not spend much effort to deflect the enormous force applied to his sword horizontally.

The third sound was the sound of Qing Deng slashing forward after pushing away Chiba Sadakichi's bamboo sword, but Chiba Sadakichi leaped back and effortlessly dodged to safety.

The dazzling exchange of offense and defense, the increasingly fierce battle, the gradually escalating tension... all these scenes point to the same fact—the outcome is about to be decided!

Qingdeng concentrated his strength on his toes, and with a "thump," his body stood upright like a towering tree, and he suddenly rushed forward.

He switched stances as he ran, adopting the Xia Duan formation.

The dim, yellowish glow enveloped the sword.

Unfortunately, what he held in his hand was a bamboo sword, not a real knife.

Otherwise, the blade, illuminated by the afterglow, would reflect countless rays of light... such a sight would certainly be quite magnificent.

Watching the rapidly approaching Qingdeng, Chiba Sadakichi remained calm and composed, lowering his waist.

Along with it, the bamboo sword in his hand also sank.

Just as their figures and weapons were about to merge into one, Chiba Sadakichi made the first move.

His bamboo sword suddenly sprang up from the lower part, striking Qing Deng's sword tip squarely.

Chiba Sadakichi's move contains a masterful technique for deflecting force.

Qingdeng felt a force that, while not particularly astonishing, was incredibly subtle, flowing along the sword and seemed to be trying to snatch the bamboo sword from his hand.

At this critical moment, Qingdeng secretly mustered a fierce strength and used brute force to control the bamboo sword in his hand.

Snapped!

Driven by the reaction force, both of their bamboo swords bounced away.

The setting sun, about to sink below the distant rooftops, cast its final rays with all its might.

At this moment, the old and young, locked in fierce combat, displayed astonishing synchronization.