I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Qingdeng remained silent, only responding with a calm smile.

In the next instant, he suddenly spread his legs, raised the tip of his sword, and assumed a mid-section stance.

“Gyeonggi Town…”

He was about to announce his identity and rank, but just as he was about to speak, he seemed to remember something and suddenly stopped.

After a moment, he changed his tone to one of elation and said:

"Nioh"

"Orange Green Ascent"

"Come on!"

At the same time that the newspaper posted his name on his door, Ootani Seiichiro sheathed his bamboo sword, lowered his waist, and assumed the Blue Eye stance.

The same gaze, straight as a ruler.

We are equally prepared!

The pale sun hung high above the military training institute.

Soft clouds drifting in the wind occasionally obscure the winter sun, casting dark shadows.

"..."

"..."

Unlike any battle Qing Deng had ever experienced before.

It lacked the overwhelming force it displayed when fighting against Saito Yakuro.

It lacked the overwhelming spirit it displayed when fighting against Chiba Sadakichi.

It lacked the overwhelming force it had when fighting against Daishi Jin.

This battle... began in a silence so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"..."

"..."

Neither Aoto nor Otani Seiichiro moved an inch, maintaining their distance and staring at each other.

The clouds in the sky slowly gathered and then gradually dispersed.

A lone bird flew gracefully over their heads.

The flapping sound of wings was incredibly loud in this space.

To an ordinary person unfamiliar with martial arts, this scene would surely seem very strange—both sides were clearly in their fighting stances, ready to attack, so why were Aoto and Otani Seiichiro still standing there motionless? Why didn't they start fighting already?

If Kubota Kiyone, Oishi Susumu, and others who were watching the battle heard this question, they would probably just laugh it off: What are you talking about? Look, the battle has already begun!

……

……

Qing Deng let the breeze tousle her hair.

He narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Otani Seiichiro's entire body.

In the blink of an eye, he strode forward and, like a swallow in flight, slashed straight at Otani Seiichiro's shoulder.

Their footsteps moved swiftly, their momentum was palpable!

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the other person.

However... before Qing Deng's bamboo sword could strike, Otani Seiichiro suddenly spread his arms, and his sword struck Qing Deng's body first, sending him flying heavily...

……

……

Qingdeng's pupils suddenly contracted.

"This trick won't work either..."

After saying this in a volume that only he could hear, Qingdeng involuntarily gasped and then exhaled a semi-transparent mist.

At first glance, after setting up his bamboo sword and assuming a mid-stance, Qing Deng seemed to be frozen in place, remaining motionless. But in reality, he had been repeatedly challenging Otani Seiichiro in his mind.

Leaping slash, sliding thrust, powerful split, three-stage slash with a flat eye...

From ordinary horizontal and vertical slashes to his ultimate moves... Qing Deng tried every offensive technique he could think of.

He was by no means careless or underestimating his opponent.

Qingdeng was never the kind of person to underestimate his opponents, especially since the opponent he was facing now was the renowned Sword Saint.

But... despite his best efforts, after more than ten rounds, the outcome he imagined in his mind was always the same: to be brutally slashed away by Otani Seiichiro...

Qingdeng certainly couldn't possess the ability to foresee the future.

The reason he was so certain that he would suffer a terrible defeat if he went forward to attack was because Otani Seiichiro exuded a dangerous aura that said "you must not get close to him"!

The sharp gaze that shot from his eyes was like the midday sun in midsummer, making one's skin tingle and ache.

The surging energy emanating from him was not "power," but an indescribable domineering aura, filled with thunderous courage!

At the same time, his figure gives people a sense of being ethereal and elusive.

Sometimes it's like the misty morning fog, sometimes gathering and sometimes dispersing; sometimes it's like the light clouds in the sky, sometimes rolling and sometimes unrolling.

Ever-changing, just like the free wind.

In terms of battle record, Qing Deng, who has killed countless people, definitely deserves the title of "battle-hardened".

However, even Qingdeng, a veteran of many battles, had never encountered such an opponent who was "both thunderous and windy" before!

Qingdeng gripped the bamboo sword in his hand, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

All we can do is stay alert, get into position, and hold our ground no matter what.

On the other hand, Qing Deng was not the only one who had no way to attack.

……

……

"..."

Ootani Seiichiro pursed his lips, his eyes wide as copper bells.

In an instant, he stepped forward, his aged body crashing down on Qingdeng like Mount Tai.

Qingdeng steadied himself and took the initiative to respond.

With a snap, Otani Seiichiro's slash was deflected.

In the next instant, Qing Deng stepped forward with his sword, passing under Otani Seiichiro's left armpit. In the instant they passed each other, Qing Deng's bamboo sword struck Otani Seiichiro's waist and abdomen, sending him flying several meters away with a single blow...

……

……

Ootani Seiichiro blinked, a helpless smile appearing on his lips.

—My hands and feet have become even slower than I expected.

The old man was also waging an "invisible battle" in his mind.

The scene that appeared in his mind was the same as Qingdeng's simulation result – as long as he made a move, he would suffer a crushing defeat!

Ootani Seiichiro was surrounded by an aura that said "do not approach"... and so was Aoto!

Qingdeng remained motionless, like a mountain, poised to strike, much like magma that would boil at the slightest touch.

If we say that Otani Seiichiro's figure is "a combination of wind and thunder," he can move in the heavens and hide in the formless.

Then, Qingdeng's figure is the ultimate flame! Burning and devouring everything that comes near him!

If it were the young Otani Seiichiro, he would not have been deterred by this level of intimidation.

Looking back, in his 65 years of life, he has encountered countless opponents who were even more formidable and difficult than Qingdeng.

However glorious or brilliant the past achievements may be, they are still outdated history.

In terms of swordsmanship alone, Otani Seiichiro is undoubtedly a cut above the rest.

Putting everything else aside, his "wind and thunder combined" is far superior to Qingdeng's "simple flames".

However... his body was no longer able to support him in carrying out the actions that could suppress Qingdeng.

Now, he is unable to both break through Qingdeng's defenses and protect himself.

Both possess the ability to "neutralize the opponent's offensive and then unleash a decisive blow."

Whoever strikes first will lose.

This situation, where "whoever loses their temper first loses," naturally led to a stalemate where "neither dared to make any rash moves, and the confrontation could only continue for a long time."

Both sides maintained the same posture throughout, resulting in a stalemate.

Everyone watching was stunned.

The space centered around Aoto and Otani Seiichiro seemed to form an invisible barrier, making it impossible for anyone to approach.

The two sides in the standoff were locked in a tight-knit battle, with no one else allowed to interfere.

Led by Kiyone Kubota and Susumu Oishi, the audience was so overwhelmed by the tense and imposing atmosphere that they forgot about time, holding their breath and watching the battle with complete focus...

……

Time slips away, bit by bit.

10 minutes...

20 minutes...

30 minutes...

1 hours...

2 hours...

In the blink of an eye, the hour hand on the clock quietly moved past two numbers.