I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Are swords and knives really such inconvenient things?

Blade, back of blade, blade face, guard, hilt, scabbard... if used properly, every part of a sword can be used to kill the enemy.

Being struck squarely in the face by the back of a knife... even if you're lucky enough to survive, you'll at least end up with a fractured or broken facial bone.

However... Chiba Eijiro truly lives up to his reputation as the top swordsman who has held the title of "Edo's Strongest" for many years.

This breathtaking and deadly strike still failed to subdue him.

He stepped back half a step with his right foot and planted his heel firmly; as if to suppress Qing Deng's momentum, he swung Zhen Yue Chang Guang down hard—the two movements happened almost simultaneously.

Purple and blue... two completely different blade beams collided in mid-air, creating a dark red spark!

Although Chiba Eijiro did not completely deflect Aoto's sword, he did deflect its trajectory, causing it to lose its original threat.

Of course, it wouldn't be accurate to say that Qing Deng achieved nothing—the tip of Vairocana's blade grazed Chiba Eijiro's chest, tearing his clothes and drawing blood.

There was no pause.

After passing each other, the two quickly turned around.

The two figures overlapped once more, inseparable.

……

……

Amidst the swirling snow dust, the flashing figures and glints of blades, along with the constant roars and clangs, clearly conveyed the intense conflict between two top-tier swordsmen.

The two men wielded their precious swords tirelessly, slashing, chopping, stabbing, and smashing at each other in a state of complete absorption.

Their battle was fierce, while the surrounding spectators watched in stunned silence.

Even an ordinary person who knows nothing about martial arts can clearly see that both Aoto and Chiba Eijiro used their full strength!

Every move they made was aimed at real combat—that is, at killing their opponent!

If you're not careful and get hit by such a fierce slash, it won't just be a simple bruise; it could really kill you!

More and more people are convinced that Aoto and Chiba Eijiro must have a long-standing grudge! And it's the kind that's irreconcilable! That's why they used the name of a martial arts competition to settle their scores.

Let alone ordinary people who knew nothing about it, even the relatives and friends of the two sides who knew that the two had no enmity were in disbelief and their hearts were in their throats.

Looking around the room, only the old monsters like Kiryu, Otani Seiichiro, Kuboda Kiyone, and Chiba Sadakichi remained calm and unfazed.

Especially Mr. Kiryu—not only was his expression calm, but he also slightly curled the corners of his mouth, revealing a nostalgic smile as he reminisced about the past.

Two swordsmen, wielding their precious swords, engaged in a fierce and merciless duel... This scene, this atmosphere, seemed to evoke memories for Mr. Kiryu.

……

……

Clang—With a flash of light, the two finally managed to separate and create some distance between them.

Taking this opportunity, Qing Deng regulated his breathing and stared intently at Chiba Eijiro's entire body, wary of his attack.

Just then, Chiba Eijiro suddenly shouted:

"King Tachibana, if this keeps going, it won't be a winner for at least half an hour!"

As he spoke, Chiba Eijiro put down the Zhen Yue Chang Guang sword in his hand, straightened his back, and let his left arm and right hand holding the sword hang naturally at his sides.

"Tachibana-kun, do you know about the 'state of no-self'?"

The sudden question and its unexpected content caused Qing Deng to involuntarily raise an eyebrow.

Although he didn't know why the other party asked that question, Qingdeng nodded truthfully.

“Since you know about the ‘state of no-self,’ that makes things easier. About three years ago, while I was fighting a bear, I unintentionally entered a wonderful state of emptiness of body and mind.”

"I think this is probably the legendary 'state of no-self'."

"That mysterious feeling of being incapacitated and seemingly omnipotent is something I can't resist."

"Therefore, for the past three years, I have been focusing on researching methods to enter a state of selflessness at any time."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng asked in a half-joking tone:

"Eijiro-kun, you're not trying to tell me that you've found a way to freely enter the state of selflessness, are you?"

Chiba Eijiro shook his head.

"Of course not. If the legendary 'state of no self' could be entered and exited at will, there wouldn't be so many martial artists who regretted not experiencing the power of no self for the rest of their lives."

"Although I have not found a way to enter the 'selfless state' at will, I have discovered that when I hold my breath and concentrate for a long time, I can briefly enter a state of focus that is similar to the 'selfless state'."

"Although the effect is far inferior to the 'real product,' its power is still considerable."

"I'll tentatively call it the 'quasi-selfless state'."

At this point, Chiba Eijiro adopted a half-joking tone:

"This is probably due to my talent; I'm naturally good at concentrating."

After saying this, Chiba Eijiro leaned to the left, raised the tip of his sword, and lifted it to the upper level.

"Next, I will attack with the 'quasi-selflessness state'!"

"If you manage to break through this attack, then I have lost!"

*******

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PS: Chiba Eijiro's real name is "Nariyuki", Chiba Michizaburo's real name is "Mitsugumi", and Chiba Jutaro's real name is "Ichitane". For some reason, Chiba Eijiro's real name is different from his brothers'.

Chapter 544 Qingdeng's New Title: [Peerless in the East]! [4300]

—So that's how it is, a single move decides the outcome...!

Qingdeng grinned and smiled.

Then, he took a deep breath, regulated his breathing, and spread his legs to firmly plant his heels.

"Alright! Bring it on! I'll meet you with my strongest move!"

Having said that, he flipped his right wrist, and while performing a cool sword dance, he changed the grip of the Vairocana sword in his palm from upright to inverted, and slowly returned it to its sheath with a clang.

With his waist lowered, left hand gripping the front of the scabbard, right hand gently stroking the hilt, and shoulders relaxed... this is the starting stance of the Drawing Sword Technique: Flowing Light!

In terms of overall strength, Aoto and Chiba Eijiro are roughly equal.

Therefore, as Chiba Eijiro just said, if the two of them continue fighting like this, it will take at least half an hour to determine a winner.

In that case, channeling all the remaining strength and emotion into the next strike would be a brilliant way to save time and determine who is the strongest!

As Qing Deng finished speaking, the scene erupted in uproar once again.

In close combat, nothing is more exhilarating than a clash of ultimate moves!

For a moment, the audience, including Hijikata Toshizo, Chiba Jutaro, and others, all stared wide-eyed, afraid of missing a single scene or detail.

Even Souji and Sanako temporarily put aside their worries about Aoto and kept their eyes fixed on the front, closely watching everything happening in the dueling arena.

We cannot overlook their other identity because of their close relationship with Qing Deng: female warriors who love swordsmanship!

No matter how time passes or how the world changes, the two of them can never give up their love for swordsmanship.

"Nioh" and "Technique of Chiba" will use their strongest moves to decide the winner... For Souji and Sanako, how could they miss such a "battle of ultimate moves" that is rare to see every few years, or even decades?

Looking at the whole scene, it seems that only Kinoshita Mai, that silly girl, doesn't care about Qing Deng's wins or losses at all, and has no interest in the so-called "ultimate move clash" - she only cares about Qing Deng's personal safety.

Seeing Aoto assume the iaido stance, she finally couldn't help but tug at Kiryu's sleeve beside her and stammered softly:

"Um... Mr. Kiryu... could you...?"

However, before she could finish speaking, Mr. Kiryu, who had seen through her thoughts, interrupted:

"Young master, do not disturb the duel between the swordsmen."

He smiled slightly... and that look of nostalgia reappeared on his cheeks.

"Wait quietly, watch quietly—that is the greatest respect you can show to Tachibana-kun."

Since even Kiryu, the only person she could rely on, had said so... Kinoshita Mai, completely helpless, could only grit her teeth, clench her fists, and subconsciously lean towards Aoto's direction, sincerely praying for his victory.

As the saying goes, "The layman sees the spectacle, the expert sees the details."

Ordinary people who don't understand martial arts only see that the two fighters are in completely different stances, seemingly gathering strength—one side sheathes their sword and lowers their waist, assuming an iaido stance; the other side raises their sword overhead, adopting an upper stance—to this, they can only think "Wow! That's amazing!" and have no other feeling.

For insiders like Kiryu, Otani Seiichiro, and Kubota Kiyone, they could clearly feel that a vortex of immense energy was rapidly accumulating within Aoto and Chiba Eijiro's bodies!

……

Qingdeng felt that he was in a great state right now.

He believes that, on the one hand, his talent "Born to Fight +9" (the more intense and fierce the battle, the better his physical and mental state) is at play, and on the other hand, this long-awaited, evenly matched and intense battle has made him feel excited!

—I wonder if I'll be able to successfully activate "The Unfettered Hachiman" this time...

Back then, when he stormed the Shimizu Mansion alone, Qing Deng activated "Reversal Dragon," one of his two eternal talents, for the first time.

From then on, he never experienced that exhilarating feeling of "transforming into a dragon, invincible wherever he went" again.

He wasn't particularly surprised by the result.

After all, the system's talent description clearly states that one can only transform into a dragon when trapped in dire straits yet utterly fearless.

In recent years, Qingdeng has had a smooth life and has never fallen into any desperate situation, so he has no chance to launch the "Dragon of Reversal" again.

As for his other eternal talent, "The Boundless Hachiman," it has always been in a state of flux, sometimes working and sometimes not.

Simply put—sometimes, no matter how much power Qing Deng gathers or how much concentration he makes, he just can't activate "Boundless Hachiman"; but sometimes, even without doing anything intentionally, he can clearly hear the mechanical sound of "[Ding! Eternal Talent: Boundless Hachiman, activated!]" ringing in his mind... The former happens far more often than the latter.

Although Qing Deng still cannot use Hachiman's power at will, he has gradually figured out some tricks: only when "the mind is highly concentrated and there is no other thought in the mind except to defeat the enemy in front of him" can he have the opportunity to activate "Hachiman of No Bewilderment".

Such a state is rare and hard to come by.

Good physical condition and high spirits... both are indispensable.

Although he couldn't quite put his finger on why, at this moment, Qing Deng had a strong premonition—this time, he would definitely be able to successfully activate "Muwang no Hachiman"!

Those familiar with Chiba Eijiro know that his most proficient move is the Kesa-zan, which starts with a left-upward stance.