I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Therefore, when Chiba Eijiro leaned to the left and raised the Moonlight Blade, Sanako, Chiba Sadakichi, and the others all felt a chill in their hearts—the next strike was indeed Chiba's strongest move!

As for Qingdeng, the situation is similar.

Everyone knows that King Ni is a master of swordsmanship.

Qingdeng's body shrank even further, resembling a spring compressed to its limit—clearly, this posture concealed astonishing elasticity and explosive power.

Iaijutsu and Kesa-giri... Just imagining such a scene makes one involuntarily swallow hard, crane one's neck, and eagerly await it.

"..."

"..."

The two of them stood there in that stance—for a moment, time seemed to stand still.

Or rather... this space has frozen.

The audience held their breath, remained motionless, and dared not even breathe.

As for Aoto and Chiba Eijiro, they were completely frozen in place, not even blinking, let alone moving.

Their blinking frequency kept decreasing and decreasing...

The blinking frequency, which was originally no different from that of a normal person, gradually decreased to once every 10 seconds, once every 30 seconds, and once every minute...

As their blinking frequency gradually decreased, their breathing became increasingly long and even.

The world before Qingdeng's eyes was constantly "shrinking"—it sounds strange, but it was indeed true.

His vision began to blur from the edges and corners, as if it had gone out of focus.

First, it was the corner of his eye, then the sky above and the ground beneath his feet, then the crowd of onlookers behind Chiba Eijiro... In the end, the only things that remained clear in his eyes were the Vairocana in his hand and Chiba Eijiro in front of him.

At the same time, he could feel with absolute clarity that Chiba Eijiro's attention was focused to an unbelievable degree! At first glance, it was like a boulder that was constantly sinking and getting heavier!

Such a sense of oppression... Qing Deng had only ever felt it from Kiryu, who had entered the "state of no self".

It seems that his earlier statement about a "quasi-selfless state" was not just empty boasting.

Without relying on special martial arts techniques like "Breath of the Source," he touched the threshold of the "Selflessness Realm" solely through his own talent... Even Qing Deng couldn't help but express his sincere admiration for him.

"..."

"..."

A short period of time—about 3 minutes—has passed, yet the experience is drastically different for different groups.

Normally, three minutes wouldn't feel like a long time.

At that moment, apart from the old monsters led by Boss Kiryu, almost all the onlookers felt that every second was like an eternity.

As for Aoto and Chiba Eijiro—they are now completely unaware of the passage of time.

Let alone 3 minutes, even if that time were extended 10 times, they would still feel that all the changes in the world happened in the blink of an eye.

Finally, as a lone bird gracefully flew over their heads, the clanging sound of a blade being drawn dominated the heavens and earth.

That's the sound of Qing Deng drawing his sword.

He concentrated his power in his hind feet, pushed off the ground and charged forward, using the momentum of his forward lunge and the centrifugal force of his body to draw his sword!

Just as he drew his sword, that long-unheard mechanical voice finally rang in his mind:

[Ding! Eternal Talent - Boundless Hachiman, activated!]

A dazzling purple rainbow unfolded before Vairocana's blade!

Almost at the same time that Qing Deng launched his attack, Chiba Eijiro... his Zhen Yue Chang Guang also made a loud noise!

He suddenly stepped out with his right foot, as if he wanted to crack the earth, and stomped hard, kicking up snow more than a meter high.

Enough to support the waist, the waist to support the arms, the arms to support the wrists, and the wrists to support the blade—the blade, its light shining like the moon, pointed diagonally to the sky, as if it were about to cut down the sun. It aimed at Qing Deng's body and fell from a great height, drawing out a white light with the force of a suspended river.

The speed of the blade was so fast that the light and afterimage didn't have time to dissipate. Because the white light was briefly "frozen" in the air, at first glance, the space where the white light passed seemed to be diagonally divided in two!

Just as the two swordsmen's treasured swords, spirits, and lives became one... the outcome was decided.

clang--!

With a deafening roar, sparks, like elfins, shattered and scattered from the point where the two knives met.

Two beams of light, one purple and one blue, engaged in a fierce, evenly matched battle. In terms of sheer power, they were virtually indistinguishable.

However... just a second later, the purple light displayed an even greater power.

Zhen Yue Chang Guang was deflected to the side, the crooked blade only tearing Qing Deng's clothes and skin at the shoulder.

As for Vairocana, carrying its remaining strength, it swept towards Chiba Eijiro's neck—

"..."

"..."

It rested firmly on Chiba Eijiro's neck.

The sharp blade grazed his skin, and bright red blood flowed down the blade onto the guard, then dripped down drop by drop.

quiet……

A deathly silence enveloped the entire mountain.

The outcome is already obvious.

However, the onlookers present... especially the "Aoto Friends and Family Group" led by Sanako, Kinoshita Mai, and Souji, still need some time to calm down and understand reality.

Compared to others, Chiba Eijiro remained remarkably calm.

He lowered his gaze, glanced at the purple knife on his neck, and then looked at Qing Deng in front of him.

"...How is it, Tachibana-kun?"

A gentle smile spread across his face.

"All the martial arts masters of Edo have fallen to your blade, and you have ascended to the throne of 'Strongest in Edo.' What are your thoughts on that?"

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng couldn't help but smile.

"'The strongest in Edo'? I don't deserve that title at all!"

"To be honest, I only defeated all the well-known martial arts masters in Edo."

"There are just too many powerful people hiding their identities in Edo."

At this point, the image of Mr. Kiryu flashed through his mind.

"Moreover, besides Edo, there are Kyoto, Osaka, Nagasaki, and beyond Japan there are Tang China and Western countries... It's endless."

"What does it matter if someone is merely 'the strongest in Edo'?"

As soon as Qing Deng finished speaking, Chiba Eijiro grinned, revealing a happy smile.

“King Tachibana, if that’s how you think… then that’s right! The path of martial arts has no end…”

Having said that, he let out a long breath, fell backward, and lay sprawled unceremoniously in the snow, muttering:

"worn out……"

I won—only now did Qingdeng truly feel the reality of his victory.

In an instant, he felt all the strength drain from his body, and his body began to sway uncontrollably.

He didn't bother to sheathe his sword anymore, and just like Chiba Eijiro, he did a "free dive" and let his body fall into the snow's embrace under the pull of gravity.

At that moment, cheers that seemed to shatter mountains and lift the sky resounded from all directions.

……

……

Following Otani Seiichiro and Kuboda Kiyone, Chiba Eijiro also became Niou's defeated opponent, and Niou's "Edo Conquest" was a great victory - this exciting news spread throughout Edo in less than half a day.

Aside from hidden powerhouses like Kiryu, who have vanished without a trace, Aoto is truly invincible throughout Edo.

From any perspective, this is an unprecedented and magnificent achievement!

The Japanese love giving people nicknames; it's a racial trait of theirs.

Therefore, the people of Edo gave Aoto, who made history again, a brand new title – "Peerless in the East"!

In Japanese geographical terms, "Eastern Country" refers to the area east of Sekigahara.

Kanto, Kai, Ōu, Echizen, and Echigo all fall within the territory of the eastern provinces.

Therefore, the new title they gave to Qingdeng is utterly absurd.

Qing Deng only conquered Edo, which was just a city in the Kanto region. He couldn't even be called "the best in Kanto", so how could he be called "the best in the East"?

However, giving people overly exaggerated titles is also one of the racial traits of the Japanese.

Although Qingdeng disliked the title, he couldn't silence the gossip.

Just as the name "Peerless in the East - Tachibana Aoto" was spreading far and wide... the things that Aoto had asked Katsura Rintaro to help purchase finally arrived.

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Chapter 545 is a Shura Field! Qingdeng's Shura Field is back! [4500]

Edo, somewhere—

"La~ la la~ la la la~ la la~~"

Kinoshita Mai hummed the little tune she had just composed, her footsteps light and crisp as she strode forward.

Her jet-black hair, styled in a Shimada bun, shimmered beautifully in the warm sunlight.

A gentle breeze wafted by, carrying a pleasant fragrance from her hair... Her hair must have just been washed and combed.

The bright red kimono embroidered with beautiful patterns, the pale yellow obi that amplifies the presence of the Southern Hemisphere, the small feet covered with white cloth socks, and the red-buttoned black wooden clogs that complement the snow on the ground... every detail is captivating.

Her light steps, cheerful aura, and undisguised smile... anyone could tell she was in a great mood.

Why would a socially awkward girl who would never go out unless absolutely necessary stride confidently through the streets of Edo, looking so cheerful?