I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Aoto was half a body length behind Kiryu's boss.

Looking at the sprightly, upright man before him, who showed no signs of being over eighty, Qingdeng couldn't help but sigh:

"The people of Edo now call me 'the peerless warrior of the East'."

"But in fact, I know very well: what kind of 'peerless in the East' am I? I can't even be called 'peerless in Edo'."

"There are just too many hidden powerhouses in Edo."

"Right now, right in front of me, there is a terrifying master whom I have yet to defeat."

"Only when I defeat you will I dare to call myself 'Edo Musou'."

Upon hearing this, the old man smiled reservedly and turned his face away—instantly, Qingdeng felt a gaze that was worth pondering.

"Tachibana-kun, you're mistaken. I'm not as powerful as you think right now."

"Kiryu-sensei, you can only fool those who don't know the truth with your words. I still vividly remember the days when I was brutally beaten by you for trying to learn the Source Breathing technique." Aoto wanted to retort like this, but the other party had already stopped in the center of the courtyard.

Seeing this, Qing Deng could only suppress his urge to complain and stood opposite Kiryu.

The two faced each other, staring intently at one another.

Qingdeng drew the Vairocana sword from his waist.

At the same time, the sound of swords being drawn came from the opposite side.

Qingdeng was stunned:

"Mr. Kiryu, weren't you going to demonstrate 'Setsuna' to me?"

Isn't "Setsuna" a sword-drawing technique? If it's a sword-drawing technique, why draw the sword? — This is the unspoken meaning behind Qing Deng's words.

"Don't worry about it, I just wanted to show you something else before demonstrating 'moment'."

Having said that, Mr. Kiryu carefully set up the Bizen Osafune in his hands, his movements flawless.

Although he didn't understand why, Qingdeng quickly roused himself.

He adopted a versatile, mid-range stance, ready for anything.

And so, the two remained locked in a tense standoff, unmoved as mountains.

At that moment, the rows of cirrus clouds in the sky rolled and unrolled, and the pale golden rays of light pouring down from the gaps shone on the tips of the two men's swords, reflecting a silvery gleam.

In that indescribable instant—the sunlight that enveloped the Osafune of Bizen was slashed in two!

Mr. Kiryu disappeared from where he was standing.

When his afterimage solidified into a physical form, he appeared below and in front of Qingdeng.

The long, slender blade, characteristic of the Nagafune series of swords, drew a breathtaking arc in the air, sweeping across towards Qing Deng's location.

Qingdeng parried with his sword, then lightly jumped back, creating enough space to counterattack.

The next instant, Qingdeng swung the Vairocana sword upwards, its momentum as fierce as a strong wind, unstoppable.

From parrying the opponent's attack to slashing back with his sword, Qing Deng's movements were undeniably swift.

However, Kiryu's boss has used this time to regroup.

His knife returned to its original position, and his body shifted into the most suitable defensive stance.

The fierce battle continues.

The two sides traded blows, fighting fiercely and evenly matched.

Before long, Qingdeng couldn't help but frown.

Kiryu's boss is very strong, there is no doubt about that. You can't tell that this is the kind of action a 90-year-old man would take.

However, the person he is now... or rather, the person he is in his "normal" state, is incomparable to the person he is in his "selfless state".

In Qing Deng's eyes, Kiryu's boss was not at all intimidating at this moment.

He was even confident that he could take the old man down in 20 more rounds.

After another fierce exchange and a brief encounter between the two, Kiryu Boss did not attack again with his sword. Instead, he let out a long breath, lowered the Bizen Nagabune in his hand, and slowly relaxed his muscles.

Seeing that his opponent had no intention of fighting again, Qing Deng also put down his sword and disengaged from his fighting stance.

"Tachibana-kun, do you understand now?"

The Kiryu boss revealed a carefree expression.

"Although I am incredibly energetic compared to other people my age, no matter what, it cannot change the natural fact that my body is already decaying."

"I'm getting old."

As he spoke, he pointed to his full head of white hair.

"Unless I enter the state of 'no-self,' I am no match for you in the present moment."

"Moreover, even if I enter the 'state of no self,' I can't maintain it for more than a few minutes."

"The biggest side effect of the 'selflessness' state is that it puts a huge burden on the body."

Physical strength has never been my strong suit.

"Now that I'm older, I can't take any more hardship."

"In another year... no, given your growth rate and my aging rate, I'm afraid that even if I reach the 'selfless state' in less than half a year, I won't be able to do anything to you."

At this moment, Kiryu's boss suddenly paused, then looked at Aoto with a surprised expression.

After a moment, he smiled helplessly.

"Tachibana-kun, don't make that face."

"Birth, aging, sickness and death are the natural order of things in the world."

"Wrinkles and gray hair are valuable assets accumulated over time, which we should be proud of, not avoid."

"In fact, it's more accurate to say that... being able to grow old smoothly is a fortunate thing."

"Otherwise, you won't be able to explain to your descendants why you always look so young."

"The pursuit of immortality will only bring disaster."

"However, on the other hand, your humble spirit of not considering yourself 'peerless in the East' is very good and deserves recognition."

"I have lived for nearly a hundred years, and in this long period of time, I have experienced many changes."

"The belief I had held onto since childhood collapsed."

"Knowledge that I had always believed in has been overturned."

"A monster beyond imagination."

"Swords that entrust their souls to are like needles in the face of Western warships and cannons."

"Perhaps even things that we currently consider common sense will be overturned one day in the future."

"In the end, there is only one thing I am absolutely certain of—there are always people better than you, and there is always something beyond your understanding; you must never be arrogant."

As he spoke, Mr. Kiryu looked up at the sky and gazed into the distance.

"Martial arts, literature, music, painting, mathematics... there is no such thing as an 'end' in any field of human life."

Even if you are unparalleled in the world, don't think that you can be invincible forever.

"Perhaps at some time and in some place, the person who can surpass you will be quietly born into the world."

"Don't underestimate young people."

"Never underestimate the elderly."

"When you meet a young person, regard him as a once-in-a-lifetime genius."

"When you meet an elderly person, treat them as a survivor of a brutal battlefield that was like purgatory."

"This is the last thing I will teach you before you go to Luoyang, besides 'moment'."

"Make sure to remember this."

After speaking, Kiryu suddenly flipped his right wrist, twirled his sword, and changed the grip on his Bizen Nagafune from upright to inverted.

In that instant, the atmosphere on the scene suddenly became tense, and an indescribable chilling aura seeped into Qingdeng's skin!

Qingdeng's pupils suddenly contracted, as if in response to a shock. He subconsciously held the Vairocana in front of him, as if facing a formidable enemy.

"King Tachibana, keep your humility. It will take you further... and maybe even save your life."

As he spoke, Mr. Kiryu sheathed his sword, spread his legs, lowered his stance, gripped the front of the scabbard with his left hand, and pressed the hilt of the sword with his right hand with a moderate pressure.

The tense atmosphere that permeated the surroundings reached its peak at this moment.

Qingdeng steadied himself, staring intently at the elderly man opposite him who was exuding an astonishing aura. His facial features hardened, and his expression became extremely serious.

"Tachibana-kun, I'm going."

The Kiryu boss raised his gaze and gave him a smiling look.

"This is the essence of flowing light... a fleeting moment!"

In a flash, he extended his left thumb, pressed it against the hilt of the sword, and pushed it forward, revealing the copper latch that held the scabbard in place.

The next instant, a silver flash filled Qingdeng's vision...

……

……

Wenjiu three years (1863), January 1th——

Edo, Zojoji Temple —

When viewing a map depicting the entire Edo region, Zojoji Temple can be seen located southeast of Edo Castle.

Zojoji Temple: The head temple of the Kanto Jodo sect. Originally located in Kaizuka, Toyoshima District, Musashi Province. Two hundred and fifty years ago, after Tokugawa Ieyasu took control of Kanto, the 12th generation monk, Segen Yosun'o, accepted Tokugawa Ieyasu's conversion and was granted temple land. In 1598, the temple was moved to its present location.

After receiving a reward from Tokugawa Ieyasu, Zojoji Temple acquired a vast temple estate, covering a total area of ​​250,000 tsubo (826500 square meters). Including the main hall, it had 48 branch temples and more than 100 dormitories, and more than 3,000 monks studied Buddhism there year-round.

Tokugawa Ieyasu placed Zojoji Temple south of Edo Castle for two main reasons.

One reason was to facilitate the surveillance of monks.

Looking back, under the influence of historical inertia, cultural influence and other factors, the Buddhist forces in Japan once became a super power that transcended the imperial court and the shogunate. The monks could even interfere in politics, participate in wars, and criticize the rulers. Their arrogance reached its peak during the Warring States period.