I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Shouts erupted from all sides.

One by one, the participants took turns going up to the stage, determined to prove themselves against Qingdeng.

……

"Katori Shinto style"

"Baba Saburo!"

Baba Saburo employed a steady and methodical fighting style.

He carefully moved his foot to the right, attempting to break Qingdeng's defense from the side.

Unexpectedly, he had barely taken a step when Qing Deng's knife flew towards him.

He had no time to dodge. Although he barely managed to parry Qing Deng's slash, the overwhelming force made his arm go numb and he almost lost his grip on the knife.

Qingdeng's pursuit was swift; in the blink of an eye, he had already delivered his second strike.

Saburo Baba gritted his teeth and launched a bold offensive, wanting to engage in a "counterattack against attack" with Aoto.

clang!

Bluish-white sparks burst forth in mid-air.

The two knives clashed in mid-air.

The next instant, their sleeves brushed together, and they passed each other.

"hiss……!"

Despite his desperate attempts to endure it, the immense force transmitted back along the blade still caused him to involuntarily gasp for breath.

When he forced himself to endure the pain and turned around to face Qingdeng again, Qingdeng had already rushed up to him, and his entire field of vision was filled with Qingdeng's shadow.

Qing Deng knelt on one knee—a position that facilitated upward force—and slashed the knife in his hand diagonally upward, striking Baba Saburo squarely in the side of his abdomen.

With his eyes rolled back and almost losing consciousness, Baba Saburo fell forward, his body crashing heavily into Aoto, and he fell headfirst to the ground behind him.

[Successfully copied talent: Beautiful Hair]

[Talent Introduction: Not prone to hair loss]

[Ding! Detected that the host already possesses a talent of the same type]

[Ding! Talent fusion successful]

[Upgrade from "Hair +2" to "Hair +3"]

……

"Shinto Wu Nian Ryu"

"Nishikido Taichi!"

Accompanied by a roar that shook the entire arena, Nishikido Taichi swiftly brandished his sword, drawing streaks of light in the air, the overlapping blades resembling a vast silver net.

In the blink of an eye, he had rushed to Qingdeng's location and attacked him directly.

Faced with the "giant net" tearing at him, Qingdeng gently dodged it.

Flash, and flash again!

People saw Qing Deng's body move nimbly, taking only two steps before retreating into Nishikido Taiichi's blind spot.

At the same moment he changed positions, Qing Deng sheathed the sword in his right hand under his left armpit—a flash of light—he slipped past the opponent's sword, moved swiftly from right to left, passed right by him, and stood to the left rear of Nishikido Taichi.

With a single strike, the silver "giant net" collapsed with a deafening roar.

[Successfully copied talent: Serpent Body]

[Talent Introduction: Superior physical flexibility]

[Ding! Detected that the host already possesses a talent of the same type]

[Ding! Talent fusion successful]

[“Serpent Body +1” Ability Upgrade – “Serpent Body +2”]

……

"Hokushin Ittō-ryū"

"Hideyo Akasaka!"

The instant he announced his address, he rushed forward and swung his knife straight at Qing Deng's body.

Qingdeng charged forward without fear or alarm.

At first glance, the two seemed to strike at the same speed.

But after they parted ways, it was Hideyo Akasaka who collapsed.

……

"Shinto Wu Nian Ryu"

"Yamamoto Ichifumi!"

Qingdeng held his breath and slowly moved forward.

During this time, Yamamoto made several feints, but Aoto's stance remained unchanged, and he continued to advance slowly.

Under Qing Deng's relentless pressure, Yamamoto Ichifumi retreated all the way to the wall.

—If we don't make a move soon, we're doomed to lose!

With this in mind, he raised the knife in his hand above his head.

However, whether due to nervousness or something else, his posture was completely off. His right knee and chin were sticking out, but his waist was stuck back... This could no longer be called "swordsmanship"; it was the behavior of a complete novice.

To think that one could defeat Qing Deng with such a move is nothing short of a pipe dream.

When he brought his stagnant blade down on Qingdeng, Qingdeng simply turned his body to the side and swung his blade in the same direction, completing a standard and sharp "defense and counterattack".

Just like in a baseball game, he was hit and sent flying, traveling 3 or 4 meters before finally landing back on the ground.

……

……

One after another, they landed on the ground.

One by one they fell to the ground.

Most of the people who challenged Qingdeng were no match for him.

Even the best performer only lasted three rounds under Qing Deng's blade.

But that's all... Qingdeng thought to himself.

The vast majority of the members of the Tosa Loyalist Party were impoverished villagers and samurai from the Tosa Domain.

Such a personnel composition inevitably leads to a wide range of overall quality.

Therefore, Qingdeng had made the necessary mental preparations before the challenge began.

However, to Qing Deng's surprise, the loyalist party members were not only of average strength, but also had very poor inner potential.

By now, most people don't even have any talent.

After battling more than ten people, the only talents that Qingdeng successfully copied were "Piercing Clouds and Splitting Rocks," "Snake Body," and "Beautiful Hair"—all three talents belonged to the type that were "useful if you say they are useful, but useless if you say they are not."

Just as Aoto's disappointment with the Tosa Loyalists was about to reach its peak... a clear, melodious male voice suddenly rang out:

"...Let me do it."

Qingdeng looked in the direction of the sound—a handsome man who looked to be in his thirties slowly stood up, carrying a knife, and walked onto the stage with an air of nonchalance.

In that instant... the moment the handsome man spoke and stood up, Qing Deng keenly sensed that the atmosphere on the scene had changed significantly.

The loyalists, who had been bustling about just moments before, suddenly fell silent, focusing intently on one thing—the handsome man's every move.

Seeing this, Qingdeng raised an eyebrow, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

Then, he swept his gaze across the handsome man in front of him, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

What first caught his attention was the other person's height.

A rough visual estimate suggests that this person is at least 1.8 meters tall, half a head taller than Qingdeng.

A neatly styled shaved head.

He was neither too fat nor too thin, and his steps were steady and powerful.

His features are well-proportioned, with his cheekbones and chin being particularly striking. His cheekbones are prominent, and his chin is sharply defined, as if it had been sculpted with a knife.

Overall, he is a handsome man with a dignified appearance that fits the aesthetic standards of this era.

"...Judging from your expression, it seems the previous fighters didn't give you enough fun."

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

"For a long time now, I've had a hard time finding someone who can truly satisfy me on the path of martial arts."

"Then... am I perhaps worthy of your approval?"

Having said that, he sheathed his knife and loudly announced his home address:

"Mirror Mind, Clear Stream"

"Liuchuan Left Gate".

A true expert's skill is immediately apparent upon their first move.

The moment the handsome man... namely Yanagawa Samon, assumed a fighting stance, Qing Deng's expression immediately became veiled with seriousness.

The slightly upturned blade tip exuded an indescribable sense of oppression, as if his entire body was hidden in the shadow of the blade.

In the blink of an eye, Liuchuan Zuomen launched a surprise attack.

He charged forward instantly, pouncing on Qingdeng like a predatory beast.

Qing Deng leaped to the side with the agility of a swallow, creating some distance before raising the tip of his sword and assuming the stance of the Eight Pairs. His sword flashed like a meteor, slashing straight at Liuchuan Zuomen's shoulder.

This strike was powerful and heavy; even an unsharpened knife would be unable to withstand such an attack.

At this critical moment, Yanagawa Samon casually pulled the sword that had just cleaved through the air back to his hand, using his superb technique of deflecting the force of Qing Deng's sword to the side.