I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

How would I know when you will return to Edo?

"However, just when I was having this problem, you came back at that very moment."

"It's true what they say, it's better to come back at the right time than to come back early!"

At this point, the old man adopted a slightly more serious tone.

"Ju-kun, since you've come all this way, why don't you have a match with your junior brothers and fulfill one of their wishes?"

"After today, who knows when you will return next time?"

"I'm also taking this opportunity to see how much progress you've made recently."

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

He then pondered for a moment.

In just a moment, he nodded slightly.

"Well... alright then! Let's have a proper spar!"

As he spoke, he slowly stood up, turned his head, and looked at his junior brothers not far away.

"Gentlemen, let's settle this with 'Yuanli'!"

"Those who wish to defeat the legendary Nioh head-on, then step into battle!"

As soon as he finished speaking, most of the apprentices present had their eyes light up and shouted excitedly.

To fight against "Nioh" Tachibana Aoto... For a martial artist, this is a priceless opportunity!

In the world of martial arts, the saying "one who is near vermilion gets stained red, and one who is near ink gets stained black" is an unchanging truth.

Fighting against the weak will only weaken your own strength and may even lead to developing bad habits.

Only by sparring with the strong can one truly perceive the vastness of the world and better understand one's own shortcomings!

Therefore, being able to spar with a master of Qingdeng's caliber is a hard-won opportunity!

If you're lucky enough, you'll benefit for life!

In an instant, the dojo, which had just been peaceful, became agitated again.

One by one, the apprentices stood up abruptly, shouting excited words such as "Lord Niou! I am willing to be the vanguard!" and "Lord Niou! I am ready! I can start the battle at any time!"

Seeing this, Kondo Shusuke had no choice but to say in a helpless tone:

"Calm down, everyone. Tachibana-kun is right here. He won't leave or run away."

"Those who want to fight Tachibana-kun, line up now!"

"Don't rush! Don't panic!"

As soon as their master spoke, the apprentices immediately lined up in neat rows, their faces beaming with excitement.

Original: A special martial arts combat mode.

Simply put, it's a war of attrition.

The incumbents and challengers take turns fighting until the incumbents are defeated and voluntarily concede, or until all the challengers are eliminated.

In the world of Japanese Kendo, there are two forms of gauntlet matches.

One of them is "立切" (lì qiē).

The second is "original establishment".

There are subtle differences between the two.

Compared to "Liqie", the original Liqie process is more formal. When fighting someone, you have to start by bowing, and after the winner is determined, you bow again to change to the next opponent. It has a more obvious guiding significance.

"Standing cut" is a kind of endurance battle designed to train the physical strength, willpower and reaction speed of the participants. It is a race without a winner or loser and will not be stopped due to bowing in the middle.

Regardless of whether the person being challenged wins or not, the challenger will continue to attack.

The challenger will voluntarily leave the stage, and someone will immediately take their place, and this cycle will continue.

There are several reasons why Qing Deng chose "Yuan Li" as the method for this event.

Firstly, "Yuanli" makes it easier for him to move his muscles and bones.

Since the start of the "Battle of Iga", he has been spinning like a top, working non-stop with almost no time to rest.

First, he personally oversaw the expansion plan for the Shinsengumi.

Then they continued to closely monitor the detailed progress of the "Shogunate-Asian Talks".

Then he rushed back to Edo without stopping to take full charge of matters related to the "Shogunate-Hiroshi Negotiations".

He hadn't held a sword in his hand for a long time, nor had he sparred with anyone for a long time!

Today, he's going to have a good, satisfying fight!

"Liqie" is like fighting a war. Challengers keep coming up one after another, and there is no pause in the entire competition. He keeps fighting and fighting continuously, which goes against his original intention of "just wanting to stretch his muscles".

The second point is related to the system.

He hasn't updated his talent list in a long time!

So long that even the system's presence has become almost negligible.

As his own strength continues to grow, it becomes increasingly difficult for Qing Deng to replicate his new talent.

Firstly, because he is extremely busy right now.

Since arriving in Luoyang, he has been extremely busy with work every day, making it very difficult to find time to exchange ideas with others.

Secondly, it's because he's so strong now that very few people can withstand his sword for more than 10 seconds!

In the previous "Iga Offensive and Defense Battle", Qing Deng did not copy a single talent.

The battlefield is ever-changing, and Qingdeng has no time to leisurely play along with his opponent and accumulate the 10 seconds required to copy the talent.

With long spears swung and swords brandished, all that remained were scattered wreckage and severed limbs.

The more standardized process of "Yuanli" will take more time, which will make it easier for him to replicate the talents of others.

He didn't expect to be able to replicate any remarkable talent from this group of newcomers.

It would be best if it were available, but not so good if it wasn't.

He would be content as long as his old talents could be revitalized.

The talent that Qingdeng urgently needs right now is one that can enhance his physical functions.

Once his physical fitness improves, his swordsmanship talent, which is 279 times that of ordinary people, will immediately unleash unparalleled energy!

Actually, there is a third reason for choosing "Yuanli" – he did not believe that these newcomers could train his physical strength, reaction ability and willpower in "Liqie".

……

……

Qingdeng casually picked out a bamboo sword, held it in one hand, and stood upright in the center of the dojo.

Kondo Shusuke, Hijikata Toshizo, and the other apprentices retreated to the east, west, south, and north sides of the dojo to watch the battle silently.

His first opponent—a young man around 15 years old—raised his bamboo sword and assumed a stance with eight pairs of swords.

"Ono Yazo! Please guide me!"

Qingdeng quietly held the knife in front of him, then used both hands to grip it, lowering his center of gravity.

"Ju Qingdeng, please give me your guidance."

The young man... that is, Ono Yoshizo, swallowed hard, his expression and movements extremely tense.

He was like a newborn fawn, his steps swaying wildly. First he stepped out with his right foot, then pulled it back, then stepped out with his left foot, and soon after pulled it back again.

Seeing this, Qingdeng loudly encouraged him:

"Grip your sword tighter! Attack boldly!"

His encouragement immediately took effect.

Ono Bezo's body trembled slightly, then he took a deep breath and his eyes hardened.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room became tense.

In the blink of an eye, Ono Yoshizo stomped off the ground, leaping forward like a falcon and lunging straight at Aoto! His sword slashed at Aoto's body!

Qingdeng calmly took half a step back, deflecting the opponent's attack to the side.

The next instant, the two leaped away, only to collide again and engage in close combat.

At first glance, it appears that the two attacked at the same time.

In reality, Qing Deng was superior to his opponent in both the speed and timing of his attacks.

With a loud bang, the two bamboo swords clashed in mid-air.

In an instant, Qing Deng's bamboo sword deflected Ono Bōzō's bamboo sword and then struck him squarely in the chest.

"Waaah...!"

Ono Bezo cried out in pain, pressing one hand to his chest while still gripping the knife in the other.

However, after only a short while, the bamboo sword in his hand clattered to the ground, and then his body bent forward like a shrimp and fell to the ground.

Before collapsing to the ground, he didn't forget to say:

"Thank you... for your guidance..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the long-absent, mechanical system voice rang out deep within Qing Deng's mind:

[Ding! Talent detected]

[Successfully replicated talent: "Iron Lungs"]

[Talent Introduction: Stronger cardiopulmonary function than the average person]

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

[Ding! Initiating talent fusion]

[Ding! Talent fusion successful]

[Upgrade from "Iron Lungs +4" to "Iron Lungs +5"]