I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Tachibana-kun, when was the last time we fought like this?"

Qing Deng shrugged:

"As far as I know—there has never been such a time."

"Oh? No?"

Qing Deng said with certainty:

"No, there isn't."

"We've never had a formal contest."

"Those few encounters were just minor practice sessions."

Mr. Kiryu nodded thoughtfully.

"I see..."

"So... today's battle will be our first showdown!"

Kiryu's eyes shone with a vibrant light.

"Ha, we've been connected for so long, but I never thought we'd even had a single sparring match."

"This is my dereliction of duty as the master."

He slowly spread his legs, drew his sword, and assumed a mid-section stance.

"Don't be shy, Tachibana-kun, bring it on!"

"Let's take this opportunity to have a heartfelt 'exchange'."

"Let me see how much you've improved in the past six months."

Qing Deng smiled and remained silent, only silently drawing the Vairocana sword, raising its tip, and striking the blue-eyed target.

Unfortunately, this unique confrontation had no spectators.

If there were any audience members present, they would probably gasp involuntarily at this moment.

The weapons these two masters and apprentices used to spar were not wooden knives or bamboo swords at all, but real, hard weapons!

Moreover, the astonishing aura surrounding them made it hard to believe that this was just a friendly swordsmanship exchange.

The Kiryu boss stood firmly on his heels, his entire body steady and secure, without the slightest flaw from toe to hair.

His tall, slender body seemed to merge with the knife in his hand in an instant, as solid as a rock.

It's impossible to tell that this is the kind of posture a nearly 100-year-old person would adopt.

--sharp!

Qingdeng couldn't help but admire him in his heart.

Even before the match began, Qing Deng already felt the overwhelming "pressure".

He had experienced a similar sense of oppression from people like Chiba Sadakichi and Saito Yakuro.

This is the kind of imposing aura that only veterans who have dedicated most of their lives to the way of the sword and have been immersed in it for decades can exude!

When facing Kiryu's boss, Aoto dared not be careless in the slightest.

He moved forward inch by inch with his feet firmly planted on the ground, shortening the distance between them.

Kiryu remained motionless, expressionless, and fearless, his eyes fixed on Aoto without blinking, allowing Aoto to approach.

Aoto immediately understood the other party's intention: Boss Kiryu was waiting for him to make his move!

Since the other party's intentions were already clear, Qingdeng no longer hesitated.

"……call……"

Qingdeng exhaled a semi-transparent, turbid breath.

The next moment, a terrifyingly sharp aura burst forth from Qing Deng's body!

With a loud thud, Qing Deng concentrated his strength in his hind leg, slammed off the ground, and charged towards Boss Kiryu like a cannonball!

In the blink of an eye, he closed in on his opponent.

Vairocana soared through the air with a "snap," leaving a purple arc as it swept diagonally toward Kiryu's neck.

The speed was so fast that the blade was no longer visible, only the flash of light.

At the same moment that Aoto swung his sword, Kiryu suddenly spread his arms wide, raised his sword overhead, and while setting up a defense, he subtly stepped back to the right—this gait cleverly neutralized Aoto's strike.

Seeing that his first move had failed, Qingdeng quickly changed his tactics.

The diagonal sweep becomes an upward flick.

The upward sweep then becomes a straight thrust.

The straight thrust then transforms into a downward chop.

One move after another, one style after another, in an endless stream.

Qingdeng abandoned his usual cautious strategy of "defense first, then offense".

Not only did he attack right from the start, but he also swung his knife wildly and repeatedly, as if he was determined to "chop Mr. Kiryu into minced meat".

The dojo, which was quiet just a second ago, is now filled with the sounds of footsteps and the clanging of blades clashing.

The two figures clashed back and forth in the arena, locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle.

Suddenly, Kiryu slashed diagonally from below.

This attack was very tricky.

Even Qingdeng had no choice but to temporarily avoid the limelight and retreat.

Taking advantage of Aoto's retreat, Kiryu seized the initiative in the battle.

This time it was Kiryu's turn to take the initiative.

He suddenly strode forward and swung his knife to strike Qing Deng's waist.

The two passed each other in an instant.

Although Kiryu's attack was dodged, it wasn't entirely fruitless—he slashed Aoto's clothes at the waist.

The two men, who had passed each other, ran for five or six steps before regaining their footing, turning around, and facing each other again, engaging in a fierce battle.

Anyone with eyes to see can see that although the battle cannot be described as one-sided, Qingdeng does indeed hold an absolute advantage.

Up to this point in the battle, Aoto has almost completely dominated Kiryu.

Whether it's the strength and speed of his sword swings or his physical reaction speed, Kiryu is no match for Aoto in any aspect.

Although Kiryu could occasionally launch a sharp counterattack, he always ended up defeated and was quickly countered by Aoto.

After another six or seven rounds of fighting, Qing Deng frowned slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

clang!!

Kiryu deflected Aoto's slash once again.

This time, Qingdeng did not launch a new attack, but instead leaped backward, creating a gap of several meters.

Kiryu probably realized that Aoto had something to say, so he didn't pursue the matter.

As he expected, Qing Deng immediately dismounted after retreating and said seriously:

"Kiryu-sensei, let's stop this boring fight here!"

"Continuing to fight like this will bring no benefit."

"You and I should both know very well, right? Just five more rounds and I can defeat you in one fell swoop."

"So... let me see your 'selflessness'!"

Having said that, a surge of fighting spirit ignited in Qingdeng's eyes.

To this day, he still vividly remembers the shock and emotion he felt upon first encountering the "state of selflessness".

"Breath of the Source" is the gateway to "the state of selflessness".

According to Kiryu's boss, the essence of "Fountainhead Breathing" is to stimulate the brain through a special breathing method, thereby achieving the purpose of concentrating the mind and eliminating distracting thoughts.

Therefore, as long as one practices "Source Breathing" to its peak, one can enter the "Selfless State" at will.

As it turns out, Kiryu's boss wasn't bluffing.

He personally demonstrated to Qing Deng that the "Breath of Origin" technique, when practiced to its peak, could indeed allow one to enter the "State of No Self" at will, and how terrifying the boost that "State of No Self" provided to one's own strength was.

Back then, when facing Kiryu, who had entered the "state of no self," Aoto was completely powerless.

An old man who was no match for him was able to turn the tide of battle in one fell swoop after entering this realm!

At that moment, Qing Deng could not contain his excitement—so there were such powerful martial arts realms in this world!

From then on, Qingdeng had two more thoughts in his heart.

First, diligently practice "Breath of the Source," aiming to reach the pinnacle of Kiryu's style.

Secondly, I will work hard to hone my skills and strive to defeat Kiryu-sensei, who is in a state of "selflessness," as soon as possible!

At this moment, Qingdeng was eager to see if he could finally avenge his previous humiliation!

Faced with Aoto's earnest request, Kiryu's boss smiled helplessly.

"'The state of 'selflessness' is my trump card."

"It requires a lot of physical strength."

"For me, this is no longer a skill that I can use without any burden."

"I don't want to use it lightly unless absolutely necessary."

"However... I must admit, you were absolutely right."

"If I don't use my true abilities, I really won't be able to deal with you..."

At this point, he showed an expression that was half relieved and half wistful.

"Alright, let's get down to business!"

The moment he finished speaking, the atmosphere at the scene changed strangely.