I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

—The bond between master and disciple…the camaraderie among fellow disciples…the justice of the world…the evil of punishing the party by law…the dispute between the Gourd House and the Party Punishment by Law…none of these concern me!

—I just want to become stronger! Stronger than anyone else! To become the peerless one for a thousand years, surpassing all others in the world!

—Only the sword in my hand is my lifelong pursuit and my only pursuit!

—Shuten-dōji…Although I don’t really like you.

However, there is one thing I completely agree with: what you said.

—The only way I can improve myself quickly is by competing with stronger opponents!

In that instant, Prajna's eyes widened, and his expression changed slightly.

In that instant, he felt a bolt of lightning flash through his mind.

In that instant, it was like a drowning person suddenly grabbing a lifeline; he felt that he, who had been mired in a quagmire for a long time, had finally grasped the key to breaking free from his shackles!

As soon as that instant passed, a strange light flashed from his eyes.

Qing Deng had already stepped forward and swung his sword down towards Prajna's head.

But just then, the talent "Prophecy +9" suddenly activated.

[Note: Foresight +9: Possesses an extremely strong ability to sense impending dangers. The level of perception increases with the severity of the danger. However, this ability will not trigger for people or things that the individual does not perceive as a threat.]

He sensed an extremely strong danger signal from Prajna, instinctively sheathing his knife to his chest, then leaping backward to create distance, standing ready and staring intently at Prajna as if facing a formidable enemy.

Even with just the naked eye, Qingdeng could clearly feel that Prajna was like a completely different person at this moment.

Even just now, a tsunami-like, violent aura was still erupting from his body.

But at this moment, his violent aura suddenly disappeared... or, to put it more precisely, it receded.

He absorbed the violent aura into his body, causing his temperament to change drastically, becoming calm and serene.

It's like going from a "massive tsunami" to a "calm lake".

Although the scale of the event was much smaller, it still gave Qingdeng a terrifying feeling that "a storm was brewing"!

This feeling was not unfamiliar to Qing Deng—he had once experienced it from Kiryu's boss.

Although Kiryu, who was not far away, was still unable to get up, he forced himself to stand up and watched the whole battle.

He sensed the change in Prajna immediately. He was slightly taken aback at first, but then, as if he had expected this to happen, he lowered his eyelids and his expression became serious.

Prajna lowered his head and looked at his hands and feet.

"...Master, am I right?"

He spoke to Mr. Kiryu without turning his head.

Not only did his aura become "calm," but his words also became exceptionally peaceful, showing none of his previous hysteria.

"I will master the mere state of 'selflessness' in no time."

After saying that, he slowly raised his gaze and stared straight at Qingdeng.

"Tachibana Aoto, although I don't want to say anything nice to you, I have to thank you."

"Thanks to you, I have finally broken through the difficult bottleneck and once again broken through my limits in battle."

"Then... focus your attention and prepare to take the hit."

At the same time he finished speaking, he pulled his left foot back, focused his strength on his waist, and prepared to pounce, assuming a posture that suggested he was ready to leap out at any moment.

Upon seeing this, Qing Deng immediately gripped the knife in his hand, assumed a mid-section stance, and firmly protected the knife in front of his chest.

Prajna let out a long breath—

laugh!

With the sound of a blade slicing through flesh, specks of blood splattered into the air before falling to the ground.

Just a second ago, Prajna was several meters in front of Qingdeng, but now she was behind Qingdeng, ready to draw her sword.

Nagasone Kotetsu's blade sliced ​​through Aoto's left shoulder, tearing his once-perfect clothes apart, and droplets of blood seeped out.

Everything happened so fast! It was like a "flash in the pan"!

In reality, Prajna didn't use any tricky techniques; she simply lunged forward, swung her knife, and looked at Qingdeng's neck—that was it, nothing more.

His speed was just too fast! So fast that it was impossible to see with the naked eye!

With the blessing of the talent "Foresight +9", Qingdeng sensed the approaching danger immediately.

Thanks to his talent "Eagle Eye +5", he was able to barely see the path of Prajna's sword.

However, his body didn't have time to react at all!

Even with a desperate attempt to dodge, he only managed to avoid a fatal wound, letting his shoulder take the blow instead of his neck.

Although the wound is not deep, it is enough to cause pain that contorts the face and restricts movement for an ordinary person.

Fortunately, Qingdeng possesses the talent "Pain Tolerance +8", which gives him an extremely high pain tolerance. This minor injury didn't even cause the slightest change in his facial expression.

It is worth mentioning that the injury gave Qingdeng a new boost.

The talent "Berserker +4" is activated!

[Note: Berserker +4: Greatly increases tolerance to pain and blood loss. The more pain one experiences, the more one can unleash the hidden power within. However, this effect is nullified when the damage inflicted exceeds the body's physiological limits.]

Furthermore, the talent activated at the same time also includes "Lone Wolf +3".

Since even "Lone Wolf +3" has been activated, it can only mean one thing—the opponent's current strength is far superior to his!

Snapped!

Qingdeng pushed off the ground forcefully, pivoted on his left foot, and spun his body, the knife in his hand following the rotation half a circle, slashing towards Prajna behind him.

But as soon as he turned around, his field of vision was filled with the figure of Prajna attacking him.

Prajna raised her sword overhead, lifting it to its highest point, and the dazzling blade light briefly replaced the bright sun.

Qing Deng's pupils contracted sharply, realizing that if he didn't defend himself, his life would be in danger.

Left with no other choice, he had to switch from offense to defense, holding Vairocana diagonally above his head, gathering all his strength, and preparing to take the blow from Prajna.

In the blink of an eye, the dazzling blade light fell straight down, and the terrifying impact, like a truck crash, traveled up the blade to Qing Deng's arms and then spread throughout his entire body.

Chosone Kotetsu is one of the most supreme treasures, a peerless sword on par with Vairocana.

In terms of sharpness and toughness, it is no less than Vairocana!

Looking up, one could see that the blade of Vairocana's sword... the originally exceptionally smooth blade now had a conspicuous notch.

However, the "slash" is mutual.

The attack of Prajna and the defense of Qingdeng can be interpreted as either Chozene Kotetsu slashing at Vairocana, or Vairocana slashing at Chozene Kotetsu.

Therefore, a noticeable notch, neither too big nor too small, appeared on the blade of Nagasone Kotetsu.

This shows that neither of these two precious swords can withstand the torment of these two monsters!

That being said, neither Qingdeng nor Banruo could care less about the swords in their hands at the moment.

Qingdeng gritted his teeth and, despite his best efforts, he still uncontrollably staggered back two steps.

Being defeated in a head-on confrontation... Qingdeng hasn't experienced something like this in a long time!

明明身怀“九牛二虎+3”、“虎之臂+4”等天赋，同时还有“孤胆+3”、“狂战士+4”、“为战而生+9”等buff的加持，却还是被击退……

Not only his speed, but also the power of Prajna has greatly increased!

In a split second, Prajna's right elbow snapped open like a broken bowstring, slicing through the air with a "whoosh" and heading straight for Qing Deng's neck.

It was still a slash that was too fast to dodge.

Qingdeng leaned back with difficulty and barely managed to dodge.

If this continues, it will only allow Prajna to completely seize the initiative in the battle.

Qing Deng naturally understood the importance of taking the initiative. In order to turn the tide, even though he knew it was risky, he still drew his sword and launched a counterattack.

Then he heard the sound of a blade, and he closed the distance with his opponent by using his feet to stick to the ground. He leaned forward and slashed, swinging the knife in his hand from bottom to top.

In this strike, Qing Deng unleashed his most powerful technique, pushing his blade to its maximum speed.

Even so, Prajna easily countered him!

In the blink of an eye, Prajna adjusted her body posture, as if deliberately trying to fight against Qingdeng, and swung her sword in the opposite direction—from top to bottom.

The two steel blades clashed in mid-air once more, both producing new slits.

The battle was quickly decided—just like the scene before, Qingdeng was powerless to resist Prajna's power, the latter was as steady as Mount Tai, and the former was shaken back several steps, his stance momentarily disordered.

Prajna would not let such a golden opportunity slip by.

He leaped off the ground like a tiger... *thud!*

The sound of stomping on the ground could be heard in the air.

Qingdeng didn't have time to make a perfect response, so he could only rely on his instincts and desperately dodge to the side.

The next instant, Nagasone Kotetsu's blade grazed Aoto's left rib, leaving another conspicuous scar on his body.

Now that the battle has progressed to this point, the situation is quite clear—Prajna has turned the tide of the battle!

In just a few rounds, Qingdeng was completely suppressed!

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Chapter 859 Qingdeng Enters the [Selfless Realm]! [5000]

"What's wrong? Ju Qingdeng, is this all you've got as the holder of Vairocana?"

Because of the blessing of the "state of no-self", Prajna's tone was exceptionally calm, without sadness or joy... which made people even more annoyed.

Qing Deng ignored the taunts and had no time to pay attention to them—because at that very moment, a new strike was about to occur.

Prajna took a half step back—a step back that concealed a gathering of strength—and in the next instant, her leaping body, carrying the light of a blade, crashed straight into Qingdeng.