I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

His body swayed from side to side a few times before collapsing to the ground.

First, his knees buckled, and then he fell flat on his back, kicking up a cloud of dust.

……

……

[Ding! Talent detected]

[Successfully copied talent: "Innate Selfless Holy Body +7"]

[Talent Description: More likely than ordinary people to enter the "state of selflessness"]

The cold, mechanical voice, devoid of any emotion, arrived as scheduled.

A rare new talent.

Moreover, it's an astonishingly powerful, god-level talent!

"Innate Selfless Holy Body +7"... Although surprised, it was not unexpected.

Based on Prajna's talent and abilities, Qingdeng would find it perfectly reasonable to replicate any talent from him.

It is certainly gratifying to have acquired another god-level talent.

But Qingdeng doesn't have time to experience this joy right now.

Seeing Prajna fall to the ground after being stabbed, Qing Deng was slightly taken aback.

After regaining his senses, he immediately forced out a dry, panting sound from his throat.

"Haa...! Haa...! Haa...! Haa...!"

An indescribable sense of exhaustion enveloped his entire body like a soaked towel.

Although he didn't have time to open the system interface to check, Qing Deng was certain that the moment he swung his sword, his eternal talent "Boundless Eight Banners" was activated!

It's been a long time... Since the battle with Rakshasa, Qingdeng has never been able to successfully activate this talent again.

The reason is not complicated; it's simply because the activation conditions are too stringent.

Only when the mind and spirit are in perfect harmony and free from confusion can one unleash a powerful attack as if possessed by the Great God Hachiman... After two successful experiences, Qing Deng has figured out the mechanism.

The phrase "unity of mind and spirit, without confusion" here refers not only to concentrating one's mind, but also to having an unwavering determination to defeat one's opponent!

Qing Deng was able to deliver that powerful blow at the critical moment thanks to Kiryu's help.

He was originally thinking, "I'll fight Prajna to the death."

If it weren't for Kiryu-sensei suddenly standing behind him, giving him immense courage and encouragement, he would never have been able to restore his clarity of mind.

Therefore, this victory was less due to Qing Deng's individual efforts and more to the combined efforts of the master and apprentice.

During his duel with Rakshasa, Qing Deng's moves were nothing more than ordinary flashes of light.

This time, the slash he unleashed was the ultimate technique of Flowing Light, "Moment"!

By channeling muscle strength, body weight, and the potential energy from running at full speed into the sword at the waist... the difficulty is high, but the power is truly astonishing.

Putting everything else aside, its power alone is enough to justify its name as a profound mystery!

To be honest, Qing Deng himself couldn't quite remember what had just happened.

All I remember is concentrating all my strength into my toes and rushing straight toward Prajna... After that, Prajna collapsed to the ground covered in blood.

Heeding Kiryu's advice, he cast aside all distractions and cut according to his own will—and then naturally unleashed "Setsuna".

While some memories still lingered in his mind, Qingdeng tried his best to recall the feeling of swinging the knife just now, absorbing the essence of those memories.

He had a premonition... no, he was certain: from now on, "moment" would no longer be a move he was powerless to control!

"Cough, cough, cough..."

The sudden cough made Qingdeng subconsciously turn his gaze to Prajna not far away.

The other person coughed a few times, his chest heaving violently, before gradually calming down.

Even now, Aoto still feels a strange sense of unreality—this formidable enemy who caused him and Kiryu so much trouble has finally fallen.

He once considered letting Prajna live.

In any case, the other party was his senior brother and Kiryu's first apprentice.

Without a doubt, Kiryu treats this person as his own son.

He personally killed Kiryu's son... How could Aoto, a man of few words, possibly be so heartless?

However, the power of Prajna far exceeded his expectations.

Even if Qingdeng fought with all his might, he could only fight him to a standstill, with no room for mercy.

If Qing Deng had harbored compassion or hesitated for even a moment, he would have been unable to activate "The Eight Banners of No Regrets".

At that time, he will probably be the one coughing up blood and collapsing to the ground.

Qingdeng looked at Banruo lying flat on the ground, and his expression became complicated.

Prajna's breath gradually weakened, and her chest almost stopped rising and falling.

Anyone who saw him knew that he would soon be gone forever.

At that moment, Qingdeng suddenly heard light footsteps behind him.

Looking back, I saw Mr. Kiryu, his body weak, staggering towards Hannya...

……

……

For some reason, Prajna felt the pain in her chest gradually recede and dissipate.

I felt neither pain nor fatigue.

Because she was lying flat on the ground, Prajna's face and gaze were directed towards the azure sky.

It's late summer, and the sky today is filled with the scent of summer.

The sky was clear and blue, dotted with soft white clouds, a sight that could lift one's spirits at a glance.

—Huh? So the sky is this vast?

Prajna was like a child newly arrived in the world, looking at the clear blue sky with amazement.

At this moment, he belatedly realized that he no longer leisurely gazed at the sky or admired other beautiful scenery, but was instead preoccupied with cultivating, becoming stronger, and gaining his master's approval.

—That was a truly... powerful strike... I lost...

Although he felt resentful about this defeat, he harbored no hatred whatsoever.

His duel with Qing Deng was fair and square, and their conditions were almost identical.

The same "state of selflessness".

The same trick.

If there's any difference, it's probably Kiryu's "off-field assistance".

Kiryu stood behind Aoto and said something to him. After lightly grasping Vairocana with the same iaido stance, Aoto's aura changed drastically... Kiryu's presence was definitely the key to Aoto's transformation.

However, Prajna did not harbor resentment because of this.

He asked himself: even if he and Aoto switched places, and he and Kiryu joined forces to use the "Master-Disciple Iaijutsu" technique, he would never be able to replicate the speed and power of Aoto's slash.

The defeat was complete... I was utterly convinced of my defeat... I couldn't find any reason to resent it; if I had to blame anyone, it would be my own weakness.

Suddenly, this must be what is called a revolving lantern; Prajna suddenly saw countless images flashing before his eyes.

Even without looking closely, he knew that these were all his memories since birth.

Although the quantity was not small, most of them flashed by quickly, and the images were very blurry, making it impossible to see what the content was.

Before long, an image appeared before her eyes—a faint look of nostalgia appeared on Prajna's cheeks.

Even as all memories have faded, this one remains deeply moving, as if it happened just yesterday—the day he met his master.

……

"Child, what are you doing?"

"Catching cicadas."

"Catching cicadas?"

"Don't you know? It's this kind of bug that keeps making noise all summer long."

"No, I know what a cicada is. I'm just curious. As far as I know, you're a reclusive child who's not good at communicating and only knows how to practice swordsmanship all day. I never expected you to have such a hobby."

"Catching cicadas is one of my few hobbies, because cicada meat is delicious... Old man, who are you? You've been talking to me since earlier. If you're a human trafficker, then you're out of luck and have picked the wrong target."

"Old man... that's quite an impolite way to address you. I'm a relative of your adoptive father, Yoshitomo, so I'm also considered your relative."

"Father's relative? You're also from the Yamada Asaemon family?"

"That's not important. Child, let me get straight to the point. Your adoptive father asked me to take you as his apprentice. Are you willing to come with me?"

"Huh? You're taking me as your apprentice? You?"

"What? You don't want to?"

"No way! I want to cultivate with my father!"

“Child, even if I don’t say it outright, you should know that Yoshitomo… doesn’t have much time left.”

"..."

“I understand how you feel. Birth, aging, sickness and death are the natural order of the world. We are powerless to change the passing of our loved ones and can only accept it with equanimity.”

"...Old man, did Father really ask you to take me as your apprentice?"

"If you don't believe me, we can go and confirm it with him right now."

"Since Master asked you to take me as your disciple, you must have some skills, right? Let me make this clear from the start: don't underestimate me just because I'm a child. I'm very strong, and ordinary people are not qualified to be my master."

"Ha, so you're questioning my abilities."

"Of course, I don't want to see my master as a rotten old man who is all show and no substance."

"Since that's the case... then I'll show you my skills right here. I respect your wishes. If you still don't want to acknowledge me as your master after witnessing my swordsmanship, you're welcome to turn around and leave without paying any more attention to me."