I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

clang!!

The blades clashed, their guards met.

The terrifying slashes and the horrifying collision were like two colossal beasts!

Suddenly, Qing Deng pulled his knife back, leaving his body wide open.

Takasugi Shinsaku immediately realized that Aoto was deliberately creating a flaw.

However, he still chose to play along and took the opportunity to slash at Qing Deng's skull with his knife.

The attack was swift as thunder and heavy as a mountain, but Qing Deng was prepared. He calmly drew the Ding Gui Shen above his head and deflected Takasugi Shinsaku's slash.

Immediately afterwards, he slid forward like an eel, slashing diagonally at Takasugi Shinsaku's waist and abdomen with the knife in his hand.

It's like a "scene replay," where a similar scene happens again, only this time, the roles are reversed.

The attacker becomes Aoto, and the defender becomes Shinsaku Takasugi.

Although it was a bit of a struggle, Takasugi Shinsaku managed to pull his sword back to his side in time, blocking Aoto's slash with a clang. Then, using the recoil from the slash, he leaped backward, creating some distance.

Qing Deng immediately thrust out a second knife, but it was a fraction slower, and the tip of the knife went a little too far, only grazing Takasugi Shinsaku's sleeve, with a small section of the torn sleeve hanging down listlessly.

In reality, Qing Deng's condition today is far from good.

Yesterday's state of "being one with the world" seems to have taken a huge toll on the body.

Even after a full night's rest, and with the added benefits of talents like "Sleep God," "Strong Essence +4," and "Primordial Yang +6," the body still couldn't fully recover.

His muscles were a bit stiff, and his body was a bit cumbersome... According to Qing Deng's own assessment, he was now at most only 7% of his peak strength.

On the other hand, Takasugi Shinsaku...

The "Decisive Battle" made all the pain in his body disappear, and even his annoying cough stopped.

On this basis, his unwavering determination to "die here today" greatly enhanced his strength!

As we all know, martial arts place great emphasis on momentum and spirit.

Regardless of the school or sect, any school that emphasizes practical combat will regard "momentum" as the most important combat quality.

Physical fitness and skills are secondary.

The "fearless" resolve brought Takasugi Shinsaku's fighting prowess to an unimaginable extreme!

Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to unleash such combat power at all!

In the blink of an eye, the two, who had just separated, bumped into each other again.

Qingdeng launched a surprise attack, charging forward in an instant.

Almost at the same time, Shinsaku Takasugi leaped into the air.

If a third person were present, they would see the two figures merge into one at an instantaneous speed.

Aoto's sword slashed towards Takasugi Shinsaku's waist and abdomen.

Takasugi Shinsaku's sword pierced Aoto's chest.

Both men unleashed their deadly attacks, yet also employed skillful techniques to evade danger.

Their sprint was incredibly powerful; after passing each other, they continued running forward for several more steps with undiminished momentum.

Immediately afterwards, the two men landed on their feet one after the other and turned to attack again, and the clanging of steel blades clashing rang out.

Suddenly, a soft hissing sound was heard—Takasugi Shinsaku took a deep breath and gathered his strength.

In the next instant, a powerful force and exquisite technique burst forth from his arms, unleashing a dozen consecutive slashes that precisely and fiercely attacked Qing Deng's vital points.

Qingdeng nimbly changed his footing, moving left and right calmly, skillfully neutralizing the opponent's attack.

Even the most meticulous plans can have flaws – after launching such a fierce series of attacks, Takasugi Shinsaku's muscles inevitably became fatigued, and his movements slowed down.

Seizing the opportunity, Qing Deng pushed off with his hind legs and moved forward like a whirlwind, swinging his sword from bottom to top and using the back of the blade to deflect Takasugi Shinsaku's sword.

The moment the blade tip pointed diagonally to the sky, he cleaved down with force, and a silver line fell like a meteor, slicing straight toward Takasugi Shinsaku's chest.

Takasugi Shinsaku leaned back nimbly, but his movement was still a fraction too slow.

The tip of the sword that could ward off evil spirits swept across his chest, blood appeared, and then the blade split open like a seashell.

Being slashed by a knife... this is a pain that no one can ignore.

But for Shinsaku Takasugi, pain is not only not scary, but it can also help him!

Don't forget, Aoto's talent "Berserker" was copied from Takasugi Shinsaku!

[Note: Berserker: Greatly increases tolerance to pain and blood loss. The more pain one experiences, the more powerfully they can unleash their inner strength. However, this effect is nullified when the damage exceeds the body's physiological limits.]

The relentless pain emanating from his chest, and the drops of blood flowing down his wound, did not intimidate Takasugi Shinsaku; instead, they fueled his fighting spirit.

He gave a short shout and thrust his knife forward.

Qingdeng twisted his body slightly, dodging his attack.

He charged forward, then turned around and closed in on Qingdeng again, immediately launching a fierce counterattack.

Pasha, pasha, pasha... handfuls of snow were kicked and stomped by the two, flying everywhere and puffs of snow mist rising upwards.

As the snow and mist rose violently, the two ran swiftly, repeatedly passing each other, constantly swinging their knives, interspersed with short shouts.

A cold glint flashed, and the metallic clang resounded.

Compared to before, Takasugi Shinsaku's slashes were slightly faster, and his movements were much more agile.

With a good sword in hand, the battle situation was indeed quite different.

The knife in Qing Deng's hand was no longer as easily broken as it had been yesterday.

However... instead, both of their knives were being worn down at an alarming rate!

Whether it was the spirit in Aoto's palm or the Muramasa in Takasugi Shinsaku's palm, they were turning into saw-like shapes at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The blades were covered with nicks and slits of varying sizes... Every time the two blades collided, they would spark with dazzling, elfin-like sparks and tiny fragments of the blade.

After countless rounds of fighting, Takasugi Shinsaku suddenly gathered his strength in his waist and sprang up like a ball! He swung his sword and slashed fiercely at Aoto's face.

Qing Deng raised his Ghost-Stabilizing Sword without flinching or dodging, taking the blow head-on.

With a clang, the two steel knives struck each other in mid-air with a loud bang.

Suddenly, the two of them once again displayed perfect teamwork.

As if they had been bounced back, both of them retreated simultaneously, their four feet leaving four long tracks in the snow.

Qingdeng: "Huff... huff... huff... huff... huff..."

Shinsaku Takasugi gasped, "Huff...! Huff...! Huff...!"

Scalding hot air emanated from their bodies, and against the backdrop of the snowy weather, the translucent steam was faintly visible.

The snowflakes that fell on their heads and shoulders melted into water in the blink of an eye, mixing with their sweat and streaming down their faces.

If the duel were to continue, both sides could fight for many more rounds.

However... their bodies could still hold on, but the knives in their hands couldn't take it anymore!

Both the spirit-making and the Muramasa are now in a state of "being on the verge of collapse".

With its blade riddled with nicks and chips, it wouldn't be surprising if it broke at any time!

Since the knife in their hands was about to fail, they could no longer afford to continue fighting.

Therefore, Aoto and Takasugi Shinsaku made the same decision: to decide the outcome in one move!

Takasugi Shinsaku slowly raised Muramasa in his palm and raised the sword to the upper reaches.

Having mastered the Shinto Munen-ryu style, his specialty is a powerful downward slash!

At the same time, Qingdeng also got into position.

The most powerful sword technique Qingdeng learned was naturally that move—

He regulated his breathing, flipped his right wrist, and performed a graceful sword flourish. He then reversed his grip and slowly sheathed the sword with a clanging sound. He lowered his waist, steadied his heels, held the scabbard opening with his left hand, and lightly placed his right hand on the hilt.

Instantly, a tense atmosphere filled the air between them!

A fierce, sharp aura lingered in mid-air.

In this atmosphere, time seems to flow faster.

The standoff between the two seemed to last for one or two hours... but in reality, only three or four seconds had passed!

Caw! Suddenly, a crow took flight from the nearby bushes, cawing as it swooped down over their heads.

In that instant when the birdsong startled them, a static scene transformed into a dynamic one!

*Splat!*

*Splat!*

Two footsteps, each kicking through the snow, rang out almost simultaneously!

Even though there was no flare gun, Aoto and Takasugi Shinsaku made the same move at the same time—rushing towards each other!

Qingdeng lowered his body so low that his entire upper body seemed to be touching the ground.

Takasugi Shinsaku shouted and strode forward, using the force of his push and the momentum of his charge to gather all his strength into the Muramasa in his hand!

Just before their bodies collided, the two silver snakes shot out and struck each other heavily in mid-air!

The confrontation happened in an instant.

The ending was decided in an instant.

A bluish-white flame suddenly burst into the air, followed by the piercing sound of metal breaking.

The swords, named "Sadakijin" and "Muramasa," broke apart at the point of impact.

The two broken blades flew into the air, tracing parabolic arcs as they fell to the side.

Due to inertia, Aoto and Takasugi Shinsaku's sleeves crossed and they passed each other.

They had barely moved aside, and had only taken one step, when they immediately stomped their feet firmly on the ground! Then they turned around with lightning speed!

Neither of them made a sound... they silently used the centrifugal force of their spinning bodies to fiercely slam the broken blade in their palms into each other's bodies!

Pfft!