I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Therefore, it's no wonder that Shuten-dōji felt he was no longer able to fight.

"Come on, Tachibana Aoto, let me see how much energy you have left..."

Before Shuten-dōji could finish speaking, Aoto vanished from the spot.

When he reappeared, he was already standing right in front of him.

Shuten-dōji's pupils instantly contracted to pinpoints, and then he instinctively raised the sword in his hand, holding it diagonally across his chest—

Boom!

Qingdeng did not draw his sword, but instead struck Shuten-dōji's abdomen with the bottom of the scabbard, sword and all.

Shuten-dōji managed to block it, but due to the hasty defense, he was unable to release the force and flew backward like a cannonball, crashing directly into the railing behind him.

"Quickly enter the 'State of Selflessness' and unleash your full power. I will use this sword to slay you!"

He raised the Vairocana in his left hand to his chest, gripped the handle with his right hand—with a click—he pulled out the copper latch, and then slowly drew his sword.

In the sunlight, the purplish-black blade gleamed, illuminating the entire space and brightening the girl's eyes.

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Chapter 964 Qingdeng Enters the "Selfless Realm"! A Battle of the "Selfless Realm"! [5700]

A clear, ringing sound rang out the instant the blade was drawn from its sheath.

The surrounding dust and light particles seemed to be attracted to it, floating and rotating around the blade.

The blade gleamed with a clear, cold light, its edge sparkling like the silver edge of clouds after the rain.

The blade, as black as ink and resembling a black gemstone, clearly reflected the face of Shuten-dōji opposite him—a face filled with astonishment.

"Black Blade...!"

Judging from the expression he carved, it's easy to see that he definitely knew what "a blade as black as ink" meant.

In that instant, the purple glow of the blade dimmed all the colors in the scene.

It's like the full moon appearing and the stars disappearing!

Shuten-dōji gave Aoto a deep look, then, as he pulled his back off the railing and straightened up, he said calmly:

"...I'm sorry, Niou, I was wrong just now, I underestimated you."

As he spoke, he vigorously moved his shoulders, making a series of painful, cracking sounds as his bones snapped.

The next instant, he suddenly raised his left hand, gripped the fabric at his right shoulder tightly, and yanked it sharply—

Hiss!

His upper garments shattered into countless fragments, fluttering down to reveal his strong, muscular upper body.

His back was covered in colorful paint, and a demon was tattooed on it.

Its appearance is fierce and ferocious, with messy hair, horns on top, a large body, red skin, wearing a large checkered fabric, and a red trouser skirt.

It was none other than Shuten-dōji, the demon king of Japanese legend!

"Come, Niou."

He defiantly raised the most powerful weapon, Sun Liujianyuan, with the tip of the knife pointing diagonally at Qing Deng's eyes.

"Let's fight to the death."

Qing Deng silently assumed a fighting stance, responding to Shuten-dōji with a firm movement.

He spread his legs, lowered his waist, and rose from the middle of his stance, forcefully gripping the Vairocana in his palm.

In that instant of gripping the hilt, it seemed to respond to Qing Deng's determination, the tip of the blade emitting a faint "ding..." sound.

At that moment, Tenshōin, who was not far away, carried Tokugawa Iemochi on his back, hugged Elodie tightly, and began to evacuate from the castle tower.

She tore her outer garments to make simple strips of cloth, which she used to tightly bind the wounds of Tokugawa Iemochi and Elodie, trying to slow down the rate of blood loss as much as possible.

At this moment, Elodie had already lost consciousness.

She closed her eyes tightly, her pale cheeks devoid of any color.

But her lips curled slightly upward, revealing a peaceful and serene smile.

She must have seen it.

Behold that dazzling brilliance!

Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap...

The footsteps of Tianzhangyuan gradually faded into the distance.

Just as he was about to rush out the door, Tenshoin slightly turned his head and glanced at Seidon out of the corner of his eye.

The outcome of this clash of titans remains to be seen.

While Qingdeng was indeed very strong, Shuten-dōji was no pushover either.

She wanted to stay.

Even though she knew she couldn't help, she wanted to stay and accompany Qingdeng to the end, regardless of victory or defeat.

Of course, this sentiment only lasted a moment before being overwhelmed by reason.

She'll only get in the way if she stays here.

Her immediate priority is to get Tokugawa Iemochi and Elodie treated for their injuries and to create a fighting space where Aoto can fight freely.

As she left, her lips parted slightly, and she whispered:

"Sheng Qing, you have to win..."

Shuten-dōji didn't look at the departing Tenshōin and the others, not even blinking, his eyes fixed on Seidō in front of him.

His goal has been achieved.

Regardless of Elodie, Tokugawa Iemochi is definitely beyond saving.

He knew very well how vicious and deep his strike had been.

Even if the bleeding was stopped in time and a renowned doctor was brought in to treat him, it would only have allowed Tokugawa Iemochi to live a few more days.

Tokugawa Iemochi is doomed.

The fates of Elodie and Tenshōin are trivial matters and need not be concerned with. If they want to escape, let them escape.

If conditions allowed, he would love to capture Elodie alive and give their partner Mael an explanation.

It is obvious that his plan is no longer feasible.

On the one hand, it was impossible for him to capture Elodie alive and escape unscathed from the Shinsengumi's encirclement on his own.

On the other hand, compared to "capturing Elodie alive", "defeating Nioh" is undoubtedly a higher priority right now!

At this moment, having successfully achieved his ultimate goal of "killing Tokugawa Iemochi," he felt no burden on his mind.

This relaxed and joyful state of mind allowed him to focus wholeheartedly on the battle at hand!

Since I'm going to die anyway, I might as well make a greater contribution before I die!

If we can kill Niou and eliminate this major threat, it will greatly benefit the subsequent actions of Orochi and Ootengu!

In the blink of an eye, a strange light appeared deep within Shuten-dōji's pupils.

As he entered the "state of no self", his aura changed dramatically, like a towering ancient tree suddenly rising from the ground!

Just then, something unexpected happened.

Like two sides of a mirror, Qing Deng's aura also suddenly changed!

Almost simultaneously with Shuten-dōji, strange lights also appeared in Aoto's eyes!

……

……

I forget when it was, but he once asked Kiryu, "Is there any technique to quickly enter the 'state of no-self' without relying on any external force?"

At that time, this is how Mr. Kiryu answered him:

"The essence of the 'selflessness' state is simply to take the concept of 'complete concentration' to its extreme."

"If I had to say what technique there is to quickly enter the 'state of no self'... it would probably be to hold onto a certain belief."

"The power of the mind should neither be exaggerated nor underestimated."

"As long as you hold onto a certain belief and do not think about anything else, you can greatly improve your concentration, which in turn creates favorable conditions for entering the 'selfless state'."

“I have a friend who twice entered a state of ‘selflessness’ because he was determined to win.”

At that moment, Aoto did not have a deep understanding of Kiryu's teachings.

He held firm to his belief... In every battle, wasn't he determined to win?

He gave his all in every battle, determined to win every single one, yet it didn't necessarily mean he reached the realm of "selflessness."

Only now did he finally understand the profound meaning behind Kiryu's words, "hold fast to your beliefs."

After witnessing the corpses of Kondo Shusuke and Chiba Eijiro, as well as the critically injured Tokugawa Iemochi and Elodie, only one thought remained in his mind—to kill Shuten-dōji!

This thought was so strong that it almost consumed his entire being!

Compared to his current "belief," his so-called determination in previous battles is utterly insignificant!

A powerful killing intent surged and boiled within his chest!

His mind and will reached a high degree of unity—in that instant, he felt a whole new world unfold before his eyes!

Beneath our feet lies a bottomless, mirror-like lake.

Above us was a clear, blue, and boundless sky.

His mind became exceptionally calm... even the anger that had been lingering in his heart had completely dissipated.

Anger or murderous intent, no emotion could stir even the slightest ripple in his heart.