I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

However, Shuten-dōji was a step ahead.

He raised the tip of his blade and used his superb skills to deflect Qing Deng's slash with fluid movements.

After parrying, he quickly changed his move, pulled the knife back to his hand, and attacked with the lower sword stance, striking Qing Deng's lower body with lightning speed.

Qing Deng jumped back unharmed, but before he could catch his breath, a new attack came.

Qingdeng's counterattack was ultimately short-lived.

In just one round, the battle situation returned to normal: Shuten-dōji launched a fierce attack, while Aoto hastily defended.

As time went by, at first glance, Shuten-dōji seemed to have the victory firmly in his grasp.

However, at that very moment, something that greatly surprised Shuten-dōji suddenly happened.

At this very moment, he is launching a new offensive.

He shifted to a ground-gripping gait, gliding forward and shadow-like, closing in on Qingdeng before delivering a blow to his shoulder.

This is not a move that is difficult to counter.

Shuten-dōji didn't expect this strike to cause any damage to Aoto.

That is indeed the case.

With a resounding clang, Shuten-dōji's sword was parried.

This was entirely within Shuten-dōji's expectations and should not be surprising.

But... Shuten-dōji clearly saw that Aoto's movements had changed.

It's become much more efficient!

He had just witnessed a similar scene during his duel with Chiba Eijiro.

To verify his hypothesis, he launched another attack.

In that instant, Sun Liujianyuan in his palm seemed to transform into eight or ten swords, attacking Qingdeng from different directions.

Qingdeng greeted them with unwavering composure and without fear.

In an instant, a terrifying sound, like a sudden storm, startled birds in the distance.

This fierce battle lasted for quite a long time.

Shuten-dōji swung his sword tirelessly, showing no regard for his own strength or for the sword in his hand.

Qing Deng skillfully switched between "defense" and "dodge," rendering all of Shuten-dōji's moves ineffective.

Shuten-dōji had been observing Aoto's movements.

After a short while, he lowered his eyelids slightly, and his expression became solemn.

His judgment was correct... In this extremely short period of time, Qing Deng's strength had indeed increased again!

His fierce attack not only failed to suppress the opponent, but also allowed Qingdeng to seize the opportunity to exploit a weakness.

In the blink of an eye, Qing Deng took a step forward and, without hesitation, swung his sword down, cleaving Shuten-dōji's body.

Shuten-dōji quickly raised his sword, but was still a beat too slow.

The tip of Vairocana's knife grazed his left shoulder, leaving a shallow cut.

Although it was just a small, insignificant wound, it was the first time Shuten-dōji had been injured after taking "Decisive Battle Elixir"!

The significance of this is self-evident.

In that instant, the solemnity on Shuten-dōji's face deepened.

If a third person were here, they would immediately see that the balance of power in the battle has shifted.

Qing Deng stared intently at Shuten-dōji's every move, his eyes wide and unblinking, as if trying to keep up with the opponent's speed and digest his techniques!

Qingdeng is not afraid of the so-called "decisive battle".

The medicinal effects of "Jue Zhan Dian" are indeed powerful.

But with his abundant talent, there's no reason he should lose to a mere pill!

Shuten-dōji's strength surged, surpassing that of Aoto, allowing his talent "Lone Courage +3" to be activated.

As the battle intensified, his talent "Born to Fight +9" activated, further boosting his combat prowess.

[Note: Born for War +9: The more intense and fierce the battle, the better the physical and mental state.]

Because the injuries were too numerous and too severe, exceeding the limits that the "selfless state" could bear, Qingdeng gradually began to feel pain.

However, this inadvertently gave him the opportunity to activate his talent "Berserker +4"!

[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.]

More importantly, the "Heart of the Demon +5" and "Sword Saint" – his learning ability far surpasses that of ordinary people and his swordsmanship talent is 279 times greater than that of ordinary people, giving his "battle-ready improvement" limitless possibilities!

Under the blessing of the "selfless state", his physical functions experienced an explosive growth.

As a result, he can now easily perform some actions that he would normally be unable to do!

He had made up his mind: to take advantage of this rare opportunity to kill Shuten-dōji and achieve a new leap in his own strength!

As if trying to save face, Shuten-dōji snorted coldly and unleashed a new and even fiercer attack!

"Bring it on!" Qing Deng murmured, then responded to the challenge with a swift, sweeping slash of his black blade!

In the dim light, two figures appeared and disappeared, colliding rapidly and fiercely.

Whether it's the power of the blade or the speed of the strike, Shuten-dōji has the upper hand in every aspect.

No matter how hard Shuten-dōji tried or what moves he made, he just couldn't defeat Aoto!

He felt like he was fighting against a roly-poly toy.

No matter if you poke it, push it, kick it, or throw it, this "tumbler" will never fall down!

Before they knew it, both of them were drenched in sweat, and faint waves of heat emanated from their heads.

The sweat trickled down their arms into their sleeves and then onto the ground.

On the empty castle tower, the sounds of metal clashing gradually faded away.

Even an iron man can't withstand such a war of attrition.

Their steps were no longer as firm and powerful as before, and began to sway unsteadily.

Just then, as if by prior arrangement, the two rushed forward at the same time, lunging at each other and fiercely slashing at each other with the knives in their palms.

clang!!

After the steel blades clashed, it was as if they were bounced back. The two men, who were not able to stand steadily, were forced to retreat, widening the distance between them. They staggered and could not regain their footing.

A moment later, two muffled thuds were heard, and the two collapsed to the ground one after the other.

Both of them were lying on their backs with their faces up.

An eerie silence fell over the scene instantly…

The intensity of the battle just now makes the current tranquility seem all the more jarring.

Both of them stopped moving and lay on the ground with their limbs spread out in a "T" shape, their chests heaving violently as they greedily inhaled fresh air.

……

……

"Huff...! Huff...! Huff...! Huff...!"

Apart from his own breathing, Shuten-dōji could not hear any other sounds.

Perhaps he was extremely tired, or perhaps the side effects of the "Final Battle of the Mud" were beginning to appear, but he felt his head was incredibly heavy, as if it were filled with murky mud.

My brain seems to have stopped working... My consciousness is becoming blurred...

In a daze, he suddenly heard a strange sound.

Although the sounds were indistinct, he immediately recognized them as sounds from the past.

This is a sound from a very, very long time ago...

……

……

(Bai He! Well done! Today's performance was another great success!)

(Father, this is nothing! Just you wait and see! I will become the best Kabuki actor! I will make our name known throughout the world!)

……

(Bai He, what are you doing?)

(Father, as you can see, I'm practicing my martial arts moves! Some viewers have commented that my action scenes are lacking, so I want to continue improving!)

……

(The young master is amazing! Whether it's studying literature or practicing martial arts, he can master them quickly!)

(Absolutely! It's unbelievable that he taught himself swordsmanship!)

(It is said that Master Kato from the neighboring swordsmanship school was full of praise after witnessing the young master's swordsmanship! He repeatedly praised the young master's swordsmanship as having reached the level of being able to pass on his skills without permission!)

(Hehehe~ You guys don't understand, do you? The young master is a genius that comes along once in a lifetime! I'm not exaggerating, haven't you noticed that the young master is extremely focused no matter what he does? He doesn't even react when others call him. Naturally, he learns everything very quickly!)

……

(Sir, what is this script...?!)

(As you can see, this is my new script.)

(Sir, this...this play can't be performed! The content is clearly mocking the magistrate!)

(Yes! If the magistrate finds out about this play, he definitely won't let it go!)

(Gentlemen, I understand your concerns, but I have reached my limit! That official bullies men and women, committing all sorts of evil deeds! This is intolerable! I only regret that I am not a swordsman, powerless to even kill a chicken, unable to draw my sword to help! Although I am a lowly actor, I have backbone! I will never sit idly by and watch such a villain run rampant!)

(But... sir, even if you perform this play, it won't change anything! The magistrate won't be punished for your performance! In the end, it's just a pointless sacrifice, a futile effort!)

(I know! But it's better to be futile than to be indifferent! Besides, the people of the county all hate that official to the bone. My performance might just ignite their rebellious spirit—that alone is enough reason for my performance! Bai He, what do you think?)

(Father, your son is willing to fight alongside you to the very last moment! This is a 'battle' that only we actors can undertake! Let that lord see the backbone of us actors!)