I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Have you two clashed before?

Ogata nodded slightly:

"There must have been some competition, and quite a few times."

"He's a 'sword fanatic' who's obsessed with swordsmanship, how could he possibly not want to spar with me?"

"Over the past twenty years, I have sparred with him at least eight hundred times, if not a thousand."

"With my youthful body and the blessing of 'immortality,' I win every match."

"However, even with a perfect record, I would never dare to let my guard down in front of him."

"Because I've sparred with them so many times, I know better than anyone else in the world how good they are."

"He's a little bit better than the last time we face each other."

"When competing against him, any carelessness will lead to a crushing defeat."

"When he asked me for a 'final battle,' he specifically requested that we fight with real swords, regardless of life or death, and leave the rest to fate!"

"His request was unsurprisingly met with strong opposition from everyone."

"If he stays quietly in his mansion to recuperate, he can live a little longer."

"But once you engage in a real sword duel with me, there will only be two outcomes: either I die, or he dies."

"Either outcome, it will be sad."

"While I understand everyone's concerns, Mr. Genichi's request is exactly what I need!"

"Ever since we met, I've always wanted to have a no-holds-barred, life-or-death duel with him!"

"Therefore, Mr. Genichi and I disregarded the objections of others and insisted on having a final duel."

"We have chosen this place as the duelground."

"On that day, Miss Lin, Jiulang, A-Machi... all the relatives and friends who could come, came to watch the game."

"That battle was the most dangerous battle of my life."

At this point, a bitter smile appeared on Ogata's face.

"In order to leave no regrets and to give it his all in this final battle, Mr. Genichi unleashed unparalleled energy."

“Every strike of his was incredibly sharp, repeatedly putting me in grave danger.”

“His attacks were incredibly fierce, making my neck break out in a cold sweat time and time again.”

"Even after many years, his fierce and valiant demeanor, as if possessed by a god of war, still leaves a deep impression on me, and thinking about it now still makes my scalp tingle."

"At that moment, I really wanted to ask him: Did you really feel that your time was coming to an end?"

"I never witnessed Mr. Genichi's prime."

"However, I dare say: in his 'final battle,' he has already surpassed his 'prime'!"

I will leave the details of the duel aside.

“We destroyed all the bamboo within a hundred meters radius.”

"Even the dust on the ground was trampled under our feet, as if it had been plowed by a hundred hoes."

"Finally, I seized the opportunity in a split second and stabbed him in the heart."

"Although he did not win, he succeeded in leaving a deep scar on me."

After saying that, Ogata opened his shirt, revealing his muscular chest.

However, a conspicuous and sizable knife scar was visible on his chest.

Qingdeng couldn't help but ask:

"Can't the 'power of immortality' heal this wound?"

Ogata smiled mysteriously:

"If it were the complete 'power of immortality,' perhaps it could cure him."

"Even the 'power of immortality' within me couldn't completely heal this wound... You can't imagine how terrifying this attack was, can you?"

"Mr. Genichi achieved his wish, giving his all in the final battle, and died peacefully in Miss Rin's arms with a satisfied smile on his face."

“Everyone knows that even if he doesn’t die by my hand, he will die in his bed soon, so everyone is calm.”

"We buried him in this bamboo grove in accordance with his wishes."

Regarding his tombstone, he specifically instructed before his death: "There is no need to erect a stupa, nor to write any messy things such as a Dharma name or sutra name. Just inscribe this sentence, which is a reflection of his life."

Upon hearing this, Qingdeng subconsciously turned his gaze back to the epitaph on the monument.

[It could not cleave the heavens and earth, but it slew many evil people.]

This one sentence encapsulates the life of the "Hidden Sword Saint".

Half humility, half pride!

It's absolutely captivating!

After hearing the details of the "Battle of the Two Saints," Qing Deng felt a surge of emotions welling up inside him, and he was unable to calm down for a long time.

After a long while, he exclaimed with admiration:

"What a wonderful life."

Ogata nodded slightly in agreement.

One second they were chatting peacefully.

But at this moment, Qing Deng changed the subject:

“Mr. Ogata, you brought me all this way here, surely not just to talk to me about your past with the ‘Hidden Sword Saint’?”

As he finished speaking, Qingdeng took a half step back to the side, slightly increasing the distance between them.

Ogata's smile remained unchanged.

However... in that instant, a sharp glint appeared in his eyes!

"Telling you this long-forgotten story is just a side note."

"This place is where I fought against Mr. Genichi, and it is full of extraordinary significance."

"Therefore... this place is the most suitable venue for our duel!"

After saying that, he slowly turned around and faced Qingdeng.

He did nothing, he simply changed his position and stared intently at Qingdeng with his deep eyes, and the atmosphere on the scene changed instantly!

Aoto remained calm, seemingly unsurprised by Ogata's words.

"May I ask why you want to duel me?"

Ogata smiled:

"After Mr. Genichi passed away, I have been in a state of 'not writing'."

"It's not that I don't want to draw my sword, it's that there's no one who can make me draw it."

"After decades, I am surprised and delighted to find such a brilliant and outstanding genius as you."

"To be honest, I've wanted to have a match with you for a long time."

"Besides... I want to confirm something with you."

"Confirm something"—Ogata's words made Aoto raise an eyebrow, a look of confusion on his face.

Although I really wanted to ask, "What is it?", judging from the current atmosphere, now was definitely not a good time to ask questions.

In response to Ogata's challenge, Aoto quickly replied:

"...Perfect!"

He curled his lips into a smile, a look of elation spreading across his face, and a burning fighting spirit ignited in his eyes!

"Just like you, I've long wanted to see the 'Eternal Sword Saint's' sword strike!"

Ogata smiled calmly:

"I personally don't like this title."

"I have not done anything remarkable enough to be canonized."

"Compared to 'Eternal Sword Saint,' I prefer to be called 'Ittosai,' or... 'Shura'!"

As he spoke, he untied the long, rectangular cloth bag he had been carrying since leaving the house.

As the fabric slid off, the contents were revealed—two ornately designed long and short swords, one blue and one gold.

Looking at the two knives, Qing Deng couldn't help but murmur softly:

"Great release...great freedom..."

The value of an item depends on its owner; because these two swords were the personal swords of the "Eternal Sword Saint," they were able to be ranked among the "Famous Swords of the World."

Its classic feature is its gorgeous blue and gold design.

As Ogata fastened the Great Buddha and Great Freedom to his waist, he slowly said:

"Tachibana-kun, I'm confirming this one last time: are you really going to take this fight?"

"You are free to refuse; I will never force you."

"Let me make this clear from the start: once the fight begins, I won't go easy on you just because you're Jiulang's apprentice and Awu's husband."

He had barely finished speaking when he received a reply from Qingdeng:

"No need to worry, just bring it on!"

The moment he finished speaking, he removed the hilt and sheath of the sword at his waist, revealing the full form of Vairocana.

One is purple and black, the other is blue and gold... Judging from the colors alone, the two knives are a perfect match.

After hearing Qing Deng's reply, Ogata revealed a meaningful smile, it was unclear whether he was pleased or approving.

The next moment, just as they had agreed beforehand, the two of them took steps back one after the other, creating a distance of about 10 meters.

Ogata lowered his waist slightly, reached his right hand to his left waist, and grasped the hilt of the Great Sword—with a click, the latch disengaged from the sheath.