I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"I don't know! I didn't see any flags!"

"The Ainu were hunting bears in the mountains yesterday, and today they have steam warships?!"

"Fight back! Repel them! Force the enemy ships to retreat!"

The naval gun that just fired was a baseline shot; it was purely by luck that it happened to hit the pentagram.

After the baseline firing... the formal artillery barrage begins!

Woo-woo ...

The flashes of gunfire illuminated the hull of the warship.

The massive cannonball tore through the air with a terrifying roar!

Compared to ordinary cannons, naval guns are behemoths! The difference between the two is like the difference between a pistol and a rocket launcher!

Because the gun barrels of naval guns are very large, the shells they fire are also exceptionally large!

The naval guns, like raindrops, covered the five-sided rim.

Suddenly, a naval gun fired a shot that hit a barracks—where several soldiers were stationed—and the barracks flew into the sky, raining down red, white, black, and all sorts of debris.

This visually striking scene caused the surrounding guards to change their expressions.

The sudden entry of three warships into the battle was like three extremely heavy weights pressing down on the Afghan army, causing a significant shift in the balance of power on the battlefield!

With the aid of naval guns, the Afghan army gained a firepower advantage.

To be fair, while the power of the naval guns was terrifying, their low accuracy prevented them from causing serious damage to the Goryeo.

However, the psychological pressure it brings should not be underestimated.

As is well known, fighting spirit is one of the most important factors that can influence the outcome of a war.

Once morale is thwarted, it will trigger a domino effect of negative consequences—as is the case with the current defenders!

Under the heavy bombardment of naval guns, the morale of the defending troops was dampened.

Many people seemed stunned, frozen in place, neither fighting back nor running away.

This greatly reduced the pressure on the Afghan army's offensive!

The soldiers pressed forward to the base of the wall and began to build long ladders up the city wall.

Long ladders were being erected on the city wall, and Afghan soldiers were climbing them like ants.

Before long, the soldiers of both sides were face to face and engaged in close combat!

At this moment, one of the garrison soldiers shouted:

"Don't be afraid! The Emishi have stormed the castle, which is exactly what we wanted! In a melee, do you think we, as dignified samurai, are no match for the Emishi?"

The effect was immediate upon hearing this.

The person, who had been filled with terror, calmed down.

Those who were at a loss calmed down.

Melee combat... that's what these samurai are good at!

The Ainu people are a fishing and hunting civilization, so they are very skilled at hunting, and every adult male is a good archer.

Because adult men have all devoted themselves to studying hunting skills, they are generally not good at close combat.

If they can lose to the Ainu even in hand-to-hand combat, then they can commit seppuku to atone for their sins!

As a result, the defenders threw away their unfamiliar muskets, drew their swords, and prepared to use their most proficient hand-to-hand combat to force back the Afghan army.

In an instant, the glint of swords and the clash of blades danced across the battlefield.

"Aa ...

In one place, a soldier, in a double-handed stance, slashed at his opponent's neck with his robe.

This was a beautiful strike; the blade swept across the air, cutting diagonally across the opponent's body from the left shoulder to the right abdomen.

This blow is enough to kill a person, and even if the person doesn't die, the immense pain is enough to render them incapable of moving.

However... however! The man neither died nor fell!

His body swayed a few times, then he steadied himself.

Blood gushed forth, exposing white bones, yet it stood firm... This sight horrified the guard who had wielded the sword, causing him to gasp in horror.

"what?"

Because he was confident in his previous attack, he did not adopt a stance of exhaustion, and his body remained in a posture as if he had exhausted his strength.

The enemy, who should have died but hadn't, seized this opening, let out a low shout, stepped forward, and pierced the defender's chest with the bayonet of his spear.

Similar scenes occurred elsewhere on the battlefield... This was not an isolated incident, but rather a widespread occurrence across the battlefield!

Piercing the chest, slicing open the abdomen, tearing open the chest... These were clearly fatal wounds that could kill, yet they couldn't kill the opponent!

Those bloodied and battered Afghan soldiers looked just like demons from hell! Dragging their broken bodies, they continued to fight!

"Hey! Watch out! Some guys just can't die!"

"Can't die? Are you kidding me!"

"It's true! He was pierced through the chest by me, yet he could still continue fighting!"

"Cut off their heads! They'll still die even if their heads are cut off!"

"And their hearts! Stab their hearts now!"

The well-equipped Afghan army, the three warships with heavy artillery fire... the defenders could tolerate all of these, as they were all within the realm of understanding.

But this "enemy that is hard to kill" is completely unacceptable to them!

In those days, people generally believed in demons and monsters.

And so, amidst this panic, someone shouted something:

"They...they're not human!"

This sentence was like a curse—a curse that caused the morale of the defenders to collapse!

"It's sorcery! They must have used sorcery!"

"The Ezo have always been skilled in evil arts!"

"How...how could we possibly win?!"

Soon, the first deserter appeared.

Once the first one was established, a second imitator immediately followed.

Then came the third, the fourth, the tenth, the hundredth... The chain reaction had already begun, and even those who wanted to fight again lost their composure.

In the blink of an eye, the defense line collapsed.

"The enemy has been defeated! The enemy has been defeated! Do not let them go! Kill them all!!" (Ainu language)

The morale of the defending troops seemed to have shifted to that of the Ajun army.

One side is utterly despondent, while the other is full of fighting spirit.

One side fled in panic, while the other pursued their victory.

The fighting between the two sides turned into a one-sided massacre of the defending troops by the Afghan army...

In fact, if one observes carefully, one can find that the Afghan soldiers who suffered fatal wounds but did not die all collapsed to the ground during the pursuit.

They were like robots that had run out of energy, lying motionless on the ground, their life force exhausted, thick, purplish-black blood flowing from their seven orifices... their deaths were extremely horrific.

……

……

On the sea south of Goryokaku—

The largest warship in the center is the flagship of these three warships.

Marcel de Orléans stood on the gunwale of the flagship, hands behind his back, expressionless.

Looking at the Wulingguo, which was billowing thick smoke and about to be submerged, he, who was usually stern and unsmiling, suddenly curled the corners of his mouth, revealing a ferocious smile.

……

……

Qinjin Clan, Dajin, Judi, Qingdeng’s private dojo——

"..."

Qingdeng stood alone in the center of the dojo, holding Vairocana in a mid-level stance, his eyes closed, motionless as if petrified.

The next moment, he suddenly opened his eyes and then brandished Vairocana with simple yet sharp movements.

If there were a knowledgeable martial arts observer here, they would definitely be amazed by Qing Deng's swordsmanship.

It looks unremarkable, but it contains extraordinary speed and destructive power!

Those familiar with Qingdeng would be amazed at how much his skills have improved. In just a few months, his swordsmanship has become more restrained and profound!

However, after finishing his swordplay, Qing Deng frowned and looked at the sword in his hand with a face full of regret.

"No...it still won't work..."

The duel with Ogata was three months ago.

Thanks to his photographic memory, he still vividly remembers every scene and every detail from that time.

Since the duel ended, whenever he has free time, he goes to the dojo to try to recreate that state and that swordsmanship—the swordsmanship that was enough to threaten the "Eternal Sword Saint"!

Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, he could not bring back that divinely inspired "state of clarity".

Although he imitated the posture, movements, and force exertion of that time in a blatant imitation, he only learned the surface and did not grasp the true essence.

—Forget it, there's no use being anxious, let's take it slow.

Qingdeng let out a long breath, trying to calm his anxiety.

Ogata's words of advice—"Let things take their natural course; when the time is right, you will naturally be able to master the 'state of enlightenment'"—still resonate in my ears.

Qingdeng put away the Vairocana, changed his clothes, and left the temple.