I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Make the most of your talent!

Relying on playing games to tap into talent – ​​this is an old trick of Qing Deng's.

In fact, Qing Deng had the idea of ​​"holding the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament" a long time ago.

No longer confined to a single city or region, but aiming for the entire world! To plunder all martial artists under heaven!

Unfortunately, due to being preoccupied with various matters—first establishing the Shinsengumi, then the Hatazu Domain—and juggling numerous battles, he simply couldn't spare the extra energy.

More importantly, starting around 1863, Qing Deng's physical abilities were nearing their physical limits.

Whether it's his "comprehension-type" talents like "Sword Saint" or "Archery Prodigy," or his "physical talent type" talents like "Nine Oxen and Two Tigers" or "Bear Waist," even after leveling up several times, he still couldn't significantly improve his strength.

The bottle has only so much capacity; even if you filled it with an entire ocean, it could only hold a limited amount of water.

However, things are different now.

After copying the eternal talent "Chosen One" from Ogata, Qing Deng's talent cap was removed, and his physical cap was also greatly enhanced.

[Note: Chosen One: Greatly increases maximum physical strength and removes the level cap for talents]

This made Qingdeng curious: what is his current physical limit?

Nowadays, the organizational structure of the Hatazu Domain and the Shinsengumi is quite mature, with Hijikata Toshizo, Yamanami Keisuke, and others taking on most of the tasks, and Seito is no longer as busy as before.

The long-delayed "Nioh Game"... ah, no, the "World Martial Arts Tournament" can finally be put on the agenda!

Thus, under Qing Deng's orders, the preliminary work for the "Niou Martial Arts Tournament" was carried out in full swing.

Issuing official documents, purchasing equipment, arranging venues... everything is proceeding in an orderly manner.

In recent days, people from all over the region, from Oshu in the north to the Gyeonggi region in the south, have been enthusiastically discussing this unique martial arts tournament.

Even the common people of the "Southern Dynasty" spontaneously began to discuss it after hearing the news.

The hype surrounding the assassinations of Sakamoto and Nakaoka has subsequently subsided... which can be considered a pleasant surprise.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to face off against Nioh!

Even if defeat is inevitable, just having the chance to fight Niou and witness his prowess up close will provide invaluable experience! This will undoubtedly be of great benefit to your future development!

Anyone aspiring to martial arts is itching to try it.

Those who act decisively have already packed their bags and are rushing off.

Not only were the energetic young men on their way, but even some gray-haired old men set off on their journey to Otsu with great spirits.

People who wanted to spar with Qingdeng, people who wanted to watch the excitement, people who wanted to find business opportunities... a considerable flow of people converged on Dajin!

It is worth mentioning that on their way to Dajin, they boosted the tourism industry along the route, indirectly contributing to the economic recovery of the "Northern Dynasty".

Although the official document clearly states that "everyone can apply," it also thoughtfully includes a reminder that "an assessment is required."

It's obvious that if just any Tom, Dick, or Harry could fight Qingdeng, it would be a huge waste of time.

Therefore, Qingdeng set a special threshold—only those who pass the assessment and reach a certain level of strength are qualified to participate in the "Nioh Martial Arts Tournament".

The examiners in charge of this task were a group of outstanding talents selected from the Shinsengumi, who were skilled and worthy of training.

During the assessment process, they will inevitably encounter highly skilled first-class martial artists.

In this way, we can eliminate the weaklings who are unlikely to have strong talents, and at the same time, hone the core strength of the Shinsengumi, killing two birds with one stone.

According to Qing Deng's plan, this "Nioh Martial Arts Tournament" will continue until the "Southern Dynasty" attacks.

He had made up his mind—for the next period of time, he would completely abandon all non-essential official duties and devote himself entirely to honing his skills! Before the "Southern Dynasty" attacked, he would try to acquire another wave of talent! If he was lucky, he might even be able to replicate another powerful talent!

In fact, there was another major reason why Qingdeng was so eager to increase his own strength: to fight against Ōtakemaru.

The oppressive feeling he felt when he encountered Ōtakemaru on a narrow path a while ago was something he couldn't forget for a long time...

Since his transmigration, he has been through countless battles and encountered all sorts of opponents, including amazing geniuses and impressive eccentrics.

But... this was the first time he had ever met such a special guy as Ōtakemaru.

The fact that "deserted and mute, yet able to become the 'highest fighting force for the Party's persecution" is simply incredible.

That night, as he and the other person faced each other across the rushing river, he couldn't see the other person's true form at all!

Putting Ogata aside, Aoto hadn't experienced a situation like this in a long time.

This only proves one thing—compared to him, the other party's strength is no weaker!

Qingdeng couldn't help but wonder: If I were to have a one-on-one battle with Ōtakemaru now, would I be able to win?

He simply couldn't give an optimistic answer to this question...

Thinking of this, Qingdeng unconsciously lowered his eyelids, adopted a serious expression, felt a dark cloud gather in his heart, and his facial lines tightened.

A-Wu, who was standing nearby, immediately noticed Qing-Deng's change in mood.

She gazed thoughtfully at Qingdeng's face... and then, a silent smile appeared on her face.

"Qingdeng, it's been a long time since we've sparred. How about we have a long-awaited match today?"

A-Wu's sudden challenge caught Qing Deng off guard.

The daze was only temporary. He quickly snapped out of it and nodded without hesitation:

"Alright. It has been a long time since we last sparred. Let me see if your skills have improved."

A-Wu smiled without saying a word, nimbly jumped up, ran to the edge of the dojo, picked up the wooden wakizashi, and helped Qing Deng get a bamboo sword.

Qingdeng reached out and took it, waved it a few times in the air to make sure there were no problems, then turned to Awu and said:

"Since it's not a formal competition anyway, let's skip the formalities and get started."

"No problem! That suits me perfectly!"

Amidst their conversation and laughter, the two moved to the center of the meditation hall without taking turns.

Qingdeng gripped the bamboo sword tightly with both hands, raised the tip of the sword, and assumed a mid-section stance.

A-Wu struck a unique pose—standing sideways, her right hand gripping the wakizashi (a type of Japanese sword) and extending it forward; her left hand, as if stroking a tiger's whiskers, was loosely clenched and held at her chest.

The standoff between the two men caused the air in the room to freeze.

The one who launched the first attack was A-Wu.

But then I saw her pretty little feet slide forward half a step—

The next moment, Qingdeng suddenly smelled a pleasant fragrance.

With a loud thud, A-Wu covered the distance of three steps in a single stride, reaching Qing-Deng in an instant!

The wakizashi in her palm drew a perfect arc in mid-air, slashing towards Qing Deng's neck.

Qing Deng's pupils contracted slightly—A Wu's speed far exceeded his expectations!

Despite his shock, he didn't slow down his movements at all.

Talent "Godspeed +7" activated!

He instinctively raised the bamboo sword in his hand—

Snapped!

A clear, resounding impact echoed through the air.

The force of this strike wasn't great, but it was more than enough to cut through flesh!

As if she had been flung away, A-Wu quickly leaned back—a movement that allowed her to just dodge Qing-Deng's counterattack.

The tip of the bamboo sword grazed his chest, only striking a speck of dust.

Qingdeng's offensive did not stop there.

The second move, the third move, the fourth move... a rapid series of moves poured towards A-Wu from all directions.

Faced with the dense barrage of sword shadows, she remained calm and collected. She exhaled all the stale air from her lungs and quickly regulated her breathing before calmly launching a counterattack.

She slid, crouched, and did backflips... she dodged all of Qing Deng's moves.

Her agile movements, combined with her graceful figure, were extremely beautiful, much like a butterfly dancing among flowers.

Seeing that his opponent was able to withstand his fierce attack, Qing Deng's eyes flashed with surprise.

Just as he was preparing to intensify his offensive and unleash more of his skills, she "disappeared" from his sight—she quickly lowered her body, braced herself on the ground with her left hand, and spread her long legs like scissors, clamping them around Qing Deng's waist.

Upon seeing this, Qing Deng immediately became alert.

A-Wu was originally a master of hand-to-hand combat, especially skilled in jujitsu.

If she gets on your nerves, you're in trouble.

Therefore, it is essential to avoid physical contact with her!

Although Qingdeng was not afraid to fight Awu physically, and even if she clung to him, he could break free with rough methods, doing so would definitely hurt her.

There's no need to think too much about how to proceed.

Qingdeng retreated with lightning speed, dodging Awu's two long legs.

If one move doesn't work, try another—A-Wu retracts her legs, lands on all fours, and after gathering her strength, bursts out like a cannonball.

She lowered her body to an extremely low position, almost touching the ground, and unleashed a series of swift slashes at Qing Deng's legs.

Qingdeng immediately lowered his sword, nimbly changing his footing while swinging his sword to block Awu's slash, carefully preventing his lower body from being injured.

She skillfully used her petite figure to her advantage, focusing her attacks on Qingdeng's lower body.

Qingdeng's vision and center of gravity are much higher than Awu's, so compared to ordinary attacks, the "focus on the lower body" approach is more likely to catch him off guard.

Her body seemed boneless, effortlessly performing all sorts of tricky movements.

Her waist could bend to such an angle, her legs could be raised so high... Even today, Qingdeng is still amazed by her "boneless and supple body".

Despite not being particularly strong, Mai always adhered to the ninja's fighting style: "Quick and decisive!" Never procrastinate!

Compared to before, her skills have become much more refined, making her seem like a completely different person.

There are no fancy or complicated moves; every move is designed for "quick kills"!

Now, she already possesses the charisma of a top-tier ninja!

Looking at A-Wu, who had become much stronger, Qing Deng's lips curled into a smile.

call out!