I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

……

……

On the way back to the Imperial Guard Hall, there is a place you must pass through—a deserted path.

Feeling pleased that he had successfully conveyed what he had been wanting to say to the two girls, Qingdeng strolled leisurely and turned into this place that was the only way back to Shiekan.

The scenery remains the same as always.

The same bumpy dirt road as always.

As always, there were no pedestrians, and not a single voice could be heard.

Everything was just as it always was.

However... just as Qingdeng reached the middle of this deserted path, something "unusual" suddenly happened!

In an instant... what happened next did indeed happen in an instant.

Qing Deng suddenly felt someone behind him... no! It was the aura of a wild beast!

As if being stared at by some giant beast, cold sweat poured out, soaking the back of Qing Deng's clothes.

Qing Deng's face changed instantly. He turned around quickly as if by reflex and raised his right hand to reach to his left waist, pressing down on the hilt of the sword that could ward off evil spirits.

Behind Qingdeng, a man in black, carrying a wooden sword and wearing a low-brimmed straw hat, appeared out of nowhere.

"The response is pretty good."

"That's what the man in black said."

*******

*******

I, Shushuzi, absolutely despise male protagonists who are eunuch-like, monk-like, or herbivore-like. (Leopard-like.jpg)

For the sake of Orange's courage and decisiveness in this chapter, please be sure to vote for this book with a monthly ticket! (Leopard crying.jpg)

PS: This chapter is also the first time the title of this volume is mentioned: "Soaring to the Heavens".

Chapter 267 A Sword That Unites with Heaven and Earth! [6700]

The man in black had a hoarse, aged voice, like two sheets of sandpaper rubbing against each other.

He wore black clothes, black trousers, black socks, and a black face mask. Except for the straw sandals on his feet and the bamboo hat on his head, there was not a single part of his clothing that was not black.

The short, wide brim of the hat covered half of the man in black's face, while the rest of his face was covered by a black mask, with only his eyes showing.

I couldn't see his face clearly... I could only vaguely make out that he was neither fat nor thin, and was tall and slender, about 1.7 meters tall.

—When did this guy appear behind me...?

Thinking of this, a bead of cold sweat appeared on Qingdeng's forehead.

Despite possessing the talent of "Wind Perceiver" that enhances hearing, and the keen perception honed through countless life-or-death battles... he still couldn't hear a single sound of the man in black appearing and approaching.

Who are you?

As Qing Deng asked the question in a deep voice, he slowly tightened his right hand and gripped the hilt of the sword that could ward off evil spirits.

Who I am... that's irrelevant.

A hoarse, aged voice came from behind the black mask.

"You can regard me as... a challenger who has heard of the great name and deeds of 'Niou' and wants to test his skills against you."

"Challenger...?"

Qing Deng glanced at the wooden knife in the man in black's hand.

Indeed, there was no trace of murderous intent emanating from the man in black.

The other party was neither a remnant of the Extermination Group nor any other strange person... Although this was fortunate, Qing Deng did not relax too much.

After all, the identity of this all-black-clad figure in front of them remains unknown. They cannot afford to be careless.

As Qing Deng sized up the man in black, the man in black was also scrutinizing Qing Deng.

"...Not bad at all."

The man in black slightly raised his straw hat, revealing a pair of sharp, bright eyes hidden beneath the brim.

He looked Qingdeng up and down with great interest and said:

"The pose is quite nice, but the whole thing is full of flaws."

"But it possesses a certain level of aura that only those who have experienced many life-or-death duels can have."

"A martial artist of average talent or insufficient years of training should not be a match for you."

"No wonder you've been so successful and accomplished so many feats in recent months."

"only……"

The man in black suddenly changed the subject.

"That's a bit disappointing. You don't seem as strong as I expected..."

Having said that, the man in black slumped his shoulders, raised his right hand, and casually hoisted the wooden knife in his hand onto his shoulder.

“In that case, I can’t fight you with a wooden sword… How about this—”

The man in black flipped his right hand, changing the wooden knife he was holding from an upright grip to an inverted grip, and then plunged the knife, tip down, into the mud beside him in one swift motion.

There happened to be a branch right at my feet that was just the right shape, size, and hardness.

"Let's use this instead of the wooden knife."

As the man in black spoke, he bent down and picked up a dry branch from the ground next to his left foot.

The branch is about two fingers wide and 60cm long. The trunk is bare, without any branches. Although it is slightly curved, it is still relatively straight.

"It's quite handy. Alright, I'll use this to fight you."

"what do you mean?"

Qing Deng's eyes twitched slightly, and his voice was low.

"You said you came to me because you wanted to have a match with me... Are you planning to compete with me using just a tree branch?"

"..."

Abruptly... the usually talkative man in black suddenly fell silent.

Qing Deng noticed two meaningful gazes shooting out from under the wide brim of his hat, fixed directly on him.

Then--

Sa!

A fierce gust of wind, seemingly intent on sweeping away all the clouds in the sky and the dust on the ground, struck Qingdeng head-on!

The sudden gust of wind caused Qingdeng's expression to change instantly.

However, Qingdeng soon discovered that there was no wind at all; it was all just his imagination!

What struck Qingdeng was not "wind," but an unparalleled "momentum" like a raging storm!

This "aura"... whether it was Shusuke, Chiba Eijiro, or Chiba Michizaburo, in short—was far stronger than any of the auras that Aoto had ever experienced before! And many times stronger!

Surrounded by this powerful "aura" from all sides, Qingdeng suddenly had the illusion of being deep in the sea and squeezed by water pressure.

My heart was racing, my breathing was rapid, and I felt slightly dizzy.

To resist this "heavy pressure," with a "whoosh," Qing Deng drew his sword, seemingly using the blade to block the powerful "forces" as he held Ding Guishen in front of him.

Setting up his beloved knife—this gives Qingdeng a sense of security and peace of mind.

"Ju Qingdeng, if you're worried that I'll hurt you by using a tree branch and you'll hurt me by using a real knife, then you don't need to worry at all."

The man in black smiled slightly... but unfortunately, because he was wearing a mask, Qing Deng couldn't see the smile on his face.

"But let me state this upfront—I don't look down on you. On the contrary, I admire you quite a bit."

"If I remember correctly, you're only 18 years old this year, right?"

"It is truly remarkable that someone so young has achieved such success in martial arts."

"So—it's because I admire you that I'm using a branch."

"Huh?" Qing Deng frowned... He couldn't quite understand the logic behind the man in black's words.

Seeing that Qing Deng didn't understand what he had just said, the man in black had no choice but to continue:

"Your current strength is far inferior to mine."

“At this stage, if I were to use a wooden sword against you, I might lose control of my strength and accidentally kill you.”

"I don't want to cause the untimely death of a talented person I admire because of a momentary lapse in judgment."

The man in black spoke sincerely and earnestly... He was not joking or mocking Qing Deng.

His tone was full of concern—concern that he might accidentally maim or kill Qing Deng if he used a wooden sword.

If an outsider were to do something like "holding a tree branch and threatening that you might die if you don't use it," Qingdeng might get angry because he feels slighted.

But Qing Deng felt no resentment at the man in black's actions... his expression instead became even more serious.

The reason is simple: the black-clad man's "silent footwork" that allowed him to easily approach Qing Deng's back, and the "power" he was releasing that could stun those with weak wills, all revealed one thing: he was a top master with extremely high martial arts skills!

His strength may be greater than that of Kiryu, Shusuke, Chiba Eijiro, and Chiba Michizaburo!

In short—that's it.

The man in black twisted his right shoulder forcefully, making a creaking sound that made one's teeth ache, and then held the branch in front of him with a mid-stance, holding the sword... ah, no, a branch in one hand.

"I've been a bit long-winded without realizing it."

"Alright, Tachibana Aoto, come on."

"Let me see... just how much real skill you really have."

As soon as the man in black finished speaking, the "momentum" pressing down on Qingdeng suddenly changed.

It became more solid and oppressive!