I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

He must have realized that Qingdeng's title of "King of Benevolence" was not undeserved.

The two, both abandoning their casual attitudes and giving it their all, made the battle even more intense in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, the two figures separated several times under the moonlight, and then overlapped several times again.

Takasugi Shinsaku's strength is indeed not to be underestimated. In terms of swordsmanship alone, he is on par with Aoto.

However, in another crucial factor influencing the course and outcome of the battle—physical attributes—Takasugi Shinsaku has no advantage whatsoever.

Whether it's strength, agility, or endurance, Qing Deng, with his talents such as "Tiger's Arm," "Eagle Eye +1," and "Iron Lungs," holds an unshakeable advantage.

In the blink of an eye, the "battlefield balance," which had maintained a stable equilibrium, suddenly underwent a major shift—

clang--!

With a loud clang that made one wonder if someone's knife had broken, the two men both stepped back, creating distance between themselves.

"Drink!"

As Takasugi Shinsaku roared, he held the knife vertically in front of his chest, then pushed his arms forward, aiming the tip of the knife straight at Aoto's abdomen.

Aoto stepped back, deflecting Takasugi Shinsaku's sword to the side, and then quickly swung his sword to counterattack.

Takasugi Shinsaku lightly leaped backward, landing outside of Seido's sword circle.

The instant his feet landed firmly, he raised his sword, adopting the uppercut stance, and charged forward like a raging torrent! He swiftly swung his saber!

This time, facing Takasugi Shinsaku's direct attack, Seito did not dodge or defend. Instead, he lowered the tip of his sword, the "Destroyer of Demons," and adopted a lower sword stance to meet Takasugi Shinsaku's attack.

The two passed each other.

In that instant of collision, their bodies seemed to press tightly together. Qing Deng's longsword flashed two streaks of white light.

Qing Deng didn't even look behind him—a cloud of blood mist sprayed out from Takasugi Shinsaku's body.

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Chapter 285 Copying a God-Level Talent: [Berserker]! [6400]

In the instant the two passed each other, the horizontally sweeping Demon God grazed Takasugi Shinsaku's chest.

Unfortunately, although the blade successfully struck him, the tip went a little too far. Only a small section of the blade tip pierced Takasugi Shinsaku's body.

Blood splattered, and a nearly 3-inch-long gash stretched across Takasugi Shinsaku's chest—such a wound looked horrifying, but in reality, the injury was not serious and would not be fatal.

As for Takasugi Shinsaku, his sword went even further astray.

He has great ambitions.

Even though he had the physical advantage, Qing Deng only dared to cautiously target the chest area, which was relatively large and easier to cut.

And what about Shinsaku Takasugi? He was aiming at Aoto's neck—wanting to sever Aoto's head in one fell swoop.

Just as the sword, drawing out a needle-like glint of light, was about to engulf Qing Deng's neck, Qing Deng, at the critical moment, relied on the exceptional dynamic vision granted by "Eagle Eye +1," which was akin to "time stop," and swiftly crouched down, causing the ambitious sword to merely graze the air above his head in vain.

Aoto knew very well that his attack had not seriously injured Takasugi Shinsaku, and that the opponent must still have enough strength left to continue fighting him.

Therefore, in the instant their figures parted, Aoto quickly stopped and turned around to face Takasugi Shinsaku again.

When Aoto turned around, he happened to see Takasugi Shinsaku turn around at almost the same moment.

Two sharp, piercing gazes clashed fiercely once again in mid-air.

At this moment, a bizarre scene quietly unfolded before Qingdeng's eyes.

In that clash of swords just now, although the blow that Aoto gave Takasugi Shinsaku was not fatal, it was still a knife wound. It was a knife wound that cut a nearly 3-inch-long gash in the skin of his chest, and it is still bleeding profusely.

Even if I don't die, it will still hurt, right?

As a result, Takasugi Shinsaku remained calm and composed, his face flushed, as if he felt no pain at all, as if he were not the one who was injured.

It might sound strange, but Qing Deng can guarantee that he did indeed vaguely detect a hint of... pleasure and enjoyment in Takasugi Shinsaku's brows?

"Hehehehe..."

A low, guttural laugh, like that from the netherworld, drifted out from between the lips of Shinsaku Takasugi.

"Impressive...! A man who can accomplish so many extraordinary feats single-handedly is truly no mere show-off!"

"It's been a long time since I've encountered a peer who can completely overwhelm me in swordsmanship."

"Not counting my master and the other old monsters who have honed their skills in the way of the sword for decades... among all the people I know, the only one who can beat you is probably that brat Kawakami Gensai! Ah... speaking of which—his best skill is the art of drawing the sword."

"Hehe... Niou, if you ever have the chance to meet Kawakami Gensai in the future, you can have a sword-drawing contest with him!"

Qing Deng didn't know Kawakami Gensai, so he completely ignored Takasugi Shinsaku's remarks.

Just a moment ago, Takasugi Shinsaku was marveling at Aoto's strength, but the next second he stomped on the wooden corridor and charged forward with overwhelming force, swinging his sword! His body, not much shorter than Aoto's, pounced on him like a mountain crashing down in front of him.

Qing Deng swung his sword twice in quick succession.

The blade flashed, then flashed again.

The first strike was an attempt to force Takasugi Shinsaku back, but seeing that it had little effect, the second strike was quickly followed up, clashing with Takasugi Shinsaku's sword in mid-air.

The two knives clashed together with a soft "crack" sound—a small clump of metallic material, resembling dust, fell from the point where the two knives struck, as if the earth had collapsed.

The blade chipped.

Seeing this, Qingdeng felt very distressed—oh well! He would have to send the Dingguishen (a type of ancient Chinese magic artifact) for repair again!

It was only then that Qing Deng suddenly realized that the long-faced youth he was fighting with was probably not an ordinary person.

Qingdeng's Ghost-Stabilizing Blade is undoubtedly a treasure; ordinary swords simply cannot compete with it.

Takasugi Shinsaku's sword, surprisingly, seemed to hold its own against the Demon King in their duel! Whether it was sharpness or toughness, it was inferior to the Demon King in every aspect!

It's hard to imagine that someone who can afford to use a knife of this quality would be an ordinary person with no background or status.

hum!

A blade of light swept past Qing Deng's nose, forcing him to detach his thoughts from anything other than "battle".

Fighting against a master is much more difficult and tiring than fighting against a novice.

For masters like Aoto and Takasugi Shinsaku, any moment of relaxation or carelessness could lead to fatal consequences that would leave no time for regret. Therefore, they must maintain a high level of tension and focus throughout the entire process.

This kind of full-force brain activity and mental exhaustion is the most devastating.

When he fought and killed more than twenty remnants of the Extermination Group, Qing Deng's breathing was only slightly faster.

As a result, after only fighting with Shinsaku Takasugi for a short while, Aoto's oxygen demand has increased dramatically.

His breathing was so loud it almost drowned out the sound of his heartbeat.

At least Aoto has the talent to enhance his cardiopulmonary function and muscle endurance: "Iron Lungs" and "Strong Muscles +1", so even though he is tired and his breathing is rapid, it is not a problem for him to fight Takasugi Shinsaku for another hundred or two rounds.

On the other hand, the other side's cardiopulmonary function is obviously not as good as Qingdeng's.

He needs to open his mouth wide and greedily inhale the surrounding air through both his mouth and nose in order to barely maintain his body's oxygen requirements.

At first glance, Takasugi Shinsaku, whose stamina was depleting much faster than Aoto's and who had been stabbed in the chest, should be struggling more and more as the battle progressed and falling further into a disadvantageous position, right?

However, the reality that actually unfolds is not like that.

"Haaaaaah!"

Takasugi Shinsaku, with a strange sound that was both laughter and roar bursting from his throat, fought with increasing ferocity!

"Nioh! Watch the move!"

Before he could finish speaking, with a thud, a small bloodstain appeared on Qingdeng's left earlobe.

Qingdeng immediately felt a sharp, needle-like pain in his left ear. At the same time, warm blood slid over the wound and dripped onto his left shoulder.

—It really wasn't my imagination...!

Qing Deng's eyes narrowed.

He had some doubts at first, but after observing carefully for so long, Qing Deng is now very certain—his feeling was not wrong! Compared to when the fight first started, Takasugi Shinsaku's strength has indeed increased!

Takasugi Shinsaku's strike just now was quite beautiful.

The timing and angle were perfect; the counterattack was launched just as Qing Deng had finished his first round of attacks, when the old forces had been exhausted but the new forces had not yet been mobilized.

Qing Deng had already dodged at top speed, but he was still a little too slow and his ear was grazed by Takasugi Shinsaku's sword. Fortunately, it was just a minor cut, a trivial superficial wound. Apart from some bleeding, he was otherwise unharmed.

In the blink of an eye, as if to expand his victory, Takasugi Shinsaku suddenly leaped into the air and, using gravity and his own weight, cleaved down the sword that was raised high above him.

Qingdeng gently twisted his body, took a half step back, and then used two upward slashing moves in succession—first slashing from the lower right to the upper left, then smoothly drawing an arc with the knife, turning half a circle, dragging the knife to his left side, and slashing again in the opposite direction, from the lower left to the upper right.

The first strike deflected the fierce attack that Takasugi Shinsaku was launching with immense force.

The second blow struck directly at the face of Shinsaku Takasugi, whose feet were just about to touch the ground.

Takasugi Shinsaku reacted so quickly it was as if he had anticipated Aoto's actions.

He tilted his head to the side, and the sound of wind whistling past his temple made him feel like a ghost.

Next, Takasugi Shinsaku slashed horizontally with the sword he had been holding almost horizontally on his right shoulder.

Seeing this, Qing Deng, in order to make the most of his physical advantages, decided without hesitation to engage in a head-on confrontation with Takasugi Shinsaku.

He copied Takasugi Shinsaku's movements exactly—he held the sword horizontally on his left shoulder, then swung it to create a whirlwind!

As expected—Takasugi Shinsaku, whose arm and waist strength were inferior to Aoto's, was suppressed the moment the two swords clashed.

Qingdeng leaned forward, his body forming an obtuse angle with the wooden corridor beneath his feet.

Takasugi Shinsaku, whose strength was inferior to Aoto's and who could not fight against him, leaned back so far that his body formed an acute angle with the wooden corridor.

However, Shinsaku Takasugi quickly launched a new offensive.

He spread his legs apart, his right foot like a nimble venomous snake, and tried to trip Qingdeng's lower body, attempting to disrupt Qingdeng's center of gravity.

Trying to use such underhanded tricks against Qing Deng, who has systematically studied how to fight in narrow spaces and is very good at seizing opportunities to kick off someone's reproductive organ... is obviously a bit like showing off one's limited skills before an expert.

Aoto lowered his center of gravity, spread his feet, and countered each kick from Takasugi Shinsaku, delivering a timely counterattack.

The two men maintained their knife-wielding poses with their upper bodies, while their lower bodies engaged in a dazzling and intense battle.

Both sides had solid lower body skills, and after a fierce battle, they were evenly matched.