I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

At this moment, Qingdeng was like a fighting machine running on blood as fuel.

Efficiently distinguish between enemy and friendly forces.

Efficiently wield your sword to kill enemies!

He single-handedly blocked the breach, and with his formidable fighting strength and high morale, he successfully defended this precious "bridgehead"!

In the blink of an eye, a gleaming spear hurtled toward Qingdeng's face.

Qingdeng turned his head, and the spearhead grazed his neck... to be precise, it grazed the chainmail around Qingdeng's neck, sending sparks flying.

In the next instant, Qingdeng turned his head in the opposite direction, using his cheek and shoulder to clamp the gun barrel tightly and raising his left hand to grip the gun shaft, preventing the other party from taking the spear back.

In the next instant, Qing Deng slashed forward diagonally, splitting the spear in two. Then, he smoothly thrust the short spear in his hand into the opponent's chest.

He used the broken end of the gun to shield the man's body, using him as a shield against the bandits behind him.

The bandits collapsed into a pile like rice stalks blown down by the wind.

At this point, Qingdeng had already penetrated deep into the rear of the checkpoint.

The bandits anxiously attempted a counterattack.

But at that moment, they suddenly heard the sound of rocks and hard ground being violently trampled.

Like ocean waves.

Like a storm.

Like funeral music for bandits!

Kanazawa Tadatsugu: "Follow Tachibana-kun!"

The punitive expeditionary force crossed the "bridgehead" that Qingdeng had desperately defended, and surged through the checkpoints like a tide, further tearing open the gap in the enemy's defenses that Qingdeng had created!

Before they could think it through, the two groups of people clashed violently.

In terms of combat strength, mountain bandits who make a living by robbing and plundering cannot possibly defeat the fire-treasure thieves who are listed as one of the shogunate's regular troops.

The bandits, transformed from fire-wielding thieves, were like acrobatic spears, piercing into the ranks of the mountain bandits and launching a thunderous offensive.

However, these ruthless mountain bandits, who live on the edge of death, are not weak and easily bullied dolls.

The bandits seemed to understand that if they didn't win this battle, they would all be doomed. So, without any instructions or mobilization from their commander, they were in high spirits and spontaneously raised their weapons, bravely fighting alongside the soldiers of the expeditionary force.

The timely arrival of friendly forces greatly reduced the pressure on Qingdeng, allowing him to fight more freely and without fear!

He would sometimes sprint, sometimes slow down, so that his sweat-drenched body and his chest, which had been heaving violently like a bellows, could have a moment's rest.

He charged into the chaotic battlefield, head held high, chest puffed out, charging left and right, his sword flashing, repeatedly tearing apart the enemy's formation.

He brandished his blade, taking steps and leaping! The pool of blood that covered the ground splattered and scattered repeatedly at his feet. The flickering light of his blade was like a silver swallow repeatedly darting towards the oncoming waves.

The "Flying Swallow" plunges into the waves, then flips over to meet the next wave. It hardly stops for a moment, and with each flight of the "Flying Swallow," someone is bound to be injured and fall to the ground.

The swordsman let out a lion-like roar and his heart pounded!

At that moment, a sharp slash shattered the sky.

As if summoned by the sound of the sword, Qing Deng looked in the direction of the sound—and saw a very strong warrior a few steps away to his right, displaying the heroic posture of raising a giant katana nearly 2 meters long above his head.

Before we could even see what it looked like, a dangerous aura was already palpable!

The Ōdachi (Great Sword) was a unique weapon invented by samurai during the Kamakura period to boast of their prowess and strength.

Those who can master the skills of this weapon are few and far between, but there is no doubt that if one can skillfully wield the greatsword, then that person will be an extremely terrifying presence on the battlefield!

A buzzing sound filled the air.

The greatsword, wielded with force, created a large amount of air currents as it slashed downwards.

Everything around seemed to be swept up by the air currents stirred up by the greatsword, with dust billowing everywhere. The passage of time seemed to slow down.

Go head-on with someone wielding a greatsword? Qing Deng didn't have the leisure or energy for that.

Qing Deng raised the tip of his sword, which was meant to subdue ghosts and gods, and began his attack with a flourish.

The next instant, he vanished from the spot.

With the powerful leg strength granted by "Bear Waist +1" and "Leading the Way", Qing Deng leaped up as if shattering the ground.

Qingdeng leaped out like an arrow released from a bow; it would be more accurate to say he "flew" rather than "leaped"!

With a figure as elusive as a ghost, Qing Deng nimbly slipped past the blade of the greatsword, his sword and all, and slashed straight at the back of the greatsword, towards the bandit holding it.

A sharp, familiar sensation of a blade cutting through flesh flowed continuously into Qing Deng's palms.

With a single strike, he pierced his opponent's waist, the blade disappearing deep into his flesh, the guard pressed against his skin, before finally stopping.

“哈啊啊……！”

Qingdeng let out a short shout, then simultaneously exerted force from his legs, waist, and wrists! He wielded the sword in his hand, sweeping it horizontally along the direction of the blade!

A tearing sound—like cloth being torn.

The blade of the sword, from the guard to the tip, sliced ​​open the opponent's abdomen. Qing Deng's head was close to the opponent's body, and he smoothly passed under the opponent's right armpit, flashing behind the opponent.

This bandit, who wielded a greatsword, had only about half of his upper and lower body still connected by skin and flesh.

However, his vitality is exceptionally strong.

Half of his waist was cut open... This kind of injury would have caused an ordinary person to collapse to the ground, unable to move, and only able to slowly wait for death. But he did not fall to the ground or lose consciousness. He even launched a final, desperate counterattack against Qingdeng.

"Ho...ho...hoa ...

A hoarse roar burst from his throat. He threw away the greatsword in his hand, reached into his robes, pulled out a small pocket sword, and turned to stab Qing Deng in the back.

Unexpectedly, Qing Deng was a beat too slow to react – although he managed to dodge the incoming arrow, his left elbow, which was not protected by armor, was accidentally cut with a shallow bloodstain.

"Haaah...! Haaahhhhh...!"

The man relentlessly stabbed Qingdeng three more times, but Qingdeng easily dodged them all.

Just as the man was about to unleash his fourth sword strike, Qing Deng swung his sword in a backhand motion, sending him to his death.

Although this guy's tenacious persistence and counterattack delayed Qingdeng for a considerable amount of time, this lost time was not wasted—

[Ding! Talent detected]

[Successfully replicated talent: "Iron Waist"]

[Talent Introduction: Lower back is less prone to strain, injury, and fatigue]

[Ding! Detected that the host already possesses a talent of the same type]

[Ding! Initiating talent fusion]

[Please wait, host... Please wait, host...]

[Upgrade to "Iron Waist" Ability - "Iron Waist +1"]

[“Iron Waist +1” Talent Introduction: The talent effect is enhanced on top of the original. “+9” is the highest level.]

A long-awaited fusion of talents.

Unfortunately, Qingdeng has no time to rejoice at the fact that his waist strength has increased.

Although the wound left on Qing Deng's left elbow by the guy wielding the greatsword wasn't deep, it still sent a real pain through Qing Deng's nerves.

The pain felt like electric currents, briefly pulling Qingdeng out of his "killing machine" state.

"Ha...! Ha...! Ha...! Ha...! Ha...! Ha...!"

It wasn't until his mind had cleared up a little that Qingdeng realized how terribly his breathing had been disordered.

The breath he exhaled from his mouth and nose turned into a misty white fog in the cold autumn air. The rapid breathing formed a thick sound barrier, making it almost impossible for Qingdeng to hear any other sounds from the outside world.

My lungs ache slightly, and my muscles feel heavy and sore, as if they've been injected with molten lead.

The complex and ever-changing battlefield situation posed a great challenge to Qingdeng's physical strength.

Even with the support of "Strong Muscles +1" and "Iron Lungs", Qing Deng's body was starting to feel the strain of this high-intensity exertion.

As Qingdeng raised the back of his left hand, he wiped away the pale red liquid—a mixture of his own sweat and the enemy's blood—that was about to drip down his chin. He regulated his breathing and looked around.

no the same……

This is unlike any battle I've ever fought before...

The noise was unlike anything Qing Deng had ever heard before, completely different from the sounds of the bustling city and every battle he had ever experienced, making his eardrums ache.

At that moment, Qingdeng had a strange feeling of not being able to distinguish up from down, left from right, east from west, north from south—when he looked up, there were battles happening everywhere. No matter which direction he looked, he could see battles taking place, and he no longer knew where he was.

Familiar faces, unfamiliar faces; faces distorted by pain, faces twisted by excitement; flying arrows, leaping blades; blood foam scattering in the air—all mingling and sweeping across Qingdeng's vision.

At this moment, neither the punitive expeditionary force nor the Xiangma troops had any formation left.

The two sides were entangled, each with their own forces intertwined.

One wielding spear pierced another's wooden shield, while another's released arrow pierced the first's throat.

One man's swinging fist smashed the other's nose, while the other's flying kick struck the first man in the groin.

One swung a katana and severed the throat of the other; the other's selfless charge knocked down the body of the first.

The air was thick with the stench of blood and the acrid smell of burning flames; these odors, mixed with billowing smoke and dust, made it difficult to breathe.

Qingdeng, who was used to "facing the enemy alone", had never seen such a scene before.

At this moment, a murmur inexplicably surfaced in Qingdeng's mind:

Is this... war...?

Now is not the time to transform into a great philosopher and ponder these difficult questions.

With the help of "Qiangjing" which enhances physical recovery speed, Qingdeng quickly regulated his breathing rhythm.

He had just taken a step forward, ready to throw himself back into the battlefield, when he suddenly felt something rushing towards him from behind, accompanied by the sound of air being cut.

Qingdeng, whose back instantly broke out in goosebumps, instinctively dodged to the left.

A katana slashed towards the spot where Qing Deng had just stood—the wielder was a burly bandit wearing heavy red armor.

Having such high-quality armor to wear... this person must hold a certain position among horse shoppers.

"I am Yuki Tsunekichi, a retainer of the Sendai Domain, of the Kyoshin Akechi school!" he shouted. "Prepare to die!"

They've already become outlaws, yet they're still putting on that "samurai duel" act... A mocking smile appeared on Qing Deng's lips.