Chihaya Aine is a member of the team Zero

Goto Ichiri swung the thin green sword and slashed it horizontally at the air in front of him.

call--!

A much sharper sound of breaking wind was heard than before.

"I have improved a technique..." There was a hint of joy in Goto Ichiri's calm tone.

The reason why Hidden Blade Ronin did not take advantage of the moment when Goto Ichiri was digesting his combat experience to attack Goto Ichiri was because he was also digesting his combat experience.

After Goto Ichiri turned his gaze to the Hidden Blade Ronin, he saw that the Hidden Blade Ronin was also swinging his sword at the air in front of him just like before.

Both the strength and speed of the sword swing were a little faster than before.

"Have your techniques improved as well..." Goto Ichiri murmured as he looked at the Hidden Blade Ronin.

After witnessing Hidden Blade Ronin evolve in battle like her and refine his techniques in battle, Goto Ichiri somehow did not feel annoyed or frustrated.

I just felt that the will to defeat the Hidden Blade Ronin became stronger.

After confirming his improved skills, the Hidden Blade Ronin smiled at Goto Ichiri, then raised his sword again and charged towards Goto Ichiri.

And Goto Ichiri also fought back without fear.

This was a battle in which both sides had equal weapons and combat power, and there was no personal hatred involved.

In the past, duels were either about personal vendettas or

It's because the weapons are not equal. The opponent is using some strange-shaped weapons instead of a knife.

Without the interference of the emotion of "hatred", Goto Ichiri was able to fully feel the changes in his body in this battle where both sides had equal combat power and weapons, and to gain insights into how to improve his techniques.

Although only the dark turn of Hokushin Ittoryu has been further improved, Goto Ichiri can clearly feel that all his techniques are actually being improved.

From all the katana techniques of Hokushin Ittoryu, to all the katana techniques of Niten Ichiryu, and finally to combat experience, everything is being improved.

In the battle with the Hidden Blade Ronin, I kept discovering my shortcomings, some unnecessary movements in myself, and the best ways to exert force in certain specific situations.

The same is true for the Hidden Blade Ronin on the opposite side.

The Hidden Blade Ronin also continued to improve his skills in battle.

The progress gained in these fierce battles where one might actually die is not necessarily achieved by swinging a wooden sword at the air a thousand times in the dojo or having a thousand friendly and restrained sparring sessions with friends.

Now Goto Ichiri can no longer remember how many times he has exchanged offense and defense with Hidden Blade Ronin.

All she knew now was that her physical strength had declined significantly.

"A mind as clear as a mirror and as still as water" is a state that will rapidly consume physical strength.

At this moment, Goto Ichiri had reached a state where he could no longer maintain his oxygen supply without opening his mouth and breathing deeply.

The same is true for the Hidden Blade Ronin.

Although Goto Ichiri didn't know much about "Air Burning", this enhanced state that could greatly improve the body's functions in a short period of time could not be without any side effects or defects.

The Hidden Blade Ronin opposite was also now out of breath, and the faint white smoke like steam floating out from under his skin had become much thinner.

Because of his intense concentration, Goto Ichiri did not look at the condition of his body.

I can only judge from the burning sensation that keeps coming from all over my body that I have quite a few injuries now.

But Goto Ichiri now has no energy or spare power to take care of the injuries on his body.

Hidden Blade Ronin was the strongest opponent Goto Ichiri had ever faced since arriving at this training ground. His strength was on par with Goto Ichiri's, and a moment of carelessness could lead to his defeat.

Every nerve in Goto Ichiri's body had already been stretched to the extreme, his eyes fixed on the Hidden Blade Ronin opposite him, looking for his flaws.

And Goto Ichiri's body... no.

It should be said that Goto Ichiri's body and mind were quietly changing in this evenly matched battle.

"Hmm? What's going on...?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Goto Ichiri's eyes.

At a certain moment just now, Goto Ichiri suddenly felt that his vision became very strange.

Just now, Goto Ichiri seemed to vaguely see... the muscles under the skin of the Hidden Blade Ronin.

Although it was only a brief moment, Goto Ichiri could still clearly see the shape of each muscle in the Hidden Blade Ronin's body and how they were moving.

"Am I dazzled?"

This question couldn't help but emerge in Goto Ichiri's mind.

Before Goto Ichiri had time to think about what was going on with the vision of the Hidden Blade Ronin that seemed to be able to see through him, the Hidden Blade Ronin, who seemed to have figured out how to deal with Goto Ichiri, pounced on him.

clang!

clang!

clang!

There were several more sounds of metal clashing.

Just as he used Izumi-no-Kami Fujiwara Kanesada to block another attack from the Hidden Blade Ronin, Goto Ichiri's pupils suddenly shrank.

Because the strange vision just now appeared again.

You can see what the muscles look like under the Hidden Blade Ronin's skin.

You can see how the muscles under the Hidden Blade Ronin's skin move.

This time, the strange vision lasted a little longer than before.

Because it lasted longer, Goto Ichiri clearly saw how the Hidden Blade Ronin's right arm muscles were moving and how they were preparing to move.

Goto Ichiri has never studied medicine. Normally, even if he sees how the muscles in the other person's arm are moving, Goto Ichiri would not be able to know what the other person is planning to do.

But after seeing the changes in the muscles of Hidden Blade Ronin's right arm, Goto Ichiri felt as if a voice sounded in her mind.

And the voice was telling him: The Hidden Blade Ronin intends to use a straight stab, aiming at my right chest.

After his previous slash was blocked by Goto Ichiri, Hidden Blade Ronin immediately turned the katana in his right hand and pointed the tip of the blade at Goto Ichiri.

Then, a scene appeared that made the Hidden Blade Ronin's eyes widen in shock.

He had just thrust out the katana in his right hand when Goto Ichiri dodged it with an extremely fast step.

The movement was so fast that it was as if he had predicted his attack in advance...

Goto Ichiri used a quick step to get to the side of the Hidden Blade Ronin, then raised his two swords high...

Just as he dodged the Hidden Blade Ronin's attack with a quick step, the strange vision disappeared again.

Thanks to the strange vision just now, Goto Ichiri predicted in advance how the Hidden Blade Ronin would attack and dodged the attack at an extremely fast speed.

Goto Ichiri's dodging speed this time was so fast that the Hidden Blade Ronin couldn't react in time.

So much so that after Goto Ichiritsu flashed to the side of the Hidden Blade Ronin, the Hidden Blade Ronin had no time to get into a defensive or evasive position.

Goto Ichiri naturally would not miss this great opportunity to attack.

Goto Ichiri raised the thin green in her hand and used the Izumi-no-kami Fujiwara Kanesada's unique skill of Niten Ichiryu - Swift Wind Shot.

Bo Lu and Izumi-no-kami Fujiwara Kanesada transformed into two rays of light so fast that only afterimages remained and swept towards the Hidden Blade Ronin.

The Hidden Blade Ronin barely managed to prepare for defense before Goto Ichiri's sword fell on him.

After connecting the first three slashes of Gale Strike, Hidden Blade Ronin discovered that the rhythm of Goto Ichiri's consecutive slashes was chaotic.

Therefore, Hidden Blade Ronin did not dare to be careless and concentrated all his energy and attention on defense.

clang! clang!

Then, the Hidden Blade Ronin attacked with two more strikes.

When Goto Ichiri was about to swing the sixth sword, his vision changed and the strange vision just now appeared again.

This time the strange vision lasted longer and was clearer.

Based on the changes in the Hidden Blade Ronin's muscles, Goto Ichiri clearly saw how every muscle in the Hidden Blade Ronin's body was changing.

Which knife would he want to use for defense next?

And how much force the knife he used for defense had.

"How is this going?"

It was only then that Goto Ichiri realized: "This time it's not just the vision that has changed."

Even the control over my own body has changed.

Goto Ichiri felt as if he could freely control every muscle in his body.

If you want to use 100 points of force, you will never use 101 points of force.

This feeling of being able to freely control every muscle in the body... is the first time Goto Ichiri has experienced it.

Goto Ichiri feels that his current self can instantly kill his previous self.

This time, the Hidden Blade Ronin did not catch Goto Ichiri's sixth sword.

.

Goto Ichiri had predicted how the Hidden Blade Ronin was going to defend based on his muscles.

Then, relying on his miraculous state of being able to freely control every muscle in his body, he easily swung the knife that had been chopped from mid-air, bypassed the Hidden Blade Ronin's defense, and chopped the Hidden Blade Ronin.

The blade slashed from the Hidden Blade Ronin's left shoulder to his right armpit.

The eyes of Hidden Blade Ronin were now filled with astonishment.

He instinctively felt that Goto Ichiri's temperament had changed suddenly, although it was only for a brief moment.

If we say that after entering the "Heart of Mingjing Shisui", Goto Ichiri gave the Hidden Blade Ronin the feeling that he had turned from a human into a thousand-year-old tree.

At that moment just now, Goto Ichiri seemed to have transformed from a thousand-year-old tree into a vast and boundless universe!

So huge, so vast, so unfathomable!

After the sixth blow, the strange vision disappeared again.

After successfully injuring the Hidden Blade Ronin with the sixth blow of Gale Strike, Goto Ichiri raised Bo Lu high, ready to strike the last blow of Gale Strike.

The knife attack he just received had a great impact on Hidden Blade Ronin.

Looking at the thin green sword held high in Goto Ichiri's hand, Hidden Blade Ronin realized that because of the previous blow, he had no time to take Goto Ichiri's seventh blow.

So the Hidden Blade Ronin gritted his teeth and simply gave up on defense.

Instead of defending against Goto Ichiri's seventh sword, he pointed the tip of the katana in his hand at Goto Ichiri and stabbed straight at him.

Both of their knives hit each other.

The Hidden Blade Ronin's sword pierced Goto Ichiri's right chest.

Goto Ichiri's sword slashed from Hidden Blade Ronin's left shoulder to his right abdomen.

Blood splattered from the two men almost at the same time.

Volume 1: Chapter 229: Mingjing Shisui's Heart Takes a Further Step

After pulling their respective swords out of each other's bodies, Goto Ichiri and Hidden Blade Ronin each took a few steps back.

"Cough...cough cough cough..."

Warm blood flowed into Goto Ichiri's throat and dripped from the corners of his mouth.

A feeling of dizziness began to surge in my mind.

Goto Ichiri's chest had begun to rise and fall at a very high frequency like a blower.

Even if he breathed deeply, the efficiency of oxygen supply could not keep up with Goto Ichiri's consumption.

It’s almost reached the limit... All the reactions of the body tell Goto Ichiri this fact.

After entering the state of "a heart as clear as a mirror and still water", your physical strength will be lost at a rapid rate, just like the water in a bathtub with the drain open.

Goto Ichiri estimated that her "clear and calm heart" could only last for a few more minutes.

Hidden Blade Ronin's current condition is even worse than Goto Ichiri's.

His panting was even more intense than Goto Ichiri's.

The steam-like white mist emitted from the skin became lighter than before.