Female Swordsman Training Dojo

"Hmm? You mean those celestial beings who are similar to immortals? I heard my teacher talk about them when I was in elementary school." Harunobu replied casually, although the first thing that came to his mind when he heard the word celestial being was a certain blue-haired girl with two peaches on her head. But that was obviously not something he could talk about with Kondo Yugoro.

Kondo Yugoro nodded: "Pretty much, anyway, it's not much different from the story - in short, it's about a kind of person in the world who is born to achieve what I dream of, to become one with the world, to become a state of no thought and no desire yet with all thoughts and desires, a state of being in harmony with all things in nature."

"In Chinese, there is a term for this state of being—the unity of man and nature."

Having said all that, Harunobu could no longer misunderstand: "You mean..."

"Inamitsu Gozen is indeed as brave and skilled in battle as Susanoo, but even Susanoo himself could not wield his sword against an entire world, against a non-existent target."

"Kondo Yugoro said with a sigh, which made Harunobu tense up. This is really a bit of an exaggeration. Will Taira no Sachiko mess up here?"

He nervously looked back at the arena, and when his gaze fell back on Hirako, the two female swordsmen, who had been locked in a stalemate for a long time, finally made a new move.

Almost simultaneously, the two of them kicked off with all their might, transforming into two afterimages as they lunged at each other. A deafening roar of thunder transformed into a longsword in the hand of a free spirit, slashing straight towards Yuan Xueying!

Thunder Breathing, Seventh Form: Fire Thunder God!

Flying Sword Style - Ultimate Technique: Heavenly Soaring Dragon Flash!

Just like Harunobu's choice, Hirako used the strongest and most suitable combination technique available at the moment. Because, as Kondo Yugoro said, in the battle of minds, Hirako was unable to find any flaws or weaknesses in Minamoto Yukisakura, or even to find her true existence.

Even though the person was right there, it felt like a phantom, an unreal piece of air, as if it were just a part of this space, not an independent person.

But it doesn't matter. Even if the first strike of the Sky Soaring Dragon Flash misses, the suction force generated afterward will create a new opportunity to win. No matter what she thinks, Yuan Xueying is still a person after all, and her physical body will definitely be captured by the suction force!

As for the three-stage breakthrough of the Pingqing eye? It's too slow.

Gazing at the noble face that was now so close, Haruyuki silently drew his sword from its sheath and slashed at Minamoto Yukisakura, who had not yet had a chance to draw her sword.

The sword strike, seemingly aimed at beheading Yuan Xueying, caused a stir in the hall. However, to those who could see his thoughts, the situation was quite different.

In their eyes, when the carefree Susanoo revealed his fighting spirit and slashed down the Totsuka Sword in his hand, Minamoto no Yuki Sakura had already calmly walked to Taira no Yukiko's side—simply taking a step to the side.

It looks like that, but just by considering the speed of both sides, you'll know that this is definitely not just a simple step.

In fact, there were two Minamoto Yuki Sakuras on the field. It was as if the world itself hadn't even noticed that Minamoto Yuki Sakura had left her original position, thus leaving one of her behind.

However, as Hirayukiko's Haruyukimaru struck, that shadow vanished completely. The real Minamoto Yukisakura raised her sword and placed it on Hirayukiko's shoulder.

"What happened?"

At this moment, everyone in the hall, whether ordinary spectators or other samurai and swordsmen, looked bewildered. Their minds and eyes seemed to be at odds, unable to reach a consensus.

Wasn't Gen Yuki Sakura killed? Why is it suddenly her pointing a knife at Hira Sachiko again?

Is it a hallucination? But my mind isn't responding either.

Even the referee was lost in thought, unsure who to declare the winner. He was perfectly prepared to call out Aozora-kan Hirako's name as usual, but how did the situation suddenly change...?

Harunobu looked at Kondo Yugoro.

The aged samurai smiled and said with pride, "Have you ever heard of shrinking the earth? Master Taira?"

The author says:

Author's Note: A wild genius has appeared.JPG Actually, Sachiko could have won with her Water Breathing technique, but a lack of information ruined her chances. And please vote! The climax of the volume should be coming this weekend, Shikai in preparation!

Chapter 337: Yuan Xueying's Visit

Shrinking the earth, or rather, shrinking the earth to an inch, was something Qingxin had certainly heard of. But was it really possible to do? Not through magic, but through personal physical strength and talent.

But the facts are undeniable: that seemingly slow yet actually fast movement, as if omitting space itself, is indeed very similar to the legendary shrinking-the-earth-to-an-inch technique. And if the unity of heaven and man can be achieved, then shrinking the earth to an inch doesn't seem so unacceptable?

Harunobu shook his head; now was not the time to think about such things.

The referee, having finally regained his composure and focus, stepped onto the ring: "The match is over—the winner! Shieikan! Minamoto Yukisakura!"

Yuan Xueying sheathed her sword, took two steps back, and bowed to the still somewhat bewildered Ping Xingzi. Ping Xingzi also composed herself, bowed back, and then turned to return to her private room. But as soon as she turned around, she saw Qingxin.

"Teachers' college..."

Hirako suddenly felt a pang of fear. She hadn't expected Harunobu to witness her defeat so closely. And she believed that Harunobu had come here immediately after the match to celebrate her victory, just as she had originally intended.

Crystalline tears silently streamed from her bright eyes, a fierce resentment gnawing at her heart. Hirako threw herself into Harunobu's open arms.

She wasn't worried about Harunobu rejecting her, nor did she think he would be disappointed by her failure. Because Harunobu always accepted her, accepting almost any request they made. Therefore, she couldn't bear to lose, especially to a fellow woman from another school of samurai—it would tarnish Harunobu's reputation!

She can't accept it!

Harunobu Asahi and Kondo Yugoro nodded, then reached under Hirako's legs and lifted her up in their arms. The sudden princess carry made Hirako forget her tears and stunned the audience. Although Japan in the Taisho era was undergoing comprehensive Westernization, its feudal nature left behind too many traditional customs and etiquette; a princess carry in public, even holding hands, was considered quite bold.

This is one of the reasons why Harunobu's reputation for being a womanizer spread so quickly.

Harunobu didn't care about any of that. He even leaned down and kissed Hirako on the forehead: "Sachiko, well done! To fight to this extent against such a monster, you did a great job!"

“Teacher’s College…” Hirako wanted to say that she could walk by herself, but sensing Haruki’s lack of confidence…

Chapter 363

Despite the firm arms and burning embrace that refused her, she shyly leaned her head back against Qingxin's chest. Her face, which had just been filled with frustration and dejection, was now filled with a gentle smile, a sweet radiance that even overshadowed the overhead lights.

“Monster…” Yuan Xueying, who was suddenly mentioned, showed a rare expression of dissatisfaction. She glared angrily at Qingxin, and then got her face tanned by the lovey-dovey couple.

Harunobu and Hirako ignored her gaze, talking quietly to each other as they walked towards the private room. Minamoto Yukisakura gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, a flash of annoyance in her eyes, and slowly stepped off the stage.

Kondo Yugoro shook his head and approached: "Sakura, look how sweet Hirahara Harunobu and his wife are. Shouldn't you be dating someone at your age? I told you about that Onomiya family member last time... Alright, alright, I won't say anymore. Where are you going?"

……

Harunobu carried Hirako back to the private room. As soon as they entered, they heard whistles and saw pairs of eyes casting longing glances. Harunobu's straightforward comfort made the others envious.

Faced with the envious glances of a group of younger girls, Hirako, contrary to her previous shyness, took the initiative, hooked her arms around Harunobu's neck, and kissed him. Harunobu, of course, did not refuse and even took the initiative again.

They kissed for a long time, until both were aroused, before reluctantly parting. Hirako, her eyes moist, looked at Harunobu, gently shifting her body, and whispered, "My husband~"

Harunobu's anger flared, and his large hand moved down from Hirako's waist—just then, there was a knock on the door.

Haruto Tsuchimikado, who was closer to the door, looked at Harunobu, then opened the door, revealing someone who surprised everyone—Yuki Sakura Minamoto.

Yuan Xueying was also surprised.

She looked at Harunobu's large hand still pressing on Hirako's round, heart-shaped buttocks, and a blush crept onto her usually indifferent expression. She forced herself to speak amidst a questioning gaze, saying, "I came to see Kaguya, and also, thank you, Master Hirako."

"Just don't sue me for murder and trespassing, Attorney Yuan." Harunobu pinched Hirako's plump buttocks and said somewhat impatiently, "Is there anything else?"

Yuan Xueying had already forgotten about the "monster" and was so embarrassed that she just wanted to leave. She even complained in her heart about why the soundproofing of the private room was so good—if she had heard any noise, she wouldn't have knocked at all!

But hearing the undisguised impatience in Harunobu's tone, she became a little rebellious: "And another thing is that it's really going too far to call someone a monster without permission, Master Taira."

"Ah? Oh—I'm sorry." Harunobu remembered what he had said earlier and felt a little embarrassed. Indeed, the word "monster" was still entirely derogatory in this era, completely different from the somewhat complimentary meaning he remembered from his previous life. He had been so focused on comforting Hirako that he had misspoke.

But is this really Minamoto Yuki Sakura's personality?

Qingxin blinked. He thought Yuan Xueying was the kind of indifferent person who didn't care about anything, but he was surprised to find her to be quite lively.

However, Harunobu didn't understand Minamoto Yukisakura, but someone on his side did. Fujiwara Kaguya sized up her true childhood friend, her innocent playmate, and stroked her chin with a knowing air. She couldn't recall ever having Minamoto Yukisakura come knocking on her door demanding an apology for such a small inappropriate word choice, not even if she was just passing by.

What she's more likely to do next time she encounters the other person is to crush them with her strength and retaliate cruelly.

But to say that there's anything between Yuan Xueying and Qingxin doesn't make sense either, since she and Qingxin haven't had much contact, and given her personality, it's even less likely.

But maybe... well...

Fujiwara Kaguya squinted, but quickly regained her composure. The clever cowboy knew that things had to be done one step at a time, and that it should start with the easy ones.

After receiving Harunobu's apology, Minamoto Yukisakura suddenly felt calm, leaving her somewhat puzzled. Did she really care that much about Harunobu's opinion?

Or is it because of something else?

In any case, with the arrival of Minamoto Yuki, Harunobu clearly couldn't continue with Hirako. So he simply stood up and prepared to go home.

The final match will definitely be held tomorrow; he still needs to figure out how to deal with Yuan Xueying's Harmony of Heaven and Man and Shrinking Earth techniques.

Chapter 338: The Night Before the Final

Upon returning to Aozorakan, Harunobu and Hirako rolled into the hot spring, comforting the dejected darling with their actions. The others, though also tempted, gently gave the two of them their time—in short, another leisurely night at Aozorakan.

But it's different in other places.

For example, Yakumo Kurenai has been busy for several days in a row, making up for all the time she had missed. Meanwhile, Rin Rokudo, who was forced by her to continuously use his innate magic to summon the Underworld and help draw the magic circle, looked exhausted, and his baldness had even increased.

However, the results are also encouraging.

That desolate land of the underworld was covered with intricate patterns, with red flames and black mist flowing and surging within, inadvertently emitting a terrifying aura.

Lun Liudao dared to swear on his innate magical abilities that this was the most powerful and bizarre barrier he had ever seen in hundreds of years—even though its effect was so simple.

Imprisonment.

This barrier has only one effect: it imprisons all targets within its range. Whether they are spellcasters, samurai, monsters, gods, or ordinary humans, their magical power will be forcibly confined. Perhaps even the Yamata no Orochi cannot escape it…

As Lun Liudao thought this outrageously, his awe of Yakumo Kurenai grew even stronger. Previously, he had only been tolerant of Yakumo Kurenai out of fear of a combatant, but now he felt that his intuition was indeed quite powerful, having saved his life once again.

"But what do you plan to use as the core of such a massive barrier? Your pipe alone isn't enough, is it?"

The biggest difference between a magic circle and a barrier lies in their duration. A barrier is essentially permanent once it's established—as long as the core, or the object used to suppress it, doesn't malfunction. However, this also means that the more powerful the barrier, the more powerful the object used to suppress it needs. This is why spellcasters haven't proposed building a large barrier covering the entire country to completely solve the problem of monsters.

Even using Amaterasu as firewood probably wouldn't be enough to meet that scale of demand, unless the barrier's effect is reduced to practically useless.

Yakumo Kurenai awkwardly squeezed her empty fingers and replied, "I guess I'll just have to do it myself. Anyway, this is just a backup plan. And you can't be incapable of dealing with a bunch of immobilized humans, can you?"

"Ah, me?" Lun Liudao stared wide-eyed in astonishment. Judging from his innate magic, he wasn't a monster who enjoyed fighting. But then he thought, facing a group of imprisoned mortals didn't really count as a battle; it was no different from his usual games and meals.

So before Yakumo Kurenai could offer any further persuasion, he nodded to himself: "Alright, but if Guild Master Orochi asks about it later..."

"You won't be left out of the credit." Yakumo Kurenai took out a piece of malt candy from her pocket and popped it into her mouth. "I thought we were going to recruit Tenmoku Ren or those other guys. Looks like you're not so timid after all. Aren't you worried that those old fogies will cause trouble?"

Lun Liudao chuckled: "Those old fogies aren't going back to participate in the Heavenly Observation Trial anyway. What's the point of them coming back after we've blown them up?"

"Alright then," Yakumo Kurenai said noncommittally, then clapped her hands. "Let's check it one last time while we still have time, just in case there are any problems."

After all, this was the first time Yakumo Kurenai had ever used such a large-scale barrier, especially one set up in the underworld.

Wheel of Six Realms

Chapter 364

He had no objections; after all, so many days had passed, one more night wouldn't make a difference. However, he had another question: "By the way, your barrier is fine, but the magic array at the Tianlan Trial has been repaired a long time ago. I might not be able to summon Huang Quan in time."

"You won't be hindered, believe me." Yakumo Kurenai seemed to have thought of something very happy. Her charming fox eyes narrowed into slits, and her bright red lips curved into a smile that made Rin Rokudo feel a little scared.

……

At the Ame-no-Neonari Shrine, the shrine maiden, sporting dark circles under her eyes, was diligently studying the asabu in her hands. Although her face was extremely tired, her expression was very excited. Dozens of paper figures ran from all over the shrine, only to turn into handfuls of ashes or shredded paper.

However, some were lucky enough to survive, though their pristine white bodies underwent noticeable changes. Color change was just the most basic; some developed strange patterns and words on their bodies, others grew extra limbs or organs, and some even became three-dimensional—but these lucky ones were still not truly fortunate.

They didn't move for more than a few minutes before collapsing to the ground and returning to their original state—a blank sheet of paper.

Much later, when the moonlight had become bright, the priestess finally stopped her frantic research, yawning as she picked up the strong tea in front of her.

Ugh—it's so bitter!

The shrine maiden, whose eyes were watering from the bitterness of the invigorating tea she had brewed herself, dropped the asagi in her hand and slumped limply onto the table: "Eh, what exactly is this sword? I can clearly feel that there is an even stronger power inside, but I just can't activate it... Even that samurai, Taira no Harunobu, was able to gradually activate it."

The moment the shrine maiden first saw the asauchi, she noticed the extraordinary nature of this unassuming katana. While it outwardly appeared no different from an ordinary katana, it seemed to be composed of an extremely pure soul. This was precisely the treasure she had longed for—the one that would free her from her predicament.

However, she hadn't stooped to the point of stealing from others, and her attempt to trade unsurprisingly failed; after all, it was such a rare and powerful treasure, and Hiraharutobu didn't seem to be unaware of its value. She just hadn't expected there to be a second one, and that Hiraharutobu was actually willing to trade it—at that moment, the shrine maiden deeply understood what it meant to find a way out of a seemingly hopeless situation.

I was also a little worried about Hiraharu's overly kind nature. This kid is so kind-hearted, won't he be bullied? But then I thought about it, Hiraharu is quite strong, and he's not so kind and naive as to be easily bullied. It shouldn't be that bad.

So, let's figure out the secret of this knife as soon as possible.

Thinking of this, the priestess sighed: "I've tried fierce battles, sacrifices of flesh and blood, and all sorts of spells to break seals and awaken spirits, but none of them have worked."

"The only thing left to try is the samurai's mindset... What a hassle."

Let's do a divination.

The priestess took out a stack of talismans and had just calmly recited the first incantation when her expression suddenly changed.

"This is……"

The author says:

Author's Note: I should be able to post 10,000 words a day tomorrow, and I'll try my best to avoid breaking any chapters. It's also the time for my initial release! So please vote!

Chapter 339: The Day of the Finals (1/5)

The highly anticipated Tianlan Tournament finally reached its final round. Although only Hirahara Harunobu, Minamoto Yukisakura, and Minamoto Kuro were actually participating, the number of people flooding into the venue was greater than ever before. In particular, there were many high-ranking officials and nobles who hadn't come before, pushing some guests who could have occupied private boxes into the main hall below—excluding Harunobu, of course.

The arrival of these people naturally attracted even more people, and with the addition of many ordinary spectators, the large venue, originally designed to accommodate a maximum of 50,000 people, was now crammed with nearly 60,000 people!

It was truly a sea of ​​people, with loudspeakers blaring and red flags waving—oh, no, that's not it.