Female Swordsman Training Dojo

The man he was asking stood before him, a full head shorter; he was completely shrouded in a hooded robe, revealing only his smooth chin. As the crowd surged forward, the man shook his head: "I just seemed to sense my uncle's presence, but it was probably just an illusion. He's already dead."

"Forget it, our target this time isn't him, but those blasphemous alchemists. Don't let your guard down."

"Yes, my king."

The foreigners murmured in agreement, then stepped onto another train in orderly fashion, just missing Harunobu and his group who had just disembarked.

The author says:

Author's Note: Update progress +8, asking for votes at the beginning of the month~ I went to the hospital for a check-up yesterday and had my blood drawn, and they found out my uric acid was too high... That explains why my right heel has been hurting lately whenever I don't move it for a while... Damn it!

Chapter 374: Ambush

Stepping out of the train station, it was completely dark. In the moonless night, only a few streaks of starlight shone through, dotting the sparse kerosene streetlights. Although trains and trams now existed, the power grid had not yet fully covered the entire city, so the kerosene streetlights had not been completely phased out.

Pedestrians and oil-lacquering workers carrying long sticks walked slowly along both sides of the road, with the occasional car speeding by.

Chapter 402

It attracted a lot of attention; but soon those eyes were drawn away by the shouts of various girls from the roadside. The energetic dance of those girls, some dressed in flashy clothes and others with their arms and legs exposed, seemed to be a symbol of the city.

Qingxin glanced at him briefly, then reached out to stop a man who was approaching him: "What is it, sir?"

"Ah, sir, hello." The man's enthusiasm bordered on obsequiousness. "Please allow me to introduce my invention to you, something novel and unprecedented..."

“I’m not interested, thank you.” Harunobu pushed aside the inventor who was looking for sponsorship, opening a path for him. The Taisho era could be described as Japan’s Renaissance, and there were far too many people dreaming of becoming inventors and getting rich overnight, but Harunobu had no interest in being an angel investor.

After all, it's hard to determine whether these people have genuine expertise or are just amateur scientists. Even if they can produce something real, there's still the issue of plagiarism. Even if it's not intentional, if they accidentally infringe on someone else's patent, Qingxin finds it troublesome just thinking about it.

Yuan Xueying, carrying her sword, walked forward: "It seems a bit far to come this way."

In her mind, it would be almost impossible to reach the spot where the "fish" had re-entered the water, even if it meant traversing the entire city. After such a long journey, they might very well be waiting for them, exhausted and rested.

She looked at Qingxin with a slight hesitation, wanting to ask for his opinion. But before she could speak, her delicate eyebrows twitched slightly: "Someone is watching us."

Yuan Xueying was not referring to the stares of ordinary passersby, but rather to the kind of stares that were very deliberate and even hostile.

Harunobu smiled and pulled Fujiwara Kaguya to his side, whispering, "Let's find a quiet place."

Yuan Xueying nodded slightly, as if greeting Qingxin and the others, and then calmly began to take a detour.

In the distance, on the third floor of a hotel next to the train station, Wu Zun, hiding in a room facing the street, cracked his knuckles and chuckled as he commented, "Quite alert, huh? Looks like he's got some skills."

After learning by phone that Harunobu and the others were heading straight back, Takeru and his group split into several groups and staked out train stations in Osaka and even in several nearby prefectures.

At the same time, this lively scene was deliberately created to test the strength of Hiraharunobu and his group. Now it seems they do have some skill and are indeed very talented.

Of course, except for that guy.

Asuka Umeko chimed in, "They can only bully us weak women. It's definitely not a problem for you, Lord Martial Venerable."

"Of course." Wu Zun arrogantly raised his head. "Stop talking such nonsense in the future. Let's go and follow them."

The Martial Venerable deliberately created this bustling street scene for two reasons: firstly, to test Qingxin, and secondly, to send these "good people" to a secluded place. After all, there would be plenty of people around the train station even if they didn't make a move, and their identities as orphans of a god couldn't be openly revealed.

In name only, they were all ordinary clergy, but extremely devout.

As for what would happen if Qingxin and the others didn't leave... that was impossible. Since these pedantic and arrogant fellows had realized someone was watching, they would definitely try to turn the tables on them, and Wuzun was very confident in this. And indeed, he was right; these samurai were still just as foolish.

Squeezing his arms into the steel cage, Wu Zun climbed out of the window, which was too small for him, and onto the roof: "Everyone, get out there! Anyone who doesn't come or makes a mistake will be the last to receive their share!"

Everyone wanted these high-quality offerings, but a few people clearly couldn't satisfy all the groups present. So, following the Martial Venerable's command, a group of clergymen used stealth and concealment spells to quietly follow Qingxin and his group.

And naturally, they did not notify the "divine sons" at other train stations.

Like an ordinary little girl, Yakumo Kurenai skipped and hopped after Harunobu, muttering mockingly, "What are these idiots thinking? Such obvious magical fluctuations, do they think we're blind?"

“Maybe they’ve mistaken us all for samurai, since we all carry swords.” Shiranui Ran reasoned logically, keeping pace with Hirai Yukiko.

"Just stay alert." Harunobu didn't intend to underestimate the enemy, especially one who had successfully escaped from him before. The others certainly wouldn't make the same mistake, and Fujiwara Kaguya and Minamoto Yuki, who were the least experienced in this kind of life-or-death combat, were especially on edge.

Finally, by deliberately choosing a secluded path, Yuan Xueying arrived at a clearing overgrown with weeds, where several hollow cement pipes were piled up in a very classic manner.

The open space was surrounded by dead ends on three sides, blocked by high walls; the only entrance was a narrow alley that could only accommodate one person, or at most, Yakumo Hong walking side by side. The surrounding buildings were dilapidated and empty, clearly an abandoned construction site.

Here, you don't have to worry about not being able to fully unleash your potential.

Qingxin looked up at the Martial Venerable who was climbing through the window. He had already sensed the big guy through the sound of the wind; but when he actually saw him, he still showed a hint of surprise at the bear's appearance: "Uh, a bear demon?"

The Martial Venerable, who was initially shocked by being discovered, flew into a rage upon hearing Qingxin's words. He disregarded Qingxin's matter and smashed the window open.

His enormous body, even larger than a real bear, stretched out completely; the steel cages covering his two forearms crackled with lightning and struck straight at Harunobu's head.

Qingxin continued to look around; he could roughly sense that there were still people around. And usually, these burly vanguards were just elite monsters or even weaklings. Although this one seemed to be fairly strong, that was all.

Hirako suddenly drew her sword, and the thunderous explosion made even the Martial Venerable's body tremble, then his anger intensified.

"Foolish woman! How dare you lay a finger on the power of thunder!"

The fist aimed at Harunobu's head shifted to Hirako's shoulder. Although the Martial Saint was furious, he hadn't lost his mind. Such an excellent sacrifice couldn't be killed so easily.

Hirako was somewhat surprised by Takeru's change of move. Not only was the speed unusually fast, but the power was also not reduced... Was it because of those gauntlets? The gauntlets flashing with lightning were really eye-catching, so it's no wonder Hirako thought so.

But in the eyes of the Martial Venerable, how dare this woman lose focus in the face of his attack?

He added two more points of force to his strike, which he had originally intended only to break bones; he wanted to smash this fool's shoulder into a pulp! The enraged Martial Lord completely ignored Hirako's swing at him, Haruyukimaru, even though he recognized it as a cursed sword.

He is the successor of Susanoo! A living god in this degenerate age! How could a mere demon sword possibly harm his well-trained body! Watch him break this piece of junk with a single punch!

Amidst a deafening roar of thunder, the lightning-streaked gauntlet slammed into Haruyukimaru.

The Martial Venerable's furious expression vanished in an instant, his distorted face slowly relaxing into surprise and resentment—such strength! Such a sharp blade!

The steel gauntlets imbued with divine power were mercilessly cleaved apart by the remains of the demonic dragon forged by the true god. In comparison, the rather slender Hirako drew power with her breath, unleashing a force far greater than that of the Martial God's thick arm, sending Haruyuki directly into the Martial God's hand bones.

boom!

A blinding white bolt of lightning tore through the night, illuminating the shock, shame, and... ecstasy on the Martial Venerable's face!

Chapter 375: Defeat

The successive lightning strikes forced Hirako to sheathe her sword and retreat, while the remaining enemies appearing on the surrounding rooftops and walls made the others grip their sword hilts tightly, ready to attack. Only Harunobu seemed relatively relaxed, because those who had appeared all seemed rather weak.

The strongest one was actually this one that was leveled.

Chapter 403

Sachiko crippled the bear demon's right hand with a single move...

Honestly, he thought the Tongxin Association would at least send a cadre of Yakumo Akari's caliber, but this is all? He was so nervous, and it turned out he was just outsmarting thin air.

"you……"

"you……"

Harunobu and Takeru spoke at the same time, then both fell silent for a moment. Finally, Takeru spoke again before Harunobu could get any information out of him: "You are the women's dojo that's been making headlines all this time, the Azure Sky Dojo, right?"

Harunobu didn't answer the warrior's question. He lazily rested his left hand on the scabbard and gently rubbed the hilt with his thumb. "You're accomplices of those fallen shrine maidens from the Ame-no-Tama-no-Mikoto Shrine, aren't you? What kind of magic was that lightning just now?"

This frivolous attitude clearly angered many people. Harunobu could feel many malicious gazes coming from behind the burly man, but that was all. It seemed this burly man really was the leader. He just wondered if these guys were all like those fallen priestesses, fearless of death and ready to shatter their own souls at any moment.

Otherwise, Qingxin would have already chopped off all their hands and feet and taken them back for interrogation.

The malice of these guys was truly etched on their foreheads; Harunobu could see it clearly at a glance.

But Wu Zun was unaware that their purpose had been exposed, and still self-righteously put on a kind smile; to be honest, as a senior priest, Wu Zun's business smile was really convincing, making him look like a big, simple-minded guy.

"Ah, sorry, sorry. I thought you were monsters. After all, it's rare to see women carrying swords." Wu Zun said, scratching the back of his head. "I am the vice priest of the local Susanoo Shrine, Ōtake Goro. I'm so sorry for the trouble I caused you earlier."

"Hello, Deputy Palace Master of the Great Wu." Qingxin exhaled a puff of white breath, quite eye-catching in the darkness. "By the way, have you heard of the Tongxin Society?"

With a flawless expression of confusion, Goro Daibu asked, "Is this the anti-government organization that the government mentioned before, the one that committed the bombing crime in Tokyo?"

His acting was so perfect, completely at odds with his rugged appearance, that even Harunobu couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "What a pity, I've already opened it."

With a seemingly effortless push of his left hand against the hilt, the gleaming blade plunged into the darkness, igniting the starlight. Sensing something amiss, Daigoro let out a furious roar, attempting to unleash his trump card—he was a priest, a spellcaster; his pure physical body combined with his powerful magic was his complete form!

It was always effective against mere samurai, since while an enemy could potentially dispel a spell, a samurai could not. They could only be crushed, ravaged, and conquered by his divinely enhanced body!

Even the so-called unparalleled in the world is no different! In the end, he is just a leader among mortals! How can he be compared with him, the agent of the gods!

That woman's abilities are nothing special, so how strong can her teaching skills be?

His heart brimmed with boundless confidence, a confidence built upon countless victories and a judgment based on reality. In short, Ōtake Goro, the man who called himself the Martial Sovereign, wildly spread his arms wide, opened his arms wide, and roared, "Come, Lightning of Destruction!"

The thunder rumbled, making Daigoro even happier, so happy that he finally remembered a problem—why hadn't the spell been completed yet after so long? Even if others wanted a share and didn't give him any enhancements, what about his own spell?

Furthermore, if his spell was not completed, why was there thunder?

At this thought, his mind, which had been immersed in his imagination, finally activated his eyes, and with the help of the scattered starlight, he saw clearly the strange scene unfolding under the night sky.

A figure swept across the open space like a streak of light, with raging air currents surrounding him like guards protecting an emperor; his breath was as majestic as thunder, and wherever he passed, everyone bowed in submission.

—Even he was no exception.

Looking at his two severed arms with their smooth cut surfaces, Daigoro dejectedly activated the robe he was wearing. The robe, which he had acquired at great expense and was inscribed with the Void Cicada Technique, emitted a strange light, but it was fleeting and inconspicuous.

Sensing the spell taking effect and the space beginning to loosen, Daigoro stared intently at Harunobu, etching his blurry figure into his eyes and mind.

Yes, he lost this time, but he will not be discouraged or give up. He is the agent of Susanoo, the god of destruction and battle, and one day he will stand as a great man in the kingdom of the gods. Next time, he will surely punish in the name of the gods—

The figure that suddenly loomed larger in his line of sight made Daigo Goro forget his earlier boast, and a panicked sentence instinctively escaped his throat: "Spare me! Spare me! I surrender! I'm so—"

I must say, as expected of a spellcaster, his tongue is incredibly eloquent. It's just a pity that Harunobu doesn't have a way to interrupt the Ethereal Cicada Technique; he can only try to see if he can keep his head.

The howling wind transformed into an extremely thin yet incredibly wide crescent moon of blue, tearing open the neck of Daigoro; the next second, his headless corpse vanished from the spot, leaving only his shrine robes fluttering to the ground.

Not bad luck.

Harunobu caught the head, which was about the size of a bear's, and tossed it far away to Yakumo Kurenai; then he watched regretfully as the remaining two or three people disappeared from the spot, leaving only their clothes behind.

When did spatial teleportation become so cheap? It's one thing for leaders to have it, but why are even lowly minions getting it?

Well, at least Yuan Xueying can see where they went. We can just ambush their hideout and catch them red-handed. At least we've found some good clues; now we just have to wait for the results of the Soul Searching Technique.

Just as Harunobu was feeling happy, Yakumo Kurenai walked over. The head of the Black Bear Spirit… Daigoro Daigoro floated beside her, looking from a distance like some strange ornament.

"Qingxin, we're out of some materials for the Soul Searching Technique. Let's go buy some later."

Qingxin had no objection: "No problem, but do you know where I can buy it around here?"

Yakumo Kurenai pointed at Daigoro's head, her fox-like eyes narrowing into slits as she laughed: "Isn't this guy the vice-chief priest of some shrine? He must have plenty of materials there."

They killed the deputy palace chief, then went to steal his materials, and even intended to use them to search the deputy palace chief's soul...

Standing to the side, Minamoto Yuki Sakura was momentarily unable to distinguish who was good and who was bad. Especially after seeing that everyone except her highly praised Yakumo Kurenai's suggestion, including Taira Harunobu himself.

What a strange bunch of guys...

With a soft sigh, Yuan Xueying walked over with a smile on her lips: "Those guys went in this direction, the same direction as the shrine maidens from before."

The author says:

Author's note: Just asking for votes as usual~ Time to prepare for Worldbound, I'll probably rewatch Worldbound 2 first.

Chapter 376: The Building Is Empty

Under the dim starlight, corpses lay scattered across the open space; blood flowed freely, forming streams that reeked of decay. Yakumo Kurenai, who had been half-crouching, stood up, placing the fox head she held back into her wide robe sleeve. She shook her head regretfully: “Their souls have all vanished… no, not self-destruction; those guys couldn’t react faster than Harunobu. It’s more like they were cursed beforehand, their souls taken away upon death.”

"Clearly a monk?" Fujiwara Kaguya parted her lips slightly. "Didn't anyone notice?"

"How is that possible? These guys probably did it voluntarily." Shiranui Ranku waved her hand, turning over a corpse in front of her. "It's really strange. These guys don't look like ninjas at all; why do they not only know the Ethereal Cicada Technique, but also bear the Death Curse like those ancient ninjas?"

Harunobu, who was chatting with Hirai Sachiko nearby, heard this and immediately looked over: "Even ninjas are cursed like this? You have one too?"

Don't know

Chapter 404

Fire Blue was secretly pleased and was about to answer when Yakumo Red interrupted with a grin, "How could that be? First of all, we Shiranui aren't those old-fashioned ninjas; even if we were to do that, it wouldn't be Lord Fire Demon's turn. Lord Fire Demon is more likely to cast curses on others~"

Ran Shiranui lowered her eyes and looked at her best friend; while Kurenai Yakumo also raised her head and gave her best friend a bright smile.

"You idiot, let's see how long you can hold out—"

Beneath that innocent, radiant smile lay a clear and unmistakable provocation; Ran Shiranui understood perfectly well what Kurenai Yakumo meant. She was deliberately trying to provoke her, to shake her resolve, to make her…

Shiranui Ran looked away, and the Fire Demon Lord within Shiranui regained his composure.

Yakumo Kurenai didn't care, since there was plenty of time; besides, Ran seemed generous, but he was actually stingy to death and would eventually lose his temper—at most a month or two.

The thought of Shiranui Ran's pretty face turning furious yet trying to maintain her composure filled Yakumo Kurenai with excitement. It was a pity Harunobu wouldn't cooperate; if only she could put on a real show in front of Shiranui Ran, it would definitely greatly accelerate their progress.