Female Swordsman Training Dojo

Wait a minute, there's only one samurai in the whole world who can stand with Amaterasu, right?

And that stance, that expression, that atmosphere… really? That thousand-year-old crow spirit has actually come to her senses and knows how to find a man? Or is it that my descendant is truly a man among men, capable of melting even this old hag made of stone?

All of these thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, and then Taira no Masakado heard Amaterasu's cold rebuke. A new idea immediately surfaced in his mind, overwhelming all his other thoughts: "It's over, I'm going to be silenced."

The next second, he rushed to within a few meters of Qingxin and the others, shouting, "I'm here to report them! The Tongxin Society is right in my house! The people behind me are their monitors!"

???

Both Harunobu and Amaterasu were prepared to take action. After all, their opponent was a thousand-year-old demon, one of the four great vengeful spirits in Japanese legend. Facing such an opponent, they couldn't afford to be overly tense or serious, but they certainly couldn't let their guard down or become complacent.

Despite their best efforts to defend themselves, they were still defeated by Taira no Masakado's single move.

He truly deserves to be called the legendary greatest samurai.

Amaterasu reacted swiftly, waving her hand to lock down the small demons in the distance. Their speed wasn't slow, and it far exceeded what one would expect from someone of their strength. But against Amaterasu and Seishun, it was far from enough.

"Nana, look, even this little monster is faster than you. You can't be lazy anymore."

Although Harunobu knew that Hanazawa Nana wasn't lazy when it came to swordsmanship training, it didn't stop him from playing along with her lazy persona. That's what you call marital fun.

"Anyway, he's being taken care of by the teacher's college~" Hanazawa Nana said with a grin, clinging to Harunobu's left hand and acting coquettishly, which made the group of little demons quite disdainful. But Taira no Masakado felt a surge of admiration for Hanazawa Nana. Besides admiring this little mortal for daring to compete with Amaterasu for a man, he also admired the mortal's skillful technique; seemingly obstructing and blocking Harunobu's path to draw his sword, he actually concealed Harunobu's sword-drawing action, making it impossible for anyone to predict his starting move.

As for the claim that crossing arms will affect speed, even if it's the left arm that's crossed, as long as the coordination is good enough, it won't have any impact at all!

Oh no, I'm getting itchy to play.

After dealing with the lesser demons, Amaterasu coldly looked at Taira no Masakado and said, "Lead the way."

Taira no Masakado obediently turned and walked towards his lair, not forgetting to introduce himself: "There are about fifty demons in my area, most of them from the Tongxin Society; the strongest is a swordsmith named Tenmoku Ren, but that guy's swordsmanship is definitely not bad either, and with the magic array they set up to assist him, we still need to be careful; by the way, those guys have also built a demon domain, they might be hiding in there to launch a sneak attack..."

Harunobu and Amaterasu followed behind the incessantly chattering Taira no Masakado, exchanging a glance, both seeing doubt in each other's eyes. But they didn't stop there; after all, the two of them together were practically invincible in Japan, if not the whole world. So even if Taira no Masakado had some underhanded tricks, it would just mean fighting a few more monsters.

Perfect timing, let's see Taira no Harunobu/Amaterasu's actual combat strength!

Chapter 579: Secret Technique

Tenmoku Ren, who was overseeing the final stages of the magic array's construction, suddenly felt uneasy, but couldn't pinpoint what the problem might be. The magic array had already undergone numerous tests; there were no design flaws, and its true effects would never be apparent. Besides, even if you presented the design blueprints to a fool like Taira no Masakado, he probably wouldn't be able to discern anything.

Although this area is within Heian-kyo, it is naturally secluded and rarely visited, so the people from Aozora-kan would never come to this vicinity. Besides, he has set up a comprehensive network of sentry posts; while they may not be able to stop those monstrous female swordsmen, they can at least send out warning signals without any problem.

Although he felt everything was foolproof, just in case, Tenmoku Ren drew the demon sword he had personally forged from his waist, fully prepared for battle. Setting up the magic array was a crucial step in the Yamata no Orochi plan, and absolutely could not be allowed to go wrong.

Well, nothing should happen. Given their defenses, unless it's Hirahara Harunobu or Amaterasu coming, it's highly unlikely...

Before Tianmu Lian could finish consoling himself, beams of golden light descended from the sky, trapping all the sentries, both visible and hidden, as well as the worker monsters, in place.

A surge of emotion welled up within Tianmu, leaving him speechless. But he was no ordinary demon; the instant the golden light descended, he swung his sword. His meticulously forged demon sword tore through the air, emitting a piercing wail powerful enough to shatter the souls of ordinary demons; the slender blade gleamed with a jet-black light, possessing an extreme sharpness capable of severing even the scales of the Yamata no Orochi in one swift motion, and imbued with a corrosive venom!

At the same time, Tianmu Lian added various effects to the sword, enhancing speed, strength, toughness, etc. Dozens of spell effects overlapped, some even conflicting with each other, but all of them worked successfully.

With this exaggerated blessing, Tenmokuren successfully cleaved through the golden light that was attacking him and maintained his freedom.

In the sky, Harunobu, holding Hanazawa Nana who couldn't fly yet, exclaimed in surprise, "Your swordsmanship is quite good, and your sword is even more extraordinary. No wonder you were able to block your attack."

With a dark expression, Amaterasu raised her hand and slammed down a golden beam of light several times thicker than before, slamming the fleeing Tenmokuren into the ground.

Although Harunobu was praising her, Amaterasu only felt that she had lost face.

Chapter 626

But since they couldn't vent their frustrations on Qingxin, they could only make things difficult for Tianmulian and the others. Not only Tianmulian, but the other Tongxinhui members who were bound by the golden light also felt that the strength of the golden light had increased significantly, turning from simple binding into something that felt like they were being strangled to death.

带路党平将门不停咂舌，他自觉比天目连实力高点，但也有限。而天目连直接被天照秒少，四舍五入之下，他估计也就能撑个几回合而已。然后传说能按着天照揍得平晴信，那又该是怎么样的强者了？

He licked the fries crumbs from his lips, staggered over to the crater created by Amaterasu, and peered inside. Tenmokuren was now wrapped in golden light like a giant dumpling, with only his bald head sticking out, his old face flushed red.

Harunobu and Amaterasu also landed. The golden light pulled Amaterasu in front of her. Amaterasu's eyes were filled with resentment as she stubbornly tilted her head back, trying to look directly at Amaterasu. The sun had just moved behind Amaterasu, shining her into its light. Under the dazzling brilliance, Amaterasu could only see a shadow.

"See? I wasn't lying, was I?" Taira no Masakado swallowed the last bit of fries and let out a burp. "Then we have a deal..."

Amaterasu abandoned his gaze on Amaterasu and angrily rebuked Taira no Masakado: "You coward! Traitor! How dare you bow and scrape before a descendant of the Taira clan! Do you still have any honor as the greatest samurai of the East! The only king of samurai!"

Although samurai ruled Japan for a long time, they ruled in the name of the shogunate to expel foreigners; only Taira no Masakado actually claimed the title of king.

Taira no Masakado shook his head, finding Tenmoku Ren somewhat laughable: "First of all, I'm not a member of your Tongxin Society, so how can that be considered betrayal? The way of the samurai has always been to respect the strong. What's wrong with me kneeling before the strong? It's as if you're not Orochi's dog. You don't even dare to agree to my sparring. That good sword is a waste in your hands."

Having said that, he stopped looking at the increasingly furious Tenmokuren and turned to Harunobu to repeat what he had been interrupted about: "So, can we have a proper fight now?"

Tenmokuren's words, "Do you think a wicked demon like you would be spared by Taira no Harunobu?" suddenly caught in his throat, and he stared at Taira no Masakado with disbelief in his eyes.

"So you really intend to fight me?" Harunobu released Hanazawa Nana, his expression slowly turning serious. "Fine, then I'll let you die like a samurai..."

Seeing Harunobu seemingly caught up in his own enthusiasm, Amaterasu frowned slightly and couldn't help but remind him, "Taira Harunobu! Don't forget why we're here."

"Don't worry, thanks for reminding me." Although his wives had reminded him several times in their minds, Harunobu still expressed his gratitude to Amaterasu. Although Amaterasu only responded with a cold snort, her expression did soften a little.

Not many, but they do exist.

Harunobu pressed down on the hilt of the Enma sword with one hand and said to Taira no Masakado, "Before we begin, I would like to ask you how one can train one's mind to the point of materialization, to the point of influencing the present world, just like you."

Taira nods, not surprised: "No wonder you came to me. It seems that only I can do this."

"Alright, then I'll teach you. Anyway, I'm going to die soon, so there's no point in taking it to my grave."

This time, Harunobu was somewhat surprised: "I thought you would say you would only teach me if I won."

"I probably wouldn't be able to speak by then." Taira no Masakado, with one hand on his sword, readily offered his solution: "It's actually quite simple to make your thoughts capable of interfering with the world. Just practice your thoughts more intensely and deeply, raising their intensity to that level. For example, my thought is 'life and death,' so I just need to keep challenging stronger enemies and winning."

"It sounds like a normal purification process?" Qingxin felt it was too simple. Wasn't this just a normal method for purifying thoughts?

Taira no Masakado became serious: "No, no, what these little guys call purification is nothing more than a slow and tedious process; what I mean is to challenge the impossible, and in the process, you must make yourself deeply believe that your mind can transcend everything... How about this, what is your mind? Maybe I can give you some advice."

Harunobu: "My mindset is possessiveness."

"Exclusive possession..." Taira no Masakado's serious expression turned strange: "Alright, you really gave me a surprise. But in that case, all you have to do is make some things that you could never possess exclusively yours into exclusive possessions! Make yourself believe that you can possess everything!"

"But then again, even if this kind of thought is strengthened to the point of interfering with the present world, it wouldn't be very lethal, would it? It's more like a mind control spell, but it would still be effective now, right?"

Thoughts themselves are a form of mental attack; they can cause mental attacks even without being manifested to the point of interfering with the real world.

"But that can strengthen my willpower, and that's enough."

Harunobu glanced at Amaterasu, then slowly lowered his upper body: "Thank you for your guidance, then I'll go all out..."

According to common sense, the more you use your full strength in a duel, the more respect you show to your opponent. Considering that Taira no Masakado was so generous in giving away the secret technique, Harunobu decided to use his transformation.

But Taira no Masakado quickly stopped him: "No, no, no, if I go all out I'll die in an instant, then there'll be no fun at all! If possible, please let me see more of your extraordinary swordsmanship!"

Harunoku nodded and brought the surging power under control.

Beside her, Amaterasu's expression shifted as she pondered why Harunobu had glanced at her earlier.

The reason seems obvious and doesn't require much thought.

After all, she had listened to Taira no Masakado's explanation the whole time.

The author says:

Author's Note: Update progress 29/30. I've re-organized the outline and realized that the originally planned side stories are no longer reasonable, so it seems the final volume will be released faster than expected...

Chapter 580: Samurai Duel (3000 words)

Regardless of Amaterasu's dilemma, Harunobu and Masakado were already prepared for a duel.

Qingxin leaned forward slightly, his right hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword, his left hand gripping the scabbard, his thumb resting on the guard, the metal pressing against his fingertip, which turned slightly white.

The standard sword-drawing technique begins.

Even though Harunobu has now been given the nickname "Wind Sword Saint," he is still widely regarded as the most skilled swordsman, with his Thunder Breathing technique deeply ingrained in people's minds.

Taira no Masakado stood with his feet apart, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly with both hands, raising it above his head in a perfect high stance. This was truly Taira no Masakado's forte; in that primitive era of samurai, there were no systematic sword techniques, and everything relied on individual understanding.

For Taira no Masakado, who was already a half-demon and tall, a slash with his sword held high was far more effective than fancy thrusting and parrying.

As the two faced off, the sun silently revolved, reaching its zenith and casting its light equally upon them.

The early spring sun wasn't strong; it only flickered slightly in the air. But this instantaneous change shattered the tacit understanding.

“ROARRAHHHHHH!!!”

With a roar, Taira no Masakado leaped across ten meters, leaving two deep gashes in the ground, and arrived before Harunobu, swinging his sword. His dark blade drew a black line in the sunlight, like an apostle of destruction, slashing towards Harunobu's head.

A simple yet incredibly fast and steady strike; showcasing the strength of Taira no Masakado as the "first samurai." If Harunobu were to unleash his full power, he would naturally have many ways to deal with this strike, but now he is restraining his power and does not intend to use the power of corruption or existence, so he doesn't have many options.

A thunderous roar erupted from his nostrils, suppressing Taira no Masakado's aura; a silvery-white light shot from his waist, like real lightning, striking him with lightning speed.

Chapter 627

The two excellent swords clashed, sparks flying, but Taira no Masakado's strike was only delayed for a moment, not truly stopped.

Taira no Masakado's strength seems to be superior—of course, this was Harunobu's deliberate choice; otherwise, it would have been a crushing defeat.

But Taira no Masakado was not smug; he had no time to be smug. Because the scabbard of the Enma sword had already struck him, perfectly and flawlessly breaking the balance of Taira no Masakado's attack force.

Flying Sword Style: Twin Dragon Flash!

Ashina Style: Parry!

Taira no Masakado's strength slightly weakened, his sword was raised high, but a smile appeared on his face: "Truly excellent swordsmanship..."

Before he could finish speaking, Harunobu had already drawn his Enma sword again. The elegant blade gracefully traversed space with a flick of his wrist, slashing diagonally towards Taira no Masakado's left shoulder. Taira no Masakado ducked to the side, letting the Enma sword slice off a corner of the exaggerated shoulder armor of his great armor, before swinging the deflected sword horizontally towards Harunobu's neck.

Harunobu drew his sword again, easily deflecting Taira no Masakado's tachi. The missed attack from Enma-tachi then swung again, aiming a horizontal slash at Taira no Masakado's waist. If this strike landed, even with his heavy armor, Taira no Masakado would be cut in half at the waist. His previous swing had prevented him from immediately retracting his sword to defend himself…

boom!

The hilt of Enma's sword clashed with that of Taira no Masakado's sword, cutting open the bright red hilt to reveal the dark fittings inside.

Taira no Masakado gripped the blade with both hands—that was how he was able to defend in time—and grinned, revealing a wild, bloodthirsty smile.

An unusual sense of oppression descended silently upon Qingxin. His pupils dilated slightly, his heart burning with a mixture of excitement and pleasure; it was as if he were doing his favorite thing, arduous and frustrating yet incredibly joyful. He felt an overwhelming urge to defeat the enemy before him, or perhaps to be defeated by him!

Fight! So cool!!!

This is clearly a mental attack!

Harunobu unleashed his inner thoughts, his eyes flashing with divine light, suppressing the strange anxiety within him, and swung his sword again. But this time, as if he had foreseen it, Taira no Masakado swung his sword almost simultaneously with Harunobu, dodging Harunobu's attack while also launching a counterattack.

Harunobu thrusts straight forward, while Hirashigemon slashes sideways.

Harunobu could only change his stance to a high parry to block the slash. But as he changed his stance, Taira no Masakado also changed his slash into a diagonal strike, grazing Harunobu's raised Enma sword and slicing towards his head.

If two ordinary people were fighting like this, the outcome would already be decided at this point. The ability to change moves so quickly is something the brain can do, but the body can't keep up. The problem is that ordinary people couldn't possibly anticipate Harunobu's movements so quickly and preemptively use a countermeasure.

So, you opened the .JPG file first.

A glint flashed in Qingxin's eyes as he fully activated his mind. This possessiveness, besides its unique strength in demonstrating unwavering willpower, also enhanced physical attributes. Perhaps it could be described as "endurance" or "excitement," but in essence, it was like forcibly triggering adrenaline.

With this enhanced attack, Harunobu successfully changed his move again, using the Enma sword to parry the blade aimed at his head and then thrusting it towards Taira no Masakado's throat.

Taira no Masakado quickly took two steps back, avoiding the sure-fire attack, and breaking his tacit agreement with Harunobu, which was to fight in close combat without retreating an inch; otherwise, Harunobu could have avoided several attacks by retreating earlier. Therefore, Taira no Masakado gave a wry smile: "As expected of you, you can even break my sure-fire attack and even counterattack in this state."

Harunobu didn't believe him at all: "Don't talk nonsense. Your mental power is more than that, isn't it? The mental power that is said to be able to kill an opponent with a glance should not be without any offensive power, even without the means of manifestation."

Taira no Masakado chuckled: "Same here. Your possessive desires only work on yourself. You're really going too far with your disguise."

Harunobu, who doesn't often use his mind to fight, was a little embarrassed: "No, my mind really is effective in this area..."

Taira no Masakado paused for a moment, then shook his head: "No wonder... But it's alright, that's what makes it fun—ah!"

clang!clang!clang!

The blades clashed rapidly in the air. Although this speed was not comparable to the enemies Harunobu had faced before, the feeling of the blades colliding was unique for a swordsman.

In this increasingly tense exchange, Harunobu skillfully and effortlessly displayed all the sword techniques he had mastered, no longer bound by rank or occasion, but using the sword technique that came to mind at the first moment. Of course, this would inevitably lead to some missteps, but Harunobu was able to immediately recover in the next instant.

Ashina Ryu's ability to see through the opponent's scheme and Laurent's Mind's Eye Blade's flaws were of great help, but what allowed Harunobu to act so recklessly was the constantly shifting mindset during the exchange. Driven by his own willfulness, the sword techniques seemed to become more fluid and better suited to his needs, as if…

clang!

With another clash, Harunobu's Water Breathing: Heavenly Compassionate Rain failed to snatch the head from the fiercely resisting Taira no Masakado. Instead, Taira no Masakado seized the opportunity to stab Harunobu in the ribs. However, the next moment, Shigure Soen-ryu: Mayue filled the gap and forced Taira no Masakado back.

"Oh dear, there's absolutely no chance..." Taira no Masakado sighed and shook his head. Even zombies get tired, especially when facing an opponent who seems full of flaws but is actually flawless. If the opponent hadn't held back by countless amounts of water from the Kamo River, he would have been beheaded long ago.

In that case, we must at least unleash our strongest attack in the end!

The instant Taira no Masakado retreated, he immediately counterattacked, unleashing a powerful uppercut at Harunobu with his defenses wide open. At the same time, a voice echoed in Harunobu's mind: "I've heard you can manipulate the wind with your swordsmanship; let me see that one last time!"

Sensing the challenge in his heart, Harunobu changed his move. Two whirlwinds spread out with his sword swing, sending Taira no Masakado flying into the air.

—After fighting for so long, the surrounding airflow is already under Harunobu's control.