Chiba Jurojiro was incredibly strong.
He was far stronger than Kamiizumi Ise, whom Liu Yunduo had just defeated in her previous challenge. He was also stronger than Miyamoto Ichi-shin, who had once been the undisputed number one master of the Two-Sword Style.
Almost from the very first exchange, he put Liu Yunduo in a tight spot, forcing her to use both swords.
When she wielded both her left and right swords together, Liu Yunduo’s strength was enough to absolutely crush experts of Kamiizumi Ise’s caliber. But against Chiba Jurojiro, it wasn’t nearly as effective.
The techniques of the Hokushin Itto-ryu (Northern Star One-Sword School) weren’t as wild and domineering as the Iaijutsu (sword-drawing art). Iaijutsu focused on elevating its intimidation to a terrifying degree with the very first slash, then overwhelming and cutting down the enemy in a short, explosive burst. Hokushin Itto-ryu, on the other hand, leaned more towards being gentle and flexible, suddenly springing a killing move out of nowhere.
Maybe in one moment, he would appear to be entirely on the defensive, with no intention of attacking. But if you let your guard down and advanced rashly, you’d fall right into his trap. He would immediately strike at your exposed weak points with a sudden, unexpected technique.
If you had to summarize this style in a vivid way, it was counter-attack defense!
So, even with her dual swords combined, Liu Yunduo struggled to make any headway for a while and couldn’t defeat Chiba Jurojiro.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sword aura and blade energy lashed out in all directions. Waves of almost tangible energy screamed through the air, as if tearing the atmosphere apart. Whenever they glanced off an object, they were like bombs whose fuses had been lit, erupting with tremendous destructive force. It was a clear testament to the extraordinary prowess of the two fighters locked in this bitter struggle.
“This Chiba Jurojiro… is so strong!”
Standing at the edge of the arena, Su Mengnan watched the center with unblinking eyes, his gaze fixed on the two figures whose movements had already blurred into indistinct shapes. Given Su Mengnan’s own strength, when experts of this level clashed, it was hard for him to tell who was stronger before a conclusion was reached. He couldn’t decipher their sword techniques or the nuances of their fighting spirits, nor could he judge which side held the upper hand.
But seeing Liu Yunduo and Chiba Jurojiro locked in a protracted, bitter battle, with her using both swords, clearly giving it her all, he couldn’t help but feel anxious and worried.
Fortunately, Jiang Fei was standing beside him. He was no longer afraid that Liu Yunduo might fall here, or have her martial arts crippled like last time with Miyamoto Ichi-shin. His concern now was simply that she might lose and fail to achieve her goals and dreams.
Just then, Jiang Fei spoke with a faint smile: “But Liu Yunduo is even stronger!”
Su Mengnan was completely absorbed in watching the match, even if he couldn’t fully grasp it.
So when he heard Jiang Fei’s words, he didn’t react at first. It was only after a long moment that he whipped his head around and stared at Jiang Fei in surprise. “What?”
“Overall, the two are roughly on the same level. But ultimately, Liu Yunduo’s combined dual-sword technique will prove to be a little stronger than Chiba Jurojiro’s Hokushin Itto-ryu. So she will win,” Jiang Fei said calmly.
Once he’d heard it clearly, Su Mengnan’s face lit up with joy. “Really? Does that mean this Chiba Jurojiro, who was so highly touted as a potential Sword Saint years ago, still hasn’t actually reached that level?”
He couldn’t even follow the intricacies of the battle, so naturally, he had no idea just how strong a Sword Saint-level expert really was. All he knew was that the Sword Saint was the highest pinnacle in the Island Nation’s sword arts world. He assumed that if Chiba Jurojiro had reached that rank, Liu Yunduo’s chances would be grim.
Jiang Fei shook his head, a smile still on his lips. “He has already reached it. However, he’s only just crossed that threshold. There’s still a considerable gap between him and Yagyu Munenori. That’s why Liu Yunduo will ultimately prevail.”
“He’s reached the Sword Saint level, and the Alliance Leader will still win?” Su Mengnan’s eyes widened.
He hadn’t expected Liu Yunduo to be this formidable.
Truth be told, neither had Jiang Fei.
Although Chiba Jurojiro had only barely entered the realm of the Sword Saint, having just begun to grasp his own origin of the sword, maybe still somewhat dimly and without fully understanding how to turn that origin into attacks, the fact remained that he’d touched it. His strength was not to be underestimated. Liu Yunduo being able to suppress him was a remarkable achievement.
It proved that Liu Yunduo’s path of dual swords was the right one, not some unorthodox deviation.
Her combination wasn’t like the ‘Devil Killer Augustine’s,’ which relied purely on strangeness and unpredictability—flashy but insubstantial, instantly shattered when facing someone who comprehended the sword’s essence.
Liu Yunduo’s left-hand and right-hand swords followed a path more akin to the ‘ambidextrous fighting’ style of the old eccentric Zhou Botong, or the combined Jade Maiden Swordplay and Quanzhen Swordplay of the Ancient Tomb Sect’s Xiao Longnu and Yang Guo.
By walking this path, she too could eventually touch the origin of the sword and reach straight for the heart of her martial art.
Otherwise, she couldn’t have possibly won against Chiba Jurojiro.
Sure enough, not long after Jiang Fei made his pronouncement, the situation on the field began to shift noticeably. Even an expert of Su Mengnan’s level could see that Liu Yunduo had gained the upper hand. Her dual blades moved in perfect harmony, each strike flowing more smoothly than the last and carrying immense power, forcing Chiba Jurojiro to retreat step by step.
Less than three minutes later, Liu Yunduo thrust her left sword into Chiba Jurojiro’s shoulder. As she withdrew it, a bloody hole appeared, and blood gushed out. She swept both swords horizontally. With his strength waning, he couldn’t hold onto his long katana, which was knocked away. Liu Yunduo, her long hair flowing, tapped the ground with her toes, leaped up, and kicked him in the chest with her embroidered-shoed foot.
Boom!
Chiba Jurojiro’s body flew backward, stumbling a good dozen or so steps before he could steady himself. His face darkened, and a vicious glint flashed in his eyes as he seemed to want to charge back at her. But he had to use his left hand to clutch his wounded shoulder, his face flushing as he nearly spat out a mouthful of congealed blood.
He was already badly injured. It wasn’t that he couldn’t continue fighting, but his strength was compromised. Even if he did, it would be futile. There was no way he could turn defeat into victory.
After achieving this result, Liu Yunduo didn’t press the attack. The tactic of “striking while the iron is hot” and finishing off a wounded foe was something Jiang Fei would do without hesitation, but Liu Yunduo generally wouldn’t.
She waited for Chiba Jurojiro’s choice.
If he conceded defeat, she would hold back. If he still wanted to fight, she wouldn’t show mercy.
Looking at her stunningly beautiful face, flushed with a faint hint of exertion yet still composed, Chiba Jurojiro was silent for a long moment. Finally, he let out a deep, resigned sigh. “I concede!”
Whoosh!
Hearing those words, the crowd, which had still clung to the faint hope that Chiba Jurojiro could turn the tables after his injury, was utterly deflated.
The number one master of the Hokushin Itto-ryu, the genius who, years ago, had been on the verge of the Sword Saint realm, had ultimately failed to stop this young woman from the Central Plains.
It was a crushing humiliation.
In this world of swordsmanship, who was left to stand against her?
When Liu Yunduo heard the words “I concede,” a flicker of emotion crossed her face. Winning this victory hadn’t been easy, and even she, with her usually unshakable composure, felt a ripple of excitement. But she didn’t show it too much. After nodding, she sheathed her dual swords behind her back and turned to leave the field.
“Next, I wish to challenge the art of Iaijutsu. I challenge Yagyu Munenori!”
Before she left, Liu Yunduo stated her next target, just as she had before.
Indeed, she was going to challenge Yagyu Munenori. It was a result that the many masters of the sword arts watching from the sidelines felt was expected, yet it still drew gasps of surprise.
After all, Yagyu Munenori had been defeated by some mysterious master during his last trip to the Central Plains, but he was still the nation’s only true Sword Saint, its number one expert, and far stronger than Chiba Jurojiro.
Now that Chiba Jurojiro had fallen, Yagyu Munenori was the obvious next target.
“Damn it! How is this Brahma tracking us? We’ve traveled so far, crossed the ocean, and he’s still on our tail. No matter how big the city we hide in, or how dense the crowds, he finds us every time! It’s like we’re wearing a radar—we have nowhere to run!”
The Vatican Ascetic, Ovelia, and the Lion King had fled all the way from Osaka to Tokyo.
By now, their situation was even more desperate than when they’d first disembarked at the port. Both had fresh wounds on their bodies, and their faces were pale.
Clearly, after coming ashore, they hadn’t managed to shake off Brahma’s pursuit. He’d caught up to them, and after a fierce battle, they’d only escaped again, wounded.
“There’s no tracking device on us. How is he doing it?! Even for a Demigod-level expert, their spiritual perception, observation, and detection abilities are far beyond ours. But they can’t possibly pinpoint someone’s exact location from hundreds of miles away!” Ovelia muttered curses.
This Vatican Ascetic usually presented an outward appearance of saving the world, a merciful emissary of God Jesus on Earth. But in moments like this, he dropped all pretense and swore openly.
“Maybe it’s from our last visit to the Hindu headquarters. We might have picked up some unknown trace that gave him a lead. India has a long history and many mysterious things; perhaps there’s something we don’t know about,” the Lion King speculated.
“We never should have stormed in there recklessly! Then we wouldn’t have provoked this scourge!” Ovelia spat bitterly, filled with regret.
He’d always inwardly looked down on India, believing its Three Major Deities weren’t a real threat. And with Shiva already dead, he and the Lion King had thought exploring the place together would be risky but manageable.
Who could have predicted that Brahma would break through to the Demigod realm?!
“Enough of that. Let’s focus on finding a solution. This can’t go on, or we’ll die by his hands sooner or later,” the Lion King said coldly.
He felt no regret.
Even if given a second chance, he would still kill Shiva to avenge his men from the Seven Kills Group. And he would still do everything he could to expose the mastermind behind the Net organization.
“The best move now is to head to the Central Plains. You have many experts there. It’s hardly impossible for two masters of the Xiantian Gangjin level to show up. If that Brahma dares to follow, his death on the spot is entirely possible!” Ovelia declared loudly.
He still clung to his plan of luring Brahma to the Central Plains.
Once they were there, regardless of whether Brahma died or not, Ovelia was fairly certain he could escape safely himself.
“Dream on! If we’re going anywhere, it’s to the Vatican!” the Lion King retorted coldly, rejecting the idea without hesitation.
The two pressed on. Tokyo wasn’t far ahead, but in the distance, at the edge of their vision, a towering, majestic mountain peak was beginning to appear, its summit lost in the clouds.
This was Japan’s iconic scenic landmark: Mount Fuji.
“Our chance to survive might just be ahead!” the Lion King said, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“Mount Fuji? What hope does that offer? Are we supposed to climb it and hope Brahma loses track of us?” Ovelia scoffed.
It was just an ordinary mountain. Scenic, yes. Crowded with tourists, sure. Maybe even with a military or security presence. But none of that was enough to slow down Brahma.
For Brahma, these were all trivial, meaningless obstacles.
“Mount Fuji itself, of course, can’t stop Brahma. But if there were a Xiantian Gangjin expert living here—one who also happened to have some grudges and conflicts with Brahma—that would be a different story,” the Lion King said.
This piqued Ovelia’s interest. “A Demigod-level expert lives at Mount Fuji? That can’t be. There are many sword schools around Fuji, but as far as I know, there isn’t even a Danjin expert here. The current top Sword Saint, Yagyu Munenori, doesn’t live at its base either.”
The usually brash and bold Lion King wore an uncharacteristically sly smile, as if muttering to himself. “Everyone knows about the current top master, Yagyu Munenori. But have you ever heard the name Tsukahara Bokuden?”
“Tsukahara Bokuden?!” Ovelia exclaimed in surprise. “That’s impossible! Isn’t that old man supposed to be dead? Didn’t the Island Nation’s sword world officially declare him dead thirteen years ago? Is he still alive?”
The Lion King’s smile didn’t waver. He didn’t answer directly, simply saying, “Let’s just keep moving forward! Whether we can shake off Brahma depends on what’s ahead!”
At the same time that the Lion King and Ovelia were racing toward Mount Fuji, Jiang Fei, Liu Yunduo, and Su Mengnan were also drawing closer to its slopes…
