My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 733 -25: Talent Fusion Again! [Strong Muscle +1] [7200]

The timing and speed of Aoto’s sword strike were so extraordinary that even a layperson could recognize it, and many spectators at the sidelines expressed their amazement.

Faced with this fierce and sudden assault heading straight for him, Chiba Domon Shiro’s pupils narrowed sharply in shock, yet his reaction was truly of Divine Speed.

At the critical moment when Aoto’s bamboo sword was about to hit the porcelain bowl on his forehead, his body’s “reflex nerves” operated automatically. With a whoosh, he sank his waist, retreated half a step, calmly avoiding the crisis, and smoothly swung his sword at Aoto’s shoulder.

With such reaction speed, he certainly deserved the identity of Deputy Master at Xuanwu Hall and a member of the Chiba family!

Chiba Domon Shiro’s counterattack was equally terrifying in power. If it weren’t for the fact that he wielded a bamboo sword and Aoto managed to defend in time with his sword, the result would surely have been his left arm being directly severed.

Aoto didn’t want to engage in a prolonged fight with Chiba Domon Shiro.

At this time, the corner of his eye had already caught sight of several swordsmen from Xuanwu Hall rushing over, trying to support Chiba Domon Shiro.

——A swift and decisive outcome was needed!

A strategy quickly flashed through Aoto’s mind.

In an instant, the tip of Aoto’s sword, positioned at the Middle Rank before him, quivered slightly like the tail of a wagtail.

At that moment, Chiba Domon Shiro, as well as Chiba Dingji, Chiba Shigetarou, and Sazanoko among the audience, all exhibited expressions of astonishment.

This posture… was all too familiar to them.

Wasn’t this the classic opening stance of the Beichen One-Sword Style?

The slight quiver of the sword tip prevents it from becoming rigid, allowing for rapid response and making it difficult for the opponent to discern one’s intentions.

What happened next occurred in the blink of an eye——

Aoto launched a new wave of attacks on Chiba Domon Shiro. The sword tip, which had been gently quivering, suddenly settled, then swept diagonally like a falling meteor toward Chiba Domon Shiro’s left shoulder.

Although his face was still filled with the astonishment of being surprised by Aoto’s sudden classic opening stance of the Beichen One-Sword Style, the combat instinct honed from childhood sword practice allowed Chiba Domon Shiro to refocus on the immediate battle in a flash.

With a “crack,” Chiba Domon Shiro raised his sword to block Aoto’s diagonal slash.

The two bamboo swords, upon their heavy collision, separated shortly after the impact.

Since Aoto’s attack came from above at a diagonal angle, after successfully blocking Aoto’s strike, Chiba Domon Shiro’s bamboo sword fell to the Lower Rank due to the counterforce.

At this moment, Aoto immediately launched a second sword——this new strike was a direct stab aimed at Chiba Domon Shiro’s chest.

——What is this?!

The momentarily waning expression of astonishment once again filled Chiba Domon Shiro’s face.

He recognized it at a glance: this was one of their Beichen One-Sword Style’s classic techniques——

Attempting to deflect the opponent’s sword, causing it to fall to the Lower Rank, and then seizing the opportunity to swiftly stab the opponent’s throat or chest.

If the stab succeeded, it would naturally be ideal, as these two areas, once hit accurately, would mean being close to death.

If the stab didn’t succeed, the opponent, with their sword forced to the Lower Rank, would instinctively raise their sword in defense.

Bringing the sword back from the Lower Rank to the chest or throat… this sequence of movements would expose a vulnerability akin to “open gates” in the arms holding the sword.

Seizing this opportunity, immediately switch to chopping hands! Targeting one of the opponent’s hands… ideally the one holding the sword, to injure or even sever it!

It’s a common misconception: seeing the slender blade of a samurai sword, people instinctively think of it as a “light weapon.”

In reality, this is a misconception.

Aside from those purely ornamental pieces meant only for display, the center of gravity of a combat samurai sword is very much towards the back, the spine is thick, and it’s not light. Among all the swords in the world, the samurai sword is undeniably a “heavy weapon.”

This is why Dual Swordsmanship is often seen as unorthodox or “Evil Sword,” as the average person’s arm strength cannot handle two swords.

Only those with extraordinary arm strength, who can easily cut through flesh and bone even with one arm, can wield Dual Swordsmanship.

Therefore, in true sword duels, whether it’s the left hand or the right hand being severed, the result is fatal. Any injury to a hand drastically reduces combat ability.

In the Japanese Swordsmanship World, there is a saying: Beichen One-Sword Style is a school that teaches you how to cut off your enemy’s hands in style.

While this saying may be somewhat biased, it is not without reason.

Beichen One-Sword Style is indeed a school with a strong inclination towards chopping hands. Many of its moves are aimed at cutting off the opponent’s hands.

It doesn’t insist on a one-strike kill, but is obsessed with injuring the enemy’s hands… At first glance, this combat style seems cumbersome.

But from the perspective of “neutralizing the enemy while preserving oneself,” the combat style of Beichen One-Sword Style is arguably the best method for killing.

Pursuing hand chopping means the approach doesn’t have to be overly aggressive, thus reducing the likelihood of oneself getting injured.

In actual combat, if you can injure the enemy’s hand, making them unable to hold their weapon properly, they’ve practically been sentenced to death, so there’s no need to insist on a “one strike one kill.”

Styles like the Jigen Style, which hold the belief of “entrusting all one’s heart and soul, life and death in the first strike, where the enemy dies or I die after sword strikes” as a principle, while potent in lethality, have an alarming rate of injuries and fatalities among their disciples.

Beichen One-Sword Style’s rise to become today’s “leading school in Japan” in less than 30 years is not without the contribution of their combat philosophy that not only maintains high enemy-killing efficiency but also extensively preserves the lives of their disciples.