Chapter 151: The Sword Saint's True Strength

Chapter 151: The Sword Saint's True Strength

Saito Makoto executed his signature retreat strike, and Lu Heng instantly recognized it.

This was his famous technique, "Tiger Claw."

Known for its speed, the attack's power wasn't exceptionally strong, but it targeted the shoulder, neck, and head, areas where a hit, no matter how slight, could be fatal.

In the moment Saito Makoto struck, he was certain his opponent was as good as dead.

At this level of combat, a single opening could decide the victor.

And Lu Heng's opening was unusually large.

Even Saito Makoto hesitated for a moment, thinking it was a deliberate feint.

Lu Heng hadn't intentionally exposed his weakness; the Mountain Subdue technique inherently left openings in front and on both sides.

Of course, with both combatants at the Intentional Level of swordsmanship, a simple Mountain Subdue wouldn't be enough to land a hit.

Thus, Lu Heng was prepared for a counter.

As Saito Makoto unleashed his retreat strike, "Tiger Claw," Lu Heng immediately switched his technique.

The Mountain Subdue transformed into Returning Wind, and the sword's light suddenly shifted, accompanied by his footwork, slicing a full moon-like arc of sword light in front of him.

Clang!

The sword's light was piercingly cold, its edge unmatched, and it struck the blade of the katana, emitting a crisp clang.

Saito Makoto's famous Japanese blade, Fuchi Sohshou, snapped in response, falling to the ground.

In that instant, everyone present was stunned.

With just one clash, Saito Makoto's sword had broken.

Lu Heng had anticipated the power of the Aurora Blade and its Keen Blade effect, expecting it to leave pits and dents on his opponent's Japanese blade.

But the Aurora Blade's power was more terrifying than he'd imagined.

With a single strike, it severed Saito Makoto's katana.

An A-Class weapon with a +9 Tempering Level was no match for a B-Class weapon, and the Aurora Blade's advantage was overwhelming.

As Fuchi Sohshou snapped, Saito Makoto's mind went blank for a moment.

This was the first time his weapon had been broken in battle, and during their brief clash, he felt his hand go numb from the impact, the force of Lu Heng's strike far exceeding his expectations.

The spectators were shocked by this sudden turn of events.

Many of them thought, "Someone must have switched Saito-san's katana!"

Even in a duel between sword masters, breaking a sword was rare.

After all, it was forged from the finest steel, and ordinary strength couldn't break it.

However, with the emergence of ability users, swordsmen had become increasingly powerful.

Lu Heng's strength had reached 58 points, nearly six times that of an average person.

Combined with his swordsmanship, the force of his strikes was too great for ordinary blades to withstand.

Although Fuchi Sohshou wasn't an ordinary weapon, being a B-Class weapon, it was no match for the A-Class Aurora Blade.

After Lu Heng severed Saito Makoto's katana with a single strike, a smile curled on his lips. "Fighting you is much easier than fighting Tsukakawa Shugaku."

As soon as he spoke, the arena erupted in an uproar.

His words were incredibly mocking.

Saito Makoto was Tsukakawa Shugaku's teacher, and now someone was saying that the teacher was easier to handle than his disciple.

Hearing this insult, Saito Makoto's face flushed with anger. He wanted to tear apart this detestable Daxia man before him, but his sword was broken.

At this point in the match, he had no way out.

He had received resources from multiple Japanese corporations, and if he lost, he would have to commit seppuku upon his return.

Lu Heng had no interest in wasting time here, and he raised his sword again, saying, "It's over, Sword Saint."

Then, he slashed with his sword.

Without a sword, Saito Makoto couldn't even defend himself, and he kept retreating until he finally activated his job ability, slamming a ball of Source Energy into the ground.

The Source Energy exploded, creating a mist.

This was the ability of the Ninja job, instantly concealing him.

Immediately, the light in the surrounding space dimmed, as if shrouded in a solid shadow.

Lu Heng felt an infinite killing intent approaching from all directions. This was...

Flash Shadow Kill Array! The Essence Skill of the 2nd-Tier job, Shadow Slayer.

The 2nd-Tier Shadow Slayer was the standard upgrade from the 1st-Tier Ninja, and the two jobs had strong synergy, making the Flash Shadow Kill Array even more powerful.

Moreover, Saito Makoto had already hidden himself, and Lu Heng couldn't see his location, only sensing the overwhelming killing intent.

Su Muyu's eyebrows furrowed, wanting to tell Lu Heng Saito Makoto's position.

Just as she was about to speak, a group of Japanese spectators rushed forward, pointing at Su Muyu and shouting, "No reminders! Reminding is the same as a two-on-one fight!"

Lu Heng spoke loudly, "In such a small space, what's there to remind?"

Then, Lu Heng swung his sword, unleashing Rift Slash.

The sword's light spun and slashed through every part of the kendo stage, a five-meter-long blade, horizontally cutting a circle with no escape.

Lu Heng even raised his hand, ready to use Thunder Jail if Saito Makoto chose to hide directly above him.

The fencing stage's railings shattered under the sword's light.

As the sword light slashed through a pillar, a burst of blood exploded, and Saito Makoto's body, now split in two, fell from the stage.

His abdomen was gone, leaving only the upper chest and legs.

Everyone present was shocked by this sight.

In that instant, the entire kendo dojo fell silent.

Just as everyone was stunned, Saito Makoto's body suddenly expanded and exploded into a burst of energy, disappearing.

The next moment, a black shadow appeared directly above Lu Heng, condensing a shadow blade that fell downward.

Lu Heng didn't even need to look up; the Rift Slash had already cut a horizontal circle. If Saito Makoto was still alive, he would be directly above.

So, as the black shadow appeared, Thunder Jail activated.

Boom!

A thunderclap exploded, and arm-thick lightning gathered into a cage, trapping the shadow in mid-air.

"Ah!"

Saito Makoto, trapped in the lightning cage, was struck by the lightning and let out a muffled grunt, then gathered Source Energy, trying to forcefully break through the cage.

Lu Heng didn't give Saito Makoto a chance to struggle, as he swung his sword upwards in a swift motion.

The sword light descended, cleaving Saito Makoto's body in two. Amidst the thunderous impact, he fell from the stage, his blood splattering across the ground.

Overwhelming!

It was a complete domination.

Initially, these Japanese and fake Japanese had come to witness the duel of Saito Makoto, the Japanese Sword Saint.

But the duel had ended as soon as it began.

Saito Makoto didn't even have a chance to retaliate. In the first move, his katana was severed, and in the second, he was forced to unleash two Essence Skills. By the third move, he was cut in two.

This overwhelming display of power left the Japanese crowd in a state of frenzy.

"Impossible! How could our Japanese Sword Saint lose?!"

"It must be the Daxia people's trickery! They must have switched our Sword Saint's katana!"

"You're right! How could the Daxia people possibly defeat our Sword Saint?"

"I don't believe it. This can't be real."

The Japanese had chosen the venue and set the time for the duel.

Lu Heng arrived, defeated Saito Makoto, and after sheathing the Aurora Blade, he turned and left the stage.

A frenzied Japanese samurai drew his weapon and charged forward, shouting.

"Despicable Daxia people! You must have done something to Mr. Saito!"

Bang! Jian Qing suddenly fired a shot into the air, stunning the Japanese crowd.

Jian Qing, representing the military, stood up. If the situation got out of hand, she would intervene.

However, the Japanese crowd didn't dare to actually attack. They rushed forward, shouting and yelling, but didn't dare to get too close.

Jian Qing manipulated the wind to descend onto the stage, picked up the broken blade of Fuchi Sohshou, and flicked it with her finger, "What a fine sword, it's a pity."

She threw the broken blade with the handle down from the stage, saying, "Take it back and examine it. See if this sword is really one of your Japanese famous blades."

She kept the other half as evidence to prevent any baseless rumors from spreading later on.

...

After Lu Heng descended, Su Muyu rushed over, hugging his neck and jumping up and down.

She had been worried, but now that the duel was won, the weight on her heart was finally lifted.

"Oh, right, Uncle and Auntie said to call them immediately after the duel," Su Muyu reminded him.

Lu Heng hadn't invited his parents, fearing they wouldn't be able to handle the intensity of the duel.

Now that the duel was over, Lu Heng quickly took out his phone and called his mother.

The phone rang once before it was answered.

"Lu Heng, is that you?"

"Mom, it's me. The duel is over, I'm fine, and I'm not injured."

"That's good, that's good."

Heavy breathing could be heard from the phone, conveying a sense of relief and clarity.

"I'll be back soon. I'll hang up now," Lu Heng said, assuring his mother of his safety.

"Okay, okay..."

...

Lu Heng approached the stunned manager of the Kendo Dojo, took the two signed liability release forms from the table next to him, and turned to leave without a glance.

The manager's expression was complex, filled with disbelief.

Lu Heng didn't bother to look at him, holding the two liability releases as he walked away.

The manager collapsed into his chair.

At first, he hadn't thought Saito Makoto would need to sign such a life-and-death contract.

After all, one was the Japanese Sword Saint, while the other was an unknown minor character.

The gap between them was like that of clouds and mud. Wasn't it redundant to have Saito Makoto sign a life-and-death contract?

But when the fight actually began, Saito Makoto was the one who crumbled. In Lu Heng's hands, he couldn't even last three moves before being cut in two and falling to the ground.

Now, a large group of Kiushu Shinryu disciples surrounded Saito Makoto's two halves, wailing in grief.

Suddenly, one of the Kiushu Shinryu disciples went berserk, turning and raising his sword to strike Lu Heng from behind.

Jian Qing, who was just descending from the stage, drew her pistol from her thigh and pressed it against the Japanese man's head, pulling the trigger.

Bang!

A headshot.

After firing, Jian Qing holstered her gun and said to Lu Heng, "Give me the liability release form, I'll submit it."

Lu Heng handed over the two liability releases.

Jian Qing took the two papers, waved them, and said, "Someone will handle the rest."

A Japanese Sword Saint had entered Daxia's territory and died.

If not handled properly, this could escalate into an international incident.

Therefore, this duel liability release form was crucial.

As for the Kiushu Shinryu disciple who had just been shot, Jian Qing, a second lieutenant, had every right to fire.

It was a perfectly justified reason to shoot a Japanese man brandishing a weapon.

Jian Qing holstered her gun, not even bothering to glance at the man.

...

The duel stage was located in the main hall on the first floor of the Kendo Dojo.

So, those gathered at the entrance could also witness what was happening on the stage.

After Saito Makoto's death, the crowd outside erupted in chaos.

They had gathered to witness the renowned Japanese Sword Saint, but now, Saito Makoto had been defeated without even lasting three moves against Lu Heng.

This shattered the beliefs of many.

"How could this be?!"

"The Saito Sword Saint actually lost."

"There must be foul play!"

"He must have been poisoned! That's the only explanation for not lasting three moves!"

Among the spectators, there were also many with a rational mindset, who had come to witness the event and cheer for their fellow countryman.

"Poisoned! A so-called Sword Saint who can't even block three moves, and you have the nerve to call him a Sword Saint? The duel venue was chosen by you Japanese scum, and the time was set by you. Now that you've lost, you start making excuses!"

"The venue and time were decided by Saito Makoto himself. He even booked the entire Kendo Dojo, only allowing Japanese people inside. And you dare to claim foul play? Have some shame!"

The victors spoke with confidence.

Initially, those who wanted to speak up for their fellow countryman were surrounded and berated by a group of eccentric individuals, leaving them too intimidated to speak.

Now, with the tables turned, they pointed fingers and shouted back, jumping in anger.

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end