Time is like reminiscing about student days after work; by the time you cherish it, everything has already passed.
In the blink of an eye, the day of the court banquet arrived.
For the entire morning, Zhou Ming locked himself in his room, not seeing a single outsider.
Thirty Martial Artists from Koriyama Castle surrounded Zhou Ming's room, guarding it vigilantly, preventing any outsider from entering.
Perhaps they also vaguely sensed that the days of constant vigilance were finally coming to an end, so they patrolled with extra diligence, even swatting a fly if it came too close.
At noon, Zhou Ming emerged from his room and ate a "sumptuous" lunch.
Of course, only sumptuous by the standards of this world.
In the afternoon, Matsui Kyoshin drove Zhou Ming to the Tokugawa Dojo.
"M-Master..."
As the gates of the Tokugawa Dojo gradually appeared in the distance, Matsui Kyoshin swallowed, finally unable to resist speaking.
"I hope I can still receive your guidance in the future."
The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and Zhou Ming leaned out, chuckling softly.
"If there's a chance, I'll teach you again."
Matsui Kyoshin pulled the reins, the carriage slowly stopped, and Zhou Ming stepped down.
"Go back. I'll go to the banquet myself tonight. You don't need to wait for me."
Watching Zhou Ming's retreating figure enter the Tokugawa Dojo, Matsui Kyoshin felt a pang of sorrow for some reason.
Only when Zhou Ming's figure was completely out of sight did Matsui Kyoshin drive back, looking disheartened... Zhou Ming followed the guiding servant, walking into the Dojo.
Every Martial Artist he met along the way, no matter what they were doing, would put down their tasks, stand up, and give Zhou Ming a respectful gaze as he passed.
It was as if they already knew what was going to happen today.
Soon, led by the servant, Zhou Ming stepped into a spacious room.
In the room, only Tokugawa Yamato was present, kneeling before a wooden table, quietly brewing tea.
"Zhou-kun, this is our first meeting." He looked up and made a gesture of invitation in front of himself.
"Please sit!"
Zhou Ming stepped forward without hesitation, sitting cross-legged, his eyes carefully sizing up Tokugawa Yamato.
After all, the man before him was once known as the greatest in the world; even if his Peak was no longer, he was certainly not someone to be taken lightly.
Perhaps, the opportunity for a Breakthrough to Sword Art Lv4 lay with him.
As Zhou Ming observed Tokugawa Yamato, Tokugawa Yamato was also observing Zhou Ming.
Seeing him sitting cross-legged without any pretense, one hand propping his chin, the other resting on his knee, his relaxed demeanor made Tokugawa Yamato feel somewhat surprised.
How long had it been since someone appeared before him in such a relaxed posture?
Tokugawa Yamato suddenly chuckled softly, pushing a steaming cup of tea towards Zhou Ming.
"Zhou-kun, you are a very interesting person."
"Many people have told me that," Zhou Ming said with a faint smile, glancing at the teacup on the table but not touching it.
Tokugawa Yamato said nothing about Zhou Ming's impolite behavior, merely picked up his own cup and took a sip.
Then, he said calmly, "Oishi Takashi, he is my most outstanding Disciple."
"I cultivated him to the best of my ability. He will inherit my mantle, chase after me, surpass me, and reach a higher Realm of Martial Dao that I never attained."
Zhou Ming scoffed, "Unfortunately, your dream is destined to fail."
He straightened his posture, looking at Tokugawa Yamato with an indifferent gaze, but his words carried a heavy killing intent and detachment.
"He will encounter me at the Martial Artist Assembly, and driven by hatred, he will recklessly seek revenge. But his strength is too weak. He will be slain by me, his life will end there, and your hopes will also end there."
"Everything is but the moon in the water, a flower in the mirror."
"Clink!" The cup in Tokugawa Yamato's hand was placed back on the table, making a crisp, light sound.
"No, I said I would do everything in my power!"
Tokugawa Yamato's eyes blazed with intense Battle Intent. Time had not faded his courage; instead, it had made his spirit, after refinement and tempering, even more profound and complete.
He stood up and walked to the other side of the room, where an ancient long saber lay on a table.
Tokugawa Yamato gripped the scabbard and took the long saber from the wooden stand.
"Maeda Mitsunaga Maru, crafted by Great Master Maeda Tsunetsugu. I know your blade is sharp, capable of easily damaging even Onikiri Yasutsuna. Try to see if you can cut through this saber!"
As he spoke, Tokugawa Yamato's Aura underwent a drastic transformation.
Before this, Tokugawa Yamato, while brewing tea, was serene and peaceful, like a Daoist who had attained enlightenment and detached from worldly affairs. When verbally sparring with Zhou Ming, he was profound and distant, like a revered elder admonishing a disrespectful junior.
Now, Tokugawa Yamato's Battle Intent soared, his gaze was sharp, his edge fully revealed, and his Aura was imposing, making people feel awed and unable to look directly at him. It was as if he and his saber had become one, ready to cut down anything that dared to stand in his way.
"Good!" Zhou Ming clapped his hands and laughed, drawing his saber and standing opposite Tokugawa Yamato.
"If you want me to draw my saber, you'll have to pay a hefty price!"
Clang!
In an instant, both drew their sabers simultaneously, their figures moving with extreme speed, too fast for ordinary people to even react.
The two long sabers did not clash or collide. Instead, they both slashed towards each other's bodies.
Saber Art is not about weapon-on-weapon combat, but about how to more effectively wound the enemy.
Both Zhou Ming and Tokugawa Yamato stood at the Peak of Saber Art in this world. Even with their eyes closed, they knew how to strike.
The long sabers cut through the air, producing whistling sounds. Figures and saber shadows, like two swirling cyclones, intertwined, collided, tore at each other, fiercely intense.
Tokugawa Yamato possessed powerful saber techniques honed over decades of combat and arduous training. Every Move was perfected, natural, and carried a certain inherent rhythm.
Zhou Ming, on the other hand, had absorbed the Martial Dao experiences of countless individuals, drawing from a hundred schools of thought and integrating them. His Moves were varied and dazzling.
The battle immediately plunged into the most intense struggle, where a single misstep could mean losing one's life.
The styles of the two men were completely different, and Tokugawa Yamato's Saber Art level was still above Zhou Ming's, truly worthy of his former title as the world's foremost.
If it were Zhou Ming before his battle with Hirakawa Masamasa, he would not have been able to contend with Tokugawa Yamato purely with Saber Art.
Fortunately, after defeating Hirakawa Masamasa, his Martial Dao experience had significantly elevated Zhou Ming's Saber Art level. The subsequent days of digestion allowed him to convert these Martial Dao experiences into strength, giving Zhou Ming the capital to compete with Tokugawa Yamato in Saber Art.
And Zhou Ming also had his own advantages, such as his powerful physical constitution, and the edelman alloy blade in his hand.
An indestructible edelman alloy blade, not belonging to this world.
No matter how careful Tokugawa Yamato was, the two blades would inevitably collide.
With each collision, the renowned blade Maeda Mitsunaga Maru would acquire a tiny notch.
Little by little, Maeda Mitsunaga Maru's lifespan was rapidly approaching its end.
Until this moment, the two blades collided once again.
Crack!
A crisp sound simultaneously reached both their ears.
Tokugawa Yamato's expression changed, and he tried to jump backward, but Zhou Ming's blade slashed diagonally upwards.
Tokugawa Yamato instinctively raised his blade to block, but only heard a hum.
Half of the blade flew out of his astonished sight.
Maeda Mitsunaga Maru was broken!
Vaguely, he seemed to hear the final wail of the broken blade in his hand.
Thanks to 'A slightly knowledgeable anime enthusiast' for the reward, adding another chapter, mwah!
Also, to all the readers for their monthly and recommendation votes, although I also want to update ten chapters to express my gratitude, my ability truly doesn't allow it. I can only thank every reader who supports me here, thank you all.