Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Upon hearing Chen Jie's words, Kato Kuki's gaze shifted to him.

This was the first time he had seen Chen Jie in person.

Looking at this figure at the pinnacle of power in the Great Qian Dynasty, Kato Kuju felt a sudden sense of fear.

Although Chen Jie's martial arts level was only at the Tongmai Gangjin stage, his life potential was incredibly abundant, and his entire body exuded an extraordinary aura.

Even with Kato Kuki's martial arts prowess, he would feel a sense of fear standing in front of Chen Jie.

call--!
Kato Kazuki couldn't help but take a deep breath, his face expressionless, his gaze becoming deep.

Shibata Shiro was completely stunned at this moment. He was not particularly familiar with the other grandmaster-level Japanese masters.

but,

He was very familiar with Toyotomi Hidekawa's level of martial arts skill.

The three invincible martial arts masters of the Eastern Empire are totem-like figures in the hearts of any martial artist in the East, and are deeply admired and worshipped by Eastern warriors.

but,

Now this grandmaster, renowned throughout the martial arts world of the Eastern Empire, has died.

Toyotomi Hidekawa's body was deathly pale, and his skin looked wrinkled and unsightly, like tree bark after he lost his life.

It was as pitiful as a withered branch.

in addition,

Toyotomi Hidekawa's body was cut in two by Chen Jie's sword, and the two halves were connected by a silk thread.

He had long since lost all his blood and his life potential was completely exhausted, and he was instantly killed by a single sword strike.

Finally, through the efforts of the imperial coroners, Toyotomi Hidekawa's body was pieced together, and it looked so tragic.

Shibata Shiro sighed and turned to give Chen Jie a deep look.

Although Chen Jie appeared very calm and composed at this moment, he did not exude any murderous intent.

but,

Shibata Shiro felt a sense of suffocation. He knew all too well that, apart from Miyamoto Musashi, probably no one in the Eastern Empire's martial arts could defeat this man.

"Shibata Shiro, I hope that the deaths of several of your top Japanese fighters will make you more restrained."

"I do not wish to see your Japanese army appear on the land of the Great Qian Dynasty."

"I'm giving you time to withdraw your Kwantung Army stationed in Northeast China. If you want to launch a general offensive now, I guarantee I'll lead my troops to your Japanese islands!"

Chen Jie said calmly, his gaze fixed on the Japanese ambassador, Shibata Shiro.

"We Japanese clearly distinguish between martial arts wars and secular wars. Rest assured, our Kwantung Army will not launch a secular war at this time!"

Shibata Shiro took a deep breath and said, "We Japanese samurai uphold the purest martial arts and worship the strongest warriors!"

“Your Highness, I am very grateful that you have separated martial arts assassination from secular warfare.”

"Your martial arts skills are admirable. I believe that it would be an honor for our Japanese martial arts to die at your hands."

"Let's have a grand battle of the century between our Eastern Empire and the Great Qian Dynasty on the shores of the East China Sea!"

"On behalf of Mr. Miyamoto Musashi, I accept your martial arts challenge."

As Shibata Shiro spoke, his eyes were fixed on Chen Jie.

Swish-!
Next, he pulled a white cloth belt from his waist, on which was a blood-red sun, the battle flag emblem of the Japanese Kwantung Army.

next moment,
He wrapped a white cloth around his head, and at that moment, he exuded a chilling and murderous aura.

This is an unstoppable trend!
The battle was forged with the blood of Japanese samurai, a fierce and chilling spectacle!

To Chen Jie's surprise, the Japanese ambassador, Shibata Shiro, exuded a true aura of 'Bushido' at this moment, showing a willingness to die for his cause.

Perhaps it was Shibata Shiro's actions that set a precedent.

Kato Kazuki also took out a white ribbon from his body and wrapped it around his head.

Wow——!
Next,
All the Japanese samurai behind the two of them took out a white ribbon and wrapped it around their heads.

boom--!
In an instant, an increasingly chilling aura stirred the power of heaven and earth.

That spirit of fighting to the death, that willpower of Bushido, was sublimated at that moment, which was truly awe-inspiring.

Upon learning of the deaths of the four invincible warriors of the East, all the top East warriors who entered the Great Qian Dynasty were shocked.

Although Toyotomi Hidekawa and others rarely appeared in front of ordinary samurai, they were like dragons whose heads were seen but not their tails.

but,

Their influence in Japanese martial arts is very high.

All the top martial arts masters from the East during the Great Qian Dynasty followed Shibata Shiro and Kato Kuju as their personal guards to Jinling.

Their purpose in coming here was not for revenge, but to personally transport the bodies of the four super-strong Japanese warriors back to their country.

Now that these Japanese samurai have white cloth bands wrapped around their heads, they seem to have stirred up the power of heaven and earth, expressing the courage and determination of the Japanese "Bushido" to fight to the death.

A fighting spirit capable of shaking Chen Jie's mind erupted.

This demonstrates just how tragic, brutal, and immense this terrifying aura of 'Bushido' truly was.

These Japanese samurai had killed many people and were all highly skilled warriors who had experienced bloody battles.

Their martial arts willpower was unwavering, and their killing intent, once concentrated, stirred up the power of heaven and earth.

Intense hatred filled their minds, suppressing their fear of Chen Jie and igniting a fighting spirit to the death.

Such a terrifying force of heaven and earth filled the surroundings, causing the elites of the Ximen Hall to change color in shock.

Click—click—!
next moment,
The elite soldiers of the Ximen Hall raised their assault rifles and aimed them at the Japanese samurai.

They were all highly trained elite soldiers with an extremely keen sense of fighting spirit.

It was as if they were in combat mode; any unusual movement would trigger them to fire at full power, emptying their magazines instantly.

The combined fighting spirit of dozens of Japanese samurai alerted the elite troops of the Ximen Hall, who sensed a threat.

They all instinctively pulled back the bolts, and the atmosphere became heavy at that moment.

If any Japanese make any provocative move, then all of Ximentang's elite troops will open fire at all costs.

The entire Xuanwu Square was shrouded in a suffocating atmosphere, as if dark clouds were pressing down on it.

If two masters at the "Undying Godhood" level were to clash, the resulting upheaval in the universe might be frightening.

Then,

The combined fighting spirit of hundreds of top martial artists at this moment was enough to make one breathless.

"Very good! Haha—the fighting prowess of the Japanese samurai is indeed well-deserved."

"No wonder that in recent years, the Japanese have been eyeing our Great Qian Dynasty with covetousness, and their martial arts have developed rapidly, with masters everywhere."

"Eastern martial artists admire the strong, pursue the ultimate martial arts, and uphold the spirit of Bushido. They claim to be the purest martial artists."

"But ask yourselves honestly, is your martial arts truly pure?"

"Since the Eastern martial arts want to start a war with our Great Qian martial arts, then let's go!"

Suddenly, Yang Xihe, the leader of the Cao Gang, burst into wild laughter. His fighting spirit was ignited, and his momentum was unstoppable.

He was originally only at the Blood Refining Realm. However,

Since following Chen Jie, the canal gang has developed very rapidly and has never had to worry about funds.

Yang Xihe, the leader of the Canal Gang, made great contributions to the vigorous development of Ximen Hall, and naturally received Chen Jie's cultivation and care.

He was supplied with an unlimited supply of high-quality elixirs, soul-stabilizing incense, and other valuable items.

Unexpectedly, Yang Xihe made consecutive breakthroughs, accumulating strength and finally breaking through to the Tongmai Gangjin realm.

Although he was only at the initial stage of the Meridian Opening Qi, which was nothing compared to the experts in the Imperial Palace, he was considered a top expert in the martial arts world.

Faced with these Japanese warriors who could stir up the forces of heaven and earth, not to mention Yang Xihe, the leader of the Cao Gang, even the other experts present who were at or above the Yi Sui Hua Jin realm felt their blood boil and their fighting spirit ignited. They wished they could immediately engage in a fierce battle with the Japanese warriors and fight to the death.

"Although we have different stances, your ability to influence the power of heaven and earth makes you a qualified martial artist!"

"Hopefully, after this epic showdown on the shores of the East China Sea, the martial arts war between the Great Qian Dynasty and the Eastern Empire will have a perfect ending!"

"How many of you here will survive depends on your own fate!"

Dozens of top experts from the East stirred up the power of heaven and earth, filled with fighting spirit and a determination to die. Their domineering aura gave people an extremely strong sense of oppression.

but,

Chen Jie remained unmoved, his gaze calm, and quickly dispelled the terrifying pressure.

Kato Kuki looked up at Chen Jie, and when he saw Chen Jie's calm and collected demeanor, his heart sank.

Although Chen Jie did not exude any killing intent, his powerful life force gave him an immense sense of oppression.

This is an overwhelming force of momentum, spirit, life, and intuition; it is a composed response in terms of state of mind; it is a confidence born from a grasp of the big picture.

Just like when a rich and powerful person is with a poor person, even though the rich and powerful person doesn't say anything, the poor person doesn't dare to shout loudly and lacks confidence.

At this moment, Kato Kuki was in this state when facing Chen Jie, lacking any confidence.

Chen Jie's voice was calm, but none of the dozens of Japanese samurai present dared to utter a word, or even meet his gaze.

"Judging from his aura, he is only a 'Meridian Opening Qi' expert, but why does he possess such a terrifying aura?"

Kato Kazuki sighed inwardly.

He finally witnessed what a true 'prodigy' really was!
Even when Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest swordsman in the Orient, was young, he could not possess such a terrifying aura.

"I hope that Miyamoto Musashi can defeat this man in this martial arts battle on the shores of the East China Sea, otherwise the fate of the Eastern Empire is sealed!"

Kato Kazuki closed his eyes slightly and slowly exhaled.

He adjusted his mindset, and his complexion returned to normal.

After a while,
He waved his hand, signaling everyone around him to suppress their auras, and walked towards the corpses laid out in front of him.

Then,

He picked up Toyotomi Hidekawa's body, wrapped it in a white cloth, and turned to leave without expression.

at the same time,

Shibata Shiro and the other Japanese samurai stepped forward, picked up a corpse, and followed Kato Kakuki away from Jinling Xuanwu Square.

Watching these Japanese samurai leave with the corpses.

Everyone around knew that a martial arts battle between the Great Qian Dynasty and the Eastern Empire was about to begin.

The outcome of the martial arts battle will determine the final course of the military war!
Simultaneously,

The news that Chen Jie had declared war on Miyamoto Musashi in front of the Japanese ambassador, using the orders of the four great masters of the East, spread throughout East Asia.

In this martial arts battle, Miyamoto Musashi had no way out, whether he accepted the fight or not.

-

Four top-tier experts from the East and twelve Shadow Ninjas attempted to assassinate the Qian King, but were ultimately killed by him.

Then,

The news that Emperor Qian had informed the Japanese ambassador, Shibata Shiro, to retrieve the body from Xuanwu Square in Nanjing quickly spread throughout the Great Qian Dynasty, Japan, and the entire East Asia.

Whether it was the major martial arts families of Japan, all the masters of the Japanese Ninja Clan, or the various Jianghu forces of the Great Qian Dynasty, everyone knew about the assassination attempt on the Qian King.

of course,

What everyone is more concerned about is the martial arts battle!
The Great Qian Dynasty VS. the Eastern Empire!

Who can win?
Just how powerful was Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest swordsman in the Orient?

"I wonder, 'Master of the Startling Cloud Sword,' what are your chances of winning the final battle against Miyamoto Musashi?"

"The Japanese have come with great force this time. I don't think Shibata Shiro and Kato Kuki are worried at all because I killed four of the top Japanese fighters."

"It's clear that they have a lot of confidence in Miyamoto Musashi."

"We cannot afford to lose this battle!"

call--!
After watching Kato Kuju, Shibata Shiro, and the others leave with the corpses, Chen Jie's gaze sharpened slightly as he looked at Li Aoshuang, who was standing beside him, and asked her a question.

At this moment, Li Aoshuang was wearing a man's robe, and her hair was tied up, making her look like a scholar.

She completely concealed her presence, so not only did no one present know her identity, but even Kato Kasukushiki and Shibata Shiro did not notice her presence.

They thought the scholar-looking man was a servant of Prince Qian.

Given Li Aoshuang's martial arts level and cultivation, if she concealed her whereabouts and suppressed her aura, even Chen Jie would have difficulty sensing her presence, let alone others.

One important reason why he deliberately challenged Miyamoto Musashi to a duel in front of the Japanese ambassador today was that he sensed from Li Aoshuang's expression that she was prepared to die.

Why is Li Aoshuang, the "Master of the Startling Cloud Sword," in this state?
Because she lacked confidence in defeating Miyamoto Musashi, she knew better than anyone how powerful he was.

Chen Jie also wanted to know just how strong Miyamoto Musashi's fighting power really was.
Simultaneously,

He also wanted everyone in the Ximen Hall to be on high alert and fully prepared for battle.

Know thyself, ever-victorious!

Many people thought that the Japanese would separate martial arts battles from military wars, but Chen Jie knew better than anyone else that the Japanese were good at surprise attacks and always waged war without declaring it!
The vast majority of the fighters in the Japanese Black Dragon Society come from major martial arts families in Japan.

They never separated martial arts from the military, and the military placed greater emphasis on the Bushido spirit.

The martial arts battle is just a spark; once this great war is ignited, it will inevitably lead to a war between armies.

Therefore,
While declaring war on Miyamoto Musashi, Chen Jie continuously transferred troops from Shandong and Tianjin.

Ximentang's elite troops were sharpening their swords, ready to fight the Japanese Kwantung Army at any time.

"My master was a little stronger than I am now twenty years ago."

Li Aoshuang took a deep breath and whispered:

"Although the battle in the East China Sea back then ended in a draw, it was actually my master who lost!"

"In twenty years, just how powerful has Miyamoto Musashi become? To be honest, I don't know!"

“But he is definitely much stronger than he was twenty years ago; I can’t sense his aura.”

"If I'm not mistaken, he has likely broken the shackles of human martial arts and reached the realm of [Martial Saint]."

“King Qian, you shouldn’t have declared war on Miyamoto Musashi at this time. You are still young and have enough time to grow.”

"I can die, but you cannot! The lives of countless people in the Great Qian Dynasty are tied to you." (End of Chapter)