I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 850: Battle at Tianwang Mountain, a great victory! The final battle is coming! [4600]

Surprised, confused, and a little... afraid.

Everyone in the health testing center looked at Qing Deng with fear in their eyes... As far as Qing Deng knew, this was the first time.

Not to mention Souji and others who are Qingdeng's brothers, even Serizawa Kamo, who is not Qingdeng's confidant, has keenly discovered that Qingdeng's condition has become very strange since the attack on the mountain began.

Although Qing Deng cannot be called a martial arts fanatic, he does have an extraordinary enthusiasm for fighting - anyone who knows Qing Deng is aware of this.

However, Qing Deng's performance just now could not be described with such general words as "keen on fighting"!
To put it nicely, it was "overexcitement".

To put it bluntly, it looks like "madness"!
He rushed forward recklessly, killing every enemy he saw, completely ignoring his companions behind him, even at the cost of being separated from the team.

Even though Nagakura Shinpachi called out to him and asked him to calm down, he remained indifferent.

At first, Souji and the others thought it was just the noise on the battlefield, so Aoto didn't hear Nagakura Shinpachi's voice.

But soon, they found that this was not the case - Qing Deng did not fail to hear it, but subconsciously blocked it out.

His whole mind was immersed in the battle!
Everything that had nothing to do with fighting was abandoned by him!
Just like that, Souji and the others watched Qing Deng move further and further away from them until they could no longer see him.

It was impossible for them to ignore Qing Deng emotionally and logically.

The process of catching up with Qing Deng was relatively smooth.

Qing Deng's strange state of "killing gods if gods stand in his way and killing Buddhas if Buddhas stand in his way" is truly terrifying.

Anyone who tried to stop Qing Deng would be lucky to have an intact body.

Therefore, the mountain road leading to the main camp was left with only broken corpses and some defeated soldiers who had managed to survive by chance because they were far away from Qingdeng.

From "not seeing Qing Deng" to "meeting Qing Deng at the main camp of the Choshu army", it only took 10 minutes.

There is no need to elaborate on what happened next...

When Souji and others rushed to the main camp of the Choshu army, they did not hear any sounds of fighting or killing, but only dead silence.

Everywhere you look, it’s blood red!
More than forty bodies were lying on the ground, with various causes of death, including some soldiers holding bows and arrows, matchlock rifles and other powerful weapons.

Souji and others did not doubt Qing Deng's ability.

They absolutely believed that Qing Deng had the fighting power to "annihilate the main camp of the Choshu army."

But...it only took 10 minutes to rush to the enemy's main camp and kill more than soldiers in the camp.

This this……? !

Even for Qing Deng, such fighting power is too terrifying!

If it were just this, it would not be enough to surprise Souji and others.

After all, they are no longer newcomers to the battlefield.

They had all witnessed the horrific scene with more deaths and more blood.

What really shocked them were the expressions of the dead.

All the dead people present had their eyes wide open, their faces pale, and they looked distorted as if their souls had left their bodies.

It was as if I had seen some extremely terrifying demon...

If it were just one or two bodies, it would be fine.

But if more than forty corpses were all like this, it would be terrifying!

As we all know, emotions are contagious.

Looking at such a scene, one can't help but feel an instinctive fear.

It is not an exaggeration to use this scene as a concrete image of "hell"!
To be honest, even people like Zongsi, who had been through hundreds of battles and had been in countless bloody battlefields, could not help but be stunned after seeing this scene.

In this "hell", Qing Deng was the only one standing safely.

Looking up, Qing Deng, covered in blood, was standing upright in a pool of blood.

Souji and others happened to see him raising his knife and stabbing the last enemy general.

The enemy general had lost his will to fight. His face was as pale as paper. He knelt on the ground, banging his head against the ground, and begged for his life frantically, "Mercy!"

However, Qing Deng turned a deaf ear and walked towards the man step by step.

Although it was just a quick glimpse, Souji and the others did see Qing Deng's expression at that time.

There was no expression on his face, no joy, anger, sorrow or happiness, just like a stone sculpture, and there was an indescribable, unknown light in his eyes.

In a nutshell - not like a human!
"I won't fight anymore! I won't fight anymore! Please spare me...Pugu...!"

Qing Deng drew his sword without hesitation and pierced the enemy general's vital point.

The enemy general begged for mercy until the last moment of his life, asking Qing Deng to spare his life.

However... in the face of his desperate pleas, Qing Deng didn't even frown, and taking his life was as easy, casual, and natural as slapping a mosquito.

At that moment, Qing Deng gave Souji and others a strong sense of strangeness!
They couldn't help but feel sweat on their backs and chills on their teeth.

Zongsi stared at Qingdeng with his eyes wide open and couldn't help but call out Qingdeng.

Then, Qing Deng woke up as if from a dream, blinked, turned around, and looked at Souji and others with a confused look on his face.

Although Qing Deng didn't say anything, after observing the changes in his eyes, Souji and others couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief - Qing Deng had returned to the appearance they were familiar with.

For a moment, Souji and the others thought fearfully: Could it be that Qing Deng can't change back?

……

……

At this time, as his consciousness gradually became clearer, the last bit of confusion in Qing Deng's mind finally dissipated completely.

The balls of twine in my mind were untangled and straightened one by one.

He frowned slightly, raised his head and rubbed his forehead, trying hard to recall the scenes he had just experienced.

His memory stopped at the moment when he attacked the Choshu army's main camp.

He only remembered that after he rushed into the main camp of the Choshu army and saw a large number of enemies ready for battle, he immediately felt his desire to fight boiled over, and he kept thinking to himself, "Don't dawdle, let's fight."

As for what happened next... he couldn't remember it at all.

It's like waking up in the morning and trying to remember the specific details of a dream you had last night.

Despite trying hard to recall, I found that the content of the dream gradually faded away and I could not catch it.

How he swung his sword, how he killed the enemy, how he flattened the Choshu army's main camp... He couldn't remember any of these things.

Only the palms still retained the vague feeling of "the blade entering the body".

With a "puff" sound, Qing Deng pulled Vairocana out of the corpse in front of him and pulled it back to his hand, with a line of blood dripping down.

The corpse fell to the ground with a loud bang due to losing its support, splashing countless blood.

The wonderful state of "the world becoming transparent" and "blending with the world" has disappeared with his "awakening" just now.

——Am I...being "swallowed"...?
A hint of uneasiness appeared on Qing Deng's cheeks.

As for his madness just now, Souji and others didn't know the details, but he knew it clearly - he was addicted to the power of that "invincible state"! He was too selfless and lost his mind!
He was swallowed up by that "invincible state"!
In other words - he has gone crazy!
Qing Deng lowered his head and stared straight at Vairocana, which was stained with blood.

He never expected that such a change would occur in his martial arts path. It was the first time in his life.

Although it may seem heartless to say this... he still wants to experience that "invincible state" again!
Everything is visible within his sight, and the whole world is "transparent" in his eyes; his limbs and bones are integrated with the world, and endless power surges from his body... just like the name Qingdeng gave him: Invincible!

This "invincible state" is so powerful! It seems to be omnipotent! Just like a god!
Once you experience this "invincible state", the intense pleasure will be deeply engraved in your memory, making it difficult to extricate yourself.

Suddenly, there was a burst of noise from the bottom of the hillside - it turned out that other soldiers were attacking from behind.

They rushed into the main camp of the Choshu army in a large number, and cried out in shock when they saw the tragic scene of blood flowing like a river.

After a while, the exclamations quickly turned into cheers.

They had no idea what Qing Deng had just experienced, they only knew that the main camp of the Choshu Army had been destroyed and victory was at hand.

Hijikata Toshizo came to his senses and shouted:
"Don't just stand there! Go cut down the Choshu Army's flag! Raise our flag!"

With the responses coming one after another, the soldiers swarmed towards those sides and chopped them off with their swords.

After a while, the "three-leaf sunflower flag" symbolizing the shogunate, the "faith flag" symbolizing the Shinsengumi, and the "maru cross flag" symbolizing Satsuma were set up and unfurled on Tennozan.

Looking at the three flags standing tall, the soldiers all celebrated with joy.

Shouts like "We won", "Victory", "The Choshu people lost" echoed throughout the Tenno Mountain. While beheading the flag, Hijikata Toshizo personally led people to search for Kusaka Genzui's body.

After searching in vain, he moved to Qing Deng's side with a sullen face:

"Tachibana, we were unable to find Kusaka Genzui's body. It looks like he probably escaped."

Both Qing Deng and Hijikata Toshizo were people who could clearly distinguish between public and private affairs and prioritize things.

Hijikata Toshizo has recovered from his confusion about "what happened to Aoto just now" and is concentrating on the battle in front of him - the same is true for Aoto.

"It doesn't matter. I've said before that taking over Tianwang Mountain is the top priority right now."

"As long as we can inflict heavy damage to the Choshu army and capture Mount Tenno, Kusaka Genzui's head will be nothing more than a bonus."

At this point, he turned his head and looked at Nagakura Shinpachi:

"Shinpachi, the important task of 'clearing out the remaining soldiers on the mountain' is now entrusted to you! Those who surrender will be spared! Those who resist will be killed without mercy!"

Nagakura Shinpachi nodded vigorously, and Lang said "yes".

Then, Qing Deng turned his head and looked at Saito Hajime.

"Hayi, I will assign 300 people to you. You will lead the team in person and search for all those who are suspected to be Kusaka Genzui within a two-mile radius!"

[Note: 1 ri in the Edo period is equivalent to 3.924 kilometers today]

"If you meet Kusaka Genzui, catch him if you can. If you can't, bring his head to me!"

Saito nodded slightly.

Qing Deng's eyes fell on Hijikata Toshizo, Souji and Kamo Serizawa who had not yet received the order.

"Come with me! The battle is not over yet! We have to chase the Choshu army! Drive them to Saga Tenryuji Temple in the north! To further expand the victory!"

After saying that, Qing Deng shook his arms vigorously to wipe off the remaining blood on the blade, then sheathed the blade and turned away.

Hijikata Toshizo quickly followed.

After being stunned for a moment, Souji and Serizawa Kame immediately followed closely to Aoto's side.

The war is not over yet, so it is not time to relax or distract yourself.

Although he wanted to sit down on the ground immediately and concentrate on exploring the "invincible state" that made people both love and fear it, he should focus on the battle in front of him for now.

We’ll talk about the rest later!
……

……

Tianwang Mountain, somewhere on the northern slope——

"Whoosh...! Whoosh...! Whoosh...!"

"Kusaka-san! Over here! Quick!"

"This way! Go this way!"

"Hey! Is there really a road in this godforsaken place?!"

"Who knows! Just go wherever you can find a place to stand!"

"Don't make a fuss! It will be bad if we attract the shogunate's lackeys!"

In the lush green forest, a patch of color is moving slowly.

After a closer look, I realized that this was a remnant of the Choshu army.

There weren't many people, about a dozen or so.

They were in a hurry, their faces were filled with fear, their nerves were on edge, and they saw enemies everywhere. At first glance, they looked no different from ordinary remnants of the army.

But in fact, for the shogunate and the pro-shogunate faction, this seemingly insignificant remnant of troops was a well-deserved big fish.

Because the leader of the radical faction and an important leader of the Sonjo faction, Kusaka Genzui, was among them.

Like other generals of the Choshu army, Kusaka Genzui wore exquisite armor and gorgeous Jinbaori.

What a pity that his beautiful outfit was now covered in blood, looking gray and particularly disheveled.

"...That's enough. Leave me alone and run for your lives. A useless person like me is just a waste of food even if I'm alive."

After saying that, he stopped and sat cross-legged, looking as if to say, "This is what I am going to do, and I will never leave again."

At this moment, Kusaka Genzui's words and facial expression were filled with intense despair.

He had an expressionless face, dull eyes, and a straight gaze. There was no color on his face, and he looked like a living dead.

As soon as he finished speaking, someone beside him immediately shouted:

"Mr. Kusaka! What are you talking about?! Get up!"

"Mr. Kusaka! You are the indispensable leader of our Choshu! We can do anything! But you must not die!"

They grabbed Kusaka Genzui's arms and tried to pull him up.

However, Kusaka Genzui remained unmoved:
"That's enough! I told you to leave me alone!"

"The Battle of Shimonoseki, the August 18th Incident, Ikeda-ya... I was defeated again and again, and I never won..."

"I have not accomplished anything, and I am too embarrassed to face my fellow villagers..."

"I don't have the strength to fight anymore! Please let me be free!"

The despair in his tone became even stronger.

Looking at the appearance of Kusaka Genzui, everyone present showed sorrow on their faces.

Some even burst into tears, their faces filled with sadness.

As fans of Kusaka Genzui, how could they not understand his feelings?

Regarding this Eastern Expedition, the radicals led by Kusaka Genzui were all determined to "die if they don't succeed."

The reason is simple - they have been defeated too many times before and can no longer afford to lose!

Therefore, they urgently need a victory to boost the morale of the radicals! Boost the morale of the pro-Japanese faction!

Even if we cannot win a resounding victory, it is acceptable to achieve certain results.

However...however...!
As soon as the war started, the Yamazaki battlefield, which was the main battlefield, suffered a crushing defeat.

Faced with the Hijikata-Satsuma coalition whose troops were only half of theirs, they were easily defeated and chased to Mount Tenno like a stray dog. Then they were surrounded and annihilated by the enemy with superior forces, and the 6,000-strong army completely collapsed.

Kusaka Genzui not only led the Eastern Expedition, but also personally commanded the Yamazaki battlefield.

But in the end, the war that he personally commanded turned out like this, and 6,000 troops were killed in vain.

In this case, it is hard to imagine what decent results this Eastern Expedition can achieve...

It is not difficult to imagine the self-blame and grief in his heart.

It is not difficult to understand why he has ended up in such a self-destructive state.

Although Kusaka Genzui had clearly stated that "he didn't want to live anymore", no one present listened.

"Mr. Kusaka, please cheer up!"

"Yes! Victory and defeat are common in the military!"

While they were trying to persuade him with tears in their eyes, they took action - one held up Kusaka Genzui's arms on the left and right, half supporting and half dragging him to escape from the mountain.

"Put me down! Put me down!"

Kusaka Genzui was like a pig tied to a carrying pole, struggling desperately, but to no avail.

The group of people gradually went away and disappeared into the distant mountains and forests.

……

……

Under Qing Deng's personal command, after pursuing and annihilating the Choshu army in Fushimi, he began to pursue and annihilate the Choshu army in Yamazaki.

During this period, the bandit troops from the two directions gradually merged and fled together to the north...that is, towards Tianlong Temple.

Saga Tenryuji Temple - the last stronghold of the Choshu Army!
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Ugh… Leopard’s insomnia has come back again. I’m not in a good mood today, so the number of words is relatively small. Please forgive me…