Chapter 3

Liu Tianyin was defeated by Bisuke Jiro in their first match, being easily taken down within five moves, and the final blow was the Nine-Headed Dragon Flash, which instantly cut Liu Tianyin's body into several pieces. After recovering, Liu Tianyin, still不服气 (unwilling to admit defeat), challenged Bisuke Jiro again, but the outcome was the same, with Bisuke Jiro easily handling him once more. Through these simulated battles, Liu Tianyin roughly gauged Bisuke Jiro's strength, which was at least eight times that of an ordinary person. No wonder Bisuke Jiro was the top swordsman in "Rurouni Kenshin," capable of blocking the Yuki no Katanado of the giant Fujin. Such astonishing strength made dealing with ordinary swordsmen as easy as killing chickens.

After that, Liu Tianyin engaged in simulated battles with some of the other characters in "Rurouni Kenshin." After a series of battles, Liu Tianyin estimated that his skills were on par with Kenshin's when he had completed his mastery of the secret techniques. Although Liu Tianyin's physical abilities were even superior to Kenshin's (Kenshin's physical abilities were between four to five times that of an ordinary person), his combat experience was severely lacking. Despite being able to read Kenshin's moves, his responses were far from satisfactory. The simulated battle between Liu Tianyin and Kenshin lasted over twenty minutes, exhausting Kenshin and forcing him to use the secret technique, Heaven Soaring Dragon Flash, as a last resort. Liu Tianyin, as planned, countered with the secret technique, Heavenly Sword Qi Instant.

However, since it was Liu Tianyin's first time using a secret technique, and secret techniques were not just about swordsmanship but also a test of mental fortitude. Like the Heaven Soaring Dragon Flash, it required a strong will to survive, which Liu Tianyin naturally lacked. Even though he could use the secret technique, a flawed version could not match Kenshin's Heaven Soaring Dragon Flash. When the Heaven Soaring Dragon Flash and Heavenly Sword Qi Instant clashed, a powerful shockwave created a vacuum-like area, and with the gravitational pull, both of them spun and delivered their second strikes. Liu Tianyin failed to turn in time to block the Heaven Soaring Dragon Flash, and the reverse-blade sword left a deep gash on his chest.

However, before falling, Liu Tianyin released the compressed sword qi from his scabbard at Kenshin. Kenshin, who had used the second strike of the Heaven Soaring Dragon Flash, was unable to block the concentrated sword qi, and a large hole was torn in his chest. Both ended up severely injured.

The next morning, Liu Tianyin didn't get out of bed until 9 AM. The extended nighttime training had significantly improved his combat experience. However, during the day, Liu Tianyin did not plan to continue training in the Infinite Heart. He was not familiar with the surrounding terrain and needed to search for nearby villages. Liu Tianyin did not want to hide in the wilderness alone, waiting for the plot to unfold. Just waiting until 1877 would be enough to drive him mad. He took some coins from the system, left the door unlocked, and after breakfast, left the wooden house with Kikyo Sen Mikkazuki and a bag.

"Um (⊙o⊙)... Why can't I see any signs of human habitation? Infinite Heart, can you give me a map and a compass?"

"O__O... Contractee, even if I give you a map of this era, you wouldn't know where to go. You don't even know your current location."

"Contractee, you can look at the sky. Generally, places with people will have smoke, and with the Yuki no Katanado style you've learned, you should be sensitive to human auras."

"Right, it seems many people are approaching my location. From their auras, they seem to have hostile intentions, probably bandits."

Liu Tianyin had only learned the Yuki no Katanado style for a day, but his strength was not to be underestimated. Soon, a group of masked men armed with katana and tachi surrounded him.

"Everyone, I am just a wanderer with nothing of value. Please let me go."

There were seven bandits. Although Liu Tianyin was not afraid of them, he did not want to cause unnecessary trouble. He hoped they might not rob him, but the likelihood of bandits not robbing was extremely low. The seven bandits immediately attacked without a word.

"Reluctantly..." Liu Tianyin released the bag and gripped the hilt of Kikyo Sen Mikkazuki. After reading the actions of the seven bandits, he used a quick draw to cut the nearest bandit in half. At that moment, a bandit behind him swung his sword, but Liu Tianyin had already anticipated this. He dodged the attack and used a qi spin to decapitate the bandit.

Seeing two of their own fall in seconds, the remaining five bandits hesitated. Liu Tianyin looked at them coldly, and the air was filled with a killing intent that made the surroundings oppressive. Soon, three bandits could not hold back and attacked Liu Tianyin simultaneously. However, the Yuki no Katanado style was designed for fighting multiple opponents, and three people were no match for Liu Tianyin.

"Yuki no Katanado: Qi Chaos Flow." Liu Tianyin rapidly swung Kikyo Sen Mikkazuki, and the rapid strikes, accompanied by numerous sword qi, instantly tore the three bandits into pieces. The two remaining bandits, one of whom seemed to be the leader, pushed the other towards Liu Tianyin and fled in the opposite direction. Liu Tianyin realized that if this bandit escaped and spread the news, it could bring significant trouble. He envisioned the consequences of being spied on and assassinated due to this bandit and decided he could not let him escape.

He casually cut down the bandit who was pushed towards him, then gathered his sword qi on Kikyo Sen Mikkazuki and unleashed a full-power qi blade at the fleeing bandit. The five-meter-long qi blade sliced through the ground like paper and struck the bandit, who, seeing the terrifying qi blade, did not even attempt to defend himself and was cut in half.

After dealing with the seven bandits, Liu Tianyin pulled out a cloth to wipe the blood from Kikyo Sen Mikkazuki. He felt a wave of nausea, but he forced himself not to vomit. It was his first time killing, and it was impossible to have no reaction. Despite appearing decisive and merciless, it was because the consequences of letting the bandits escape forced him to kill. The feeling of taking a life made his hands tremble, and the cloth felt heavy as he slowly moved it along the blade.

Liu Tianyin knew that this was a natural reaction to killing for the first time. As long as he could endure and get used to it, he would not have such a reaction again. Liu Tianyin's will and spirit were far beyond those of an ordinary person; otherwise, he would not have become a contractee of the Infinite Heart. After about ten minutes, he recovered, his hands no longer trembling and his legs no longer weak. This was partly due to the exhaustion from using a full-power qi blade, which had nearly drained all his sword qi. Looking at the scattered limbs, Liu Tianyin felt it was necessary to bury those who had died by his blade. Perhaps it was similar to Kenshin's thoughts; after death, everyone, regardless of their identity, should have a place to rest.

Looking at the seven mounds of earth, Liu Tianyin took out a bottle of wine from the system and slowly poured it over the mounds. "To die without even tasting a sip of wine is too pitiful. Although you were my enemies, your deaths have helped me overcome a psychological barrier and learn to wield my sword against others. This wine is for your farewell." With that, Liu Tianyin turned and left the place where he had first wielded his sword to kill.

"Contractee successfully overcame the psychological barrier, Slaughter Heart Level 1, earned 100 Heart Coins." The words of the Infinite Heart echoed faintly in Liu Tianyin's mind.