"Just this little trick? You think you're really invincible?" Hideki Tamaki clearly didn't take Ryan Ling seriously. He also threw a punch with full force.
The two heavy punches collided with a thunderous crash, shaking the ground so violently that farmhouses on the edge of the Mitsui estate exploded one after another.
"I told you, you can't kill me! As soon as I activate Vajra War-God, I'm immortal. Unless you're the Imperial Dawn God-King, no one can touch me!" Hideki Tamaki looked at his perfectly restored body and burst out laughing.
"Impossible! How is this possible?" Just one punch had left Hideki Tamaki totally stunned. He was still standing, but his energy was in complete chaos.
"You're not even qualified to clean my toilets!" Ryan Ling snorted coldly. He grabbed Hideki Tamaki and lifted him up, Tamaki's face turning purple like a chunk of liver, his skin splitting and even starting to rot.
"But right now, with Hideki Tamaki powered by Heavenwood Spirit-Liquid, there's no way to kill him!" As Ryan kept throwing punches, he also unleashed the first ten forms of the Infernal Madblade. Every slash hit a vital spot, but just like the punches, after a brief smash, Tamaki instantly regenerated—even thunder and fire couldn't put him down.
To Wendy, Ryan Ling's strength seemed truly invincible. Mitsui family tough guys weren't so strong, but she knew Hideki Tamaki well—twenty years ago he was the legendary 'newcomer king' of Chiba Shrine, and now one of its four Golden High Priests, a pillar-level big shot.
Wendy knew that if she fought Ryan, he could crush her with a single finger. Yet this insanely strong master couldn't even get past one move against Ryan!
"Golden Barrier, gather again! Onmyō Technique—Vajra War-God, descend!" Hideki Tamaki roared, spitting blood but still stubbornly holding on.
Ryan nodded and moved in on Hideki Tamaki. That sudden close-up finally revealed a clue—a faint blue strip was seeping out of Tamaki's navel. Clearly, that strip was the link to the Heavenwood.
"What's going on?" Ryan Ling was stunned. It felt like something was pumping power into Hideki Tamaki from behind—Ryan couldn't even pin him down. The Golden Core force he was unleashing was slowly being drained away!
"Ryan, if I'm not wrong, Hideki Tamaki's being fed by a powerful spirit-liquid supply! And that liquid is definitely Heavenwood Spirit-Liquid!" At this moment, the Ghost Elder inside him couldn't help but shout.
"Heavenwood Spirit-Liquid?" Ryan's heart skipped a beat. That explanation actually made sense. Other than Heavenwood's life essence, nothing else could boost someone's cultivation so insanely—unless someone sacrificed their own cultivation, which was basically impossible!
"Looks like there's definitely an ancient Heavenwood inside Chiba Shrine. This time, we have to succeed!" Ryan clenched his fist, shocked but quickly regaining his composure. This discovery made his resolve even stronger.
But right then, Hideki Tamaki couldn't wait any longer—he suddenly lashed out, aiming straight for Ryan. With the spirit-liquid boosting him, his moves were even more ruthless, and he revealed a hidden dark blade, hacking at Ryan with a fierce slash.
Ryan was caught off guard, dodged Hideki Tamaki's frontal punch, but couldn't avoid the dark blade—his arm was instantly slashed, leaving a bloody mark.
"Master!"
"Master!"
Wendy Chiba and Chiharu Mitsui saw this and instantly shouted out.
On the other side, Hideki Tamaki was so hyped he yelled, "Trying to kill me? You're way off. I'm unkillable..."
"Die!" Before Hideki Tamaki could finish, Ryan Ling struck like lightning—three heavy punches swept toward Tamaki. He dodged one, but the other two smashed into his chest and abdomen, blowing them open.
But to everyone's shock, the moment his body exploded, the spirit-liquid kicked in and the mangled flesh instantly regenerated—so fast it was unreal.
"I told you, you can't kill me! As soon as I activate Vajra War-God, I'm immortal. Unless you're the Imperial Dawn God-King, no one can touch me!" Hideki Tamaki looked at his perfectly restored body and burst out laughing.
"That regeneration is insane!" Ryan Ling thought, secretly impressed—the power was even stronger than his own Heavenwood force.
"No need to explain. The ancient Heavenwood inside Chiba Shrine is way stronger than yours—you have to seize it if you want to flip the whole situation!" The Ghost Elder was shocked too, but even more hopeful.
"But right now, with Hideki Tamaki powered by Heavenwood Spirit-Liquid, there's no way to kill him!" As Ryan kept throwing punches, he also unleashed the first ten forms of the Infernal Madblade. Every slash hit a vital spot, but just like the punches, after a brief smash, Tamaki instantly regenerated—even thunder and fire couldn't put him down.
"Don't panic, there has to be a way. Killing him directly won't work—go for the weak spot. The Heavenwood Spirit-Liquid must be coming through a special channel. Cut that off, and without the supply, he's dead for sure!" The Ghost Elder scanned around, clearly searching for the channel.
Ryan took the hint and started darting around, his eyes sharp as ever, but after searching for ages, he still couldn't find it.
"Look closer, it has to be on him. The aura is super well-hidden—try using your ancient Heavenwood aura to get near, that'll help you spot it!" The Ghost Elder suddenly had an idea and quickly gave Ryan a tip.
Ryan nodded and moved in on Hideki Tamaki. That sudden close-up finally revealed a clue—a faint blue strip was seeping out of Tamaki's navel. Clearly, that strip was the link to the Heavenwood.
"Ryan, cut it now! And see if you can trace that strip back to the ancient Heavenwood!" the Ghost Elder shouted immediately.
Ryan didn't hesitate for a second—he slashed at the blue strip in midair, hitting it dead-on. Instantly, Hideki Tamaki's face went deathly pale.
(This chapter isn't over yet ^.^, click next page to keep reading!)
"Let's see if you're still so cocky now!" Ryan grinned and swung a devastating blade right at Hideki Tamaki's skull.
"No, wait—!" Hideki Tamaki panicked, first instinct to call Chiba Shrine for help. But before he could send a message, Ryan's blade split his head clean in two!
The moment Hideki Tamaki died, Ryan's first move was to grab the energy channel—but the faint blue strip was too fast and vanished without a trace!
"Seal off all traces—don't let Chiba Shrine sense a thing!" Seeing the strip vanish, the Ghost Elder knew tracking it was pointless. They had to stick to the plan: use the Mitsui family's shrine quota to sneak into Chiba Shrine.
"Got it!" Ryan nodded and instantly suppressed every death aura related to Hideki Tamaki in the area. Sure, someone would find out eventually, but as long as he got the ancient Heavenwood in time, it didn't matter!
With the Mitsui family business wrapped up, Chiharu Mitsui was super efficient—she knew exactly what Ryan needed and immediately handed him a Mitsui clan onmyō talisman, the official pass to the shrine!
Chiba Shrine is Japan's spiritual holy land—no ordinary person can just walk in. You need a special pass. Ryan had thought about barging in before, but now he's glad he didn't—if he'd run into a bunch of unkillable onmyōji like Hyde, that would've been a disaster.
"Master, if you're going to Chiba Shrine, I can come with you—we'll have each other's backs!" Wendy Chiba quickly volunteered.
"Exactly! My aunt used to be part of the shrine—she may have left, but she still has the right to enter. If she goes with Master, she can help shield him!" Chiharu Mitsui added, then shot Wendy a look, obviously giving her a chance to get closer to Ryan.
"Alright, let's go now—no time to waste!" Ryan didn't want to drag things out. Now that he was sure the ancient Heavenwood was in Chiba Shrine, his next move was to infiltrate it ASAP and find that fragment, no matter what!