Just then, a flash of white light shot through the air, followed by a surprised feminine cry overhead. "Whoosh! Whoosh!" Two streaks of icy brilliance ripped through the sky, riding a fierce wind straight for Martin Oniin.
Martin Oniin frowned, but had no choice but to swing his ominous black blade, Oblivion, slicing upward. "Clang! Clang!"—the two flying weapons were knocked from the air. Looking closer, they were Swallow Gold Darts.
"Hmph, cheap tricks..." Martin Oniin snorted, stepping toward Shawn Young, burning with the urge to finish him off right now!
"Hmph... then let me show you just how nasty a 'cheap trick' can be!" The woman's voice rang out again, unleashing a storm of icy blades—a dazzling, razor-sharp barrage sweeping toward Martin Oniin.
This attack was way fiercer than before. Martin Oniin had to stop and sweep Oblivion in a wide arc, sending out a wave of blade energy that knocked down every single Swallow Gold Dart coming at him.
Shawn Young finally caught his breath and staggered to his feet. He wiped the blood from his wounded shoulder, then bit his tongue and spat out blood, mixing it with the blood on his hand. With a quick gesture—thumb pressing against his ring finger, middle finger touching pinky, index finger gently extended—he formed the Manjusri Seal. Shawn flicked his right hand, sending his blood swirling into the air as a mist. Rapidly, he chanted: "Soul Entrapment Blood Curse! Spirits fall, all evils perish, what god dares to face, what ghost dares to block, Celestial Maiden above, let your divine weapon strike as the law commands! Break!!"
The Soul Entrapment Blood Curse was one of the Clear Sky Order's forbidden lifesaving techniques. If the blood talisman hit, it could force an enemy's soul out of their body. Without a soul restoration ritual, they'd be left a mindless zombie forever.
As Shawn Young finished chanting, scarlet blood mist surged from all directions, swirling on the ground and in the air, rolling toward Martin Oniin in a wave that threatened to swallow him whole.
Martin Oniin knew trouble when he saw it. He whipped Oblivion around in a blur, slicing the incoming blood mist into pieces! Oblivion really was the ultimate weapon against mystical energies—Shawn Young's powerful Soul Entrapment Blood Curse couldn't touch him!
Shawn Young was getting desperate. His earlier fight with Martin Oniin had drained most of his energy, and casting the Soul Entrapment Blood Curse took even more. He felt weaker by the second. If he couldn't break through, he'd be a goner tonight! Gritting his teeth, Shawn unleashed his power, sending wave after wave of blood mist crashing down on Martin Oniin.
Martin Oniin quickly summoned his true power, gripped the black blade 'Oblivion' with both hands, and roared: "Raging Array Slash!" A ferocious black arc slashed through the blood mist rolling in, sweeping it aside like a hurricane tearing through storm clouds. Shawn Young's Soul Entrapment Blood Curse was shattered by the overwhelming force!
But after unleashing that slash, Martin Oniin's chest heaved violently, his face turned ghostly pale. The Raging Array Slash had drained much of his strength. If he attacked Shawn Young again now, both of them would probably end up wrecked.
Staring at Shawn Young, who was still standing, and the mysterious woman who'd been lurking in the shadows, Martin Oniin realized victory was out of reach. He sneered, "Kid... you're not bad. Our duel isn't over yet. Next time, I expect you to go all out. Don't disappoint me!" With that, he nodded at Shawn, sheathed Oblivion, signaled to his masked minions, and strode out of the woods.
The masked woman piloting her solo flyer stomped in frustration, but she dared not defy Martin Oniin's orders. She gestured to the other masked agents, and they vanished into the night like ghosts. Soon, engines roared and they sped away, leaving the villa as if they'd never been there.
"Phew... that was close!" Once Martin Oniin and his crew left, Shawn Young—face pale as a ghost—finally collapsed onto the floor.
"Shawn, are you okay? Oh no... you're hurt!" Rachel Sasaki burst through the barrier that had blocked her, rushed over, and helped Shawn up with concern.
"I'm fine, just drained. Never thought that old bastard Martin Oniin would be so damn tough..." Shawn Young clutched his wounded shoulder, shuddering as he spoke.
"Heh, escaping from the Sword Demon Martin Oniin and making him back off? That's pretty impressive..." A clear, feminine voice echoed through the villa, and a graceful figure slowly appeared before Shawn.
Shawn Young looked up, and his heart skipped a beat—Luna Xiao had arrived. Dressed in a sleek black gown, she was stunning even in the darkness. Her long hair flowed, her beauty ethereal, and her eyes—like misty southern autumn waters—locked onto Shawn with an intense gaze.
Shawn stared right back at her. The two exchanged glances, so much unsaid between them, words melting into the silence...
"Oh... so this gorgeous lady must be Luna Xiao, the legendary boss of the Thirteen Enforcers?" Rachel Sasaki, feeling a twinge of jealousy at the steamy atmosphere, couldn't help but chime in.
"Yep, that's me—Luna Xiao." Luna nodded with a gentle smile.
"No wonder you're such a knockout, Boss Luna! Even Shawn can't take his eyes off you! If I were a guy, I'd be just as smitten..." Rachel sighed, her voice tinged with playful envy.
"Hehe... don't say that, you're gorgeous too! By the way, what's your name, pretty lady?" Luna Xiao asked with a friendly laugh.
"Oh, I'm Japanese—Rachel Sasaki, and um... I'm Shawn's assistant! That's right, his assistant..." Rachel giggled, helping Shawn up and pressing her soft, curvy body against him.
"Wow, so Rachel's Japanese, huh? Shawn, you really are something! Haven't seen you for a while and now you've got such a stunning assistant! And judging by the looks of it, you two seem pretty close..." Luna Xiao teased, flashing Shawn a knowing smile.
"Uh... it's not that big a deal..." Shawn stammered, his face burning. For some reason, being around Luna Xiao always got his heart racing—way more than with any other woman!
"Hehe... Of course we're close! Closer than you can imagine, Boss Luna!" Rachel giggled, wrapping her arm around Shawn and pressing herself against him without a care.
"Oh wow... I can see that, alright... hehe..." Luna Xiao blushed, her clever eyes sparkling. She could tell Shawn and Rachel's relationship was way more than "just close."
"Uh... Boss Luna, are you alright?" Shawn, sensing the awkwardness, quickly tried to change the subject.
"How did you guys know I was in trouble?" Luna Xiao didn't answer directly, but shot back with a question of her own.
"Oh, it's like this—we got word that Daniel Feathercloud and the Nine Chrysanthemums Society were planning to ambush you tonight, so we rushed over as fast as we could," Shawn explained.
"Thanks, you two... but sadly, you were still a step too late..." Luna Xiao said suddenly, her tone tinged with regret.
"Uh... what do you mean? How were we late? What happened?" Shawn blurted out, worried.
"Sigh... Daniel Feathercloud's crew already stole my Dragonseal Jade Signet! If I'm right, they're probably halfway to Japan by now..." Luna Xiao's eyes darkened as she sighed.
"What? Seriously? Is that ring really that important?" Shawn asked in shock.
"Important? To me, it's more precious than life itself!" Luna Xiao nodded, her voice firm.