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The ninja spun swiftly, once again appearing before Shawn Young. He flicked the blood-soaked long sword in his hand—"Wong—" A mist like morning dew began to swirl around the blade. The dew-like vapor danced along the edge, and the bloodstains clinging to it were washed away as if by clear water. With a shake of the blade, the blood dripped to the ground and vanished, restoring the sword to its chilling, jet-black gleam.
Shawn was utterly stunned, his scalp tingling. He knew the ninja's sword was no ordinary weapon—it was a rare treasure with lethal power, at least equal to his own Taoist arts when fully unleashed, maybe even more terrifying!
At that moment, Shawn regretted returning the divine weapon "Raikiri" to Yan Xiaoyu for the Five Thunder Sect! If only he still had Raikiri, he wouldn't fear the ninja's blade at all. But now, regret was useless.
"Heh heh—Kid, let me enlighten you before you die. This sword is a legendary blade from the Sengoku era, called the 'Murasame Blade'! To die beneath its edge is a worthy fate!" The ninja spoke in fluent Mandarin, his voice sinister. Note: The Japanese Sengoku-era sword 'Murasame Blade' is said to have evolved from the infamous 'Muramasa' after achieving the 'Thousand-Slayer' feat and absorbing vengeful souls. When drawn to kill, the blade emits a dew-like mist. After slaying, water flows from the edge to cleanse the blood, just like rain washing leaves—thus, it is called Murasame.
"Murasame Blade! I—I’ve seen you before! Who—who are you!?" Shawn cried out in shock, suddenly remembering that this ninja was the very one who appeared at Nine Curves Bay Villa and rescued Dan Yu Changyun, the young master of the Kujiku School!
"Heh heh—If you survive the Murasame Blade, you’ll naturally learn who I am—" the ninja replied coldly, stepping toward Shawn. He planted his feet wide apart, exuding a pressure as heavy as Mount Tai. Shawn had never felt such a force before; the atmosphere around him was thick with destruction and menace.
The aura gathered around the ninja, transforming into an overwhelming killing intent. As he moved closer, his cold eyes bore into Shawn, sending waves of cruelty and murderous intent. Shawn felt his limbs go cold and his body shiver uncontrollably.
"Heh, kid, focus! With your current mindset, you’re no match for me. If you don’t want to die by my blade, you’d better concentrate. Our Japanese sword saint, Miyamoto Musashi, once said—Only by facing challenges with a heart of stone can you forge your soul!" The ninja spoke coldly, raising the edge of the Murasame Blade. His stance was unwavering, like a statue.
Shawn felt his heartbeat freeze. He had never seen anyone control their aura so perfectly—this ninja was the strongest opponent he’d ever faced!
Seeing the situation turn dire, Shawn Young immediately focused his mind and gathered his energy. He took the initiative, forming a 'Taiji Seal' with his hands, channeling his Tian Gang Shang Qing true energy to its peak. Power surged from the depths of his soul as he chanted rapidly: "Five Emperors, Five Dragons, Five Stars shine true, Five Organs, mysterious darkness, Five Thunders gather above, Five Blades, a thousand edges, body and form erased—by decree—release!"
Then he flung his hands toward the sky, summoning a dark purple thundercloud above. Shawn poured all his strength into a sweeping gesture toward the ninja’s position. "Rumble—" The sky erupted in brilliant purple light, the ground shook, stones flew, and the wind howled. Massive bolts of purple lightning tore through the heavens, streaking downward at breakneck speed...
"Boom—crack!" Several bolts of thunder, wreathed in fierce purple light, struck the ninja relentlessly. This was Shawn’s full-powered Thunderstorm Wrath, channeling the might of nine celestial thunders—its power was terrifying. The ninja was instantly swallowed by the blinding purple bolts!
But then, something unbelievable happened—the purple lightning, just as it was about to strike the ninja, was split in two by a razor-sharp sword aura. Twin streams of dazzling purple light shot to either side, shattering trees and sending leaves and dust whirling into the air. Shawn caught a glimpse as the ninja slashed upward with the Murasame Blade, sending streaks of black energy swirling around him...
Before the dust could settle, the ninja called out, "Watch my move—Chaos Strike!" In a flash, Shawn saw a shadowy blade descending toward him. The dark blade glimmered like a serpent, silent but deadly, its aura filled with a terrifying, world-devouring energy! The ninja had split the purple lightning and now unleashed a fearsome attack on Shawn!
"Ugh—" Shawn tried to dodge, but the blade clung to him like a shadow, impossible to escape. No matter which way he moved, it followed, and darkness seemed to swallow him whole. A feeling of utter despair crept into his heart—he’d never felt anything like this before...
To be continued... Click next page for more!
At this critical moment, Shawn remembered what Master Yuan Zhen once told him: "Deep down, people don’t fear wild beasts, betrayal, or even pain and death. What truly terrifies the human heart is the unknown! When you don’t know what will happen next, that’s when fear grips you most. And the only way to conquer the fear of the unknown is to face it head-on—with all your courage!"
Just as the Murasame Blade’s dark edge was less than a centimeter from Shawn’s head, he made a desperate decision. Instead of retreating, he surged forward, gathering all his will and spiritual power, unleashing every ounce of strength from his soul. His spirit burst forth from his body, summoned above his head...
"Awooo!" A clear, powerful dragon’s roar echoed as a giant purple dragon appeared above Shawn. His spirit had transformed into a majestic purple dragon, whose massive claws reached out and grabbed the blade of the Murasame Blade.
A look of utter shock flashed in the ninja’s eyes. His body trembled as he gathered all his force into the blade, shouting, "Heaven’s Calamity—Oblivion Slash!"
With the ninja’s roar, the Murasame Blade surged with a demonic energy. The air was thick with sinister power, swirling like a raging storm. The purple dragon’s claws struggled to hold the blade, but the Murasame Blade broke free and transformed into a stabbing motion, lunging straight for Shawn’s throat.
The two were so close—Shawn knew there was no way to dodge. Bracing himself for a life-or-death struggle, he stomped the ground and twisted his body, unleashing the most ferocious Half-Step Breaker: Mountain-Cracking Sea-Splitting Strike. With overwhelming force, he aimed a devastating blow at the ninja’s chest!
Boom!
Splurt...
Two distinct sounds rang out at the same time. The fighters passed each other, then both dropped to one knee. Shawn felt a piercing pain in his left chest—his dragon-form spirit flashed as a streak of purple light, then faded. Glancing down, he saw the Murasame Blade had stabbed clean through his chest, blood soaking his clothes. Breathing became difficult, and his eyelids grew unbearably heavy...
The ninja wasn’t much better off—Shawn’s full-powered Mountain-Cracking Sea-Splitting Strike smashed into his chest, sending him flying over ten meters. "Bang—" He crashed into a broken tree, tumbled onto the road, and shattered the iron fence along the sidewalk before collapsing.
"Wah—cough—cough—" The ninja hit the ground but didn’t pass out, instead coughing violently. His black face mask was soaked in blood, and the demonic Murasame Blade slipped from his grip, clattering to the ground.