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"Whoosh—" As Shawn Young activated the Mystic Nine Seal, a dazzling white orb of light burst from his right fingertips. The orb quickly expanded into a swirling blaze, forming a protective aura two meters around him. But as soon as the powerful shield appeared, Shawn looked up—only to find the female ninja had vanished! Even the ninja sword stuck in the ground was gone without a trace. It was as if she'd melted into thin air.
"Shadow Veil Technique!" Shawn felt his scalp tingle. He hadn’t expected this ninja to be so tricky—her use of the Mystic Nine Seal had triggered ninjutsu’s most practical skill: invisibility. With the Shadow Veil Technique, she could even hide her aura. If that ninja launched a silent sneak attack, he might really die without knowing how.
"Hmph, you know invisibility? Well, so do I!" Shawn’s mind raced. Inspiration struck, and he quickly clasped his hands, forming the Warrior's Mark. Focusing his energy, he chanted: "Soaring mist, flash of gold, Supreme Three Purities, vanish from sight, Dharma within and without, shield the true one—Dark!" As the incantation ended, the white light shield around Shawn flickered—and he vanished into thin air!
Shawn had unleashed the Clear Sky Order’s ancient spell—the Clear Sky Vanishing Spell. This wasn’t some ordinary Taoist trick; it required serious skill to pull off and ranked among the sect’s highest arts. Shawn had the power, but in a place as weird as Wrathland, even the strongest magic might not last long. He had to break the Mystic Gate Illusion Array before the spell wore off.
With the Clear Sky Vanishing Spell in effect, Shawn was wrapped in a shimmering barrier—his presence and even his scent completely hidden. He darted to the position of the Fright Gate among the Eight Gates, crouching low to watch and wait for the perfect moment to strike. The female ninja was also nowhere to be seen, but Shawn knew she was hunting for him too.
Suddenly, seven or eight figures appeared outside the array. All were dressed in black, faces covered—classic ninja style. Two carried crossbow launchers, another had something like a fishing net, and the rest wielded gleaming ninja swords. They crept in from the southeast, entering through the Life Gate in pairs, backs together, searching for any sign of Shawn.
Shawn could see them, but he didn’t dare attack—his most dangerous enemy was still the invisible female ninja. If he acted rashly, she’d instantly spot him, and a sneak attack from her blade could mean game over for him.
But hanging around in Wrathland was a terrible idea. Shawn still had no clue how many enemies he faced, or why Japanese ninjas were even here—a mystery in itself. He had too many questions, but for now, his only goal was to survive tonight’s deadly game.
Ahead, a small tree marked the Life Gate, less than ten meters from Shawn. One quick sprint and he could knock it down, but he didn’t dare move yet. He knew the female ninja was out there, searching for him, just waiting for a chance to deliver a fatal strike!
Outside, the ninja pairs had crept closer to Shawn. He could tell by their cautious moves that they weren’t exactly top-tier—if they couldn’t even pull off an invisibility trick, their skills had to be pretty average. They were clearly terrified of getting taken out by a sneak attack, so Shawn decided to stay put, quickly brainstorming how to break out of this mess.
Suddenly, Shawn spotted a faint footprint on the ground right beside him—yet there was nobody there! He froze for a moment, then his heart leaped with excitement. That had to be the invisible female ninja’s footprint. She was right there!
At that moment, the two ninjas with crossbow launchers were barely a meter away from Shawn—a perfect chance for a dirty trick. He didn’t hesitate; luck was on his side, and he’d spotted the ninja before she found him. Shawn decided to draw her out. He gathered all his strength into his hands, dodged right—"Whoosh! Whoosh!"—and unleashed two tiger-like punches at the approaching ninjas, using the Twin Emperor Smash from Xingyi Quan!
The Twin Emperor Smash packed a punch—its wide area of effect was perfect for taking out multiple enemies at once. Shawn wanted to end things fast, so he went all-in with this devastating move.
"Thud—Thud!" His fists landed squarely on the unlucky ninjas—Bam! Bam!
"Ah! Ah!" Two figures went flying, blood soaking their face masks, tumbling through the air and crashing down near the female ninja’s hiding spot.
Suddenly, a flash of steel sliced through the air, followed by two bone-chilling screams. Shawn witnessed a brutal scene—the airborne ninjas were split in half before even hitting the ground, their bloody torsos and organs spraying everywhere!
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A shadow appeared on the ground—a curvy, striking silhouette. Shawn saw it was the female ninja! Cold as ice, she’d just slaughtered her own teammates. Gripping her ninja sword, she launched herself at Shawn like a swooping swallow, slashing at him mid-air with a ferocious strike!
Shawn dodged just in time—the razor-sharp ninja sword sliced a hole in his shirt, sending a cold sweat down his spine. The ninja’s attack missed, and with a fierce cry, she quickly clasped her hands again, ready to vanish with another ninjutsu trick.
Seizing the moment, Shawn threw caution to the wind and lunged at her with a Wild Tiger Pounce. Before she could strike again, he grabbed her around the waist, pinning her down. With a burst of strength, he charged forward, twisting hard—and the two of them tumbled to the ground right in front of the Life Gate’s little tree.
The female ninja hadn’t expected Shawn to go so wild. For a moment, she was caught off guard—despite her skill, she was too tangled up to fight back. But she was well-trained, quickly regaining her composure and trying to attack with her ninja sword. Shawn, thinking fast, shouted and pressed her down, then yanked up her clothes—"Riiip!"—tearing a huge opening and exposing a swath of creamy, delicate skin!
"Ah—!" The female ninja screamed in shock, but Shawn didn’t hesitate. Taking advantage of her confusion, he snatched the ninja sword from her hands and raised it high. She froze, thinking she was about to die, her beautiful eyes wide with terror. At that moment, her mask slipped off, revealing a stunning, unforgettable face—frightened, but heartbreakingly gorgeous!
"Whoa—damn, she’s gorgeous! It’d be a shame to kill her…" Shawn was stunned by how young and beautiful the ninja was—and her body was incredible, too, soft and springy to the touch. He hesitated, unable to bring himself to strike. After a few seconds, he spun the sword around—"Whoosh!"—and flung it, chopping down the little tree at the Life Gate with a loud crack.
As the little tree was cut down, it instantly transformed into a sinister, yellow talisman pole. With the pole broken, the thick white mist filling the Mystic Gate Illusion Array quickly dispersed—the formation’s power dropped by half!
Just as Shawn’s Clear Sky Vanishing Spell was about to wear off, his body began to reappear. Four black-clad ninjas rushed in, howling and swinging their ninja swords from all directions, attacking Shawn with wild fury.