svetikya Chapter 40 Blooming and Withering
Chapter 40 Blooming and Withering
The ice shattered, and the Crimson Sand Scorpion broke free of the spell's range.
The Third Kazekage's puppet reconnected with the earth using Magnet Release, causing iron elements in the yellow sand beneath its feet to emerge one by one, flowing into the air and converging into an iron ball.
Frost still clung to the tips of Scorpion's hair and the corners of his eyebrows, and his face was pale, but the wound on his chest was frozen and no longer bleeding.
"What a fragile body," he said with a self-deprecating laugh.
Scorpion was in poor condition; the unexpected encounter had dealt him a devastating blow.
But his eyes were bright, as if he had found a very interesting toy.
The figure chased after Mo Jingxian and disappeared into the distance, leaving behind a scene of devastation.
Initially, perhaps out of hatred, he only wanted to kill a few people from Konoha.
Later, I discovered that he had rolled his eyes, which was a pleasant surprise.
He is very picky about collectibles, and his picks are definitely top-quality.
The surprises didn't stop there. Through their encounter, they discovered that the Konoha ninja who used Ice Release was even more valuable than the Byakugan.
Instantaneous ninjutsu, bloodline limits, and the unpredictable genjutsu and sealing techniques all deeply fascinated Sasori.
At this moment, his appreciation for Mo Jingxian was second only to the perfect puppet in his hand.
Scorpion's pursuit of puppetry has long since become obsessive, and in his eyes, Mo Jingxian's team is nothing more than exquisite moving materials.
The temperature in the desert is approaching fifty degrees Celsius. Using Ice Release in this environment causes an exponential increase in chakra consumption.
The meager amount of chakra squeezed out by the soldier's ration pill was insufficient, and Mo Jingxian's speed continued to decrease.
[Reputation from Scorpion +50]
He glanced at the panel; his reputation points were 934.
With a loss of 66 points, it seems there's no hope of a turnaround in trading.
The idea flashed through my mind quickly, and after exhausting my physical strength, I quickened my pace even further.
Before they had gone far, the enemy caught up with them again.
Scorpion adopted a relentless stance, driving Mo Jingxian into a corner.
No.
If this continues, we'll be worn down to death. We might as well take a gamble.
After figuring it out, Mo Jingxian stopped, turned around, and adjusted her breathing.
Sasori arrived quickly. This time, not only did his main body not approach, but even the Third Kazekage's puppet maintained a safe distance from him.
"Whoosh whoosh!"
The iron filings transformed into arrows, which were fired continuously like a machine gun.
Mo Jingxian ran around the scorpion at top speed, dodging its attacks while searching for an opening.
His chakra became extremely thin, and his recovery was clearly insufficient to meet his needs.
Currently, he is only relying on pure physical skills to contend with the scorpion.
"Bang!"
Mo Jingxian seized the opportunity to rush forward, but was blocked by an iron shield that suddenly appeared halfway.
With a single palm strike, the iron shield remained undamaged, but he himself was left with two wounds by the suddenly extended iron spikes.
The Third Kazekage's puppet is extremely powerful, possessing secret techniques that are both offensive and defensive.
Mo Jingxian tried twice more, but aside from getting some more injuries, she achieved nothing.
The only saving grace was that Sasori was also seriously injured, with very little chakra left.
Therefore, he is now powerless against some advanced puppet control techniques and cannot unleash large-area ninjutsu coverage.
The two were like beasts in a gladiatorial arena; one of them had to fall.
Scorpion wasn't in a hurry; no one could outlast the Puppeteer in a battle of attrition.
He had used puppets to wear down many opponents; he only needed to wait for his prey to run out of energy before he could reap the rewards.
Today's artwork is no exception. Although there was a slight mishap at the beginning, I won't make the same mistake twice.
His puppetry skills were sharp and steady.
Like a seasoned hunter, slowly wearing down the opponent.
Mo Jingxian launched another sudden attack.
A shower of iron-like particles fell from the sky.
He unleashed a burst of chakra from the soles of his feet, using the sudden change in speed to shake off the puppet.
In the previous battles, Mo Jingxian maintained her speed in order to make her opponent fall into the trap of cognitive inertia.
He didn't give up and kept thinking of ways to fight his way out.
The puppet was tricked into attacking, and he used the gap between the two attacks to quickly approach the enemy.
Scorpion's lips curled up slightly, a smile so subtle it was almost imperceptible unless you looked closely.
But he did laugh.
"Bang!"
Yellow sand filled the sky, and a huge crater was blasted into the ground.
A humanoid puppet crouched in the pit, its long steel scorpion tail swishing behind it.
Puppet: Scarlet Luminous Amber
The scorpion's tail left a trail of afterimages before it stung the enemy in an instant.
Similarly, Scorpion also laid a trap, taking advantage of his opponent's cognitive inertia.
This is a duel between ninjas, a battle of both strength and reason.
With agility and quick reflexes, Mo Jingxian moved rapidly within a limited space.
While dodging, he quickly formed hand seals, using the newly appeared puppet to cover up the hand seal movements.
He brought his elemental perception to its fullest potential.
The iron pellets shot from behind grazed my cheek, leaving a bloody welt on my skin that stung painfully.
The scorpion's tail, coated with deadly venom, stabbed down on his head.
He dodged to the side, delivered a whip kick that sent the scorpion's tail flying, and then the Magnet Release attack came again.
He seemed to be dancing on the edge of a knife, displaying his full range of skills within a limited space.
"Buzz!"
A large amount of iron sand rose from the ground and gradually gathered into a huge iron ball.
Scorpion was preparing for his final blow, while Mo Jingxian had not yet broken through Fei Liuhu's obstruction.
Suddenly!
The sand beneath Red Sand Scorpion's feet turned into mud, and his ankle was suddenly grabbed.
His body sank rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, his knees were already sinking into the mud.
The yellow sand exploded around them with a "bang," and two figures suddenly appeared.
It was Ayako Hinata and Araki Ishikawa who had already escaped.
It turned out that the two had taken advantage of the terrain to set up an ambush here long ago.
The timing was impeccable; the attack was launched suddenly just a second before the enemy was on the verge of victory.
When the scorpion's attention was entirely focused on Mo Jingxian, it naturally neglected the ground beneath its feet.
Ishikawa Shinki's only C-rank ninjutsu, "Mud Swamp Technique," can be used at the right time to achieve effects comparable to A-rank ninjutsu.
The two appeared behind Scorpion.
Shinju gripped a kunai and thrust it towards his heart, while Ayako Hyuga unleashed a powerful Bagua Palm strike.
Offense and defense have shifted!
The Scorpion of the Red Sand, who had been in control of the battle just a moment ago, is now trapped in a deadly swamp.
The Third Kazekage puppet rushed back to protect him, but it was too late.
He could clearly feel the sharpness of the kunai on the skin of his back, as well as the flow of chakra on Ayako Hyuga's fingertips.
"Sandstone Burial!"
He released all the chakra of the Third Kazekage puppet at once, and the iron sand turned into a dense array of spears, enveloping the three of them.
Ayako Hinata gave up her chance to live and did not dodge.
If Scorpion doesn't die, they will all die; there is no other choice.
She was already tired of being a burden, always watching Mo Jingxian stand in front of her while she was powerless to help.
This feeling suffocated her.
Now... the opportunity has arrived.
She fearlessly channeled her chakra into the enemy's body.
One palm strike, two palm strikes...
Unfortunately, his skills were still lacking, and the enemy's attack had already arrived.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her by the back of her collar and flung her away with great force.
His body flew backward, exiting the range of the ninjutsu attack.
In sight...
Ishikawa Shinki held the enemy tightly, and iron spikes of various shapes pinned the two together.
The new tree raised its head, blood gushing from its mouth, and smiled as it looked at the girl who always stood in front of it.
"boom!"
The explosion buried the two people in flames.
The shockwave from the detonating tag sent the Third Kazekage puppet flying.
At the last moment, Sasori of the Red Sand used the Puppet Substitution Technique to switch places with Hiruko.
Although he survived, he was still injured.
The chakra wedge that Ayako Hyuga left in her body severed two chakra flow channels.
The explosive tag damaged his internal organs.
In less than two seconds, everything was completed in the blink of an eye.
A stream of water pierced the scorpion's chest like a knife, grazing its heart as it shot out from its back.
Mo Jingxian used the ninjutsu "Water Release: Water Severing Wave", which she had not yet fully mastered.
He originally planned to use the puppets as cover to launch a sneak attack.
The situation on the field changed so drastically, which was beyond everyone's expectations.
Perhaps it was not destined for the Crimson Sand Scorpion to die, for the Water Severing Wave dissipated without any further cutting damage.
Scorpion didn't want to die; he still had many unfulfilled desires.
Using her remaining chakra, she controlled Hiruko and fled without looking back.
Mo Jingxian could no longer hold on; her vision blurred due to the combined exhaustion of her body and mind.
Before he lost consciousness, he vaguely saw Ishikawa Araki smiling and waving goodbye to him.
I don't know how much time passed.
Mo Jingxian felt her eyelids were very heavy and her head was throbbing... as if someone had opened up her skull and was stirring it around inside with a stick.
He also smelled a fragrance, which seemed to be Ayako's.
The body seemed to be lying on someone's back, bouncing slightly.
I was so sleepy that my eyelids closed uncontrollably, and then I knew nothing more.
He woke up again three days later.
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a charred beam, and I felt as if I were lying in a wooden house.
Turning my neck, my joints made two crisp "crack" sounds, and my body felt like an old machine that had just been restarted.
Ayako Hinata stood guard by her side, the girl hugging her knees and burying her face between her legs.
The room was very quiet, with only occasional sounds coming from the street outside.
As consciousness returned, all the images from my previous experiences flooded back into my brain.
"Ayako."
The girl looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with joy: "You're awake!"
"Hmm." Mo Jingxian glanced around. "Where is this?"
"The Land of Stone." Ayako reached out and touched his forehead.
"That rogue ninja escaped and never showed up again. We're safe now."
"As long as it's safe."
Mo Jingxian made a move to get up, and Lingzi came over to help him up.
My body hasn't fully recovered yet; I feel like I'm just recovering from a serious illness.
Just sitting there took a lot of Mo Jingxian's energy.
"New Tree..."
Mo Jingxian didn't bring it up intentionally, but some things just have to be faced.
Ayako Hyuga's face showed a sorrowful expression: "Aki, to save me..."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Mo Jingxian organized her thoughts: "Don't blame yourself too much. This is the fate of ninjas. Perhaps one day..."
"Fate." She repeated the word, then, after a moment's thought, abruptly turned and stared at Mo Jingxian:
"Fate can be changed, right?"
"Perhaps." Mo Jingxian nodded. "Perhaps if we are strong enough to change the rules, we can change our destiny."
"Change the rules!"
Something seemed to ignite within Ayako, and the confusion in her eyes was gradually replaced by determination.
"You're right. As long as you have the power to change the rules, there will be no more suffering."
The girl pulled out a bunch of scrolls and pushed them next to Mo Jingxian, leaving only Xinshu's ninja headband behind.
"What is this?" Mo Jingxian asked, somewhat puzzled.
"The spoils of war," she said. "Including the puppets of the Third Kazekage, there are nine in total."
We can exchange a large amount of resources to enhance our strength.
"Oh my god!" Mo Jingxian was startled.
Then, he sneered, "Pah! Scorpion of the Red Sands, now you've even lost your underwear!"