Chapter 176

The bones in Master Withered Leaf's throat cracked sharply, his pupils dilated wide, his gaze blurred, his breath grew weaker, and his body writhed uncontrollably.

"You refuse to be my slave? I'll make you my most loyal servant anyway, hahaha…" Kuchiki Senya laughed wildly, icy glints flashing in his eyes.

"Shhh!"

At that moment, suddenly, a fine needle shot toward him at incredible speed, carrying a chilling, bone-deep cold.

Kuchiki Senya frowned slightly, flipped his wrist, and a dagger crossed before his chest—clang! —blocking the needle.

Upon closer inspection, the needle was composed of countless tiny steel points, radiating an excruciatingly sharp, piercing aura.

....... 0

"Master Withered Leaf?!" Kuchiki Senya glared sharply at him, stunned that Master Withered Leaf had dared to ambush him.

"Kuchiki Senya, I advise you to release me, or I guarantee you'll regret it." Master Withered Leaf took a deep breath, forcing his turbulent emotions to settle, then looked up at Kuchiki Senya and spoke coldly.

Hearing this, Kuchiki Senya laughed. He regarded Master Withered Leaf with interest and said, "Master Withered Leaf, you really think I won't kill you? If you don't believe me, let's test it—any resistance, any attempt to flee, and next year today will be your anniversary of death."

"You think you've already won?" Master Withered Leaf's eyes flashed with icy light.

"Isn't that obvious?" Kuchiki Senya grinned, revealing clean, even teeth.

"Boom—boom—boom…"

But at that moment, a thunderous explosion suddenly roared in Kuchiki Senya's ears—a massive mushroom cloud erupted into the sky, radiating ten thousand rays of radiant light.

"Damn!"

Kuchiki Senya's face changed instantly. He spun around to see a colossal bomb had detonated—the shockwave swept outward, obliterating ancient trees around him and shattering the earth within a hundred meters, spraying dirt everywhere.

"Boom—boom—boom…"

Immediately after, one massive bomb after another exploded, reducing the hundred-meter radius around Kuchiki Senya to ruins, dust and smoke swirling thickly, obscuring his figure.

143. You dare show off such petty tricks?

"Hahaha, Kuchiki Senya, no matter how incredible your abilities, under this scale of massive explosions, you're definitely dead—you're finished, you deserved it, hahaha…" Master Withered Leaf believed he had truly trapped Kuchiki Senya.

The next instant, Kuchiki Senya leapt into the air, his entire body engulfed in black demonic flames, like a demon god descending upon the world, lunging violently toward Master Withered Leaf.

Master Withered Leaf was startled, frantically dodging Kuchiki Senya's attack, then his body vanished like a ghost.

"Shhh!"

Kuchiki Senya slammed his right foot down hard—powerful wind erupted from his sole, scattering all the accumulated snow on the ground.

His form became a lingering afterimage, vanishing instantly from his original spot, then reappearing in an instant far away.

"Master Withered Leaf, I know where you're hiding." Kuchiki Senya's gaze swept around "Wu Er Ling," speaking coldly, his body moving like a phantom.

"Boom—boom—boom…"

"Puchii~"

"Ahh…"

The next moment, a thunderous roar echoed alongside agonizing, heart-wrenching screams—especially chilling in the silent wilderness, sending shivers down the spine.

"Master Withered Leaf, I gave you a chance—but you chose your own death!" Kuchiki Senya's voice drifted softly, laced with cold, lethal intent.

"Bang!"

The next instant, a furious wave of blue flame erupted violently, surging like a tidal wave.

Master Withered Leaf let out a shriek, his body flying backward, smashing through a massive boulder before crashing to the ground.

At this moment, Kuchiki Senya stepped slowly out of the fire, his expression icy as he stared at Master Withered Leaf.

Before him, Master Withered Leaf knelt half-bent, clothes torn, body charred black, blood oozing from his lips, trembling violently as if enduring unbearable pain.

Kuchiki Senya's previous move hadn't killed Master Withered Leaf, but had left him severely injured.

Master Withered Leaf's face was now as pale as paper, his eyes filled with deep terror, bulging with bloodshot veins, as if he had witnessed something horrifying.

"How is this possible? My genjutsu didn't deceive you at all!" Master Withered Leaf swallowed hard, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

You should know that Master Withered Leaf's illusion techniques are extremely advanced; relying on his unique illusions, he once effortlessly defeated several ninjas, making him nearly unmatched among peers and consistently victorious.

But now, his prideful genjutsu couldn't even harm a demon?

This completely shattered Master Withered Leaf's understanding—he couldn't believe it.

"Master Withered Leaf, your petty tricks are nothing but a mockery—you're showing off before a master," Kuchiki Senya shook his head, his eyes brimming with unhidden mockery.

"Damn it! Furious!"

Master Withered Leaf snarled through gritted teeth, each word dripping with venom: "Kuchiki Senya, you've humiliated me so badly—I'll carve you into a thousand pieces, peel your tendons, grind your bones to ash…"

"Do you think I'm a fool?" Kuchiki Senya sneered at him. "Your genjutsu is impressive—but to me, it's as childish and laughable as children playing house."

Hearing this, Master Withered Leaf glared at Kuchiki Senya with a twisted face and roared: "Brat, I'll kill you with my own hands—to avenge my son!"

"Heh—I fear you won't get the chance," Kuchiki Senya sneered.

"Shhh!"

Before he finished speaking, Kuchiki Senya moved—his figure blurred into a streak of black light, lunging toward Master Withered Leaf, a claw tearing through the air, striking viciously for his head.

Kuchiki Senya struck with lethal intent—no mercy.

"Boom!"

Master Withered Leaf roared, golden light flaring across his body, fists clenched, swinging forward to strike Kuchiki Senya's palm.

The instant their fists collided, Kuchiki Senya's terrifying power surged forth, hurling Master Withered Leaf back several meters—his ribs shattered, internal organs ruptured, blood gushing out, horrifying to behold.

"How can his strength be this immense? He's not even a warrior—he's a martial saint! No wonder he killed Inuyama Yama—I'm no match for him…" Master Withered Leaf glanced at his chest wound, his face turning deathly pale, his heart sinking to the abyss.

In truth, Master Withered Leaf wasn't as weak as he appeared—his earlier words were merely to stall Kuchiki Senya; his real goal was to ambush and kill him.

But to Master Withered Leaf's surprise, Kuchiki Senya had sensed it—and struck back decisively.

Worse still, Kuchiki Senya's strength far exceeded Master Withered Leaf's expectations.

"Master Withered Leaf, now do you understand the gap between us? Do you think you're worthy to be my opponent?" Kuchiki Senya sneered, stepping slowly toward Master Withered Leaf.

At this moment, Kuchiki Senya's aura grew colder and colder, his eyes icy and piercing—like a death god crawling from the deepest abyss of hell, inspiring awe and terror.

"Hmph, Kuchiki Senya, today it's still uncertain who wins and who loses." Master Withered Leaf snorted coldly, then took out an elixir and swallowed it. The listless aura on his body gradually recovered, and his aura also rose a notch.

"What is this thing?" Kuchiki Senya slightly furrowed his brow.

The elixir Master Withered Leaf consumed contained exceptionally vast and pure medicinal efficacy, and the effect was exhausted in just a few short seconds, allowing Master Withered Leaf's injuries to recover rapidly.

This scene made Kuchiki Senya inwardly vigilant, not daring to let his guard down.

"Kuchiki Senya, you wouldn't not know, would you? This is a Healing Elixir, capable of helping warriors quickly treat injuries and restore combat power. No matter how severe the wound, it can be healed in an instant." Master Withered Leaf sneered, a hint of smugness in his tone.

Hearing Master Withered Leaf's words, Kuchiki Senya raised an eyebrow. He truly did not know about the Healing Elixir; after all, in his impression 2.1, the Shinobi World simply had no such elixir.

But whether it was useful or not, at this moment Kuchiki Senya had no time to think.

Because Master Withered Leaf's momentum had already recovered, and even his injuries were healed. At this moment, he was charging ferociously at Kuchiki Senya, with the stance of a man ready to risk it all.

"Boom!"

"Bang!"

"Crack!"

"Whoosh!"

"Rumble rumble!"

In an instant, Master Withered Leaf and Kuchiki Senya engaged in fierce combat. The two launched an intense close-quarters melee, each collision emitting a muffled thunderous sound, with violent ripples of power running rampant.

The two fought until the sky darkened and the earth went dim. Wherever they passed, grass and trees flew about, the ground cracked, and the surrounding trees were utterly destroyed, a scene of utter devastation.

The two were evenly matched in strength, and for the moment it was hard to determine a victor.

144. You can't escape!

"Damned bastard!"

During the fight, Master Withered Leaf was both furious and anxious in his heart, feeling utterly aggrieved.

"Boom!"

"Thud!"

Kuchiki Senya suddenly swept a kick at Master Withered Leaf, the heavy, domineering strike landing on Master Withered Leaf's belly, kicking him flying once again, snapping several large trees, until he finally rolled to a stop a hundred meters away, vomiting blood, looking utterly wretched.

"Even after taking the Healing Elixir, you're still no match for me." Kuchiki Senya said coldly, then his figure flickered, once again chasing after Master Withered Leaf.

"Damned brat, I'll fight you to the death!" Master Withered Leaf cursed angrily, struggling to stand up and continuing to meet Kuchiki Senya's attack.

"Spurt!"

"Rumble rumble!"

Master Withered Leaf's strength was clearly inferior to Kuchiki Senya's. After only a few moves, he was sent flying by Kuchiki Senya again, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood. A sickly pallor rose on his face, looking quite desolate.

"We still underestimated this brat too much. His strength is too terrifying; he could probably even kill a high-level ninja!" Master Withered Leaf shouted in despair in his heart. He knew that if he didn't run, he would surely die.

"You can't escape!" Kuchiki Senya said coldly.

"Whoosh~"