[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-global-high-martial-arts-starting-off-with-a-sha":3,"chapter-global-high-martial-arts-starting-off-with-a-sha-global-high-martial-arts-starting-off-with-a-sha-chapter-40":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Global High Martial Arts, Starting Off with a Sharingan",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2318768,4534,"Chapter 40: Lord Shan Jun, Lu Wu!","global-high-martial-arts-starting-off-with-a-sha-chapter-40",40,"\u003Cp>Jiang Xia suddenly smiled, a laugh so light it was like wind, yet it sent a chill down the spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slowly released his grip on the Kusanagi sword, his fingertips brushing lightly along the blade, and the Chidori instantly clung to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Itachi're surprisingly adorable in your stupidity,\" he took one step forward, the pressure of the fifth-rank beast vanishing before him as if it didn't exist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perfect—I’d also like to test how many moves it takes me to kill a fifth-rank now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Hu was forced back half a step by his aura, then flushed with rage: “Arrogant! I’ll tear your mouth apart!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It lunged forward, its tiger paw slashing through the air with a stench of blood, delivering a full-force strike capable of shattering boulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Jiang Xia stood motionless, until the claw was merely half a foot from his face, then activated the Mangekyo Sharingan and phased through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too slow!” The words still hung in the air when Jiang Xia’s figure vanished beyond the claw’s reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mangekyo Sharingan’s pattern spun rapidly in his eyes, his phasing body darting straight to Cang Hu’s side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wood Release—Thorn Insertion Technique!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chidori on the Kusanagi exploded, blue-white lightning piercing Cang Hu’s body, while the wooden thorn plunged deep inside and split apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaagh—” Cang Hu screamed as it collapsed, blood gushing from its wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It struggled to rise, but found its limbs already pierced through by wooden thorns, rendering them useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fifth-rank speed and reflexes? Too slow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xia gently pressed the ball of his left foot against Cang Hu’s neck fur—not much force, yet heavy as a mountain, pinning it down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Hu let out a bestial roar, its tail lashing through the air toward Jiang Xia’s waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chidori Stream!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the tail touched his sleeve, Chidori’s current surged up it, paralyzing the entire limb instantly, leaving it hanging like a dead iron rod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of monster are Itachi!” Cang Hu’s voice finally carried fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could sense Jiang Xia’s aura was clearly only fourth-rank, yet the oppression from his eyes was colder than even Lord Lu Wu’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xia’s toe ground lightly against Cang Hu’s fur, the Kusanagi’s blade reflecting Cang Hu’s despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Monster?” He chuckled softly, then suddenly twisted his wrist—the wooden thorns inside Cang Hu detonated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless sharp wooden branches erupted from its limbs and torso, pinning the fifth-rank beast’s body to the stone road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood seeped along the gaps between the branches, pooling into a dark red stain. “I’m just a bit stronger than Itachi—by a billionfold.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Hu didn’t even let out a final scream; its massive body went limp, utterly lifeless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Itachi human brat, how bold!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From within Cang Hu’s body, its spiritual core coalesced into a colossal phantom—ten zhang tall, a nine-tailed tiger seated upon a throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am Shan Jun, Lu Wu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pair of golden vertical pupils fixed on Jiang Xia, every hair radiating primal ferocity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lu Wu?” Jiang Xia looked up at the phantom, his voice devoid of any fear. “Didn’t Itachi want me to kill it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Wu’s golden pupils narrowed slightly; its nine tails flicked, summoning a gale that condensed into a barrier enclosing Jiang Xia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What I wanted?” Its voice rumbled like thunder, losing some of its primal savagery, gaining a hint of amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little one, Itachi’re smarter than I imagined.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It raised a claw toward the still-present wooden thorns on Cang Hu’s corpse. “This fool, sent to infiltrate Zhu Yan’s ranks, actually defected to him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He disobeyed my orders, forgot who his true master is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xia’s Mangekyo pattern spun in his eyes. “It said if I didn’t cooperate, it would kill me and claim credit with Itachi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Claim credit?” Lu Wu laughed, the sound shaking the surrounding stone slabs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It couldn’t even perceive the power radiating from Itachi—how dare it speak of claiming credit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its golden pupils locked onto Jiang Xia, as if trying to dissect him inside and out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A fourth-rank facade, yet hiding strength capable of effortlessly crushing fifth-ranks—and these eyes… that can warp reality. Who, exactly, are Itachi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xia slowly raised his head, a cold, age-inappropriate smirk curling at his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t answer, but countered: “Lord Lu Wu, Itachi sent Cang Hu here—not just to sow discord between me and the Night Watchers, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Wu’s nine tails froze instantly; the pressure around it plummeted to an extreme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next second, its golden pupils shifted from scrutiny to unhidden admiration. “Fascinating. Extremely fascinating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It rose from its throne, its ten-zhang body causing the barrier to tremble under its oppressive aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cang Hu betrayed me—that’s its stupidity. Itachi saw through its foolishness and eliminated it cleanly—that’s your ability.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It stepped forward, its massive form shrinking before Jiang Xia until it became a stern-faced man clad in tiger hide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked beside Jiang Xia, looking down at Cang Hu’s corpse, his tone tinged with regret—but mostly disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This tiger followed me for a thousand years, yet never learned the meaning of reverence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It thought Zhu Yan’s backing gave it license to act as it pleased, forgetting that before true power, it’s merely a pawn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xia said nothing, only tightened his grip on the Kusanagi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could feel Lu Wu’s aura—far exceeding Cang Hu’s—true, top-tier beastly pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet within that overwhelming force, there was no malice, only excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Wu turned to Jiang Xia, admiration nearly spilling from his eyes. “Little one, Itachi’re impressive. Cang Hu is your welcome gift.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, lowering his voice slightly, adding a note of mystery. “Now, would Itachi like to make a deal with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A deal?” Jiang Xia’s Chidori flickered slightly as he studied Lu Wu’s stern, amused expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t immediately agree; instead, he stepped back half a pace, the Mangekyo pattern slowly spinning in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every subtle expression of the beast before him was captured in his vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Lu Wu didn’t grow annoyed—he burst into loud laughter. “Itachi’re cautious, little one—I like that!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He waved his hand; the wooden thorns and blood on Cang Hu’s corpse vanished instantly, leaving only a fifth-rank spiritual core hovering in midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cang Hu betrayed me, sided with Zhu Yan, and ruined many of my plans.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Wu’s voice grew heavy, a flash of sharpness in his golden pupils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I want Itachi to help me eliminate Zhu Yan. In return, I’ll reveal to Itachi the secret of the Battle of Fate—and this fifth-rank beast’s spiritual core. What do Itachi say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xia stared at the spiritual core, his fingers tapping lightly against the Kusanagi’s hilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yan was a top-tier beast, equal to Lu Wu, with unfathomable power—Lu Wu’s proposal clearly aimed to use him to weaken Zhu Yan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the “secret” Lu Wu mentioned struck precisely at the heart of Jiang Xia’s long-standing doubts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I need Itachi to tell me the secret of the Battle of Fate first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xia spoke slowly, his tone calm and unshaken. “It’s vital to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1163,"2026-06-20T15:06:04.061Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","40c122b1732fb7019c5be7f77f2f4e0149c87cc24513ea98ad44a5a9c79d4a28","global-high-martial-arts-starting-off-with-a-sha-chapter-41","global-high-martial-arts-starting-off-with-a-sha-chapter-39",162,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fglobal-high-martial-arts-starting-off-with-a-sha-cover.jpg"]