Chapter 983

It didn't improve her much, but the newborn Moon Shinobi desperately needed this power, even if the "Dragon Mark" itself still had many flaws.

Young Yuanzi inscribed the "Dragon Mark" on all six of Tsukuyomi Xiaomeng's people, confirming that each ultimately received entirely different traits; to enhance stability, she specially forged for each a magical weapon that could be called an extension of their limbs.

During that brief period, through constant refinement among the six, they gradually developed proficiency in using the "Dragon Mark" and built mutual team synergy.

After suppressing the runaway Senju Inoichi, Jiliang Miye chose to lead the team away, while Neji and Tenten silently carried the unconscious Lee, who had been sealed by acupuncture points, retreating in the exact opposite direction.

Both sides clearly knew there was no need to continue entangling; doing so would only let others reap the benefits.

"Inoichi, do you know where you went wrong?" After putting distance between them and confirming they were out of the Byakugan's range, Jiliang Miye asked helplessly.

But now, having deactivated the "Dragon Mark," Senju Inoichi was limp and powerless, carried forward only by Yuan Cunli Xu, and all she did was grunt a few times, offering no reply.

"If Xiaomeng were here right now, wouldn't you know exactly what the situation would be? She'd definitely lecture you to death!" Jiliang Miye felt it was because she had been too lenient with Senju Inoichi that she'd developed such reckless behavior; if it came to words being spoken, no one would escape blame. Thinking of something terrifying, all three faces wore expressions of anguish.

"By the way, that Li Luoke." After a moment of silence, Yuan Cunli Xu still couldn't shake her concern over the "Body Technique" Li Luoke had been about to unleash at the end of the fight: "If the battle hadn't been interrupted, perhaps…"

Yuan Cunli Xu had never been breached in her unique, self-contained domain during the six-person internal trials after Young Yuanzi brought her to the Divine Dragon Realm and granted her the "Dragon Mark"; had it not been for her clash with Li Luoke, she never would have imagined someone her own age could make her feel that "I'm going to lose" sense of crisis.

"We'll face them again in the third match, but before then, you have plenty of time to think," Jiliang Miye keenly sensed her teammate's unease.

Of course, she didn't think worry was bad—on the contrary, she believed it would be good for Cunli Xu.

After all, due to the special nature of her "Dragon Mark," Cunli Xu was by far the least vigilant among the six; now suffering a setback would undoubtedly benefit her greatly in the future.

"That's right! The third match is individual, and when no one's around to interfere, I'll definitely teach that tool-girl a lesson!" Senju Inoichi still harbored resentment over Tenten calling her "little sister."

"Your issue isn't resolved yet! Without Young Yuanzi's permission, I'll definitely tell Xiaomeng about your unauthorized full activation of the 'Dragon Mark,'" Jiliang Miye said coldly.

Upon hearing this verdict, Senju Inoichi immediately deflated like a punctured balloon, radiating an aura of utter defeat.

Compared to Jiliang Miye's team, who continued forward after the crisis passed, Xiaomeng's trio encountered a moderate but noticeable trouble.

"Shh, don't make a sound—those three are one of the teams Young Yuanzi explicitly told us to make contact with before the match." All three figures were completely concealed within dense foliage, observing the advancing target.

Zhao Afu was actually eager to act; after all, the opponents didn't seem to be moving normally—he thought they looked like they were fleeing.

If they launched a surprise attack now, they might gain some unexpected advantage.

But since Xiaomeng, as team leader, hadn't given the order, he could only lie still and wait.

"Ninjutsu: A Thousand Needles Like Raindrops!"

Like a gentle drizzle, yet in truth as dense as a sudden downpour, a thousand needles rained down as two Rain Ninja simultaneously spun their umbrellas, launching lethal attacks toward the fleeing team from left and right.

Fujikawa Linnaizi, who had been using her exceptional vision to monitor her surroundings, instantly went on alert; before these Rain Ninja revealed themselves, she hadn't sensed their presence at all—these Rain Ninja must possess a ninjutsu capable of evading detection.

"Hah! Lucky break—we managed to ambush Sand Ninja right here!" The empty ground shimmered with distorted light, and a Rain Ninja appeared out of nowhere, unhesitatingly hurling a poison smoke ball toward the Sand Ninja's head.

"They intended to kill from the start—no matter who the target was, these guys are beyond redemption," Fujikawa Linnaizi frowned in disgust, then turned her gaze to Xiaomeng: "What do we do next?"

Although ninja in battle often resort to any means necessary, and any dishonorable act is justified if it secures the enemy's life,

in this era of relative peace, deliberately exploiting loopholes in the exam rules to kill ninja from other villages is itself enough to draw the enmity of every participant.