Shadow Thorn (2)

The man with the monkey-like face and the bald man exchanged a glance and nodded.

"Who will speak?" the bearded man asked repeatedly, but his hand had already started dialing a number.

The bald man glanced at the monkey-faced man and said, "Come on, you've experienced it firsthand, you can describe it in detail."

The monkey-faced man looked bitter. He didn't want to talk to his boss on the phone; abandoning the mission halfway would definitely get him a scolding. However, seeing the bald man and the bearded man staring at him, he knew he was in a bind and reluctantly nodded, "Alright, I'll do it!"

After saying that, he poured himself a full glass of wine, gulped it down in one go, and his face suddenly turned bright red. However, he also became much bolder; perhaps this was a case of alcohol emboldening one!

Soon, the call connected. A deep voice came from the other end, saying, "It's so late, is it urgent?"

The monkey-faced man grabbed the Den Den Mushi and immediately said, "Boss, we should cancel this operation."

"Cancel? No way! We've already received a deposit; this would damage our reputation," the deep voice snapped.

The monkey-faced man said in a deep voice, "Boss, if you don't cancel this operation, all the men we sent here will probably be wiped out, and we might not even be able to complete this mission?"

"Oh, why do you say that? Have you discovered something?" The deep voice softened its tone, as if it had sensed something was amiss.

The monkey-faced man didn't hesitate and immediately told his boss everything he had experienced. After he finished, he said, "Boss, you make the decision!"

There was a sudden silence on the other end of the phone, with no one speaking for a long time. Just as everyone was getting impatient, the deep voice rang out again, saying, "Stand by and do not move out for now."

"So, boss, what's your final decision?" the monkey-faced man asked repeatedly.

The deep voice said sharply, "I can't make a decision yet. After all, this time the employer is the Heavenly Star Alliance, and that newly appointed young master is not someone easy to deal with. New officials always make a big show of things, so he won't easily cancel the mission. I need to go and talk to him."

"Alright then." The monkey-faced man knew the situation was complicated, so he didn't say anything more and hung up the phone.

The three exchanged glances and breathed a slight sigh of relief. Although the mission hadn't been canceled, at least their leader's resolve had wavered.

"Alright, recall all members immediately," said the monkey-faced man.

Without hesitation, the bald man and the bearded man took out their Den Den Mushi) and contacted the members who were still operating outside.

Before long, the Shadow Thorn who were moving around all quickly left their respective targets and returned to the cabin.

Seeing that everyone had returned safely, the three of them finally breathed a sigh of relief.

On a stone pier not far from the ship, Fanxin was watching the situation. Seeing that everyone had retreated, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"You're lucky you know what's good for you. If you hadn't withdrawn, none of you would have escaped tonight," Fanxin said calmly, his seemingly indifferent tone concealing boundless killing intent.

After watching for a moment, he slowly turned around, left, and returned to the hotel. Back in his room, he closed the door and was about to go to sleep when he suddenly froze, his fists clenching slightly, his eyes fixed on a dark corner. There, a figure blended into the darkness, easily missed if one wasn't looking closely.

However, as a member of the Soul Clan, he was extremely sensitive to the perception of souls. While his opponent could conceal their physical form, they could not hide their soul, and thus could not escape his senses.

"Now that we're here, why hide?" Fanxin Xin chuckled and walked towards them step by step.

"The fact that you could detect my superb stealth techniques can only mean that you are a member of the Soul Clan." A deep voice echoed from the darkness.

Fanxin pressed a switch, and the room immediately lit up, including the dark spot. However, the person hiding there was nowhere to be found.

However, Fanxin dared to assert that the other party was right there.

He was surprised; what a brilliant method of concealment! Although it couldn't compare to the soul body of the Soul Clan, it was still difficult for ordinary people to detect his presence.

"Why don't you show yourself?" Fanxin asked in a deep voice.

In the bright light, a dark shadow suddenly appeared, eventually transforming into a tall figure. Fanxin Xin looked closely and saw a man who was 1.9 meters tall, wearing a black suit, with white hair and beard, but a very ruddy complexion without a single wrinkle. This combination seemed quite strange.

"Should I call you Grandpa or Uncle?" Fanxin asked with a mischievous grin.

The man smiled calmly, sat down on the sofa with an air of nonchalance, and said, "Call me whatever you want, I don't really care."

Seeing that he couldn't embarrass the other person, Xiao Fan also felt bored. He sat down in a chair opposite the other person and asked, puzzled, "Who are you? And what is your purpose in coming here?"

"I'll test your abilities," the man said calmly, his bull-like eyes fixed on Fanxin as if trying to see right through Fanxin.

Fanxin narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the man. After a long while, he spoke first, asking, "Are you one of the Shadow Thorn?"

The opponent's movement technique was exactly the same as that of the Shadow Thorn Assassins he had just seen, except that he had mastered it to a level far superior to them. Therefore, he was certain that even if the opponent wasn't a member of the Shadow Thorn, he must have some connection to Shadow Thorn.

"Looks like you know who's trying to kill you tonight," the man said with a smile.

Fanxin smiled disdainfully and said, "Many people want to kill me, but very few can actually kill me."

"You're very confident!" the man said.

Fanxin grinned but did not answer.

"Alright, let's fight outside!" The man stood up, walked to the window, drew back the curtains, looked at the starry sky, and said, "If you win, the Shadow Thorn Assassins will immediately leave and won't interfere in your affairs with the Heavenly Star Alliance. However, if you lose..."

"You'll continue to harass us, won't you?" A cold glint flashed in Fanxin's eyes as he spoke calmly.

The man turned his head, smiled, and said, "Not bad. But don't worry, I'll make sure you don't die."

"I don't need your forgiveness, and you might not even be able to beat me," Fanxin sneered, smiling confidently.

The man didn't reply. He darted past the window and disappeared into the darkness. In a few flashes, he vanished without a trace.

Fanxin narrowed his eyes slightly, immediately took out a Den Den Mushi), and told everyone what had happened. Then, he also rushed out the window and chased after them.

Not long after Fanxin left, countless figures darted out from the various rooms, disappearing into the night like agile monkeys.

On a deserted island dozens of miles away from Turtle Island, a tall man stood there early in the morning. He stood with his hands behind his back, quietly gazing into the distance.

Fanxin sped along the sea surface, leaping into the air with a final bound, landing not far from the tall man.

Fanxin looked around and said with a smile, "This place is quite nice; perhaps it can serve as your final resting place."

"Heh, little brat, I'm a hunter with a long and distinguished reputation. Especially now that it's dark, you'd better not be careless, or you'll die." The tall man laughed angrily, a sinister glint flashing in his large, bull-like eyes.

Fanxin sensed a chilling aura emanating from it, and his heart tightened slightly, his initial contempt vanishing completely.

"Come on, let's see what you can do to me." Fanxin pushed off the ground with both feet, his body flying backward more than a hundred meters. Then he took out his pair of diamond knives, ready to fight.

The tall man faced Fanxin, twisted his neck, and cracked it repeatedly. He stared at Fanxin and said, "I won't show any mercy, kid. Dying here is just bad luck."

"Heh heh!" Fanxin chuckled strangely, his tone full of disdain.

The tall man didn't reply. With a flicker, he vanished from his spot, completely merging into the void. Fanxin's lips curled into a disdainful smile. A moment later, he swung his sword to the left, unleashing a burst of sword energy that shot out with a shrill whistle.

The tall man immediately dodged, and the sword energy shot straight into the distance, striking a large tree and splitting it in two.

Fanxin glanced at his opponent in surprise, not expecting that even at such close range, the opponent had dodged. However, his movements were swift, unleashing more than twenty consecutive slashes. The energy from these twenty-odd slashes coalesced into a net, completely sealing off the tall man from all sides, leaving no room for retreat. The tall man could only withstand the attack, unable to escape.

Left with no other choice, the tall man had to reveal himself to confront the dozens of sword energies. He formed fists with both hands and unleashed a barrage of blows around his body, creating a net of countless fist shadows that blocked the net of sword energy.

The two are mutually opposed, each consuming the other's energy.

Fanxin sneered and swept his sword horizontally, unleashing a massive blade of energy that hurtled towards the tall man's waist.

"A mere trick." The tall man sneered, kicking out with Haki that instantly amplified the power of his strike several times over. Soon, blade energy shot out and collided with his foot.

A deafening explosion rang out, billowing smoke and dust, cracking the ground, and a powerful shockwave swept across the area, transforming into gusts of wind that swept away into the distance.

His clothes fluttered in the Fanxin, but his body remained as still as a rock.

After a long struggle, the tall man flicked his leg into the air, sending the sword energy soaring into the sky. The light, like a bright lamp, illuminated the dim night sky, but it quickly vanished without a trace.

The net of blades formed by Fanxin slowly dissipated under the fist shadows created by the tall man.

"Oh, is that all? That's disappointing." The tall man's voice carried a hint of sarcasm.

Although he couldn't see the other person's face, Fanxin could deeply sense from their words that the other person didn't take him seriously. Fanxin wasn't angry, because this wasn't his strongest power.

He sheathed his diamond knife, preparing for close combat. His ranged attacks were indeed powerful, but the tall man was too fast, easily dodging them and wasting his energy.

"Hehe, you're asking for it." The tall man laughed excitedly.

Fanxin did not respond. He activated his Vajra Shield, Diamond Armor, and Haki —three layers of defense—to protect his body. With these three layers of defense, he felt much more at ease, grinned, and sped straight towards the tall man.

The tall man chuckled strangely, then charged towards Fanxin without dodging or flinching.

Within a few breaths, the two clashed, fist to fist and foot to foot, a head-on collision.

Both of their bodies were imbued with Haki, increasing their power by dozens of times, making their bodies as strong as steel.

The two collided like steel clashing, producing a deep, booming sound. The air seemed to explode, the sound continuous, like firecrackers going off. Sparks flew from the point of impact, bringing a sliver of light into the dark night.

Fanxin was struck in the chest by the tall man, forcing Fanxin to retreat several steps. However, Fanxin immediately rushed forward and kicked the man in the groin, sending him flying. Fortunately, the man protected his groin; otherwise, Fanxin's move would have been enough to render him infertile.

The tall man's lips twitched, and he glared at Fanxin before charging forward again. He was like a compass, standing firmly on one foot while launching a series of attacks with the other. Fanxin sneered a few times, raised his fists high, and then slammed them down onto the ground.

The ground trembled violently, as if an earthquake had occurred. Soon after, a crack more than ten meters wide appeared in the once solid ground, and the tall man's body was instantly suspended in mid-air, his entire body falling into the crack.

Strike while the iron is hot. Fanxin Tempest Kick leaped up and unleashed a powerful kick, the blue wind of the leg hurtling towards the tall man's head.

A cold snort came from the crack, accompanied by a whooshing sound. The tall man narrowly avoided the Tempest Kick and, using the Geppo, soared into the sky.

Fanxin frowned slightly, stomped heavily on the ground, and shot into the sky like a spring, hovering in front of the tall man.

"Looks like you can't get rid of me," the tall man said with a smile.

Fanxin wasn't annoyed at all, and said calmly, "Aren't you the same? For people at our level, it's very difficult to determine a winner in a short period of time."

"That's true." The tall man didn't deny it, but then chuckled, "However, as long as I keep you occupied, you won't be able to pose a threat to the Shadow Thorn Assassins, and their mission can proceed as scheduled."

Fanxin glanced at the Shadow Thorn's stronghold, smiled mysteriously, and said, "Your men are no match for us. And as a member of the Soul Clan, I can create countless ghosts; don't forget that!"