Eastern Ocean Earth Ninja Assassin

Commander Li and Xiao Qiuyue both stared in shock, their mouths hanging open as they looked at Huang Shaojie as though he were a monster.

These Japanese warriors were no top experts, but they were far from weak. Their cultivation had all reached at least the First Level of the Xiantian Realm.

Taking one down with a single slash was not much of a problem.

But cleaving all five Japanese warriors at the Xiantian Realm in half with one slash—wasn't that blade technique far too savage and tyrannical?

Huang Shaojie remained expressionless. The moment he swung that slash, a murderous gleam involuntarily flickered in his eyes.

This was a Demonic Blade. Anyone whose martial cultivation had not reached the Grandmaster Stage or above would have their mind affected by the Demonic Blade, becoming cold and bloodthirsty. Those with lower cultivation might even suffer Cultivation Deviation.

Though Huang Shaojie had not entered the Grandmaster Stage, he had reached the Ninth Level of Innate Realm. Even if the Demonic Blade affected him, it would not cause him to suffer Cultivation Deviation.

"Search!"

Huang Shaojie shouted coldly.

He leaped into the air and struck out with a Dragon Subduing Palm Technique.

Boom!

A pavilion collapsed with a thunderous crash. A figure shot skyward from the ruins, gripping a Japanese Sword in both hands as he slashed down at Huang Shaojie from midair.

This was a Japanese swordsmanship master whose cultivation had reached the Grandmaster Stage.

This strike contained the ultimate essence of his lifelong swordsmanship.

At the same time, three more figures shot out from a hall. Three Japanese Swords flashed with dazzling light as they came slashing in.

Two attacked Commander Li, while the other attacked Xiao Qiuyue.

A bloodthirsty chill flashed through Huang Shaojie's eyes. He stood firm, gripping the Full Moon Scimitar without moving!

Only when the Japanese swordsmanship master's blade light had reached his face did Huang Shaojie suddenly swing the Full Moon Scimitar.

A streak of brilliance tore through the sky, flashing past like a meteor.

A rain of blood fell.

The Japanese swordsmanship master's body split in two and dropped from the air.

Huang Shaojie looked at the blood staining the Full Moon Scimitar, only to see it absorbed into the blade without a single drop remaining.

Whenever the Demonic Blade touched blood, it absorbed it. The more experts' blood it absorbed, the greater its power became—and the more it affected the mind of its wielder.

Elsewhere, the five had already fallen into battle.

Xiao Qiuyue faced a Japanese warrior dressed in blue.

This Japanese warrior's martial cultivation had reached the Xiantian Eighth Level. Broad and powerfully built, he gripped his Japanese Sword in both hands and roared again and again as he hacked wildly at Xiao Qiuyue like a madman.

Xiao Qiuyue wielded her longsword and used the Thunderbolt Meteor Sword Technique to meet him with ease. She had now broken through to the Ninth Level of Innate Realm, so dealing with this Japanese warrior was naturally no challenge.

Of the two Japanese warriors facing Commander Li, one had reached the First Rank Grandmaster Stage, while the other had also reached the Ninth Level of Innate Realm.

Commander Li's martial cultivation had only just entered the Second Rank Grandmaster Stage, yet facing a First Rank Grandmaster and a Ninth Level of Innate Realm opponent posed no pressure at all.

After checking on their battle, Huang Shaojie saw that the two of them could handle these Japanese warriors, so there was no need for him to lend a hand.

Just then, Huang Shaojie noticed a faint disturbance beneath the ground.

It was as though something were moving swiftly underground, heading toward the ground beneath his feet.

Huang Shaojie's gaze sharpened, and the scimitar in his hand slashed down.

Boom!

The terrifying blade light split the hard earth apart, carving a trench a foot wide and four or five feet deep.

Half an arm remained in the trench, its severed hand still gripping a dagger.

But the body had already fled to who knew where.

Huang Shaojie's thick brows furrowed. That Japanese ninja had actually escaped!

He had long heard that Japanese ninjas possessed the Earth Evasion Technique.

Any ninja who could cultivate the Earth Evasion Technique had to be at least at the Earth Ninja level.

Japanese ninjas were divided into seven ranks:

Lower Ninja, Middle Ninja, Upper Ninja, Human Ninja, Earth Ninja, Heaven Ninja, and Divine Ninja.

Reaching the Upper Ninja rank already made one an outstanding figure among ninjas.

If one cultivated to the Human Ninja level, one would be an accomplished assassin.

Upon reaching the Earth Ninja level, even ordinary low-rank martial Grandmasters would find it difficult to guard against their surprise attacks and assassinations.

As for Heaven Ninjas, they were beings equivalent to Grandmasters above Seventh Rank Martial Dao.

There were only a few Heaven Ninjas in all of Japan.

Divine Ninjas, meanwhile, had shed their mortal frames and remade themselves, possessing the strength of Great Grandmasters.

There were only four Divine Ninjas in all of Japan.

The ninja who had tried to ambush him from underground just now was precisely an entry-level Earth Ninja.

However, he had encountered Huang Shaojie. With Huang Shaojie's Insight Technique, he could naturally detect him using Earth Evasion.

Had they been above ground, Huang Shaojie's slash would already have cleaved that Japanese Earth Ninja in half.

But beneath the earth, Huang Shaojie could not clearly see the Earth Ninja's exact position, so he had only cut off one of his arms.

Knowing full well how formidable Huang Shaojie was, the Earth Ninja immediately fled far away underground.

Huang Shaojie searched the area once over but did not find the Earth Ninja again, so he could only let it go.

He did not know the Earth Evasion Technique, after all, so naturally he could not burrow underground to search for him.

By then, Xiao Qiuyue and Commander Li had each dealt with the three Japanese warriors.

One Japanese warrior had been left alive, his limbs severed. The pain made him howl miserably.

The three carefully searched the residence but found no one else.

This residence was only two or three hundred meters from the Dongsheng Merchant Association. Commander Li summoned a Banner Officer and had him lead several Imperial Guard officers to stand watch over the residence.

Afterward, Huang Shaojie, Commander Li, and the others returned to the Imperial Guard office to report back to Niu Ren.

After changing into clean clothes, the three came to the main hall and cupped their fists in salute to Niu Ren.

"How was it? Did you find the Dongsheng Merchant Association's secret passage?"

Niu Ren took a sip of tea from his cup and looked at the three of them as he asked.

Commander Li said, "Battalion Commander Huang discovered the secret passage at the bottom of the well. We climbed through it from the bottom of that well and emerged from the bottom of a well in another residence."

"So the two wells were connected. Those Japanese really designed this secret passage quite cleverly." Niu Ren could not help praising them. "Did you find anyone from the Dongsheng Merchant Association?"

Commander Li said, "We killed several Japanese experts in that residence. They should also have been members of the Dongsheng Merchant Association, but we do not know whether they were core members."

Niu Ren nodded slightly. "No matter what, we destroyed another Japanese pirate stronghold and killed several more Japanese pirate experts. That is not bad."

Commander Li cupped his fists and said, "This was all Battalion Commander Huang's credit. If he had not infiltrated the bottom of the well and uncovered the secret passage, we would not have known that the Japanese pirates' stronghold was right beside us."

"Lord Li overpraises me!" Huang Shaojie shook his head modestly, then frowned. "A ninja used Earth Evasion to try to assassinate me. I cut off one of his arms, but he escaped underground. We must be wary of him coming to assassinate us in the future."

Niu Ren's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. "It seems he was an Earth Ninja. Earth Ninjas excel in Earth Evasion, and their assassinations are impossible to guard against. It seems Japan has sent many experts to Suzhou this time!"

As they spoke, an Imperial Guard officer came in to report, "Reporting to Lord Thousand Household, the Provincial Governor has arrived."

Niu Ren said, "Quickly, invite the Provincial Governor in."