Let Me See Your Resolve

Scarface crawled out of the ground fissure in a wretched state, but Madara had already charged right in front of him.

Scarface suddenly noticed the light on the ground before him darken and reflexively raised his blade to block.

The scythe collided with the broadsword, sending countless sparks flying. With a slight shift in the angle of his long blade, Scarface guided Madara's scythe to slide aside in a trail of sparks.

Still half-crouched on the ground, Scarface seized the opportunity as well, gripping his blade with both hands and viciously slashing at Madara.

Madara merely tilted his body slightly, letting Scarface's heavy blow pass by.

The blade swept straight past Madara's nose, its sharp edge even cutting away several strands of his black hair.

Scarface's face twisted viciously. As a three-ringed Soul Master, he had been forced into such a state by a One-Ring Soul Master. The humiliation was unbearable.

Madara did not think so much while fighting. Every strike was lethal, and he showed no mercy.

Under Madara's savage assault, Scarface struggled desperately from side to side, utterly disgracing close-combat blade-wielding Soul Masters.

Madara had long realized that even close-combat Soul Masters in this world relied too heavily on spirit skills. They possessed few other means of fighting to the death and lacked any complete, systematic set of techniques.

That was why a close-combat Soul Master like Scarface had been pushed into such danger beneath Madara's attacks.

Madara had seen Soul Masters with systematic techniques—his younger brother Tang San and his adoptive father Tang Hao.

In Madara's eyes, the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Tang Hao taught Tang San looked like a forging technique on the surface, but it was more accurately a combat art.

Scarface knew that if this continued, he would be suppressed to death before he could display his strength.

So Scarface decided to risk his life. The broadsword he had been struggling to defend with suddenly swung behind him, directly exposing his back to Madara.

Madara did not know what he was planning, but he naturally would not let such a rare opportunity pass. His scythe slashed swiftly toward Scarface's head.

His scalp tingling, Scarface did everything he could to activate his third spirit ring. He neither dodged nor blocked Madara's scythe behind him, as though he intended to abandon resistance and perish together with Madara.

Closer!

Scarface could practically feel the airflow stirred up by the blade brushing over his hair. His life was only two finger-widths away from ending.

Move! Move already!

"Extreme Shadow Flash!"

Scarface roared desperately in his heart and finally evaded Madara's certain killing blow by a hair's breadth, turning into an afterimage and shifting several yards away.

A Soul Master who had fought his way to three rings truly could not be underestimated!

Meng Yiran, hidden in the distance, had her entire focus swaying with Madara's situation. She had completely immersed herself in this battle.

Meng Yiran clenched her fists tightly, standing there rigid as a piece of wood, her gaze constantly following Madara.

So a Soul Grandmaster who did not even have a second spirit ring could truly be this powerful!

Watching Madara force Scarface back, Meng Yiran felt a complicated mix of emotions, unable to tell whether she was shocked or ashamed.

But none of this affected Madara's attack rhythm.

Scarface's Third Spirit Skill should have allowed him to teleport forward a certain distance before using the momentum to kill his opponent.

Yet in Scarface's hands, it had become the perfect means of escape.

"Roar!"

Driven feral by the threat of death, Scarface turned around and roared, wildly unleashing countless streaks of Blade Aura as he advanced rapidly toward Madara while swinging his blade.

Madara still used the War Fan to block, but Scarface's tactics had clearly changed this time. When he was less than ten feet from Madara, he raised his foot and stomped down on the War Fan.

No matter how incapable Scarface was, his three-ring cultivation was still real. Madara instantly felt an immense force coming through the War Fan and had to retreat several steps before fully dissipating it.

Scarface's eyes were bloodshot, as if Soul Power cost nothing. He swung his blade into the ground at the same time, causing a fissure to tear toward Madara.

Though Madara was forced back again and again, excitement rose in his heart. This was the first opponent who could truly trade blows with him.

"Ah!" Seeing his Earth Splitting Slash cut off Madara's retreat, Scarface roared wildly, bent his knees slightly, and shot toward Madara like a cannonball.

Madara had not expected Scarface, who had just been timid as a mouse and had even used a spirit skill to flee, to actually dare leap at him now.

Madara leaned back slightly, dodging Scarface's Sweep the Thousand Armies, then sprang backward out of the fissure's range.

Even a sheep driven into a dead end would dare fight to the death.

The scar on Scarface's face was a medal from his past battles. Naturally, he knew when to risk his life. If he did not fight now, he would have no chance later.

A thin wound appeared on Madara's face. Blood flowed down from the clean cut, leaving a crimson streak across his cheek.

Madara stuck out his tongue and licked the corner of his mouth. Feeling the metallic tang of blood on his tongue, his heart filled with excitement and madness.

"Hahahaha!" Madara threw back his head and laughed wildly, looking like a madman. He completely ignored even Scarface, who was charging toward him.

"Now this is what you call a battle!" Madara said with immense excitement, raising his scythe and War Fan as he charged forward with unstoppable momentum.

Uchiha Madara was the true assault-type fighter!

Madara dragged his scythe and War Fan along the ground, scattering countless sparks as he quickly came face-to-face with the charging Scarface.

"Hahahaha! Come entertain me!" Madara abruptly stopped, then mercilessly swung his scythe and War Fan down with howling wind.

Scarface's berserk charge came to an abrupt halt, and the arrogant expression on his face froze instantly.

But Madara did not care. Scythe and War Fan, he swung them down ruthlessly without any technique at all.

Since you were berserk, I would be even more berserk! You dared act like this only because you had never faced Uchiha Madara!

"Come again!" Madara seemed like a different person now, none of his earlier calm remaining.

All Madara wanted now was to enjoy the battle, to immerse himself in its tension, thrill, and exhilaration.

This was the real Madara—a mad Asura who enjoyed battle and craved strength.

"Ah!" Scarface knew the moment to decide life and death had arrived, and the blade he swung with all his might grew even faster.

But to Scarface's surprise, Madara threw away his weapon after just one clash, as though the impact had knocked it from his hand.

Something was wrong!

Having wandered between life and death for years, Scarface suddenly felt a foreboding sense of imminent disaster.

But it was already too late!

Instead of retreating, Madara surged forward with a fierce step and crashed into Scarface's chest. One of Madara's hands clamped tightly around the wrist holding the blade.

Madara's other hand gripped the blood-red Kunai in a reverse hold and viciously drove it into Scarface's heart.

Scarface only felt a sharp pain in his chest before all the strength drained from his body in an instant.

Madara gripped the Kunai and twisted hard. Scarface's body immediately convulsed as blood poured from his mouth. Then, with his eyes wide open, he collapsed limply.

Meng Yiran stood frozen as if struck by lightning, staring blankly at Madara.

Madara had accomplished the impossible in ordinary people's eyes!