The Person Is the Sword, Not the Other Way Around

It was one thing to be incredibly powerful while your opponent was weak, but it was another entirely when you suddenly hit a slump while your opponent became formidable. The disparity was simply too vast.

It was so vast that even though Sasori of the Red Sands vaguely sensed something was wrong, he had no way to quickly correct his mindset. Jiang Feng had been targeting his state of mind all along.

"Playing tricks!"

Having already developed a significant weakness in his temperament, Sasori of the Red Sands did not quickly adjust his state. Instead, with blind arrogance and self-deception, he manipulated the Kazekage puppet to unfold its Iron Sand Wings and attack Jiang Feng.

However, the problem remained right there; it would not cease to exist just because one chose to ignore it.

Within the crowd, Chiyo, who was also skilled in Puppet Manipulation Technique, saw her expression change drastically. As a fellow master of puppetry, she could easily see that Sasori's state was not right.

The weakness in his temperament had already begun to affect his puppet manipulation skills, causing his once-perfect technique to lose its flawlessness.

This was the Heavenly Son's Qi Observation Technique.

It utilized the weaknesses in an enemy's temperament to overcome their technique.

And then?

Then, it utilized the weaknesses in the enemy's technique and Chakra circulation to, in turn, overcome their temperament.

This cycle repeated, snowballing until every aspect where the enemy might show a weakness—their temperament, Chakra circulation, technique, and energy flow—was broken beyond repair.

Just as the Kazekage puppet was about to strike, Jiang Feng suddenly pushed Konan aside, lightly dodged the puppet's attack, and leaped off the viewing platform. Neither fast nor slow, he closed the distance to Sasori of the Red Sands with effortless ease.

Sasori of the Red Sands felt as though he might shatter his own teeth from clenching them so hard.

If Jiang Feng had dodged in time, he could naturally have evaded or blocked the Kazekage puppet's attack with ease. Even Sasori would not have been arrogant enough to believe he could kill or severely injure Jiang Feng in a single move.

But that damned guy had waited until the Kazekage puppet was right in front of him—waited until Sasori believed it was absolutely impossible for him to dodge—before moving. This was a naked, blatant humiliation.

He was telling him through his actions: Your Puppet Manipulation Technique is nothing more than this; all your techniques, tactical thinking, and variations in moves have been completely seen through by me.

Sasori of the Red Sands could not tolerate this humiliation, at least not while his temperament had already been compromised.

Naturally, the weaknesses in his technique and tactical thinking further affected Sasori's temperament, making the cracks in his mental state even more numerous and larger.

And because the weakness in his temperament grew, it further impacted the precision of his Puppet Manipulation Technique...

7 moves.

6 moves.

5 moves.

4 moves.

3 moves...

The distance between the two was closing constantly. The process was rapid, yet it felt agonizingly long—long enough for Sasori of the Red Sands to manipulate the Kazekage puppet and launch seven or eight consecutive attacks at the approaching Jiang Feng.

The result was without exception: every single attack was perfectly evaded by Jiang Feng with a nonchalant grace.

To what extent was it nonchalant?

It was so nonchalant that everyone present assumed Sasori of the Red Sands was deliberately missing Jiang Feng, intentionally grazing his white robes as a warning, and purposely playing along to help Jiang Feng show off.

But how could that be?

Among everyone present, Sasori of the Red Sands wanted Jiang Feng dead more than anyone. He would never allow a master of swordsmanship like Jiang Feng to close the distance so easily.

Sasori's parents had been killed by Hatake Sakumo after he closed the distance, one strike per person.

Since it wasn't Sasori of the Red Sands doing it on purpose, the truth was self-evident: Jiang Feng had seen through all of Sasori's move variations and combat strategies as if he were using precognition.

He had not only seen through everything, but while dodging attacks and closing in on Sasori, he had utilized the Weather Qi-Gazing Technique to repeatedly grind down Sasori's temperament, techniques, willpower, and momentum.

The youth in white finally arrived before Sasori. He drew the longsword hanging at his waist and thrust a swift, fierce strike toward the throat of Sasori, who was now riddled with openings.

White Rainbow Piercing the Sun, Startling Radiance and Lightning.

In an instant, blood bloomed. The spring breeze whistled through the hole in Sasori's throat, creating a melodic sound.

The vast venue, which had been boisterous just moments ago, was now left with only one sound: the wind passing through the hole in Sasori's throat. No one had expected Jiang Feng to win in such a manner.

He had dodged every one of Sasori's attacks, walked over at a pace neither fast nor slow, and killed the arrogant Sasori—who had caused Pakura and Rasa to suffer defeat one after another—with a single strike.

Jiang Feng turned around expressionlessly, gently blew the blood droplets off his blade, and as he sheathed his sword, Sasori's corpse and the Kazekage puppet collapsed and fell together.

The Daimyo of the Land of Wind gazed at the youth, whose white clothes were as pure as snow, and murmured. Even he, who had immense confidence in Jiang Feng despite his own lack of expertise, had not expected Jiang Feng to kill Sasori with a single sword strike.

"Is this the legendary Heavenly Flying Immortal?"

Many people present also wanted to know the answer to that question.

"The sword is not, but the person is."

Konan dissipated her Angel Paper Wings to provide an answer for the Daimyo of the Land of Wind, her eyes shimmering with brilliance as she looked at the youth in white below the stage.

She had once seen Jiang Feng use the Heavenly Flying Immortal. That move truly deserved the praise of being the most beautiful swordsmanship—it was magnificent, brilliant, and gorgeous, beautiful to the extreme.

This strike, however, was neither magnificent nor gorgeous; naturally, it was not the Heavenly Flying Immortal.

This was merely an unremarkable strike.

But in the current ninja world, the term Heavenly Flying Immortal no longer referred exclusively to that one sword technique; it could also refer to Jiang Feng himself. Thus, the person is, but the sword is not.

It was ironic. Because of the legend of the Heavenly Flying Immortal being the most beautiful swordsmanship, Sasori of the Red Sands had twice tried to poison Jiang Feng to death, yet he died without ever seeing the true Heavenly Flying Immortal.

Jiang Feng drifted back to the spectator stand as lightly as he had left. He nodded to the Daimyo of the Land of Wind, then resumed his cool, detached posture, standing with his hands behind his back.

Over a dozen Sunagakure ninja rushed into the arena to identify and collect Sasori's corpse, as well as to retrieve the Kazekage Puppet.

Rasa, Pakura, Chiyo, and other high-ranking officials and experts from Sunagakure arrived at the spectator stand one after another, crowding around Jiang Feng.

Acting Kazekage Rasa was the first to express his gratitude to Jiang Feng: "We are extremely grateful for your help in protecting the people of Sunagakure, maintaining order, and slaying the traitor Sasori. Our village will forever remember your assistance."

Pakura's expression was complex. Her eyes held a mixture of surprise, admiration, gratitude, and worship, yet there was also a hint of confusion: "How did you kill Sasori with just one sword strike?"

Jiang Feng looked up at the sky and said, "Often, the more long-winded and complex a story is, the more sudden its conclusion—and it usually ends in a way that others cannot comprehend."

"That is because its development has reached its end, even if those watching have yet to realize it."

The same is true for stories, and the same is true for battles.

During the battle at Tanzaku Town, those Kumogakure ninja could not perceive the psychological game between Jiang Feng and Young Bro, which is why they did not understand why Bro had suddenly been defeated.

Today's battle was no different. Others did not know what Jiang Feng had done using the Heavenly Son's Qi Observation Technique before thrusting that sword, so they likewise could not understand why Jiang Feng was able to kill Sasori in a single strike.