Qingyu: Who Gave You the Courage to Look Me in the Eye? (1/2)

The heartland of the Land of Marshes.

As Qingyu carried Miroku across the last ridge, the thick fog ahead suddenly parted.

Deep in the mountain valley stood a half-collapsed stone temple, its body covered with blackened vines, the veins of which flowed with a dark purple light, like the blood vessels of some living thing.

Five people were standing directly in front of the stone hall.

The man at the head of the group wore a black cloak and had a gaunt face.

The Yomi.

Behind him stood four ninjas from the Land of Demons.

Their skin was painted with red lines, and beneath it, something seemed to be wriggling in the blood vessels.

"Miko-sama."

Yomi looked at Qingyu and her group.

"Even 90% of the Undead Legion couldn't stop you. It seems the ninjas of Konoha are indeed quite capable, but—"

His gaze passed over Miroku and landed on Qingyu, his cloudy eyes scanning her up and down.

"They're all Genin. Does Konoha have no one else? Sending some greenhorn to escort the shrine maiden."

Are there any other powerful ninjas present?

Yomi tilted his head and glanced at the stone hall behind him out of the corner of his eye.

A resounding tremor came from deep within the stone hall.

As long as we can hold off these few Konoha Ninja, and once Lord Kairyo has completely regained his physical body, these mere shrine maidens will be nothing more than meat on a chopping board.

"Take care of that brat first."

He waved his hand, and a ninja from the Land of Demons stepped forward in response.

The ninja was tall and thin, with arms that were a full length longer than normal, and fingernails on all ten fingers as sharp as those of a wild beast.

He took a deep breath, his chest expanding like a bellows, and then suddenly exhaled a stream of air towards Qingyu.

Wind Release: Divine Wind!

A violent stream of air gushed out from its mouth, transforming into a tornado column with a diameter of over two meters in the narrow mountain pass.

Wherever the wind column passed, gravel on the ground was swept into the air, and millstone-sized rocks tumbled and collided in the airflow, producing a dull rumble.

Before the wind even arrived, Qingyu's robes were already fluttering in the wind.

He supported Miroku's lower back with one hand, and steadily placed the other hand under her knees, his fingertips touching the warm, soft skin beneath the shrine maiden's robe.

"Excuse me."

Qingyu's figure vanished in an instant.

Body Flicker Technique!

The column of wind slammed into the spot where he had just been standing, tearing a trench three or four meters deep into the ground.

When the dust settled, Qingyu was already standing on a boulder three thousand meters away, with Miroku still steadily on his back.

Chidori!

Arcs of electricity appeared on Kakashi's right hand.

Suddenly, a cacophony of thousands of birdsong filled the air.

Kakashi charged toward the Wind Release ninja.

The Wind Release ninja's pupils contracted, and his hands quickly Hand Seals.

Wind Release: Divine Wind!

The wind pillar hurtled towards Kakashi.

Chidori's thrust was too fast.

Before the wind pillar could even take shape, Kakashi's figure had already passed through the gap in the airflow, his right hand, wrapped in violent lightning, stabbing straight at his opponent's chest.

The Wind Release ninja hastily dodged to the side, but the Chidori pierced right through his left arm.

He groaned and stumbled back several steps, his left arm hanging limply at his side.

"Don't even think about leaving!"

The remaining three ninjas from the Land of Demons exchanged a glance and simultaneously rushed towards Qingyu.

Samui drew his dagger.

Cloud Style ·instant!

She stood in front of Qingyu, her short sword crackling with constantly dancing arcs of electricity.

But the female ninja from the Land of Demons who was rushing towards her suddenly lowered her body, concentrated her Chakra at her toes, and dripped Water Release Chakra into the ground, instantly liquefying the soil beneath her feet.

Slide step.

The female ninja slid across the muddy ground, moving so fast that she left several afterimages in the air.

She raised her right leg, and the Water Release Chakra gathered on her calf transformed into an arc-shaped Water Blade, spinning as it slashed towards Samui.

Samui parried with his sword.

The moment the Water Blade struck the short sword, an impact far exceeding expectations emanated from the blade.

Her hand went numb, the dagger nearly slipped from her grasp, and she was sent flying backward by the force of the kick, her back slamming heavily against a large tree, sending leaves flying everywhere.

Kakashi glanced at it subconsciously.

In that brief moment of distraction, the Wind Release ninja he was fighting had already adjusted his stance.

Meanwhile, the other two ninjas from the Land of Demons, one with his fists encased in a rock-hard shell and the other with dozens of black tentacles emerging from his sleeves, had already bypassed Samui and were heading straight for the priestess on Qingyu's back.

"We got it!"

The petrified ninja let out a low growl, and his right arm swelled to three times its original size, its surface covered with rock.

He leaped up and used the momentum of his fall to smash the stone fist down on Qingyu's head.

Qingyu stood still, without dodging.

He didn't even put down Miroku in his arms, but simply withdrew his right arm from the hand that was supporting her knees.

The stone fist fell.

Boom!

Centered on the two people, the cracks beneath their feet resembled a giant spider web covering the entire open space.

Gravel and dust billowed into the sky, obscuring everyone's view.

Strength of a Hundred!

The Chakra in Qingyu's hands erupted.

The savage grin on the petrified ninja's face froze.

Click, click, click.

The cracks spread at a visible speed, extending from where Qingyu was holding the arm.

"How could that be!"

The petrified ninja's arm bent backward under Qingyu's grip, the sound of bones shattering mingling with his own screams.

With a flick of her wrist, Qingyu sent him flying like a sack of potatoes, crashing ten meters away.

The remaining ninja from the Land of Demons paused in their tracks.

He watched as his companion was crippled by Qingyu with a single hand in less than three seconds, and the expression on his face changed from fanaticism to horror.

But he had no way out.

He gritted his teeth, and the black tentacles that emerged from his sleeves grew several times larger, simultaneously wrapping around Qingyu's throat, chest, and limbs.

Qingyu forms a hand Hand Seals with one hand.

Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique.

Qingyu opened his mouth, and a dragon's head formed from condensed flames spewed out.

The black tentacles vaporized the moment they touched the fire dragon, leaving not even a trace of ash.

The fiery dragon continued its momentum, crashing directly into the chest of the tentacle ninja.

Before the man could even scream, his entire upper body was engulfed in flames, and his charred body flew backward, rolling several times on the ground before coming to a stop.

Extensive areas of exposed skin were charred, but the person was still alive.

The ninjas of the Land of Demons have all undergone modifications using Dark Medical Ninjutsu, giving them vitality far exceeding that of ordinary people.

Seeing this, Yomi's gloomy face finally showed a hint of seriousness.

"He does have some talent."

He tilted his head and made a gesture towards the remaining ninja from the Land of Demons.

"No need to hold back."

The Wind Release ninja and the female ninja exchanged a glance.

Their skin began to ripple violently, as if a worm was crawling under their skin.

The Wind Release ninja drew his Kunai and slashed his arm.

Dark purple blood gushed from the wound, carrying tiny worms.

He popped the insect into his mouth and began to chew it.

As the insect's bodily fluids flowed into his throat, his Chakra levels surged at a visible rate.

The person began to mutate, becoming unlike a human.

"As expected, they abandoned their human identity."

The priestess Miroku looked solemn.

"It turned into a monster."

Samui watched this sudden turn of events.

The next moment, the Wind Release ninja had transformed into three heads and three arms.

Wind Release: Divine Wind!

The jet of wind he spewed out again was three times thicker than before, and its color changed from colorless and transparent to a purplish-black hue.

Wherever the wind passed, even the sewage in the swamp was tinged with a faint purple hue, and the duckweed on the water's surface withered and rotted the moment it came into contact with the airflow.

Kakashi was caught off guard by the sudden, violent wind pillar.

He parried with his sword, but the impact of the wind column far exceeded his expectations, and he was pushed backward more than ten meters.

Before he could regain his footing, the female ninja had already silently appeared behind him, and Water Blade formed on her calf slashed down from his blind spot.

Kakashi hastily dodged to the side, the Water Blade grazing his ribs, tearing his clothes and leaving a shallow bloodstain on his skin.

He knelt on one knee, using a short knife stuck in the ground to support his body.

The Chakra consumption was too great; using Chidori continuously was putting a heavier burden on his body than he had imagined.

At his current limit, he can probably only fire three shots; if he fires four, his life will be in danger.

"Mu Da."

Yomi stood before the stone hall, arms crossed, as if victory was assured.

"Body modified by 'Dark Medical Ninjutsu' allows for Chakra regeneration three times faster than that of ordinary ninjas. Your Chakra will always run out, but ours will not."

Just then, Qingyu walked up to Samui.

Samui covered his right arm with his left hand, the blood seeping between his fingers staining his cuffs dark.

Although she had blocked most of the Water Blade attack, the impact still injured her arm, and the split tiger's mouth was throbbing with pain.

Just as the Water Release ninja was about to attack Samui again, Qingyu punched her directly in the head, turning her into a cloud of blood mist.

Boom!

This extremely violent scene horrified Miroku.

Is this young man really that strong?

Those ninjas from the Land of Demons have undergone inhuman modifications!

"What?! You dared to kill my companion!"

The Earth Release ninja's eyes blazed with fury.

The brain is their most vulnerable part, and it is difficult for it to regenerate.

Enraged, he immediately attacked Qingyu.

His body turned a yellowish-brown color, clearly indicating that he had used some kind of Earth Release: Hardening Technique.

Qingyu glanced at him indifferently.

Boom!

Another punch that shattered it.

The hardened skin collapses inward, compressing the ribs and eventually rupturing the internal organs.

The corpse spun and flew away.

This terrifying fighting power instantly startled the other two ninjas from the Land of Demons.

They don't possess the terrifying regenerative abilities of Lord Yomi.

Without a head, one is truly dead.

"Damn it, this Konoha ninja is definitely a Jonin disguised as Genin."

The secret passage of the ninjas of the Land of Demons.

They must—escape!

Only by running away can you survive!

However, the moment the thought arose, they felt as if a demon was watching them.

A cold sweat instantly soaked his back; he was caught between a rock and a hard place.

Qingyu shook the blood off his hands, squatted down in front of Samui, and a ball of pale green medical Chakra lit up in his right palm.

"Don't move."

"Don't waste your time on me. Medical Ninjutsu is too slow; you'll be vulnerable to enemy ambushes."

Just as Samui was about to stop her, Qingyu's hand was already on her arm.

Warm Chakra seeped into the subcutaneous tissue through the wound, and the damaged muscles quickly reconnected under his guidance. The ruptured blood vessels were sealed by a thin layer of medical Chakra, and the blood stopped seeping out.

What shocked her most was that she could even feel the new tissue growing at the edge of the wound at a rate far exceeding the normal speed.

Less than two seconds.

The wound, which could have affected the fight, was mostly healed in less than ten seconds.

"What kind of Medical Ninjutsu is this?"

Samui had never seen any Medical Ninjutsu recover so quickly.

You wouldn't understand even if I told you.

Qingyu shook her head.

This is all thanks to the power of his special qualities.

The added effects of Medical Ninjutsu, along with the 100% increase in Yang Release Chakra, made Qingyu's healing effects exceptionally good.

Even without using Chakra, drinking his blood will accelerate the recovery from injuries.

"There's another wound."

Qingyu's gaze fell on the area below her chest.

If Qingyu's judgment was correct, there should be a fracture in his ribs. He stretched out his hand, palm facing Samui's chest.

"That won't be necessary."

Samui raised his hand to his chest, and a very faint blush appeared on his usually indifferent face.

Although the injury was painful, she would rather endure it than have Qingyu place her hand on that spot.

Qingyu glanced at her but didn't press the matter.

He withdrew his hand, stood up, glanced at the few remaining Land of Demons ninjas on the battlefield, and then turned to look at Samui.

"You'll carry the priestess on your back later."

Samui paused for a moment.

"And you?"

Qingyu did not answer.

He put Miroku down, then turned to face the Yomi.

Yomi's expression also became cautious.

"Arrogant brat."

The Yomi spoke.

He actually used Medical Ninjutsu in front of him?

Does he not exist?

In an instant, Yomi pulled his hands out of his sleeves, and two balls of purplish-black Chakra lit up in his palms.

"You're the arrogant one. Who gave you the courage to look me in the eye?"

Just as Yomi was about to teach Qingyu a lesson, he noticed a flash of red light in Qingyu's eyes, Three-Tomoe Sharingan began to move.

Sharingan Genjutsu!

Yomi's consciousness was pulled into endless darkness in that instant.

He felt himself falling, spinning, and being reflected back and forth between countless mirrors, each mirror reflecting his own face, each face screaming, crying, and cursing.

He struggled desperately to break free from the Genjutsu, but the Genjutsu resistance granted to him by the Dark Medical Ninjutsu was utterly vulnerable in the face of Qingyu's Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

"I clearly possess Dark Medical Ninjutsu —how could this be—"

His pupils contracted violently, his consciousness swirled between reality and Genjutsu, and his body froze in place, unable to even lift a finger.

In reality, Qingyu's right hand was already crackling with dazzling lightning.

Chidori!

Click click click click click!

The sound of thousands of birds singing simultaneously echoed in Yomi's ears.

Then he looked down and saw that Qingyu's entire right hand had pierced through his chest.

Lightning emanated from the point that pierced his chest and spread outwards. The dark Chakra within Yomi's body hissed and burned upon contact with this Lightning Style Chakra.

His body convulsed violently, blood mixed with purple insects gushed from his mouth, and his eyes were filled with resentment.

You think you can kill me like this?

Yomi grinned, revealing teeth stained black with blood, his smile sinister.

"I possess Dark Medical Ninjutsu; I am immortal!"

The dark Chakra within him surged rapidly toward the wound, attempting to repair the damaged tissue as before.

But Qingyu didn't give him that chance.

Lightning Style: Chidori Stream!

After learning "Chidori" from Kakashi, Qingyu also tried to develop subsequent derivative techniques.

Besides elongating it into a "Chidori Sharp Spear," another method is to expand the electric arc of the "Chidori" to form a net!

In Setsuna, the "Chidori" transformed into countless fine arcs of electricity, tearing apart the Yomi from within.

Yomi's body oscillates between constant destruction and regeneration.

[Collectible Trait Detected: Dark Ninja]

[D-Rank Trait: Dark Ninja]

[Effect: Increases Yin Release talent by 30%, and increases resistance to Yin Release Ninjutsu]

[Synthesis: Learning Dark Medical Ninjutsu will upgrade this trait to a higher level]

Does it increase resistance to Yin Release Ninjutsu?

Qingyu wondered to herself, "Is the Mangekyō Dōjutsu Yin Release Ninjutsu?"

He didn't know if he could increase his resistance to Dōjutsu.

After watching for a while, Qingyu closed the trait panel.

Dark Medical Ninjutsu could be discovered by simply interrogating any ninja from the Land of Demons, so Qingyu wasn't in a hurry.

He continued to look towards the Yomi.

"You're indestructible, huh? How long can you withstand my electric shocks?"

Qingyu smiled.

The last village that never perished is still imprisoned in the moon.

He burned all the meat to ashes, and now he wants it to regenerate?

"It's useless, your Chakra can't possibly be as much as mine!"

However, he discovered that Qingyu's Chakra seemed to have no bottom.

Even though he possesses three times the Chakra recovery speed of an ordinary ninja, his repair speed still can't match Qingyu's destructive power!

This guy has a huge amount of Chakra!

Then, Yomi's screams changed from anger to cursing, and from cursing to pleading.

The other ninjas from the Land of Demons exchanged glances, none daring to step forward immediately.

Kakashi had recovered and was protecting Qingyu.

"Wait—wait a minute—we can talk—"

However, the only response Yomi received was Qingyu's electric shock.

"I—I can give you money, I can give you power."

Please—let me go—

Yomi pleaded incessantly.

"Isn't he immortal?"

Samui, while warily observing the ninjas from the Land of Demons, asked Qingyu a question.

Boom!

The once arrogant Yomi was instantly reduced to ashes by Qingyu's lightning.

Yomi's body, along with his prized Dark Medical Ninjutsu, was completely destroyed, leaving not a single piece of flesh or blood.

"And who else claims to be immortal? I will fulfill their dream."

Qingyu turned around.

The remaining two ninjas from the Land of Demons immediately fled without hesitation.

"Let's go, let's deal with the Mōryō first. Without the Mōryō's Chakra supply, the others are nothing."

Miroku opened his mouth.

After the Mōryō are sealed, the undead army will also disappear.

"Good."

Qingyu nodded, and let Samui carry the Miroku on his back.

After placing his hand between Miroku's buttocks and inner thighs, Qingyu continued leading the group on their way.

Deep within the stone palace.

--

The daimyo of the Land of Demons, or rather, the daimyo of the Land of Demons possessed by Mōryō, slowly rose from his stone seat.

"That piece of trash, Yomi."

The daimyo of the Land of Demons frowned.

"Well, his body will collapse sooner or later anyway. It's that brat next to Miroku who gives me a bad feeling."