A black cube instantly enclosed him.
The dark red beam struck the surface of the Black Coffin with an ear-piercing screech.
The Black Coffin shook violently, cracks spreading across its surface, but it held.
Three seconds later, the beam dissipated. The Black Coffin dissolved, leaving Liuyu standing unharmed.
"Not bad. About as powerful as a concentrated Tailed Beast Bomb," he remarked. "But the technique is too crude. Less than thirty percent of the energy is being put to use.
"Is that because it just hatched and hasn't fully awakened?"
The humanoid seemed enraged.
It opened its mouth-if anything on that blank face could be called a mouth-and let out a soundless roar.
More dark red energy gathered around it, forming a swirling storm.
"Getting serious?" Liuyu raised an eyebrow. "Good. Let me see your limits."
He pressed his palms together, then slowly drew them apart.
Between his hands, a long blade condensed from reishi slowly took shape.
The blade was transparent, with blue light flowing within it.
"I'm only a clone, but this move should be enough."
He raised the blade, pointing its tip at the humanoid.
"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyōrinmaru."
There was no chant, no release command, only a simple Shikai.
Yet the instant his words fell, the temperature throughout the cavern plummeted.
Ice formed over the lava, white frost coated the rock walls, and moisture in the air condensed into ice crystals.
The humanoid's energy storm froze. Dark red energy solidified within the frost like crimson amber.
Liuyu swung his blade.
There was no elaborate technique, only a simple horizontal slash.
But wherever the blade passed, space froze, and time seemed to stand still.
The humanoid tried to dodge, but frost had already eaten into its body, slowing its movements a hundredfold.
The flash of the