Li had already sensed his opponent lunging at him. More than that, he keenly sensed that the opponent intended to lock his throat in an instant, leaving him no chance to escape again.
So Li immediately struck back, something Tetsudo had never expected. Caught off guard, Tetsudo could only meet Li's attack head-on. But Li had already pushed the Monster Strength Punch to its limit—how could Tetsudo possibly contend with him? He was sent flying nearly two hundred meters by a single punch.
Li snorted. Being blasted that far meant the man had actually dispersed most of the force, hadn't he? So he still hadn't managed to finish him in one blow?
But Li did not pursue Tetsudo. Instead, he spun around and rushed toward the other side. At that moment, the ground churned, and enormous earthen spikes erupted wildly from the ground.
Ōnoki had arrived. Rather than immediately leaping out of the Ninjutsu's range, Li stood atop a massive earthen spike and said coldly, "For the Tsuchikage to resort to a sneak attack like this—aren't you ashamed?"
A chill appeared on Ōnoki's face as he suddenly shouted, "If I let you keep doing as you please, then I'd be the real idiot! Earth Release: Earth Dragon Coiling Body!"
Then he slammed both hands onto the ground. With his movement, Li felt the earth convulse violently. Massive stone spikes erupted wildly across the ground, rising far faster than the earthen spikes beneath Li's feet and covering an even more astonishing range.
Then a huge stone beast suddenly rose from underground. Li's pupils contracted as he saw it clearly. It was a gigantic four-legged monster; rather than a stone dragon, it looked more like a lion-bodied beast with a dragon's head.
The instant the beast emerged onto the surface, it began