Sparring (Part 1)

Yagura, who knew little about the Dead Bone Pulse, was caught off guard and took a heavy kick to the abdomen from Qing Si.

Qing Si's kick sent Yagura flying backward like an arrow loosed from a bow, sending him a full twenty or thirty meters through the air.

Yagura crashed heavily into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust where he landed.

Watching Yagura get sent flying, Qian Nai gave an unkind little laugh.

"Cough, cough, cough! Qian Nai, hurry up and help!" Yagura's coughing voice came from within the dust cloud.

"Water Release: Hydrification Healing Technique!" Hearing him, Qian Nai, who had just been watching the show, walked over to Yagura. Using the Hydrification Technique, she turned her arm into a pool of clear water and touched the wounds Yagura had received from Qing Si's Dance of the Larch. Under Qian Nai's treatment, Yagura's injuries rapidly healed.

"Qian Nai, why didn't you make a move?" Yagura climbed up from the ground and complained to Qian Nai beside him.

"How was I supposed to know you'd suddenly rush in and attack? You reckless fool." Qian Nai shot Yagura an irritated glare.

"Well, that's not important. Get ready for the next round. Qing Si isn't easy to deal with." Somewhat embarrassed, Yagura quietly changed the subject.

"Dead Bone Pulse: Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!"

While the two were still talking, Qing Si launched an attack first from afar, firing a barrage of bone bullets toward Yagura and Qian Nai.

"Water Release: Water Mirror Technique!"

Yagura stepped forward and pushed out his right hand, gathering a large amount of chakra into a water mirror. Once it appeared, the mirror rapidly expanded. At the same time, he swung his Coral Staff with his left hand, using the hook at its tip to catch the water mirror and set it on the ground. A figure identical to Qing Si leaped out from the mirror, likewise unleashing Ten-Finger Bullet to trade fire with Qing Si.

At the same time, Qian Nai rapidly retreated while her hands began forming seals at high speed.

"Water Release: Water Shrapnel!"

A large number of water bullets emerged from Qian Nai's hands, then rapidly shot toward Qing Si.

Qing Si had no intention of taking them head-on with his body, so he had no choice but to dodge to the side.

The interruption of the bone bullet barrage gave Qian Nai and Yagura the chance to continue using ninjutsu.

Yagura and Qian Nai exchanged a glance, then began forming seals in perfect unison. Once Qing Si had dodged aside and steadied himself, their next wave of attacks arrived.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"

Two identical, ferocious water dragons rose from the lake behind them, roaring as they charged Qing Si from the left and right.

Caught in a pincer attack, Qing Si had nowhere to evade and could only block them head-on.

"Dead Bone Pulse: Dance of the Clematis! Flower!"

Bones in his arm rapidly grew and burst through his flesh, wrapping around his entire forearm and forming a massive flower. Qing Si shot into the air and met the ferocious water dragon attacking from the right in a direct clash.

The bone flower in Qing Si's hand and the water dragon remained locked in midair for a moment, but Qing Si's strength ultimately proved superior. The water dragon was shattered, turning into splashes that rained down from the sky.

The water dragon attacking from the left, meanwhile, struck nothing because of Qing Si's proactive counterattack, crashing into the ground and creating a large pit filled with water.

Qing Si landed lightly beside the pit that had just formed. But before he could steady himself, a sharp cry suddenly rang out beside him.

"Water Release: Mighty Water Arm Technique!"

Before Qing Si could react, he was struck hard and sent flying by a punch from Qian Nai to the stomach.

Having landed a blow, Qian Nai pressed her advantage without mercy.

She formed her hand into the shape of a pistol, aimed at Qing Si as he flew backward through the air, and fired a bullet-shaped stream of liquid from the tip of her index finger.

"Water Release: Water Iron Cannon Technique!"

The highly condensed water bullet shot rapidly toward Qing Si.

It turned out that when the Water Dragon Bullet had been unleashed, the Qian Nai left behind was merely a Water Clone. Her real body had long since fully liquefied and charged toward Qing Si alongside the Water Dragon Bullet. Using the intense chakra fluctuations released by the water dragons, she had concealed herself from Qing Si's senses. After landing, she hid in the water-filled pit, intending to catch Qing Si off guard and attack him from the front and rear with Yagura. But Qing Si had shattered Yagura's Water Dragon Bullet and landed right beside her. So Qian Nai seized the opportunity to attack. Using the Mighty Water Arm Technique, she concentrated a massive amount of water into her right arm to maximize her strength, then sent Qing Si flying with a heavy punch.

Qing Si struggled to adjust his posture in midair. Sensing Qian Nai's Water Iron Cannon Technique, and recalling the power of the technique he had seen before, he had no time to calm the surging blood and energy within him. He rapidly mobilized chakra, frantically forming layer after layer of bone shields over his body.

"Boom!"

With a deafening explosion, Qing Si was struck by the Water Iron Cannon. Layer after layer of bone shields was instantly pierced through, sending fragments of white bone flying everywhere. Only when two final layers of bone shields remained was the chakra condensed within the Water Iron Cannon finally exhausted, stopping it.

Knocked to the ground by the aftermath, Qing Si felt blood and energy surge continuously within his body, and a trace of blood involuntarily spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Still somewhat shaken, Qing Si had ultimately defended against that terrifying blow with the resilience of the Dead Bone Pulse. Though the attack had not targeted a vital point, he had no desire to experience the pain of his body being pierced through in an instant.

"Qian Nai, did you really have to hit that hard? This is only sparring." Qing Si struggled to his feet and gave Qian Nai a helpless smile.

"That won't do. You're simply too strong for us. If we don't go all out, we have no chance of winning!" Qian Nai answered with a smile of her own.

"I was careless just now and didn't dodge. But now, I'm going to get serious!" Having learned a lesson from Qian Nai, Qing Si's expression gradually turned serious.