As time passed and the group pushed deeper, they entered the Land of Rain's defensive lines.
The battle began then.
Both sides clashed at the edge of the woods.
Under the rain pouring from the sky, pools of blood, large and small, formed on the ground. Scarlet droplets clung to leaves, grass, and flowers.
Thud!
Every so often, a corpse fell heavily to the ground, drained of life.
Xia Le's expression remained calm throughout. A battle like this was not enough to stir him.
His movements were clean and decisive. He always pinpointed his enemies' weakest spots with unerring precision and delivered a fatal blow.
His fights were thus brief and swift.
Crackle!
Lightning split the sky, illuminating the scene ahead.
Standing on a branch, Xia Le surveyed Orochimaru and the other two fighting ahead, then slowly turned his head to look farther forward.
That was the territory of the Land of Rain.
Here, the woods grew sparse, replaced by broad plains and stretches of neatly piled rocks.
There, roughly a hundred meters directly ahead, a figure stood quietly, likewise gazing in their direction.
His gaze first fell on Orochimaru and the other two. Then, after a moment of surprise, he seemed to notice Xia Le and turned to look at him.
Their gazes met in an instant.
"Salamander Hanzo!"
Xia Le grinned.
Hanzo's pupils abruptly contracted. He felt his own aura being drawn toward the other man, and his entire demeanor instantly grew grave. Even the blood in his veins involuntarily began to flow faster.
An expert!
The words surfaced in his mind.
A powerful fighter could be recognized by his aura and bearing alone.
The man standing quietly amid the battlefield was, without a doubt, a truly formidable opponent.
The other man made no move, as though he