Fierce Battle! Hei

Gu Yanzhi raised both hands.

The blades embedded in the ground trembled, tore free, and shot toward the Hei squad members around him.

The Psychokinesis coating the Cursed Tools traced deep blue arcs through the air, their piercing whistles overlapping into a dense metallic shriek.

Several Hei squad members immediately drew their blades to fight back. Collisions between Cursed Tools sent dazzling showers of sparks flying, glaring against the deepening dusk.

While everyone's attention was drawn to the flying Cursed Tools, Gu Yanzhi vanished from where he stood.

Maki remained where she was, several Cursed Tools hovering around her and weaving an impenetrable defensive net.

The flaming katana flew into Gu Yanzhi's hand. He leaped high, gripped its hilt with both hands, and brought it down hard on the man who had met his gaze earlier.

The flames on the blade swelled violently, but the man remained unmoved. A gruff male voice sounded behind him, and a burly man nearly two meters tall, packed with muscle, sprang out from behind him. He crossed his arms in front of himself and took a defensive stance.

A layer of rock-hard Cursed Energy coated his knotted arms, veins bulging beneath his skin. The flaming katana slammed into his crossed arms with a deafening metallic crash. Flames and Cursed Energy clashed violently, scattering sparks.

Gu Yanzhi's monstrous strength smashed straight through the burly man's defense. His arms were knocked apart, and he grunted as blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. His massive body staggered several steps backward.

Gu Yanzhi was equally surprised. This burly man's defense far exceeded that of an ordinary person. After taking his strike head-on, he had merely coughed up blood and staggered back a few steps.

The collision had knocked the katana straight out of his hand, and the web between his thumb and forefinger still tingled. Before Gu Yanzhi could land, the cold-faced man behind the burly fighter drew the blade at his waist and unleashed a vicious slash at point-blank range.

The blade itself clearly fell short of Gu Yanzhi, but a visible edge of Cursed Energy extended from its tip, trailing a long arc through the air. It was probably a Cursed Technique similar to Ogi Zenin's, one that extended a blade's reach.

Just as the blade of Cursed Energy was about to strike Gu Yanzhi, the flaming katana spun several times in midair. Psychokinesis pulled it back, setting it firmly in front of him to take the blow head-on.

Gu Yanzhi used the impact to flip backward and land, his soles dragging two shallow grooves across the ground. He steadied his breathing and prepared to launch his next assault.

The ground beneath him suddenly shook violently. Gu Yanzhi lost his balance and sank into it.

Then two gigantic stone hands erupted from underground, their fingers spread wide. They lifted Gu Yanzhi off the ground before crashing together. The massive palms blotted out the sky, enclosing him completely.

Jinichi Zenin slowly emerged from behind the swordsman and the burly fighter.

His steps were steady, each carrying an air of authority. Behind him was an old man with both hands thrust into the ground-the one controlling the rocks, Chojuro Zenin.

Everyone hurried to greet Jinichi when he appeared.

Jinichi glanced at the clasped stone hands and said in a flat voice, "He's already trapped by Chojuro's Cursed Technique. The Kukuru Unit members have also brought the barrier that seals Cursed Tools. Go deal with that. We're going to make these two pay for defying the Zenin Clan's rules."

Everyone obeyed and began moving toward Maki. Jinichi took his stance, Cursed Energy gathering around his fist as he prepared to deliver the finishing blow to Gu Yanzhi himself.

Just then, Chojuro's expression suddenly changed. He coughed up a large mouthful of blood, droplets splashing onto the arms he had thrust into the ground. His body shook violently as he forced a warning from his throat. "Look out-"

The clasped stone hands exploded from within, sending fragments flying in every direction like a torrential downpour.

Gu Yanzhi emerged from the dust, hovering in midair with a dazzling deep blue glow radiating around him. Blood stained the corner of his mouth, and a small cut on his forehead was bleeding, but his eyes remained sharp as blades.

Chojuro suffered the backlash of his Cursed Technique. He pulled his hands out of the ground and staggered several steps backward before regaining his footing.

Gu Yanzhi gave the others no time to react.

He accelerated sharply, charging first at the cold-faced man who had slashed at him earlier.

The man tried to dodge, only for his body to freeze, pinned firmly in place.

The burly fighter sprang out again, adopting exactly the same defensive stance as before. He crossed his arms in front of the swordsman, rock-hard Cursed Energy once again coating his entire body.

This time, however, Gu Yanzhi stopped abruptly in front of him, ducked low, and drove his Cursed Energy-laden right fist squarely into his abdomen.

"You haven't been able to keep up this whole time."

Gu Yanzhi's punch struck the core of his Cursed Energy directly. The rock-like Cursed Energy covering the burly man's abdomen shattered like ceramic beneath the force of the blow. His body doubled over as he vomited a huge mouthful of blood. His massive frame flew backward, smashed through the wall behind him, and disappeared into the dust.

Gu Yanzhi turned to look at the cold-faced man held in place by Psychokinesis.

A trail of blood ran down his forehead and across his youthful face. Gu Yanzhi grinned, the expression jarringly out of place.

The cold-faced man's pupils shrank to pinpoints. For the first time in battle, he felt the genuine threat of death.

Gu Yanzhi threw another punch at the man's face, but just before his fist could connect, a powerful impact erupted beside him.

Jinichi Zenin appeared at the man's side, his fist still extended from his strike as Cursed Energy burst around his knuckles.

The punch hit Gu Yanzhi head-on, sending him flying backward like a kite with its string cut. The cold-faced man let out a deep breath after escaping death, cold sweat running down his cheeks from his forehead.

Gu Yanzhi slowly pushed himself up, bracing one hand against the ground and gasping for breath.

The Zenin Clan had restrained the Cursed Tools he had brought out with a barrier, leaving him unable to control them. He had also expended a great deal of Cursed Energy and taken a direct punch from Jinichi.

He glanced at the Hei squad members before him, led by Jinichi. Their formation remained solid.

Gu Yanzhi drew a deep breath. Powerful Cursed Energy erupted from his body, sending a massive shock wave toward Jinichi and the others and throwing clouds of dust into the air.

Under cover of the dust, Gu Yanzhi vanished and reached Maki's side in an instant. He lifted her with Psychokinesis and charged toward the perimeter, but just as they were about to break through the encirclement, a stone wall shot up from underground and stopped them cold.

Gu Yanzhi's expression darkened. Behind him, the Zenin Clan members had already followed them out of the dust.

Jinichi led the way. His voice came from behind, certain of victory. "You've got nothing left to control, and your Cursed Energy must be running dry by now."

Cursed Energy burst around his fist once more. Phantom fists appeared behind him, spreading through the air before hurtling toward Gu Yanzhi with tremendous force and destructive momentum.

A rapid series of dull thuds followed as the fists struck something hard. When the dust cleared, however, the scene was nothing like Jinichi had imagined.

Gu Yanzhi stood where he was, breathing heavily with a wicked grin on his face. A mass of liquid with a metallic sheen flowed slowly in front of him.

"Who told you I had nothing left to control?"

The Zenin Clan members' pupils contracted sharply as they exchanged incredulous looks.

"You've got to be kidding!"

"This guy... actually has two Cursed Techniques!"