Fudo chose without hesitation to completely ignore the blade slashing toward his neck while simultaneously gathering all the strength in his body into his right arm.
The punch originally aimed at Suigetsu suddenly gained even more force.
The reason he dared fight this way was because he had already secretly activated an Earth Release hardening technique. Once used, it turned his body as hard as steel.
In the blink of an eye, both attacks collided head-on.
A sharp metallic clang rang through the air.
Clang!
Suigetsu's blade struck as though it had slammed into an indestructible wall of iron and instantly bounced away.
At the same time, Fudo's powerful punch landed squarely on Suigetsu's head.
And then, a completely unexpected scene unfolded before Fudo's eyes.
Suigetsu's head exploded into a mass of clear water under the impact, splashing outward in every direction.
It was Suigetsu's Water Hydration Technique, allowing his body to liquefy at critical moments.
Still, although Suigetsu successfully neutralized the fatal blow, he clearly hadn't escaped unscathed either.
———
Meanwhile, on the other side, Anko had found herself under joint attack from three opponents.
It was obvious that Kazuma, Fuen, and Fuka intended to defeat Anko quickly before going to assist Fudo.
Fuen and Fuka, both specialists in long-range attacks, stood steadily in the rear, forming hand seals in perfect coordination.
"Earth Release: Flying Sand and Stones!"
As Fuen violently swung both hands forward, the surrounding ground instantly burst upward.
Countless chunks of rock shot through the air like a rainstorm, colliding with one another and kicking up enormous clouds of dust. The surging sandstorm roared forward like a savage yellow dragon charging straight toward Anko.
At the same time, Kazuma wasn't idle either. Swinging the seemingly ordinary monk's staff in his hand, he hurled it hard toward Anko.
The staff suddenly split apart, transforming into a long chain whip that whipped through the air at high speed like an airtight net, sealing off nearly every possible direction Anko could dodge.
At this point, Anko was twenty-seven years old, right in the prime of her physical condition.
As early as five years ago, she had already begun training in Sage Arts. After years of grueling study and refinement, her strength had undergone earthshaking changes.
Facing the enemy's fierce assault, Anko lightly leapt into the air like a swift swallow.
Immediately afterward, she let out a sharp cry.
Hummm!
In an instant, brilliant sage markings spread across her skin like living serpents.
The markings intertwined and wrapped around her entire body.
At that very moment, the energy inside Anko erupted violently like a volcanic explosion.
An overwhelmingly powerful aura spread outward from her in all directions, creating crushing pressure.
Her eyes sharpened as her hands rapidly formed seals.
"Sage Art, Wind Release: Cyclone Dust Dance!"
A terrifying force burst forth from within her body.
In the next instant, a violent cyclone exploded outward centered around her.
The vortex seemed to possess endless suction. Everywhere it passed, sand and dust from the ground were swept upward, forming a gigantic pillar of sand several stories tall and five meters wide.
The massive sand column roared as it spun forward, dragging fierce winds with it in an awe-inspiring display.
Faced with such a terrifying attack, Kazuma and the others were instantly horrified.
They felt an irresistible force crashing toward them head-on. Their own attacks seemed utterly powerless in comparison, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
In the blink of an eye, all of their attacks were swept backward by the massive sand pillar.
Kazuma's heart shook violently in alarm. Suddenly feeling his grip lighten, he looked down and realized that half of the chain whip he held had already vanished into the raging storm of sand.
The destructive power of this sand pillar was simply too terrifying. If he got hit head-on, he would likely be crushed to pieces on the spot!
At that thought, large beads of sweat rolled down Kazuma's forehead. He no longer cared about anything else.
He immediately hurled away the remaining section of the chain whip in his hand before abruptly diving underground in an attempt to evade the deadly attack.
Unlike Kazuma, however, the other two did not choose to retreat.
Fuen, in particular, was a master trap specialist skilled in Earth Release techniques.
Even in the face of danger, she remained calm, rapidly forming hand seals.
Following her movements, the terrain on both sides began violently shifting as though controlled by some mysterious force, rapidly moving in front of her.
A solid earthen wall formed, attempting to block the oncoming sand pillar.
Meanwhile, Fuka displayed her agile movements.
She leapt high into the air.
Then, taking a deep breath, she blasted a powerful gust of Wind Release forward.
Using the force of the wind, her body became as light as a falling leaf as she rapidly drifted backward.
Watching coldly from afar, Anko curled her lips into a disdainful sneer.
She lightly slapped her right hand against the ground.
Instantly, the earth trembled as two massive white snakes emerged and swiftly burrowed underground, chasing after Kazuma's hiding place.
Anko fixed her gaze forward and casually flicked her arm out. From the loose sleeve of her robe, a venomous snake gleaming with cold light suddenly shot forth.
The snake moved with lightning speed, instantly coiling around a slowly shifting stone wall nearby.
Using the pulling force, Anko swung gracefully through the air and shot toward Fuka with explosive speed.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Her sleeve suddenly bulged outward.
In the blink of an eye, several venomous snakes of various shapes burst from her sleeve, baring their fangs as they rushed directly toward Fuka.
Faced with such a swift attack, Fuka didn't even have time to react.
The snakes pounced onto her body like starving beasts.
A sharp pain struck instantly, causing Fuka's whole body to shudder.
The deadly venom carried by the snakes rapidly invaded her body, flooding through her system like a burst dam.
In less than a few seconds, Fuka's skin began turning an eerie bluish-black, and her entire body collapsed limply to the ground as though struck by lightning.
At that moment, Anko rapidly formed another series of hand seals.
Boom!
The ground suddenly exploded apart as dirt and stone flew everywhere.
Looking closely, the two enormous white snakes from earlier had burst out from underground.
They had already tightly wrapped themselves around Kazuma, dragging him mercilessly up from beneath the earth.
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