45: Zitong found a gap and cut through the insect wall with one knife!

Ninja Toad and Scythe Wind Slash scouted ahead, constantly sending back messages, all traces pointing in the same direction.

Along the way, there were more and more signs of battle.

Sunagakure kunai, torn medical kits, and even a few corpses of Sand Ninja medical Ninja were found, their deaths identical to the Chunin before, their bodies seemingly gnawed by something, leaving a mess.

“Eat this, all of you.”

Tang Yan took out a small porcelain bottle from his Pregnant, poured out a few dark brown pills, and handed them to Qian and Zi Luo.

“This is my specially made antidote pill, it can temporarily resist most poisonous miasma.”

The two of them swallowed it immediately without hesitation.

After the pill entered their stomachs, a cool sensation flowed through their meridians, and the heat and discomfort accumulated from days in the desert immediately diminished significantly.

Rounding a huge wind-eroded rock, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

A huge, bowl-shaped quicksand trap, as if formed by a meteorite impact, appeared before their eyes.

The trap was a hundred meters in diameter, with the quicksand in the center slowly rotating, like the throat of a hungry beast, mercilessly devouring anything that fell into it.

And on a raised rock platform at the edge of the quicksand trap, more than a dozen Sand Ninja medical Ninja were trapped.

Almost all of them were injured, their faces pale, huddled together, their situation precarious.

A light blue Chakra barrier enveloped them, fortunately, there were Ninja from the Barrier Squad present.

But around the platform, colorful poisonous miasma continuously surged and corroded, causing ripples on the surface of the barrier, its light flickering, threatening to shatter at any moment.

“We found them!” Qian exclaimed softly.

Around the platform stood more than a dozen figures dressed in Konoha standard Ninja uniforms.

Their movements and attire exuded an indescribable eeriness, and they all wore white masks without mouths or noses; around some of them, dense black insects constantly circled, emitting a hair-raising buzzing sound.

“Aburame Clan…they are Root’s insect users!” Zi Luo’s voice tightened, his eyes instantly becoming solemn.

Those Aburame Clan Ninja were continuously forming hand seals from different directions, commanding various parasitic insects.

The swarm of insects transformed into a black torrent, impacting the defensive barrier on the rock platform wave after wave, emitting a “hissing” corrosive sound.

The trapped medical team could only rely on two barrier squad Ninja, using temporary barriers and antidote pills to desperately hold on.

One of the barrier Ninja was sweating profusely, his lips pale, clearly his Chakra was close to exhaustion.

Everyone could see that this was merely a temporary solution.

Tang Yan’s Purple Demon Eyes had long been activated, seeing everything clearly.

He discovered that the so-called poisonous miasma was not merely simple poisonous gas.

It was a cloud of insects composed of countless parasitic insects smaller than dust!

These parasitic insects were temporarily fed special poisons, becoming mobile poison bombs themselves, rapidly consuming the barrier’s energy and the trapped individuals’ Chakra at an alarming rate.

“Interesting, using parasitic insects as consumables, these Aburame Clan lunatics are really willing to spend money.” Tang Yan curled his lips into a cold smile.

“Captain, how much longer? I can’t hold on!” the young barrier Ninja inside the barrier asked tremblingly.

“Shut up! Hold on!”

Under the astonished gazes of the Konoha insect users and the trapped Sand Ninja, Tang Yan not only did not retreat but instead took a step forward and slapped the scroll at his waist with his backhand.

Bang!

A humanoid puppet ‘Jia’ appeared in response, landing steadily on the sand.

Tang Yan leaped onto the puppet’s back and rushed towards the rock platform.

“Is he crazy?!” A Sand Ninja on the rock platform exclaimed in shock.

“Is he coming to his death alone?!”

“Foolish Sunagakure!” A Root Ninja snorted coldly, forming hand seals, preparing to release the swarm of insects to engulf this ignorant fellow.

However, in the next second, everyone fell silent.

The puppet beneath Tang Yan’s feet moved at high speed along the edge of the quicksand as if on flat ground.

Whoosh!

A dark green mist, centered around him, spread out like a shockwave!

The mist was silent but carried an aura of absolute killing intent.

The vast, colorful insect cloud, upon contact with this dark green mist, was like a mouse seeing a cat, or ice meeting boiling oil!

The swarm of insects, which had been buzzing incessantly a moment before, let out an extremely piercing shriek, a sound so sharp it seemed to pierce the eardrums.

Countless tiny parasitic insects fell from the sky, their bodies rapidly dissolving and rotting in mid-air, turning into pools of foul-smelling pus dripping onto the sand, emitting black smoke.

The poisonous miasma, originally so dense it was almost tangible, was forcibly cleared into a large vacuum zone!

The nauseating buzzing in the air abruptly ceased.

The world seemed to be instantly drained of all sound, falling into a dead silence.

On the rock platform, the trapped Sand Ninja medical Ninja were momentarily unable to adapt, the phantom sound of the insect swarm still echoing in their ears, each looking at the other, their expressions changing from despair to bewilderment, then to disbelief.

In the silence, a straight path cleared by the dark green poisonous mist clearly appeared before everyone’s eyes.

At one end of the path were these survivors who had escaped disaster, and at the other end were more than a dozen completely frozen Root insect users.

Tang Yan stood on the back of puppet ‘Jia’, slowly stopping. He raised his hand and very naturally brushed off non-existent dust from his sleeve, his movements as leisurely as if he were taking a stroll in his own backyard.

This relaxed posture was more provocative than any words.

“My parasitic insects… how is this possible!”

A Leaf Ninja with a wolf-patterned mask covering his face let out a low growl, suppressing his shock.

He could feel that the blood-linked connection between himself and the insect swarm was brutally and completely wiped out in an instant.

That feeling was as if his own flesh and blood were being peeled away alive.

This was not fighting poison with poison at all; this was the crushing power of a natural predator! What the hell kind of poison was this? So overbearing!

“Change formation! Kill him!” The masked leader, being an elite after all, instantly suppressed the horror in his heart and issued a hoarse and urgent command.

The other Root Ninja, as if waking from a dream, immediately obeyed, pushing off with their feet, ready to change formation and focus fire on this strange troublemaker.

Now!

The moment the enemy’s formation shifted, revealing a flaw, Tang Yan’s mind stirred, and another puppet silently shot out from the scroll behind him.

Puppet ‘Luo’!

As soon as it landed, the red light in its crimson single eye flared, and the power of its Hatred Soul was fully activated!

Boom!

The sand beneath ‘Luo’’s feet exploded into a deep pit, and its heavy metal body, with a screeching sound of mechanisms, transformed into a black afterimage, rushing straight towards the masked leader who had given the command, at a speed completely inconsistent with its size!

The quicksand on the ground moved in response, transforming into two huge sand hands that slapped towards the masked leader like lightning from both sides, sealing off all his escape routes.

Sand Binding Coffin!

At the same time, the Lotus Bone Crossbow on ‘Luo’’s back roared with mechanisms, and several Chakra metal arrows, entwined with eerie blue Resentment, tore through the air, emitting a sharp whistle, aiming directly for the masked leader’s head and heart!

Capture the leader first!

As ‘Luo’ launched its lightning strike, Tang Yan’s figure also vanished from his original position.

Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track!

He merged entirely into the remaining poisonous miasma and swirling sand, appearing and disappearing like a ghost.

The masked leader was fully dealing with ‘Luo’’s sudden attack, as the two sand hands closed with immense force. He felt a terrifying pressure coming from both sides, almost crushing his bones.

At the critical moment, he roared, his Chakra erupting, and his body twisted forcibly at an angle impossible for a normal person, narrowly squeezing out of the gap where the sand hands closed.

However, before he could catch his breath, the Resentment arrows were already approaching.

“Body Replacement Technique!”

In the nick of time, the masked leader rapidly formed hand seals. With a bang, his figure was pierced by several arrows, but what exploded was a section of broken wood instantly charred by the Resentment.

His true body, meanwhile, appeared several meters away, fine cold sweat seeping from his temples.

This puppet’s attacks were so swift and interconnected, making even this experienced Root elite feel a pang of fear.

Just as his true body appeared, and his mind, due to escaping death, relaxed for a split second—

Clang!

A clear and resonant clang of a blade, like shattering ice, suddenly echoed through the canyon!

The sound was not loud, but it clearly pierced everyone’s ears, carrying a sharpness that seemed to penetrate the soul.

The few Konoha insect users, who were about to regroup and assist their leader, all froze in their actions and looked in the direction of the sound.

They saw that ghostly figure, at some unknown point, had already closed in on their formation, and a long Tang blade in his hand was drawn with ferocity!

A gleaming blade light flashed across the dim canyon, like a bolt of lightning tearing through the night sky.

The light was not dazzling, but it carried an extreme coldness and purity.

A biting killing intent, like a tangible cold wave, instantly swept across the entire battlefield, and the air seemed to solidify at that moment.

“Pfft!”

A Root Ninja closest to Tang Yan, without even seeing how the other party attacked, only felt a chill on his neck, and his vision began to spin.

What he saw last was his own headless body, spewing blood, and the horrified gazes of his companions, which could still be felt despite being obscured by white masks.

“First one.”

Tang Yan’s voice was calm, without a ripple, as if he had merely crushed an annoying insect. His figure continued to move, his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track steps drawing strange arcs on the sand. Each flash was accompanied by a gleaming blade light.

“Be careful! He’s coming!”

“Scatter! Use the swarm…”

The remaining Root Ninja were both shocked and angry. They tried to use parasitic insects to block Tang Yan’s advance, but those tiny insects, upon touching the edge of the dark green mist surrounding Tang Yan, were like encountering their nemesis, screaming, scattering, and dissolving, turning into foul-smelling liquid drops, unable to even delay him for a moment.

Tang Yan’s blade was unimaginably fast; each swing precisely cut across the most vulnerable neck.

No superfluous movements, no flashy techniques, only the most efficient killing.

Pfft! Pfft!

Another two masked heads flew into the air, and blood mist diffused into the sand.

“This guy… is he a monster?” On the platform, a young Sand Ninja’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his voice trembling.

In their eyes, those Konoha elites who had driven them to despair were now like wheat waiting to be harvested, ruthlessly mowed down by a merciless scythe.

Each time the gleaming blade was raised, it precisely cut the throat or heart of a Root Ninja.

No superfluous movements, no flashy techniques, only the purest, most efficient killing.

His figure weaved among several Root Ninja, blade light flashing continuously.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Another three Root Ninja fell to the ground, their masks twisted by intense pain, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Their proud insect secret arts were almost useless in front of the opponent.

The dark green poisonous mist isolated the insect swarm, and the opponent’s swordsmanship was so fast that they didn’t even have a chance to form hand seals to counterattack.

The Sand Ninja on the rock platform, including the two barrier squad Ninja, were all stunned.

“This…” A Sand Ninja medical Ninja opened his mouth wide, unable to utter a word for a long time.

“Next time we spar, I need to stay far away from him.” Another younger Ninja subconsciously clutched his companion’s arm, muttering to himself.

They had originally thought they were doomed to die, but who would have thought that this mysterious young man who suddenly appeared could, by himself, suppress this ferocious group of Konoha Root!

The masked leader had just evaded ‘Luo’’s pursuit and stabilized his footing when he turned back to see his subordinates falling like dominoes, his eyes splitting with rage.

“Bastard! Who exactly are you?!” He roared, his voice carrying an imperceptible tremor. The scene before him had exceeded his understanding.

When did Sunagakure produce such a monster, proficient in poison arts, puppetry, and with such terrifying taijutsu and swordsmanship?

Tang Yan did not answer, only responded with another flash of blade light.

The gleaming blade, carrying the chill of death, rushed straight towards the masked leader!

Qian and Zi Luo stood in the distance, watching Tang Yan slaughtering all sides as if entering a no-man’s land, their minds also shaken.

“This guy… his swordsmanship is actually this strong.” Zi Luo said in a low voice, his eyes complex. She knew Tang Yan was strong, but she hadn’t expected him to be this strong.

Qian, on the other hand, clenched her fists, and in her beautiful eyes, a light of excitement flickered.

This was the companion she had expected, a man who could create miracles!

Pfft!

On the other side, the masked leader, finally trapped by Sand Binding Coffin, let out an inhuman roar in the face of ‘Luo’’s killing blow.

“Roar—!”

Buzz buzz buzz—!

Countless pitch-black parasitic insects suddenly surged out from beneath his robes, from his mouth and nose, and even from within his skin!

Secret Art: Insect Wall Technique!

Those pitch-black beetles spun frantically around his body at an extremely high speed, forming an impenetrable black insect wall.

Clang clang clang!

The metal arrows attached with Resentment shot onto the insect wall, emitting a series of metallic clashes, and were actually bounced off, unable to harm him in the slightest!

Although the insect wall temporarily blocked the attack, Tang Yan saw clearly that under the scorching of the Resentment and the impact of the metal arrows, the parasitic insects on the insect wall were also dying in large numbers, which was definitely not a long-term solution.

“Well done! Yan, Wind Release: Chaotic Flow Dance!”

From behind, Qian’s voice came.

She wielded her iron fan, creating strong gusts of wind that dispersed the remaining poisonous miasma on the battlefield, creating a clearer field of vision for Tang Yan.

“Take this! Bastard!”

Zi Luo also seized the opportunity, flicking his wrist, a specially made Twin-serpent Soul-chasing Death Pill flew in a tricky arc, accurately thrown towards a Leaf Ninja who was positioned further out.

Bang!

The mother pill exploded with a roar, and dark green corrosive venom splattered everywhere.

The Ninja hastily used Ninjutsu to defend, but he was unprepared for the highly poisonous child pill needles that shot out from the explosion!

“Ah—!”

A shrill scream echoed through the canyon. The Ninja was covered in poison needles, his skin rapidly turning black and rotting. He fell to the ground, convulsing in pain, instantly losing his combat ability.

The enemy’s formation showed an even greater flaw.

Tang Yan’s eyes flashed with sharp light, and a bold and crazy idea instantly formed in his mind.

His figure flickered, like a ghost, avoiding a wave of attacking poisonous insects, and gripped the Tang blade with a backhand.

Xuantian Skill’s internal energy surged into the blade without reservation, like crazy!

Buzz—!

The Tang blade vibrated slightly, and at its tip, an extreme cold light flickered, as if it could freeze the soul.

His gaze was fixed on the masked leader’s rapidly rotating Secret Art: Insect Wall Technique, specifically a barely perceptible gap that appeared due to his mind shaking from his companions being killed.

He was waiting for the chance for a killing blow; there would always be a flaw.