Chapter 119: The Divine Palace Intervenes, A Battle of Life and Death

"Are you alright?"

Azure Dragon asked without looking back, his eyes sharp as he wielded his long spear against the surrounding crowd.

White Tiger leaned on his iron staff, swaying as he stood up. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and grinned. "Don't worry, I can still hack them to pieces!"

Hearing this, a smile touched Azure Dragon’s lips. "Leave this to me. You and Gou Chen go assist the Empress and the others."

Without hesitation, White Tiger exchanged a glance with Gou Chen and bolted toward the ground where the Empress and her group were positioned.

Seeing them leave, several Ninja Kings changed color and moved to intercept them. But just as they stirred, a vast, overwhelming aura halted them in their tracks. It was Azure Dragon.

"Your opponent is me. I'll be sending you to meet your Great God shortly!"

Azure Dragon pointed his spear at the group of Ninja Kings, a cruel smile on his face, before flashing forward to engage them.

To someone who had ascended to the God Rank, dealing with these Ninja Kings was as easy as an adult handling a child. Within moments, several corpses lay at his feet; the Ninja Kings had been slain without having the strength to retaliate.

On the other side, as White Tiger and Gou Chen approached the fray, they saw the situation was dire. The Empress and her companions were covered in wounds. Facing wave after wave of Imperial ninjas, their battle was far more brutal.

Seeing their plight, White Tiger and Gou Chen charged in with righteous fury, immediately clashing with the Imperial forces.

White Tiger’s iron staff and Gou Chen’s curved blade ruthlessly harvested the lives of the ninjas. By the time they reached the Empress, the surrounding ninjas watched them with horror, their will to fight completely shattered.

Meanwhile, the battle in the void neared its end. Several Ninja Emperors had fallen under the onslaught of Fire Phoenix, Liu He, and the others, leaving only one severely wounded Ninja Emperor to flee.

"My lord, it seems the Imperial ninja forces have been wiped out, save for the one who escaped," Sakai Masamune said with a smile, looking down at the Twelve Celestial Descendants.

"It is time for us to act. Go, and ensure none of them survive," Tojo replied with a faint smile.

As Tojo finished speaking, the five shrine priests behind him vanished. Watanabe and Kamikawa dove toward Azure Dragon’s location, their powerful auras sweeping down upon him.

Feeling the pressure crushing down from the void, Azure Dragon looked up, muttering bloodthirstily, "You’ve finally made your move, experts of the Divine Shrine."

With that, Azure Dragon leaped upward, charging toward Watanabe and Kamikawa without a hint of retreat. He raised his spear high, a majestic energy erupting from it as the three collided in the blink of an eye.

A violent explosion erupted between them, sending a wild shockwave spreading outward. Though Azure Dragon had reached the God Rank, Kamikawa and Watanabe were seasoned veterans of that tier, and they were fighting in tandem.

Under the force of their collision, Azure Dragon was sent hurtling toward the ground.

Kamikawa and Watanabe would not waste such an opportunity. Kamikawa held his hands before his chest, weaving a complex and eerie hand seal. "Binding of the Wood!" he barked.

Thick vines erupted from the earth, racing toward Azure Dragon. Before he could react, they coiled tightly around his entire body.

Azure Dragon was startled, but Watanabe seized the moment. With a quick hand seal, the ground rumbled as shattered stones coalesced into spears. With a downward motion of his hands, he sent them flying toward Azure Dragon.

Sensing the danger, Azure Dragon let out a roar toward the heavens. A powerful aura exploded from his body, shattering the vines. He performed a mid-air somersault, channeling his internal strength into his spear. "The Spear Strikes Like a Dragon!"

With a thunderous shout, he thrust his spear downward. A dragon’s roar echoed through the void as the energy coalesced into a giant white dragon, crashing into the incoming spears.

Boom!

The impact produced a deafening explosion. Azure Dragon flashed through the chaos and landed on the ground.

Elsewhere, while Watanabe and Kamikawa attacked Azure Dragon, Sakai Masamune bypassed Fire Phoenix and Liu He, leaving them to another priest, and charged toward White Tiger and his group.

Under the assault of a God Rank expert like Sakai Masamune, White Tiger and the others stood no chance, sent flying by his sheer momentum.

Fire Phoenix and Liu He were enraged and tried to intercept Sakai, but an elderly figure blocked their path. "Your opponent is me," the man said mockingly. "Don't think you're escaping my grasp."

Fire Phoenix and Liu He attacked furiously, their strikes sharp and desperate, driven by their concern for those on the ground.

Though White Tiger, Li Ge, Black Tortoise, and Tai Yin appeared to have God Rank strength, their actual combat prowess was inferior to Azure Dragon’s. Facing Sakai Masamune, they didn't even have a chance to retaliate.

"Heh, let’s see where you run today!" Sakai Masamune sneered at them.

The four knew that even together, they were no match for him. They didn't strike blindly, instead forming a defensive line around the Empress.

"White Tiger!" Li Ge suddenly turned, his expression grave. White Tiger looked at him, startled, before Li Ge continued.

"Listen, my strength is the greatest here. I’ll deal with this old fool. You, Black Tortoise, and Tai Yin must take the Empress and leave immediately. It’s better that one dies than all of us!" Li Ge took a deep breath, glancing at the unconscious Empress in Tai Yin’s arms.

"No! I won't abandon my brother!" White Tiger shouted.

"Listen! This isn't the time! The Empress is severely wounded; if she isn't treated, I fear she won't survive. Don't worry, even if I can't defeat Sakai, he won't necessarily be able to stop me from leaving," Li Ge said confidently.

Seeing the resolve in Li Ge’s eyes, White Tiger trembled, tears welling in his eyes. He knew Li Ge was right; if they stayed, death was their only path.

White Tiger looked at the unconscious Empress, then patted Li Ge’s shoulder. "We’ll wait for you!"

He signaled Tai Yin and Black Tortoise, and the group vanished into the distance. Sakai Masamune attempted to pursue, but a sharp sword aura struck at his feet, stopping him cold.

"Your opponent is me!"