Chapter 75: The Lord of the Divine Palace, Ambush

Witnessing the supreme technique displayed by Xiao Yu, Seishizuka Ampei could not help but be shocked. He belonged to the line of Onmyoji, who practiced arts of utmost yin and softness. Yet the Bodhi Vajra Palm unleashed by Xiao Yu was the very embodiment of pure yang and rigidity, the natural counter to his own style.

A wave of oppressive force surged toward him. Seishizuka Ampei gritted his teeth, and the aura emanating from his body grew ever stronger. Billows of black smoke rose around him, ultimately coalescing before him into a massive hand.

With a thunderous boom, the black hand collided with the golden one. In an instant, torrents of overwhelming, wild power burst forth at a terrifying speed, laying waste to everything atop the mountain peak—ancient trees toppled, great boulders shattered. Fortunately, Xiao Yu had already ensured Ye Xuemei was safely sheltered before unleashing his attack; otherwise, with her mortal body, she would have been left dead or deranged by such devastation.

In the distance, the Ninja Emperor used all his strength to shield Yoshiko Yamamoto. But how could a single Ninja Emperor withstand such power? Just as his strength was nearly exhausted, it was only thanks to Seishizuka Ampei’s intervention—casting an illusion—that they survived those harrowing moments.

When the storm of force finally dissipated, the two figures clashed once more in midair, each maintaining utmost vigilance. Neither dared relax, for among masters, victory or death often hinged on a single move. The ferocity of their attacks made it clear—they both sought nothing less than the other's destruction.

As the battle raged in the heavens, several figures streaked toward the desolate mountaintop with astonishing speed. In a few leaps, four shadows descended upon the plateau, now razed to ruin.

These four were Tai Sui, Liu He, Li Ge, and White Tiger.

“Who the hell is that guy fighting our big brother?” Tai Sui frowned, muttering as he watched the combatants clashing overhead. “He looks younger than all of us… To be so evenly matched with big brother at that age?”

“He’s an Onmyoji. I recognize that aura from when I was by big brother’s side,” White Tiger said gravely.

He still remembered the time Xiao Yu had battled the Onmyoji from the Land of Sakura; White Tiger had witnessed firsthand the might of their kind.

“Look over there—two people from Sakura. That man’s aura is that of a Ninja Emperor,” Li Ge remarked the moment they landed, spotting Yoshiko Yamamoto and the Ninja Emperor.

“Just an ordinary woman and a gravely injured Ninja Emperor. They’re no threat. Our true concern is the one in the sky,” Liu He said, running a hand along his sword, his fighting spirit ablaze.

Above, Xiao Yu wielded his longsword in a flowing, cloud-like dance, launching attacks at Seishizuka Ampei. Though it appeared as if Seishizuka Ampei was being hard-pressed, those with keen eyes could see that no matter how cunning Xiao Yu’s swordplay, Seishizuka Ampei evaded each move with effortless agility.

As members of the Twelve Celestial Envoys, Tai Sui and the others took careful note of this. If they had to describe Xiao Yu’s opponent in a word—it would be “terrifying.”

Then, in midair, Xiao Yu thrust his sword forward. Seishizuka Ampei’s figure instantly dissolved into a swirl of black smoke, vanishing before him.

At that very moment, a sense of danger surged behind Xiao Yu. His expression changed instinctively; he turned, ready to swing his sword, but a fearsome palm wind crashed into his chest with tremendous force.

Blood spurted from Xiao Yu’s lips as his body spun through the air, then slammed heavily to the ground.

He coughed up blood a second time as he struck the earth, then, bracing on his sword, slowly managed to stand. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he looked up toward the sky.

There, a man shrouded in black robes hovered in silence, gazing down at Xiao Yu.

A swirl of black mist rose, and Seishizuka Ampei emerged from it, his face showing a trace of displeasure as he regarded the newcomer.

“Who are you?” Xiao Yu’s gaze turned icy as he stared at the black-robed assailant who had ambushed and wounded him. His voice was cold and sharp. As Xiao Yu crashed to the ground, Tai Sui and the others rushed to his side, glaring furiously at the figure above.

The mysterious black-robed man, having succeeded in his sneak attack, revealed a cold smile. He ignored Xiao Yu’s question, instead darting straight toward Yoshiko Yamamoto.

Seishizuka Ampei, furious that his opponent had been ambushed and gravely injured by this stranger, felt deep animosity toward the black-robed man. Seeing him speed toward Yoshiko Yamamoto, Seishizuka Ampei moved in a flash to block his path.

“Seishizuka Ampei, our goals are the same. Why stop me?” The mysterious man clearly knew Seishizuka Ampei. Seeing him block the way, he halted, puzzled.

“You are from the Grand Shrine, I am of the Bureau of Onmyoji. You’ve sabotaged my mission—should I not bar your way?” Seishizuka Ampei replied coolly, caressing the hilt of his sword.

“Grand Shrine or Bureau of Onmyoji, our aims are one and the same. Why draw such lines between us?” the mysterious man chuckled softly.

“Hah. Tojo, don’t you dare lump our Bureau of Onmyoji in with your Grand Shrine. Your true intentions are well known—to you,” Seishizuka Ampei sneered.

Catching the implication in Seishizuka Ampei’s words, Tojo’s face turned icy. Fixing his gaze on Seishizuka Ampei, he said coldly, “So you truly mean to stop me? Don’t think that just because you’re an aide of the Bureau, I’ll let you off lightly!”

“Try me. Today, I’d like to see for myself what the supreme leader of the Five Grand Shrines is truly capable of,” Seishizuka Ampei replied with a smile, clearly unfazed by the presence of the Grand Shrine’s master.

“You court death!” Seishizuka Ampei’s words infuriated Tojo. In a blur, he lunged, his large hands clamping around Seishizuka Ampei’s neck, squeezing tightly.

But in that instant, Tojo’s expression changed dramatically. The figure he held turned to smoke, dissipating into nothing before his eyes.