Qiao Yihong’s punch landed on the ambusher, but as her fist struck the void-like, transparent figure, he felt his blow sink into a ball of cotton, all force instantly dissolved into nothingness!

He watched with his own eyes as the illusory, transparent figure flickered, then vanished, as if the enemy he had attacked was merely a pocket of energy. How could Qiao Yihong not be astonished by this?

Of course, what astonished Qiao Yihong even more was what Zhang Yang had done, how he had escaped the slicing arc of those four broadswords? And what was that thing shot from Zhang Yang’s five fingers just now?

The battle unfolding before his eyes completely surpassed his imagination, leaving Qiao Yihong momentarily dumbfounded. He even wondered if he was currently dreaming!

“Careful!”

Zhang Yang suddenly shouted, raising his hand. A streak of white light shot out like lightning from his palm, grazing right past Qiao Yihong’s ear and striking behind him.

Poof!

“Ah!”

Behind Qiao Yihong, a faintly fading, shadowy figure was violently forced into its true form. This completely black, masked man instantly threw his head back and collapsed, the broadsword dropping from his hand with a muffled cry.

The man was clad entirely in black, wearing strange, tight-fitting clothing, his face concealed by black sand, and a headband tied across his forehead—at the center of which was emblazoned a single, large character for ‘Ninja’ ().

Zhang Yang’s white light had punched a bloody hole straight through this man, instantly neutralizing his combat ability.

Qiao Yihong’s body was completely rigid. He couldn’t even manage the simple act of turning his head to look at the person who had just tried to ambush him. He stared blankly at Zhang Yang, mouth agape, eyes wide and round.

This time, Qiao Yihong saw clearly what that white light was!

Without a word, Zhang Yang raised his hand again, sending out another beam of white light, directed straight ahead!

This time, the beam struck behind Qiao Hu. The little boy was even less aware of the danger he was in; a broadsword was hovering directly above his head.

Thanks to Zhang Yang’s strike, both Qiao Yihong and Qiao Hu were saved from their respective attackers!

“Ninjas??”

Zhang Yang narrowed his eyes, looking at the two ninjas he had wounded, and let out a cold snort.

Zhang Yang had detected these several hidden assailants while they were still in the taxi, which was why he had insisted on stopping here—the goal, naturally, was to eliminate these reckless fools.

Having dealt with two, there were still three left!

Just then, before Zhang Yang could make a move, a sound of a horse’s neigh echoed from the distance!

A white blur flashed like lightning, galloping rapidly from afar!

Immediately, a scream ripped through the air!

It turned out that Zhuifeng (Chasing Wind) had sensed Zhang Yang being attacked right at his doorstep. Enraged, the horse had bolted directly out of the villa.

The moment Zhuifeng appeared, he instantly dispatched a ninja who was poised to strike at the opportune moment, forcing him into his true form!

The horse’s hoof smashed down directly onto the ninja’s chest, allowing the assailant only enough time for a dying gasp before his ribcage shattered and he expired from the sudden lack of breath.

These ninjas were utterly fragile against the sheer power of a fourth-level Spirit Beast!

“Jiji-ji!”

“Zhizhi-zhi!”

As Zhuifeng stood triumphantly with a black-clad ninja crushed beneath his hoof, Wuying (Shadowless) and Shandian (Lightning) caught up shortly after. Although they were still some distance from the main villa, this skirmish was happening right at Zhang Yang’s doorstep, and nothing occurring here could escape the perception of these three little ones!

Shandian and Wuying couldn’t match Zhuifeng’s speed, so they arrived a moment later. Once they did, the remaining two ninjas instantly broke down.

Wuying spat out a burst of internal energy, while Shandian directly spewed a noxious substance. The two invisible assailants were forced into visibility, unable to resist, and collapsed twitching, dying instantly.

Seeing his three little companions, Zhang Yang smiled faintly, then walked over to Qiao Hu, patting the boy’s head to signal that he shouldn't be afraid.

Qiao Hu was indeed more resilient than anticipated. Witnessing this scene, he wasn't trembling with fear; instead, his eyes sparkled with excitement as he stared at Zhang Yang and Qiao Yihong. When Zhang Yang reached him, the boy even dared to look up and ask, “Uncle Zhang, you are amazing!”

Qiao Yihong swallowed hard. Before he could shake off the shock from moments before, the next sight absolutely jolted his eyeballs!

A snow-white steed seemed to race on the wind; Shandian appeared next, swiftly eliminating one ambushing ninja; then followed a rat and a weasel, who effortlessly dealt with the final two assailants!

The five ninjas lying in ambush had been neutralized so easily.

Even if Qiao Yihong were foolish, he understood now that this horse, rat, and weasel were no ordinary creatures; they appeared to be exceptionally powerful Spirit Beasts.

In his shock, a sudden realization dawned on Qiao Yihong. Now he seemed to understand why those people from Korea had focused so intently on Zhang Yang from the moment they arrived!

Weren't these three Spirit Beasts the very target of the Koreans who had traveled all the way to Huaxia?

“Shandian, Zhuifeng, Wuying!”

Zhang Yang called out softly. Zhuifeng withdrew his hoof, glanced dismissively at the black-clad ninjas on the ground, then raised his head and returned to Zhang Yang’s side.

Shandian and Wuying followed immediately, chittering and squeaking as they presented their success to Zhang Yang.

Ironically, the two ninjas who had first attacked Qiao Yihong and Qiao Hu were the most lightly wounded. This was entirely because Zhang Yang had intended to leave one or two alive to interrogate for information.

However, these two ninjas had no idea they had been deliberately spared. Seeing their ambush fail, they didn't hesitate for a second and crushed hidden projectiles they had secreted away!

Bang! Bang!

Two loud explosions erupted almost simultaneously, like thunderclap on flat ground, and two plumes of white mist rose into the air, engulfing the two lightly injured ninjas!

“Still trying to run?”

Zhang Yang’s eyes instantly turned cold. He reached out his hand, flexing all five fingers, and a layer of white mist instantly spread around the two rising plumes, sealing off that small pocket of space!

“Stay here for me!”

Zhang Yang roared coldly, and with a sharp downward grab of his five fingers—

Nnnng!

A piercing friction sound echoed near his ears. The white mist spreading from Zhang Yang’s fingertips suddenly tightened, rapidly condensing into a white rope that forcefully bound the exploding mist! Thump! At the exact same moment, the two black-clad ninjas were yanked out of the white fog by this rope that had turned solid. Zhang Yang had completely shattered their last-ditch escape technique, the Earth Evasion Art!

Zhang Yang moved away from Qiao Hu’s side. With Zhuifeng, Wuying, and Shandian present, the boy’s safety was absolutely guaranteed. As for Qiao Yihong, he was, after all, a late-stage cultivator of the third level of Inner Strength; apart from nearly suffering a major loss due to his unfamiliarity with the ninjas’ bizarre attack methods, his own strength could not be underestimated.

Seeing Zhang Yang approach, the two ninjas simply exchanged a look. Their mission had failed, and with escape proving impossible, they simultaneously bit down on the poison they kept hidden between their teeth—a common tactic for these assassins!

Zhang Yang had already guessed their intention the moment the two ninjas exchanged glances.

Before the heir of the Medical Saint Zhang family, attempting suicide by poison? A pipe dream!

Zhang Yang let out a cold snort. The instant the two ninjas’ cheeks swelled as they crushed the poison, he struck out like lightning, driving several silver needles through the tight fabric of their suits to seal several vital acupoints on their bodies!

The two ninjas had already crushed the poison and flashed Zhang Yang a look of disdain. In their minds, the poison was flowing down their throats; even an immortal deity couldn't stop their demise now.

The two ninjas closed their eyes, waiting for the poison to take effect. The poison they kept between their teeth was always lethal upon contact; once crushed and its seal broken, the toxicity would ignite instantly.

A cool breeze blew past, yet the two ninjas didn't even feel the sensation of air passing over their eyelids—they were not dead!

A wave of terror suddenly crashed over the ninjas. The instantly lethal poison had somehow failed to act! They hadn't died immediately!

Opening their eyes, the two ninjas saw Zhang Yang’s cold gaze fixed upon them. They both shivered involuntarily. In their peripheral vision, they noticed several silver-gleaming white needles embedded in their bodies. These needles had not only stripped them of all ability to move but had also sealed off all energy within their bodies.

“Speak. Where is your master, now.”

Zhang Yang asked flatly. He had no patience for these two ninjas; he immediately deployed the Mind Control Art. The person who sent them was obvious to Zhang Yang, so he went straight to questioning them about the current location of that group of Japanese individuals.

The two ninjas initially tried to resist, but when they saw a subtle, unfamiliar shift in Zhang Yang’s eyes, they found they couldn't even control their own mouths.

“The Master was invited by the Koreans and is currently en route to the Sihua Hotel in Jingyang.”

The Sihua Hotel in Jingyang?

Zhang Yang knew the place; it was a hotel owned by Koreans, and apparently, those visitors from the Korean side were residing there.

Could it be that the Koreans, who had previously been unwilling to communicate much with the Japanese, were now preparing to collude with these Japanese intruders? Having obtained the answer, Zhang Yang nodded with satisfaction, then withdrew the silver needles stuck in the two ninjas.

The moment the needles were pulled out, the two ninjas instantly felt a sense of suffocation. The poison, which had been delayed for so long, finally took hold now that the silver needles were removed!

All five dispatched ninjas perished without a single survivor.

Zhang Yang coldly glanced at the several corpses, utterly devoid of emotion. (To be continued)