The ninja and the shoulin were locked in fierce combat, each determined to eliminate the other. The Eight Zero E-book: The ninja not only held a numerical advantage but also enjoyed favorable timing and terrain—this was their home ground, giving them a natural edge. A senior shoulin broke free from the grip of two junior ninja, spun around swiftly, and struck a senior mid-level ninja from behind, knocking out his skull before the opponent could react. White streaks immediately appeared on the ground. Qin, the young lord, shook his head and remarked, "What a brutal tactic—shoulin have the habit of knocking out their opponents' heads. I'll have to be more cautious from now on, and I'll also remind my female relatives: whenever they encounter shoulin, they must never be overconfident!" Swiftly, three senior ninja drove a senior shoulin to the ground, then launched a barrage of Dongyang blades. The shoulin managed to evade the attack by performing a lazy rolling maneuver, just barely escaping, though he still bore seven or eight deep wounds visible through the flesh. "The ninja—don't go too far," roared the senior shenling. "It's *you* who are overstepping. If you now retreat, the generous Sun people will still give you a chance." The leading ninja responded. Qin, the junior, interjected, "I told you to keep fighting—what's the point of all this chatter?" The senior shenling tossed his bone staff high above his head, then clasped his hands together and began chanting a rapid series of incantations. Qin, the junior, realized this was going to be a major move—what a bunch of stubborn Sun people! Instead of retreating, they were charging forward. "Whew, you're still talking! Whew, you're still talking!" Crackling... then—boom! A massive energy sphere exploded, sending several mid-level ninja flying backward. Most of them spewed blood mid-air, suffering serious injuries. Qin, the junior, was utterly stunned. The power of this move was simply overwhelming—even if it were me, I wouldn't have stood a chance. Two junior jounin looked on, instantly furious. Their steps synchronized as they performed a complex sequence of movements, shouting in unison, "Seal of the God-Killer!" Swish—two blades merged into a single, flowing arc, cutting straight toward the unharmed senior shikigami. Seeing the attack coming, the shikigami tried to evade but was too late—helpless as the brilliant white blade struck her body. Pffft—she was severed in two, her organs, shredded flesh, and blood splattering everywhere. The scene was truly devastating. The senior shikigami's face turned pale. Though she had just gained the upper hand, the opponents swiftly retaliated, and overall, it was still her side that had suffered the loss. The two jounin struck successfully. One of them, excited, shouted, "Give it everything you've got—we'll eliminate the remaining two shikigami. Let their companions know that they'll never dare to oppose us again!" "Never in our favor." The jōnin witch spirit waved her bone staff, and instantly a gust of wind surged forth, severing the mid-level ninja's waists—thus avenging her subordinates in the same manner. Qin, the young noble, had been thinking all along about how to fan them and light a fire for them. Now it seemed entirely unnecessary; both sides were so fiercely engaged that they wouldn't stop. "Hitoshi Nakamura sneered with a smug smile, "Qin Feng, Qin Feng—finally, you've fallen into the hands of a woman. I'm genuinely curious: what kind of woman could have utterly captivated you? You all—get moving to the hospital right away and bring her back!" His subordinate blinked in surprise, "Bring her back? Who exactly?" Nakamura slapped him firmly, "Do you have any idea? You're a pig-brain, aren't you? Of course, you're bringing the girl back!" The subordinate blushed and said apologetically, "Got it. I'll organize the team and head over right away. Don't worry—I'll have her back before dark!" After the subordinate had departed, Nakamura muttered under his breath, "How can there be so many fools in the world, all of them gathering around me? What exactly is sustaining their courage? If I were a fool, I'd have ended my own life long ago!" "... The jōnin-level shikigami bore several wounds, though none life-threatening, which fundamentally diminished his sensitivity. His only remaining subordinate had been hacked to pieces by the frenzied ninja. In return, the ninja had also suffered heavy losses, with over a dozen mid-level ninja of varying ranks falling. Both sides instinctively reduced their attack frequency, as they simultaneously realized that continuing the battle would inevitably result in mutual exhaustion and defeat. The only clear beneficiary, undoubtedly, was Qin Feng, who had been observing from the sidelines. Recognizing the ninja's unspoken intentions, Qin leapt from the large boulder, landing on a flying sword and charging forward, shouting, 'Shikigami, we won't be standing by each other—watch me cut you down!' Then he added, 'Ninja, you've got nothing to do here. Get out of my way—otherwise, I'll have no mercy on you!' To their surprise, the ninja obeyed and stepped back, yet they did not fully retreat as requested." These people had made up their minds to watch the show—whether Qin Feng defeated Wu Ling or fell to his disadvantage, they would immediately move in to eliminate the other. At their first encounter, Qin's younger brother launched the Fire Dragon Seal. Wu Ling, a senior warrior, sensed the heat of the flames, which was within her tolerance, and instead of retreating, extended her bone staff directly toward Qin's chest. Thud—Qin was struck, his body flying backward, appearing severely wounded. Wu Ling seized the momentum and immediately launched a follow-up assault. The leading ninja exclaimed, "Unfortunate! That man is no match for Wu Ling—he's already injured. We must act now—let's take out Wu Ling!" The group had already prepared themselves and surged forward, converging on Wu Ling. Wu Ling had expected to easily defeat Qin, but now had to halt her offensive and shift to defense, her flurry of hand-thrown swords disrupting her strategy. "Damn ninja, today you're all dead!" he roared. Qin, looking utterly defeated, sat by the roadside, his heart already full of joy—having so easily sparked a second major clash between the two sides, he felt truly satisfied, grinning from ear to ear.