Urban Martial Saint

The Sect Master took a deep breath; he understood that what the Bloody Monk said was true. Their Iga-ryu Ninja’s ninjutsu was actually just a simple blinding method, effective for those below peak master level, but completely ineffective for peak master level individuals. Although he had hidden earlier, the several peak masters around him were still able to clearly locate his position, and this was the reason. Therefore, whether he concealed himself or not made no difference, and he still couldn’t avoid the situation of going head-to-head with the Bloody Monk!

”Alright!” The Sect Master gritted his teeth, desperately suppressing the injuries within his body, and glared coldly at the Bloody Monk, saying in a deep voice, ”Then let me test your true skills!”

The Sect Master and the Bloody Monk clashed again, however, this time in the duel, the Sect Master found it not so easy to suppress the Bloody Monk. After all, earlier, he had been struck twice by the Bloody Monk, and though his strength was formidable, the blows had not left him unscathed. Now, his true qi was obstructed, and his actions were not as swift as before; neither were his techniques as fierce, making it an evenly matched battle with the Bloody Monk.

Seeing the Bloody Monk no longer at a disadvantage, Shen Tianjun and the others around took a breath of relief, refrained from assisting, and instead guarded the exits to prevent the Sect Master from escaping.

By this point, the Sect Master already knew what his end would be. In truth, with his strength, if the several masters around hadn’t all joined together, he would certainly have taken at least one of them down with him in his dying moments. However, due to his carelessness in the previous clash with the Bloody Monk, he suffered losses, and now, even the Bloody Monk seemed too formidable to handle, let alone bringing someone down with him. But he had no other options, surrounded with no chance to turn the situation around. The only thing he could do was try his utmost to take someone down with him, or else losing his life like this would be extremely frustrating.

After more than an hour’s duel, the Bloody Monk seemed to be somewhat fatigued, unexpectedly revealing a flaw. The Sect Master had been waiting for the opportunity, and upon seeing the Bloody Monk’s flaw, he immediately charged forward, striking for the Bloody Monk’s temple with a killing blow.

The Bloody Monk, by this time, found himself entirely too late to evade. Seeing the Sect Master rushing forward, he too extended his hands, striking towards the Sect Master’s chest with full force. Both utilized lethal moves; though the Bloody Monk revealed a flaw and the Sect Master struck first, the Bloody Monk’s strike was not slow, and the situation was clear. Even if the Sect Master hit the Bloody Monk’s temple, he couldn’t escape being attacked by the Bloody Monk. Unless the Sect Master was willing to abandon this chance and dodge instantly, both were destined for a mutually destructive end!

Yet, the Sect Master was originally determined to fight to the death, aiming to take someone down with him even in his dying breath. With matters as they stood, how could he pull back? Seeing the Bloody Monk employing such a mutually destructive tactic, his eyes sparkled with near-insane brilliance, gritting his teeth and roaring, ”Die with me!”

The onlookers were shocked by the situation, and Shen Tianjun cried out urgently, ”Blood Robe Sect Leader, quickly retreat!”

Others also changed expression drastically, including Helian Tiehua. Helian Tiehua practiced the Thirteen Protectors’ Horizontal Golden Bell Shield, also derived from the Buddhist Sect’s Vajra Indestructible Body, thus naturally understanding the Vajra Indestructible Body’s condition. Although the Bloody Monk’s Vajra Indestructible Body was slightly achieved, capable of withstanding attacks from famed instruments, it had nonetheless been pierced by such an instrument, showing his Vajra Indestructible Body was still at the initial stage. At this stage, being attacked with powerful force, he could still be injured.

This is akin to a piece of steel; although a longsword cannot leave a mark on it, using a hammer to smash can still flatten the steel. Now, the Bloody Monk’s situation is similar; the Sect Master’s full-force attack is immensely powerful, surpassing the previous famed instrument’s impact. Moreover, he’s targeting the temple, one of the human body’s death points. A heavy blow to the temple is either fatal or severely injurious. Even if the Bloody Monk has some achievement in the Vajra Indestructible Body, taking this hit, he’s inevitably doomed!

Nevertheless, the Bloody Monk seemed entirely unmoved by the cries from the crowd, showed no intention of retreating, and instead increased his force, clearly intending to settle life and death with the Sect Master. Amidst the crowd’s astonishment, both of their attacks consecutively landed on each other. The Sect Master was struck in the chest by the Bloody Monk’s palms, directly sent flying back, crashing into the wall behind before halting, vomiting blood continuously, collapsing helplessly on the ground. Though not dead yet, his life was essentially forfeited.

As for the Bloody Monk, although standing unmoving, it mainly resulted from the Sect Master’s fists striking his temple, not pushing him, so his body wasn’t sent flying. Nevertheless, suffering this blow, his mouth, nose, and ears were all bleeding. His fists clenched tightly, standing in place, but nobody knew his current state. However, the crowd’s hearts hung in suspense, for bleeding from the mouth, nose, and ears indicated that the Sect Master’s attack indeed left him seriously injured. And with temple injuries, could the Bloody Monk’s life be preserved?

Seeing the Bloody Monk in this condition, everyone became solemn. Shen Tianjun approached cautiously, calling out, ”Blood Robe Sect Leader, you… how are you?”

The Bloody Monk didn’t respond, still standing motionless, which heightened the worry among the crowd. As Shen Tianjun approached for a closer inspection, the Bloody Monk suddenly let out a breath. With that breath, blood continued streaming from his mouth, yet his eyes grew sharper.

Seeing the Bloody Monk react, the crowd was delighted, at least indicating the Bloody Monk hadn’t been killed by one blow, meaning there was hope for his survival.

”Blood Robe Sect Leader, quickly, take this healing medicine!” Shen Tianjun retrieved a fragment of Devouring Demon Flower from his person, prepared specifically by Ye Qing before their departure for treating injuries at crucial moments. Given the Bloody Monk’s injuries, this Devouring Demon Flower could indeed serve its purpose now!

”No need!” The Bloody Monk shook his head decisively, bluntly deflecting the Devouring Demon Flower fragment. He wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, coldly gazed at the motionless Sect Master, and declared in a deep voice, ”You’ve lost!”

The Sect Master looked at the Bloody Monk standing firm as a mountain, and with a bitter smile, said, ”I never expected your Vajra Indestructible Body to have reached this level. I’ve lost. My Iga-ryu, developed over hundreds of years, ultimately fell apart in my hands!”

As the Sect Master spoke, his face was filled with remorse and unwillingness. Although the Iga-ryu organization was powerful, the most critical members all perished within the Tomb of Ghost Valley Master, and this Sect Master was lured out and died at the Bloody Monk’s hands. While Iga-ryu still had a few scattered masters left, it was insufficient to sustain the entire organization. Thus, this marked the complete end of Iga-ryu.

”Actually, Iga-ryu and my Huaxia have deep connections; were it not for your despicable actions, leading to such deeds, Huaxia martial artists wouldn’t have wanted to be your enemies!” Shen Tianjun looked at the Sect Master and said gravely, ”You all brought about your downfall, entirely due to your own actions, blame none but yourselves!”

”The victor writes history; at this moment, whatever you say is correct, I can’t refute it at all!” The Sect Master extended a hand to support himself on the wall, slowly stood up, glanced over the gathered crowd, and said in a deep voice, ”Ending up like this is due to my carelessness, inferior skills; there’s nothing I can say. As for being despicable, bringing it upon ourselves, hmpf, if I had triumphed, who among you would dare accuse me?”

Helian Tiehua said gravely, ”Even now, you’re still stubbornly misguided. Clearly, you can’t stay alive!”

”Hmpf, I wouldn’t die by your hands even if I face death!” The Sect Master shouted, holding a dagger that seemingly appeared from nowhere. He raised the dagger high and abruptly stabbed it into his abdomen, vigorously twisting, directly slicing his belly open. This was their common method of self-execution, committing seppuku!

The Sect Master, already severely injured, now cut open his own abdomen, naturally unable to endure, slowly fell to the ground, closing his eyes. An Iga-ryu Sect Master of a generation ultimately ended here.

Watching the Sect Master perish through self-execution, Shen Tianjun and others exchanged glances, but said no more. Although the Sect Master had been rather despicable in his actions, he was nevertheless a bold man. Committing seppuku, such an act, wasn’t something ordinary people could do.

”I never expected the powerful Iga-ryu to just disappear like this!” Helian Tiehua sighed, turned to Shen Tianjun, and said, ”I thought today’s matter wouldn’t be so smooth, at least requiring a fierce battle. Unexpectedly, things went so smoothly.”

The crowd all nodded; indeed, Ye Qing had prepared extensively for this matter, fearing any unforeseen circumstances. Even inviting many masters to impersonate Iga-ryu elders, each step meticulously calculated. Who would have thought, the smoothness of the operation defied expectations, suspiciously smooth indeed.

”No matter what, Zi Yu has been rescued!” Shen Tianjun glanced at the rear where Huangfu Ziyu stood and said, ”Let’s first bury this Sect Master, then bring Zi Yu back, and by the way, go search for the Purple-robed Elder!”

”Alright!” Everyone agreed on the burial; none objected. After all, the Sect Master was a grandmaster of a generation, and his ability to commit seppuku demonstrated considerable bravery. Such a figure couldn’t be left to decay in the open.