Alone and Infinite.

Chapter 252 Li Xia VS Kimimaro

A powerful force traveled through his feet and onto the ground, causing the fallen leaves around him to be lifted off the ground by this powerful energy.

It had barely risen when it was swept away by the wind generated by its forward momentum, hurriedly chasing after the receding figure.

Li Xia and Kimimaro moved with incredible speed, the distance of more than ten meters seemingly erased in an instant.

The spectators only saw a blur before their eyes, followed by a crisp impact sound.

The shockwave from the collision blew the belated fallen leaves to both sides, scattering them like a shower of green leaves falling from the tree overhead.

Li Xia held the spear in one hand, its gleaming blade stopping in front of Kimimaro, only to be blocked by a bone blade.

Very hard bone.
Fine cracks spread along the point where the gun blade struck, but it did block the attack.

Even steel, Li Xia's spear could definitely pierce through it, which shows how hard the bone blade made by Kimimaro was.

This is normal. The hardest bones in the average human body are comparable to metal, especially teeth, which have a hardness value of 6, comparable to stainless steel.

Not to mention a third-tier transcendent world, it's quite normal for it to be able to block Ye Ji when he wasn't using his full strength.

Kimimaro's gaze shifted slightly as he looked at the fine, spiderweb-like cracks on the bone blade. Even he, who was usually indifferent, couldn't help but widen his eyes a little.

This was the first time Kimimaro had ever seen his bone blade crack from a single collision.

Before this, even the sharpest chakra blades could not cut through his own bone blade.

He swung the bone blade with both arms to push Li Xia away. His right arm, which was holding the knife, trembled, and a hollow bone suddenly pierced through the skin and extended to the bone blade.

Immediately afterwards, a white liquid gushed out from the bone, covering the bone blade layer by layer.

The originally slender bone blade suddenly became like a real sword.

Kimimaro nodded to Li Xia, indicating that he was ready.

The two bodies 'disappeared' once again, and when they reappeared, a continuous series of impacts mixed with sparks exploded outwards in an instant.

The spear in Li Xia's hand gleamed with a cold light, blooming in front of him, simply thrusting forward and retracting in a repetitive cycle.

However, this forced Kimimaro to push his body to its limits in order to block it.

"Dang Dang Dang Dang"

The colliding sparks became increasingly dense, and from a distance, they looked like a silver tree blooming with fiery ring-colored flowers.

The four people behind Orochimaru were already sweating.

I can't see it, I can't see it at all!
Even with the added power of the cursed seal, barely managing to reach the level of a special Jonin, one could only vaguely perceive the battle before them in the face of such an attack.

Of those in the arena, only Orochimaru and Kurozumi, who possessed exceptional dynamic vision, could clearly see the battle unfolding on the field.

Orochimaru's expression had become completely serious.

Unexpectedly, his snake-like eyes stared at Li Xia, who seemed relaxed as if she were on a picnic.

He simply stood there naturally, holding the spear in one hand, and the bursts of spear light forced Kimimaro to do his best to block them.

Xia's strength is even greater than I expected!
Even without activating the curse seal, Kimimaro's taijutsu alone was enough to make him a special jonin or jonin.

However, the fact that Orochimaru could suppress him with physical skills without using his full strength made him a little uneasy.

And this is just physical techniques; what about ninjutsu?
Although the Hyuga clan is famous for its taijutsu, Orochimaru sees Li Xia as the 'hidden power of the Hyuga clan'.
Who can be sure that Hyuga's proficiency in taijutsu wasn't a cover-up?
Orochimaru couldn't help but touch his lips, even though the blisters there had subsided.

But that burning sensation still seemed to linger there.

How could someone with such a comprehensive offensive and defensive ninjutsu only know taijutsu like in the legends?

Orochimaru's gaze gradually turned serious; perhaps Natsu's strength was already comparable to his own.

The Hyuga clan is incredibly cunning. They feign innocence in Konoha, content to maintain their reputation as a prestigious clan in the village.

Little did they know that such a master had been cultivated behind the scenes.

If the Hyuga clan is like this, what about the other clans?
Inuzuka, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Nara, Aburame.
Could these families be hiding some kind of power?
Just as Orochimaru was once again engaging in his most proficient 'imagination'...

"when!"

A loud noise startled him from his 'imaginary' state.

Under such relentless pressure, Kimimaro finally couldn't hold back any longer. He forcefully swung his bone blades to deflect Li Xia's spear.

He used the momentum to leap backward.

"You are very strong—"

Kimimaro finally uttered his first complete sentence and planted the bone blade into the tree trunk beside him.

He pulled his arms back and took off his shirt.

"Therefore, I can only borrow the power given to me by Lord Orochimaru!"

Suddenly, the Earth Curse Mark on his chest began to rotate, and then, like ink spreading, jet-black lines flowed down his body like pipes.

In just a short while, Kimimaro's body was covered with these lines.

"call----"

A puff of hot white steam escaped from Kimimaro's mouth.

He reached out and grasped the bone blade. His once calm eyes now glowed red, revealing a chilling madness.

"boom!"

With a powerful stomp of their feet, they created two small mounds in the soft soil, sending fallen leaves flying in all directions.

He transformed into a white phantom and vanished in a flash in the air.

It appeared directly in front of Li Xia in a diving posture.

The bone blade in his hand stabbed upwards toward Li Xia's throat.

"go to hell!"

Kimimaro's excitement grew stronger. While the cursed seal increased his power, it was also affecting his mind.

Just as the bone blade was about to touch Li Xia's skin, it suddenly stopped.

Kimimaro's pupils suddenly contracted as he saw the spearhead pointing directly at the crook of his arm.

If it weren't for the fact that this form's skin is covered by an extremely sturdy layer of bone armor.

This could probably rip off his arm.

Such speed, such terrifying eyesight!

The madness in Kimimaro's eyes subsided somewhat, and his feverish mind regained a sliver of clarity.

"The speed has increased significantly, and the power has also increased."

Li Xia narrowed his eyes slightly; Kimimaro in his normal state wouldn't cause much trouble.

Even with the chakra bonus, a stat line of just over 20 points is only on par with one's own attributes.

Li Xia, who had long since integrated the Breath of the Sun into his body and into his instincts, could also achieve an instantaneous burst of power similar to chakra.

With a twist of his body, his toes spun in the ground, creating a small indentation. His retracted right foot, as if spring-loaded, stomped down on Kimimaro's chest with terrifying speed.

"Bang!!"

The dust, carried by the airflow, spread out in a very distinct ring from the spot where the foot was struck.

Kimimaro only had time to subconsciously gather his chakra in his chest before he was sent flying backward at an extremely fast speed, like a cannonball.

The enormous tree caught his body, its lush, umbrella-like branches trembling violently.

Fallen leaves fluttered down like rain.

The fine beads of sweat on the foreheads of the four spectators had condensed into large beads and slid down their cheeks.

That kind of terrifying force would probably have seriously injured me if I had just taken a hit.

"puff--"

Kimimaro slid off the tree trunk, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Even with the bone armor on his chest, the terrifying force still penetrated through it and reached his internal organs. If it weren't for his bloodline limit, the power of that kick would have been enough to incapacitate him.

Orochimaru's gaze sharpened. His four simple-minded subordinates only saw the power of that kick, but were completely unaware of the danger hidden within it.

Gentle Fist, a secret technique passed down by the Hyuga clan?

Yes! Only Soft Fist possesses this technique that allows force to bypass the skin and penetrate deep into the body.

Orochimaru, who was becoming increasingly certain of Li Xia's identity, was once again led astray by his own "amazing wisdom," and even began to think deeply about whether Li Xia, this "hidden power of the Hyuga," had some kind of scheme in choosing to appear at this time.

It's still a bit weak.

Li Xia watched as Kimimaro wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and slowly straightened up. Kimimaro, at the first stage of the Cursed Seal, already had the level of a Jonin in terms of taijutsu alone.

However, since technique is his absolute strength, Kimimaro's skills are somewhat lacking in this aspect of the competition.

"Give it your all."

If we don't go all out, the scene won't be big enough to fool those Konoha ninjas.
The black lines on the body gradually spread out, as if a layer of ink had been applied to the surface of the body.

Kimimaro let out a painful roar, kneeling on the ground, wisps of white smoke rising from his body.

This is the smoke produced by the rapid rise in body temperature caused by rapid cell division, resulting in the condensation of evaporated sweat.

A deep blue chakra emanated from his body at a visible concentration, enveloping his entire body.

"Ho ho-"

Amidst heavy breathing, a thick tail suddenly pierced through the chakra, whipping to the side with a terrifying whistle.

Its tail swept across a nearby tree, like a sharp saw, snapping the tree in half.

With a sickening cracking sound, the tree fell to its side, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Boom!"

A far more terrifying explosion rang out, and Kimimaro reappeared in front of Li Xia.

The bone blade in his hand whistled mournfully as it pierced straight toward his neck.

Li Xia's eyes seemed to light up at that moment, and with a shift in his footing, he swung his spear horizontally.

The collision of the bone blade and the spear produced a tremendous sound. Feeling the immense force of the spear, Li Xia did not resist it.

Instead, he turned naturally following the force, his right leg whipping through the air like a whip as it swept towards Kimimaro's head.

"thorn"

White bones pierced through flesh and blood, crisscrossing around Kimimaro in an instant.

The sharp bone fragments, like barbs, were just waiting to deliver Li Xia's leg to its doorstep.

A fierce glint flashed in Li Xia's eyes, and he continued his single whip kick regardless of the consequences.

Just as Kimimaro was preparing to take the kick head-on, trading injury for injury.

The left foot, which was supporting the leg, seemed to tremble suddenly, and the dust around the feet seemed to come alive, involuntarily leaving the ground.

To the astonishment of Kimimaro and Orochimaru, Li Xia leaped into the air using only his left leg.

The original single whip kick was redirected by the body, changing direction and slicing past the sharp bone fragments with a perfect, exquisite distance.

The dragon scales and bone fragments, like jewels, swept past, leaving sparks in their wake.

Immediately following, the natural counterattack of the Lava Armor seemed to set his entire leg ablaze with flames.

Kimimaro stared in disbelief as the kick bypassed the defense and struck Kimimaro's left arm.

"Kara!"

The ground beneath Kimimaro's feet trembled violently, and cracks spread from his feet.

His entire left arm was bent backwards into a strange shape.

Kimimaro, however, seemed completely oblivious, his face glowing with excitement as he let out a strange laugh.

Several hollow bones suddenly protruded from his shoulder and were aimed at Li Xia.

"call out!"

With a piercing sound, a bone bullet, as sharp as a finger bone, was propelled by chakra and shot towards Li Xia's face.

Li Xia's pupils contracted, and the world before him suddenly slowed down. He turned his head to dodge the bone bullet, and at the same time, he leaped backward.

With a twisting motion, the spear tip seemed to have learned a technique of creating clones, instantly blooming into silver flowers shimmering with cold light before Kimimaro's eyes.

One by one, bones extended from Kimimaro's body, encircling him and forming an egg-shaped shield in front of him.

"Ding ding ding ding ding"

A series of impacts rang out, accompanied by sparks.

Orochimaru's expression shifted, and he suddenly jumped backward at high speed, grabbing Kurozumi along with him as they retreated.

"Jirobo!"

Upon hearing Orochimaru's shout, the Sound Four, realizing what might have happened, looked terrified, with the fat one immediately slapping the ground with both hands.

"Tudun!"

The surrounding rocks began to shake, enveloping the four people.

The next second, the forest trembled, and huge bones pierced the ground, suddenly raising a forest of bones.

"Corpse Vein: Dance of the Early Ferns!"

Li Xia had already felt the ground begin to tremble when he jumped up. Now he was standing on a white skeleton that was as big as a tree.

Looking at the 'forest of bones' stretching for hundreds of meters below, all that remained besides amazement was regret.

This technique looks very expressive, but in reality...
Kimimaro's body suddenly appeared from the skeletons behind him, and the bone whip formed from his spine silently rolled over.

Corpse Bone Pulse: Dance of the Iron Wire Flower!

The bone whip pierced through Li Xia's figure, and Kimimaro, who was preparing to launch a further attack, was stunned for a moment.

"Clone Technique?"

A gloved hand suddenly grabbed Kimimaro's right arm, and blazing white flames instantly burst forth in the palm.

"boom!"

The flames transformed from true qi through the gloves have the property of reducing defense; in reality, this means that even the originally hard bones are burned with tiny cracks.

Kimimaro's body trembled violently, and he was actually pulled out of the bones.

"Okay, stop."

Li Xia waved his hand, stopping Kimimaro from continuing his attack despite the pain.

He took out a bottle of ordinary recovery potion from his personal space and tossed it over.

It was originally a friendly sparring match, not a fight to the death.

The madness in Kimimaro's eyes gradually subsided, his ferocious appearance shrank back, and he returned to being that calm boy.

"cough cough"

He covered his mouth and coughed violently, blood seeping from between his fingers. He swayed weakly for a moment and then collapsed to the ground.

This was also a major reason why Li Xia stopped fighting; Kimimaro's body could no longer withstand the strain.

Although Orochimaru expressed his disdain for Kimimaro's sickly appearance, who really knew?
Looking at the mess before him, Li Xia sent a message to Aowu in the team chat:

"let's start."

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