Chapter 120: The Strange Transformation of Sakai Muramasa

Li Ge held his long sword firmly, an overwhelming aura swirling persistently within him. At this moment, Li Ge exuded the formidable presence of a lone warrior capable of holding off countless foes.

When Muramasa Sakai saw that the figures of Baihu and the others had vanished, his gaze fixed on Li Ge. Muramasa could clearly sense that this man before him possessed only half a step toward divine ranking strength. He sneered coldly and said, "Like an ant trying to shake a tree, you think your half-step divine power can stop me? If you're courting death, then I'll grant your wish!"

With that, Muramasa instantly activated a teleportation technique and disappeared from sight. When he reappeared, he was already in front of Li Ge. Raising his right palm high, an immense force gathered there, which he then slammed fiercely into Li Ge’s chest.

Li Ge reacted swiftly, pushing off the ground with both feet and sliding backwards, but Muramasa did not relent; he pursued Li Ge’s movement relentlessly.

Frowning, Li Ge gritted his teeth and held his long sword horizontally before his chest. Muramasa’s palm struck the blade itself, unleashing a tremendous power that blasted Li Ge backward through the air.

Without hesitation, Muramasa teleported again and appeared above Li Ge, delivering a heavy palm strike that sent Li Ge tumbling midair.

After suffering two brutal attacks in succession, Li Ge coughed up a mouthful of blood as he fell, crashing heavily onto the ground.

Muramasa descended slowly onto a pile of rubble nearby, a cruel smile curling on his lips as he looked down at Li Ge.

A faint cough escaped from Li Ge’s lips. With the sound came another spurt of blood. Propping himself up on his sword, Li Ge slowly stood, his gaze cold as it locked on Muramasa. Bloodied all over, he looked like a demon clawing its way out of the deepest abyss, evoking a sense of dread.

Seeing that Li Ge could still rise despite having suffered seventy percent of Muramasa’s strength, Muramasa furrowed his brow and said coldly, “Your bones are tougher than I thought. Since that’s the case, I’ll break them one by one.”

With that, Muramasa flashed forward, charging at Li Ge.

---

In the distance, the Azure Dragon noticed the situation unfolding near Li Ge but was unable to disengage, the pressure from the two priests bearing down on him was immense.

Watching Muramasa close in on Li Ge, the Azure Dragon shouted loudly toward Xiao Yu’s position, “Boss, rescue Li Ge quickly!”

Before the words had even finished, two terrifying forces struck the Azure Dragon, sending him flying. Just as the Azure Dragon’s attention wavered, Watanabe and Kamikawa seized the opportunity, attacking simultaneously to send the Azure Dragon reeling.

The Azure Dragon’s voice echoed faintly in the void. Xiao Yu, who was locked in a fierce battle with Feng Qingge, was momentarily stunned by the cry. Seizing the brief moment, Feng Qingge’s eyes sharpened, and she struck a heavy blow on Xiao Yu’s back.

A spray of blood rose as Xiao Yu’s body plummeted rapidly from the void. Feng Qingge smiled victoriously. Even Tojo, who had been observing from afar, showed a faint smile upon seeing Xiao Yu fall.

But what happened next wiped the smiles off both Tojo and Feng Qingge’s faces. Xiao Yu’s falling form was perfectly aligned, and he landed squarely within the fight between Li Ge and Muramasa.

Alarmed, Tojo shouted urgently, “Sakai, get away immediately!”

Muramasa, who had nearly reached Li Ge, stopped abruptly at Tojo’s shout and turned his head. What he saw shocked him: Xiao Yu was hurtling toward him like a bolt of lightning.

Feeling the wild, violent aura emanating from Xiao Yu, Muramasa’s face twisted in alarm. There was nowhere to dodge under such pressure.

“No! I can’t die here!” Muramasa howled inwardly. Abandoning his attempt on Li Ge, he clasped his hands before his chest, rapidly weaving intricate hand signs. A powerful aura surged forth from him. Black mist began rising in waves around his feet until a strange, grotesque magic circle appeared, encircling him.

“Damn it! Sakai’s gone mad!” Tojo cursed in disbelief at Muramasa’s transformation.

---

Even the three priests battling the Azure Dragon and Fire Phoenix withdrew instantly upon sensing this formidable aura, regrouping at Tojo’s side.

“My lord, this…” Watanabe and the others looked gravely at Muramasa, seeming to want to say more but hesitating.

“Say nothing. Just watch quietly,” Tojo said with a furrowed brow. The three nodded silently.

With the priests gone, the Azure Dragon and Fire Phoenix hurried to Li Ge’s side, steadying his staggering form before vanishing into the distance. Their gazes fixed on Muramasa and Xiao Yu.

Muramasa was now enveloped entirely by the black mist released from the magic circle beneath him. Xiao Yu, having stabilized his descent, stood poised in the void.

Despite the wound on his back, Xiao Yu’s interest was piqued by the dark force emanating from Muramasa. This power did not belong to Muramasa himself; it carried a strange yet familiar scent.

Frowning deeply, Xiao Yu racked his brain until he recalled where he had seen such power before—on the onmyoji Ampei Seizuka.

Pondering this, Xiao Yu grew curious. The onmyoji was a supporter of the imperial family, yet the shrine priests were at odds with the royal court. That the shrine priests could harness onmyoji-like power complicated matters significantly.

But there was no time for speculation. A violent, overwhelming aura erupted from the ground. As a fierce wind swept through, the black mist surrounding Muramasa dissipated gradually, revealing a monstrous figure shrouded in dark energy before everyone’s eyes.