Chapter Twenty-Six: Mass-Produced Ninjas

Just like a passerby who has nothing to do with wind or moonlight, no one cared about the appearance of this old man—indeed, no one had even noticed his presence. A gust of wind swept by, and the old man vanished, as if he had never stood upon that icy precipice at all.

Meanwhile, Hua Feng and his companions plummeted downward for nearly ten minutes before finally reaching the base of the glacier cliff. Just before landing, they drove ice spikes into the nearby wall to slow their descent. Proceeding cautiously forward, they soon encountered a fork in the path. According to their prior agreement, they split up to explore, each pledging to act within their abilities and prioritize their own safety while striving to complete the mission.

Compared to the howling blizzards atop Frostwind Mountain, the wind here seemed almost gentle and tranquil. But that was only by contrast with the mountain's frigid summit; compared to most places on Earth, the chill here would still be unendurable for ordinary people.

Hua Feng teamed up with Xiao Meng, while Wang Yue, Bai Feng, and Shuang Ning formed the other group. As they advanced, they inevitably encountered a sudden, dense fog and a series of towering boulders that, while seemingly arranged at random, actually concealed subtle patterns. Moreover, the sudden mist did not appear to be a natural phenomenon.

Such obstacles might have been effective against ordinary special forces or scouts, but now they faced not only a mid-tier King of Origin like Hua Feng and Xiao Meng, but also Wang Yue, who had reached the twenty-seventh level of mid-tier King of Origin, Bai Feng at the peak of the same realm, and Shuang Ning, already late in the twenty-sixth level and on the verge of another breakthrough. Against such a formidable team, these minor formations were woefully inadequate.

Hua Feng steadied his mind, channeled his true energy, and extended his spiritual sense. With the aid of the "Soaring Dragon Art: Formations Chapter," he quickly located a safe exit. Though he had only grasped less than a third of this unparalleled technique, it was already enough to see through and unravel such illusory barriers.

He sent a message to Xiao Meng to follow him. Soon, the two of them emerged from the mist and arrived before a sheer cliff. This glacier, towering a thousand feet high, must have taken countless years to form, yet there was no time to marvel at nature’s wonders—they needed to find the entrance to the hidden base.

Xiao Meng's inner strength surpassed even Shuang Ning's. With her innate affinity for ice and snow, she sensed traces of an artificial barrier beneath the glacier. Though meticulously concealed, such flawless barriers were ironically more vulnerable to those with powerful spiritual senses.

As Xiao Meng hesitated over her next move, Hua Feng seemed to be struck by inspiration. He turned, gave her a mysterious smile, and said, "Xiao Meng, do you remember watching Journey to the West when we were children? You must recall Sun Wukong’s abilities. Among his seventy-two transformations, there’s one where he turns into a wisp of smoke to escape the Golden Brocade of the Yellow Browed King. We can’t manage anything quite so extraordinary, but if we combine our strength, we should be able to break through this barrier. Let’s channel our energy into a single point, transform it into a diamond drill, and pierce a passage through the barrier at its weakest spot."

Xiao Meng agreed—it was a good idea. Together, they condensed their energy into a crystal-clear drill, and slowly, along a thin seam in the barrier, began to carve open a breach.

After about ten minutes, they finally made their way inside. Finding a secluded spot with few people around, they were startled by the scene before them: they appeared to be in a high-security prison, and directly opposite them stood the real Onizuka, flanked by over a dozen formidable ninja.

“A friend from afar is always welcome. Welcome to the empire’s underground kingdom—Purgatory.” Onizuka, looking entirely in control, greeted them with a wild laugh, putting his full dominance on display.

Hua Feng could not help but sigh inwardly: Damn, we’ve walked right into a trap. He exchanged a glance with Xiao Meng, both forced to smile bitterly at the obvious snare.

Compared to Hua Feng and Xiao Meng’s predicament, Wang Yue, Bai Feng, and Shuang Ning fared somewhat better. After finally breaking through into the sealed barrier, they were first met only by a handful of not-so-powerful ninja guards.

Though it was odd that their movements had been detected, the rapid succession of more than ten skirmishes left the wise Bai Feng and the steady Wang Yue with no time to ponder the cause. Enemy after enemy emerged, leaving Wang Yue frustrated—where had so many ninja come from, and why did they all seem to find him? He could only hope Hua Feng’s group was having better luck.

Before Wang Yue could voice his complaints to Shuang Ning and Bai Feng, a flurry of razor-sharp shuriken whistled toward them from all directions, murder in their wake. As Wang Yue prepared to shield Shuang Ning and block the attack with his energy barrier, Bai Feng, who had been silent until now, finally moved. Forming a strange seal with her hands, the very air around them seemed to solidify. Vortices appeared in the air, ensnaring every incoming weapon and halting their progress completely.

All of this occurred in an instant. Shuang Ning, still holding Wang Yue’s hand, stared in shock at the suspended weapons, her heart brimming with admiration for Bai Feng.

As Bai Feng released her technique, the weapons, their momentum drained, clattered harmlessly to the ground. The sudden danger was resolved as quickly as it had appeared.

“Where did all these ninja come from?” Wang Yue, drawing closer to Bai Feng with Shuang Ning and taking up a defensive posture, voiced his confusion.

Bai Feng understood that, although they didn’t seem to be facing insurmountable obstacles, the fact that they were being checked at every step—and still had no idea where the enemy was truly positioned—meant that the longer this dragged on, the worse their odds became. But she had no ready answer for Wang Yue.

“Let’s keep moving forward. Whatever awaits us, we’ll have to face it. I suspect we’ll have answers soon enough.”

“For now, that’s all we can do.”

“Let’s go. Stay alert, everyone. It seems the end of this passage is just ahead,” Shuang Ning whispered, seeing a faint light in the distance.

Sometimes, what you see with your eyes is only the surface; many things are not as simple as they appear. The ninja surrounding them now appeared weak—at least, weak compared to Bai Feng and her companions. Yet these seemingly insignificant opponents, using what amounted to mere tricks, managed to delay some of the most outstanding young masters of their generation for a full hour in a single corridor.

Under such circumstances, the three of them grew increasingly intrigued. Though, due to the events of decades past, ninja were now able to cultivate, it was their first time encountering such adversaries who could actually hinder King of Origin-level experts.

Time slipped by. After half an hour of relentless advance, the trio finally emerged from the trap-laden glacier passage.

Standing at the exit, even they struggled to remain composed at the sight before them.

A dense formation of fully armed ninja filled their vision. Most striking of all, from the aura they exuded, every single one was a high-level King of Origin. Such numbers, such strength, made them wonder if these foes had been manufactured in bulk—there must have been at least a thousand.

Just as Wang Yue was considering retreat, a glance at the crowd changed his mind. At the far end, he saw several familiar figures: Hua Feng, Xiao Meng, and the real Onizuka (not the copy Bai Feng had imitated earlier). Judging by appearances, Hua Feng and Xiao Meng were being held captive.

Beside him, Bai Feng also spotted Hua Feng. Her heart tightened, and her fists clenched reflexively. She knew that an almost unwinnable battle was about to begin.