Chapter 56: One Minute and Seven Seconds

Bai Qinglong's defeat did not surprise Tetsu Takeda at all. He had already gauged Xiao Kaitian’s strength, estimating it to be around the Profound Realm. What did astonish him, however, was Xiao Kaitian’s final punch—the force actually penetrated Bai Qinglong’s body.

External projection of force—this was a technique reserved for masters above the Earth Realm. Had Xiao Kaitian truly reached that level? While fear gripped Tetsu Takeda, envy surged even more fiercely within him.

According to the information, this man was supposed to be a fool. How could he stand before him now, unafraid, and unbothered by the traps he had set?

“Are you an Earth Realm martial artist?” he asked, unable to hold back, the bitterness in his voice clear. This concerned the outcome of the coming fight. “Is your background a fabrication, or have you just been playing the fool all along?”

Xiao Kaitian shook his head. He wasn’t a martial artist—this was a question he’d been asked countless times, and he had no intention of answering. He simply raised his wrist to glance at his Patek Philippe watch. “My time is short. I have someone to save—I suggest you hurry.”

Arrogance—his arrogance was boundless. Tetsu Takeda’s eyes narrowed into a sullen glare. With a wave of his hand, another figure emerged from behind him. Unlike Bai Qinglong, this man was alarmingly thin, his body like a bamboo pole, seemingly devoid of any flesh, his face nothing but skin stretched over bone—a living skeleton.

But it wasn’t his appearance that drew attention. It was the broadsword slung across his shoulder—so massive it was hard to believe someone so frail could wield it with such ease.

Xiao Kaitian’s eyes flashed. Combat strength: 271. The only one he’d seen stronger was Tsuna Hojo. Yet the aura this man exuded was entirely different from Hojo’s. Tsuna Hojo was a swordmaster, his very being suffused with sword intent. The man before him radiated a cold, sinister energy—clearly a master of ninjutsu.

Once again, his opponent’s combat strength and level exceeded his own. Xiao Kaitian assumed a fighting stance. Through several battles with this world’s martial artists, he had learned that, below the Profound Realm, while levels differed, the gap was not insurmountable. Relying on his skills of Insight or Boundary Break, he could cope with such adversaries.

The broadsword plunged into the deck, sinking deep. Its sharpness was obvious. The skeletal man spoke without expression: “I am Kosaka Nikaido, Koga ninja of the Takeda family. I do not kill the nameless.”

His confidence was absolute. He was considered one of the most talented of his young generation of Koga ninja, having taken first place in the Koga’s youth trials for several consecutive years. Once this year’s trial concluded, he was likely to enter the Jonin rank, a dream for all ninja, and become a true core figure.

Even now, just a step away from Jonin, his power corresponded to the peak Profound Realm among martial artists—far beyond the reach of ordinary men.

He raised three fingers towards Xiao Kaitian, signaling: “Three minutes. I’ll need only three minutes to kill you.”

Xiao Kaitian nodded, agreeing with his time estimate. He glanced at his watch again; he’d already been on this ship for too long. If things dragged on, he feared for Harui Sakura’s safety.

“Kill!” Kosaka Nikaido swung his right hand, and the broadsword cleaved through the air, splitting into nine arcs of blade energy—his famed technique, the “Nine Phantasmal Slashes.” He showed no hesitation.

Xiao Kaitian swiftly retreated. The slashes landed, carving nine deep fissures into the deck. Each blade arc was tangible, a testament to true Earth Realm power.

His body moving in a graceful arc, Xiao Kaitian’s eyes flashed with a faint blue light. “Combat Mode Prediction!” The special skill Insight activated.

“Two minutes and thirty-seven seconds left!” Kosaka Nikaido switched to a horizontal slash, sending nine more arcs of energy at Xiao Kaitian. But under the gaze of Insight, his every move was transparent. Xiao Kaitian matched the blade energy, retreating in parallel, and slapped his palm to intercept the only solid blade among them.

As the two forces collided, Kosaka Nikaido’s expression finally shifted. “You can actually discern the real blade?”

“Why not?” Xiao Kaitian sneered. Using condensed blade energy as a distraction was decent tactics—but against an opponent like him, it was pointless.

He paused, then soared forward like a great roc, charging straight at Kosaka Nikaido.

“Suicidal! Seems I won’t even need three minutes,” Kosaka Nikaido sneered, tongue sliding over his lips. That Xiao Kaitian dared attack meant he was eager to die. He switched his slash to a thrust, the massive blade splitting into dozens of beams, sealing off all escape routes.

Xiao Kaitian showed no fear. He weaved through the deadly light like a butterfly among flowers. Blade energy shredded his bespoke suit into ribbons, but failed to draw blood.

Kosaka Nikaido’s pupils contracted. He couldn’t help but shout, “What movement technique is that?”

Xiao Kaitian didn’t answer. It wasn’t a movement technique—just the optimal evasive route calculated after precisely predicting the attacks. Against much stronger opponents, Insight was less useful, but for someone like Kosaka Nikaido, it was a perfect counter.

To blend swordsmanship with ninjutsu might have been a clever idea—or a fatal flaw. In Xiao Kaitian’s estimation, Kosaka Nikaido’s techniques were all flash, little substance. In actual combat, he wasn’t even a match for the Viper. Xiao Kaitian didn’t even bother using Boundary Break.

Less than a minute after the fight began, Xiao Kaitian was already at Kosaka Nikaido’s side—fist flying.

“Block!” Kosaka Nikaido could only drag his massive sword up to shield himself, relying on the blade’s width and thickness to absorb the blow.

He had miscalculated. He’d never imagined his “Nine Phantasmal Slashes” would be so easily neutralized.

The self-confidence he’d nurtured for years cracked in an instant. On the battlefield, a moment’s distraction was fatal, but he’d lapsed, relying only on instinct and defense.

Clang! Xiao Kaitian’s fist crashed into the blade. In an instant, cracks radiated from the impact point, and the entire sword shattered into fragments, scattering in all directions.

“Not good!” For the first time, fear flickered through Kosaka Nikaido. The scent of death enveloped him, and for a split second he froze.

Yet that instant of hesitation was all it took to spell doom.

Xiao Kaitian’s momentum didn’t falter. After shattering the blade, his fist drove into Kosaka Nikaido’s chest. His already emaciated body gave way with a sharp, brittle sound.

“You…” He struggled to turn his head, as if to see Xiao Kaitian’s face clearly, but all that awaited him was the merciless ebbing of life.

With this strike, Xiao Kaitian reduced his heart to pulp, shattering every bone in his body.

From the start of the fight to its end, only one minute and seven seconds had passed. Kosaka Nikaido’s death marked its conclusion.