Chapter Fifty-Nine: Shiryu of the Rain (First Update)

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"Phew... finally back."

Standing atop the blood-red bird, Shu Mingyuan glanced down at the hellish landscape below, filled with crimson thorns and iron trees. It was from here he had once leapt into the abyss. Now, three months later, he returned by the very same route.

"Slash!"

Suddenly, a fierce strike tore through the sky—a sword beam a hundred meters long, swift as lightning, cleaving mercilessly toward Shu Mingyuan.

"Shave!"

In an instant, he stepped twenty times in rapid succession, his figure shooting upward, leaving the back of the blood-red bird. At that very moment, the massive black sword beam grazed past him, its razor-sharp force slicing fine wounds across his body.

The black sword energy, unstoppable, split the blood-red bird in two, and its momentum did not cease—it crashed down upon the Crimson Lotus Hell, felling over a hundred sword trees at their trunks, leaving smooth, even scars.

Shu Mingyuan stared in astonishment, a chill running down his spine. Had he not escaped with "Shave" just moments before, the sword beam would have cleaved far more than just the bird.

He could tell that the power behind this strike far surpassed the level of a swordmaster. It could easily rip through his current physique; even using Armament Haki for protection would be futile. The intensity of the Haki was nowhere near the force of that blade—he would have been cut down all the same!

Within Impel Down, there was only one with such supreme swordsmanship: Shiryu of the Rain.

Treading on Moonwalk, Shu Mingyuan looked up three hundred meters above, where a man stood, wearing an aviator's cap, a cigar clenched between his lips, exuding a chilling menace. In his hand gleamed a sword, its dark blade radiating a dense, bloodthirsty aura—none other than the second-generation Kitetsu, one of the 21 Great Grade Swords.

Legend had it that this blade was the incarnation of an evil god, possessing power to rival the righteous sword, Ame-no-Murakumo. It was said an evil sword spirit dwelled within, capable of corrupting the mind. Only those stronger than the spirit could wield it; otherwise, they would be devoured, meeting an untimely end.

Regrettably, throughout history, none who bore the Kitetsu had been strong enough to truly master it. Shiryu's murderous tendency, perhaps, was not unconnected to this.

His gaze sharpened—so, it had come to this.

"Heh, interesting brat—you actually dodged my slash. Odd ability; you wield both Haki and the Navy's Six Styles. I suppose I'll enjoy playing with you."

Shiryu's eyes glinted with shadowy menace as he watched the youth ascend swiftly on Moonwalk. With a flick of his arm, the Kitetsu traced a phantom arc through the air. A sword beam, larger than before and stinking of blood, shot toward Shu Mingyuan.

This strike sealed off every path—a fall to the depths or the certainty of being struck.

"Trying to force me down? It's not that easy."

Shu Mingyuan's eyes were grave. This opponent was stronger than any he had faced. To confront him head-on was near impossible, but that did not mean he was powerless to break out.

"Shave!"

"Shadow Dance Leaf!"

His form flickered at high speed—once rising, once shifting laterally—narrowly slipping beneath Shiryu's blade. Yet even so, the sword intent laced in the energy left faint wounds.

Undeterred, he pressed forward toward the first floor above the sea, growing ever nearer.

He and Shiryu stood at opposite extremes—if one was south, the other was north. Many of his techniques could only be fully unleashed with his feet on solid ground.

A hint of surprise flashed across Shiryu's face. The brat had dodged his slash again, judging expertly even with the blade at his back. Such movement was not that of an ordinary man, and to execute it, his body must be near superhuman.

With a final step through the air, Shu Mingyuan landed steadily. He now stood on the first floor above the sea. As long as he avoided Shiryu, he was confident in his escape.

Now, in Impel Down, aside from Magellan and Shiryu, no one could stop him.

Across the Crimson Lotus Hell, Shu Mingyuan exchanged a distant glance with Shiryu. A mocking smile played on the youth’s lips before he turned, slipping into an alley and vanishing from sight.

"So you want to play cat and mouse? Interesting."

Shiryu took a long drag of his cigar, then took out a Den Den Mushi, issuing orders: "Keep strict watch over all surveillance areas. All blue gorillas, disperse and search for the Ghost Hunter. The moment you spot him, report to me at once."

"Yes, sir!"

...

Leaning against a wall, Shu Mingyuan hid in a blind corner on the first floor above the sea. He dared not destroy the surveillance Den Den Mushi; if he did, the monitoring room would pinpoint his location, and then it would only be a matter of shrinking the net to catch him.

"When it comes to hide-and-seek, no one's ever bested me."

He smiled with confidence—he already had a plan for his escape.

His mind sank into the system. He found the A-rank ninjutsu, Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, and redeemed it without hesitation.

Once again, that familiar clarity flooded his mind. Barely a second passed, and he had grasped the full essence of the technique.

This jutsu required an enormous reserve of chakra. Used recklessly, it could drain him dry and bring death. Had it been before, he could not have managed it, but after three months of training and nearly massacring the entire Eternal Ice Hell, his chakra had reached a terrifying level.

He opened his stats—a translucent panel popped up before his eyes.

Name: Mengqi D. Shu Mingyuan
Rank: Junior Ninja
Chakra: (327,236/50,000) — Promotion condition unmet
Justice Points: 263,247
Acquired Ninjutsu: Lightning Style: Chidori, Lightning Style: Chidori Stream, Lightning Style: One Thousand-Year Sharp Spear, Clone Technique, Fire Style: Grand Fireball, Fire Style: Phoenix Fire, Partial Multi-Size Technique, Beast Imitation, Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu
Acquired Taijutsu: Shadow Dance Leaf, Lion Combo
Ninjutsu Points: 1,236
Taijutsu Points: 1,368

These were his current stats. Justice points had soared to 260,000, and his chakra had climbed to a staggering 320,000—ninjutsu and taijutsu values had nearly tripled. This was the true harvest of his journey through Impel Down.

Two hundred sixty thousand justice points in just three months—a feat unimaginable elsewhere. If Water Style jutsu weren’t ten times the cost of other techniques, he’d have loved to flood Impel Down; then the justice points would have shot up even faster.

His greatest frustration, however, was his rank. By rights, reaching the 50,000 chakra cap should have made him a chunin, yet even after far surpassing it, there was no sign of advancement—only a mysterious promotion condition.

He stared, baffled, unable to fathom what the requirement could be.

With a self-deprecating chuckle, he wondered—was he doomed to be a perennial junior ninja with sage-level power, much like Naruto?

ps: [Thank you all for your support—Mengmeng bows in gratitude!]