Chapter 53: Simply Outrageous

While Dongye You and Xianglin were talking, the people by the Bliss Box had not stopped their actions.

Longtong rushed toward Wugou, but several elders from the Grass Ninja Village were even faster, their target being the Bliss Box.

If Wuwei could fulfill his wish to see his son, what about their own desires?

Their hearts, filled with craving, no longer bothered to question Wugou's strange behavior. Moreover, in their minds, with a little caution, Wugou could not possibly harm them.

Shouting feverishly as they ran, they drew nearer to the Bliss Box—but then, a sudden change occurred.

"Ah!" Wugou suddenly clutched his head, howling in pain. His skin appeared to split open, revealing beneath it black, feather-like things.

At the same time, his body began to swell rapidly.

Dongye You glanced over, knowing Wugou was about to transform into "Wu."

Wu was a monstrous bird, fifteen to twenty meters tall, winged and grotesque.

The chamber within the mountain cave was not high, so soon, the creature Wugou transformed into grew taller than the ceiling itself.

A thunderous noise erupted as the stones above, blocking the monster, were forced apart, sending chunks of rock tumbling down.

"Sir, it looks like this place is about to collapse," Kakuzu said anxiously beside him.

As his words faded, the entire chamber shook violently, terrifying booms echoing from every direction.

With a crash, the passage at the chamber’s entrance—already weakened by Dongye You’s earlier destruction—collapsed first.

Wu, the monstrous form of Wugou, kept expanding; at this rate, the collapse of the entire chamber was inevitable.

"Ah!" Xianglin cried out, "Sir, be careful!" Kakuzu shouted from the side.

A massive stone fell from above, right toward Dongye You and his companions.

But at that moment, Dongye You had already drawn his blade.

The gleam of the blade flashed, and the enormous stone was sliced cleanly in half, the two pieces landing on either side.

As the stones hit the ground, dust billowed, leaving Xianglin and Kakuzu shaken.

Truthfully, Dongye You had not anticipated the current situation. He had thought Wugou's transformation would be just that—a transformation; who could have guessed it would bring the entire chamber to the brink of collapse?

Judging by the state of things, even if Wugou stopped his transformation now, the collapse would continue.

Given that...

"Brother, what should we do now?" Xianglin asked fearfully.

Kakuzu also looked to him.

"Don't worry," Dongye You reassured them, then, as if remembering something, said,

"Have you ever heard the story of the Magic Lotus Lantern?"

All around was chaos and noise, but Dongye You’s expression remained calm. The wind stirred by falling stones lifted strands of his hair, lending a strange allure to his face, intentionally made unattractive.

Xianglin and Kakuzu involuntarily calmed themselves.

Their composure contrasted sharply with the nearby panic of the Grass Ninja elders.

"No," Xianglin replied.

Dongye You continued, "There was a boy named Chenxiang. His mother was trapped beneath a mountain by the gods, so he traveled far to learn many arts. When he returned, he split the mountain open—utterly absurd."

"Why is it absurd?" Xianglin asked instinctively, and Kakuzu was equally puzzled.

"Tell me," Dongye You said, still in that calm tone, "What did the mountain do wrong, to deserve being split open?"

With that, Dongye You began to swing his blade.

It was a simple stroke—no dazzling lights, no wind, fire, water, or thunder—but Xianglin and Kakuzu sensed from him an overwhelming pressure.

This pressure seemed stronger than the oppressive weight of the mountain above them, threatening to collapse.

Dongye You’s blade was aimed directly at the mountain overhead, and it felt as if two forces collided.

The chaotic noises continued, but Xianglin and Kakuzu could only gaze upward.

There, a narrow light appeared, like a slash—so was it the blade’s gleam?

No, it was sunlight!

The slender gap grew wider, the light brighter, and through that brilliance, Xianglin and Kakuzu saw the sun.

The sunlight dazzled their eyes; after blinking, when they opened their eyes again, they realized that the entire mountain had been cleaved in two.

The split mountain did not topple to either side, which defied reason—it simply became two mountains, and the cavern they had stood in became the bottom of a vast gorge.

"Isn't it utterly absurd?" Dongye You’s calm voice sounded again.

But this time, Xianglin and Kakuzu were at a loss for words.

Dongye You curled his lips into a slight smile, saying no more. He sheathed his blade and resumed his healing arts.

That single stroke had been a kind of experiment for him: combining his [Blade Arts] skill with others, he infused transformation skills into the technique, altering the material of the mountain where the blade struck—thus, its power was so immense.

Otherwise, with his current level 5 [Blade Arts], splitting a mountain in one stroke would have been impossible.

But no matter what, he had now achieved the feat of cleaving a mountain with a single blade.

Such a stroke, in the eyes of Xianglin, Kakuzu, and even the Grass Ninja elders, was no different from the acts of gods; perhaps even the legendary Sage of Six Paths was only so extraordinary.

But at this moment, the Grass Ninja elders had no chance to marvel at it, for Wu had completed his transformation and began seizing people at the Bliss Box’s command, stuffing them inside.

The first to be caught was the Tiger-Head Elder; as Wu grabbed him, his hood fell off, and Dongye You noticed he was none other than Lord Chiyan.

Amid shrill screams, he was thrown into the box, followed by the other three elders. They tried to flee, but failed; Wu seemed able to predict their every move. They attempted to fight back, but, without exception, were overpowered and soon thrown into the Bliss Box as well.

Meanwhile, Longtong finally snapped back to her senses, making the wisest decision—she ran towards Dongye You.

"Sir, can you... can you turn Wugou back?" the white-haired girl asked, almost pleading.

Dongye You glanced at Wu, who seemed to want to rush over but hesitated.

"I can."

For Dongye You, turning Wugou back was simply a matter of slicing away the parts tainted by evil—a straightforward task.

"Then... please, I beg you, save Wugou," Longtong pleaded, as if grasping at a lifeline.

Dongye You felt no particular dislike toward Longtong or Wugou, so he replied, "I am a wandering ninja. I do not help for free, but I do accept commissions."