Chapter 154: A Fatal Blow

"Go ahead."

Ye Tian nodded, his expression grave. Today marked a monumental challenge. If he survived it, he would be a dragon returning to the vast sea; if he failed, he would perish in a foreign land.

If he won, he would return covered in glory. The Dragon Country—at least the hawk faction within it—would throw its full weight behind him, granting him absolute freedom domestically. Any investigation he wished to pursue, including into the formidable Ye family of Kyoto, would proceed unimpeded.

But if he lost...

The ugly, predatory faces of the Japanese imperial household would be bared for the entire world to see, trumpeted far and wide to mock the Dragon Country for years to come! Moreover, the ashes of those hundred fallen soldiers would be left forever in this place—or worse, publicly desecrated by Japan.

Therefore, this battle had to be won!

"Ye Tian, are you ready to meet your end?"

Seeing that the atmosphere had been sufficiently stirred, Iga smiled and turned back to the camera. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Buddha teaches us of the supreme virtue of cherishing life. I would like to grant Mr. Ye a chance. I only wonder if he is capable of grasping it."

"Mr. Ye, I admire you greatly. With your potential, your future is limitless!"

The old man beamed like a spring breeze, speaking at length. "As long as you are willing to take Japanese citizenship and serve the Emperor, I guarantee that not only will you remain safe and sound—"

"The Emperor will even grant you the exact same status as mine!"

"What do you say?"

The status of Japan's First Shadow?

As soon as these words were uttered, every Japanese person watching the live stream drew a sharp breath. Was this actually a joke?

One had to understand that Mr. Iga's position in Japan was one of absolute reverence. Aside from the direct imperial bloodline, anyone who saw him was required to bow deeply, not even the Prime Minister excepted.

In other words, if Ye Tian agreed to submit, all of them would immediately have to bow in prostration before him?!

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

For a moment, the live stream, crowded with nearly ten million viewers, erupted as if a nuclear bomb had been dropped into its midst, unleashing monstrous waves of shock.

"Unacceptable! Absolutely unacceptable!"

"This Ye Tian committed flagrant murder on Japanese soil. According to the law, we should arrest him and lock him away for ten thousand years!"

"I hate Ye Tian! I refuse to kneel to him!"

"Mr. Iga, please reconsider!"

Iga's expression remained calm and serene, unfazed.

His reason for making this offer was simple: he was already over ninety years old, and the current generation of Japanese warriors was suffering from a severe drought of talent, with hardly a single promising successor in sight. The veterans of the older shadow-tier generation were all of an age similar to his, facing their twilight years with little time left.

If a successor was not secured soon, Japan would likely find itself unable to lift its head before the international community in the future.

A genius like Ye Tian...

No, calling him merely a genius was no longer adequate. He was already a fully formed powerhouse, standing on the exact same tier as Iga himself. In time, he could even become a supreme hegemon!

If such a person could be reeled in, the balance would shift: Japan would wax, and the Dragon Country would wane. That was precisely what the Emperor desired most of all!

"Is that so? Those terms actually sound quite good."

Hearing this, Ye Tian nodded thoughtfully, as if he were genuinely weighing the opponent's proposition.

Could this brat actually be thinking of accepting?

Aside from Iga, the remaining Four Shadows, and every single Japanese viewer watching the broadcast broke out in a cold sweat. If this kid really became a Shadow, wouldn't he turn Japan completely upside down?

Don't! Please, absolutely not!

Tens of thousands of people screamed in silent terror behind their screens.

"Too bad I decline."

Phew...

For some inexplicable reason, the moment those words left his lips, everyone felt a wave of relief.

"Good. I've been dying to kill you anyway! Ha!" Musashi's roar voiced the inner thoughts of everyone present.

"Kill him! Kill him!"

Deafening shouts echoed from all around.

"Since that is the case, we have no choice but to let weapons do the talking." Iga let out a heavy sigh of resignation, his figure instantly dissolving into the air like wisps of smoke.

Koga, who had remained silent all this while, suddenly flared with bright light and likewise vanished.

"Prepare to strike!"

Musashi, the King of Sumo, let out a mighty roar, his entire body coiled like a spring ready to release. Beside him, the samurai楠木 (Kusunoki) drew his legendary blade—Kiku-ichimonji!

The final combatant was Great General Amaterasu-no-Mikoto, representing the shrine and serving as a descendant of the current imperial lineage, fighting directly on behalf of the throne!

The three of them stepped forward in wooden geta, the rhythmic *clack-clack* echoing through the surroundings as three terrifying phantoms lunged at Ye Tian from three distinct angles!

Swept up by the violent shockwaves of energy, the onlookers dared not remain close, scrambling back to the very periphery and silently watching the collision of those dark shadows.

"There's no aesthetic value to this at all!"

Ito Ze stood dumbfounded, his heart gripped by terror. This was truly the combat of martial arts supreme masters—it was so fast that there wasn't even an opening to learn from them.

From Ye Tian's perspective, however:

A ferocious fist hurtled toward his face. He caught it with one palm, his body swaying to neutralize the momentum, redirecting the devastating force off toward another direction.

By sheer coincidence, Kusunoki, who was rushing in with a sweeping slash, stiffened. Unable to check his momentum in time, he took that redirected fist square in the face and was sent flying backward through the air.

Musashi offered a sheepish expression:

"Apologies, that wasn't intentional..."

"Nonsense, of course I know it wasn't!" Kusunoki cursed foully as he scrambled up from the ground, raising his sword to rejoin the fray. But by now, half his face was swollen to a grotesque, bruised hue of purple and red.

Musashi's punch was simply too violent; a single blow had shattered his protective aura.

Before that skirmish could settle, another offensive was already underway.

A sky-full of kunai rained down from all directions, targeting every vital acupuncture point on Ye Tian's body. They struck with a flurry of metallic clangs, only to be completely halted by his defensive aura.

"He's blocking it purely with his aura? That's possible?!"

Amaterasu-no-Mikoto was dumbfounded. This was his ultimate technique; every single kunai was coated in a virulent poison designed to dissolve true qi, meaning the moment protective qi made contact, it should have shattered instantly.

Even Iga would have had to rely on evasion footwork!

Where was the logic in simply tanking it head-on?

The worst part was that the bastard actually pulled it off...

Unacceptable, utterly unacceptable.

Amaterasu-no-Mikoto fell into a spiral of self-doubt.

Ye Tian sneered inwardly. This wasn't some ordinary protective aura; it was the Golden Light Incantation of Mount Longhu, a defensive spell driven by primordial breath, naturally immune to mere vulgar poisons.

Still, this constant darting harassment was undeniably annoying. He needed to deal with it first...

Noticing that only three opponents were currently visible, Ye Tian's brows twitched slightly.

The two strongest ones were still lurking in the shadows, keeping their eyes locked on him. The moment he revealed an opening, they would materialize and deliver a fatal strike.

First things first, he needed to take care of the one throwing projectiles.

With that thought, Ye Tian flicked his wrist, his form transforming into a streak of light as he instantly materialized directly behind Amaterasu-no-Mikoto.

A razor-sharp, chilling flash of blade-light sliced through the air.

A round head went tumbling out of the battlefield!

"Whoa!"

The surrounding spectators burst into immediate cheers.

So fast! Had Ye Tian already been slain? As expected of Japan's shadow-tier powerhouses—before them, this Ye Tian was nothing more than a head of cabbage ready for harvest!

"Too strong! The shadow-tier masters are the hope of Japan!"

"Ye Tian is nothing more than a clown performing on a stage!"

The media reporters cheered wildly into their cameras!