Chapter 111: Vital Energy Drain
Crack, crack, crack…
Facing the sudden onslaught of Deep Forest Emergence, the Third Raikage didn't panic. His Hell Stab – One-Fingered Spear pressed forward relentlessly, piercing through every tree that blocked his way.
"Come, Li Yao! Let me see how pure your Wood Release is compared to the God of Shinobi!"
The Third Raikage felt a rush of excitement. Li Yao's Wood Release gave him the same shiver he felt when facing Hashirama. The Lightning Chakra Armor surrounding his body grew more condensed and refined; his reaction speed and movements grew even faster.
The towering trees were unable to halt his piercing assault.
"Impressive."
Li Yao couldn't help but acknowledge the strength of the Raikage's One-Fingered Spear. It truly deserved its title as the strongest spear—his Wood Release couldn't block it.
However… the true power of Wood Release wasn't its defense, but its terrifying ability to absorb chakra and control the battlefield.
BOOM BOOM…
Li Yao controlled the trees to attack from the sides and entangle the Raikage.
Forced to stop for the first time, the Raikage didn't dare to let himself be caught. Even if Li Yao's Wood Release wasn't on Hashirama's level, it couldn't be taken lightly. If the trees latched on, he wasn't sure if his Lightning Chakra Armor could resist the chakra-draining effects.
It wasn't something he wanted to test.
Crack, crack… The Raikage darted and flashed like a bolt of lightning, weaving through the forest of attacks. Countless trees were severed mid-trunk as he moved.
"Remarkable!"
Li Yao marveled again. The Raikage's strength exceeded his expectations. Even with him controlling trees from every direction, the Raikage remained composed and unscathed.
Though he couldn't get close to Li Yao, Li Yao couldn't do anything to him either.
That man was like a bolt of lightning—unstoppable and destructive, yet agile beyond reason.
If not for the sheer number of trees summoned by Deep Forest Emergence, they wouldn't have even been able to slow him down.
"In that case… let's add Vajra Chains and Black Iron Chains into the mix."
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Li Yao made a hand seal, splitting into four shadow clones, intending to use them to coordinate Black Iron Chains and Vajra Chains in a joint assault on the Raikage.
However—
Pfft…
THUD!
The moment the four clones appeared, Li Yao's body reacted like an overinflated balloon suddenly deflating, then swelling again. He collapsed to the ground, spitting a mouthful of blood.
Huff… huff…
Clutching his nearly exploding chest with one hand and bracing himself with the other, he panted heavily, blood rapidly pooling around him.
Li Yao's eyes were filled with confusion. He had thought creating four clones would distribute the massive chakra and relieve the pressure on his body.
But when four-fifths of his chakra were suddenly expelled, his body didn't ease up—instead, with its restrictions removed, it instinctively began replacing the lost chakra.
It did so by forcefully drawing massive amounts of physical energy from his cells, worsening his condition.
His hair instantly turned gray-white, and wrinkles appeared on his twelve-year-old face.
The Gate of Death was not only a seal on chakra, but also a life gate restricting physical vitality.
Now that it was fully open, the latent life energy deep in his cells poured out uncontrollably. Any reduction in chakra prompted his body to automatically extract more life force to compensate.
This—
This was clearly burning his lifespan.
Buzz…
His mind reeled.
It wasn't just his body—his soul suffered as well.
A portion of it was converted into enormous spiritual energy, which then fused with his remaining physical energy to regenerate chakra.
In that moment, both his body and soul took critical damage.
His control over Deep Forest Emergence faltered for just a split second—
But that was all the Third Raikage needed.
In a flash, he closed the 300-meter gap and arrived in front of Li Yao.
"Got you!"
His One-Fingered Spear—an ultra-condensed chakra lightning lance—pierced straight toward Li Yao's chest, and the Raikage smiled in triumph.
The Eight Gates were powerful…
But their side effects were no joke.
Especially in a young body like Li Yao's, and one that had already opened the gates once before. Even with Wood Release's regenerative chakra, it was impossible to avoid damage.
This was the moment he'd been waiting for.
Victory was at hand.
SZZZZZZ!
Suddenly, a flash of black lightning erupted—Li Yao's shadow clone on the left side kicked the Raikage hard in the stomach.
BOOOOM!
The Raikage was sent flying.
At the same time, another clone activated Vajra Chains—countless golden chains burst from the ground to bind the Raikage.
The two other clones rushed to Li Yao's sides, grabbed his arms, and leapt into the sky. Black Iron Chains trailed behind, lifting them even higher.
"You won't escape!"
The Raikage shouted, unwilling to let the real Li Yao get away.
But with the Gate of Death open, even the clones had superhuman reflexes and speed.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to intercept him earlier.
Two clones remained on the ground—one controlling the Vajra Chains, the other maintaining Deep Forest Emergence to suppress the Raikage.
"Damn it…"
The Raikage had no way to pursue. He could only watch as Li Yao ascended, landing on the back of the Black Iron Eagle and flying off.
The thick forest eventually blocked his vision. He didn't see that Li Yao was heading toward the Raikage's subordinates.
"Quick! Kill the one controlling the summoned eagle!"
In the sky, atop the eagle, the white-haired Li Yao had recovered somewhat and urgently ordered the shadow clone.
He didn't even need to speak—the clone sensed his desperation.
Whoosh… The clone leapt down, while another stayed behind to protect Li Yao as they flew away.
On the eagle's back, Li Yao closed his eyes and used all his focus to control the acupoint chakra and seal off the Gate of Death.
Acupoint chakra, derived from acupoint space, naturally suppressed and restricted chakra flow.
This was why Li Yao dared to open the Gate of Death—he believed he could use acupoint chakra to seal it again afterward.
But he had not expected the Gate's effects to be so terrifying.
With the limiters gone, his body was like a faucet with no valve.
Whether he needed it or not, his life force continued to pour out, his soul steadily dissolving—
Until nothing was left.
Now, he was trying to reattach the faucet using acupoint chakra.
But the flow was too strong. His improvised seal wasn't as powerful as the original, and he couldn't fully suppress the Gate.
"I have to end this fight quickly, retrieve all my clones, and find a place to completely immerse myself in closing the Gate of Death with acupoint chakra.
Only then might I be able to seal it again."
(END CHAPTER)
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