"Quack quack~"
The night's nighthawks called out, occasionally swooping through the dense forest, rustling the leaves as they passed.
A chilling wind blew through, shrouding the moon in a veil of clouds and mist.
The dark night, the high winds, the perfect setting for a deadly encounter.
Uchiha Zhiruo emerged from the shadows with a sinister smile, strolling leisurely towards Ye Chen, his gaze condescending as he looked down upon him.
Ye Chen remained calm, his expression stoic and resolute.
"Boy, you've come here to meet your doom. If you dare to provoke my Uchiha clan, you'll pay with your life. You're just a powerless foreigner, you can't afford to offend us."
Uchiha Zhiruo's voice dripped with malice as his pupils transformed into a menacing shade of scarlet, with the three tomoe Sharingan spinning eerily.
"Enough of your chatter!"
Ye Chen made his move. In a flash, he was at Uchiha Zhiruo's side, a powerful kick aimed at him.
"Armament Color: Hardening!"
His body bent like a drawn bow, and his punch turned into an iron-hardened weapon.
A sonic boom echoed through the air, and the surrounding atmosphere was thrown into disarray.
Uchiha Zhiruo, confident in his Sharingan's predictive abilities, watched with ease.
In his eyes, Ye Chen's speed was slowed, a mere blur.
However, the outcome was quite different from what he expected.
"Boom!"
Their fists collided, and the clash sent shockwaves through the air, snapping fragile trees like twigs, which toppled in a cascade.
Both opponents retreated, but Ye Chen remained steadfast, like an unyielding rock. Uchiha Zhiruo, on the other hand, staggered back several steps, his arm burning with pain.
In a sense, he had fought against a human fortress!
Ye Chen had the upper hand in this exchange, and he wasted no time launching another attack, this time with a whip-like kick.
His legs were still enveloped in the hardening of the armament color, and his kick was relentless.
From a distance, the arc of his kick resembled a crescent moon's slash, fierce and unrelenting.
Uchiha Zhiruo realized the folly of directly confronting Ye Chen, opting instead to use the Body Flicker Technique to evade the attack.
"Boom!"
Ye Chen's hardened whip-leg struck nothing but air, but the force of his kick had been so immense that the ground beneath it had shattered, forming a massive crater.
This was the essence of Armament Haki: enhancing strength and defense.
As a result, Ye Chen's physical prowess surpassed that of most ninja.
Uchiha Zhiruo, staring at the massive pit, broke out in a cold sweat.
He couldn't match Ye Chen's sheer power. What a terrifying talent!
As the battle raged on, Ye Chen's strength grew even further. His unique power seemed to intensify, making him even more formidable.
Uchiha Zhiruo was aware of the perilous situation. In a contest of physical strength, he had no chance of victory, and his arms were already aching from the previous exchanges.
Ninjas primarily relied on their ninjutsu, and their physical strength was rarely their forte. However, Ye Chen had gradually become an exception, his unique power granting him unrivaled physical strength.
He couldn't continue like this; he would be worn down to exhaustion!
Ye Chen didn't concern himself with Uchiha Zhiruo's thoughts. Instead, he launched another attack.
Uchiha Zhiruo, forced into a corner, struggled to defend himself. However, Ye Chen's ferocity only seemed to grow stronger, and Uchiha Zhiruo found himself overwhelmed.
Ye Chen was relentless, attacking relentlessly. Uchiha Zhiruo was outmatched and overpowered, his arms taking a beating.
Ye Chen's formidable physical strength, coupled with his mysterious power, was proving to be an insurmountable challenge.
"No, at this rate, I'll be worn down to nothing!"
Uchiha Zhiruo, realizing he was at a disadvantage, made a quick decision. He activated a powerful ninjutsu to create distance between them, forming a series of seals before unleashing his technique.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
He inhaled deeply, his abdomen contracting, and then he exhaled forcefully, releasing a massive fireball.
Compared to the Uchiha clan's fireball technique, this one was twice as powerful.
However, Ye Chen had already reached Level 2 Armament Haki, enhancing his physical and defensive capabilities.
"Watch me extinguish it!"
"Armament Color: Hardening!"
This time, it wasn't just his fist but his entire arm that hardened into obsidian.
"Profound Truth: Iron Fist!"
With a fierce battle cry, Ye Chen transformed into a speeding arrow, launching a devastating iron fist.
Uchiha Zhiruo sneered, thinking it foolish to attempt to counter a fireball with a bare hand.
"Boom!"
The hardened, armed-colored fist collided with the massive fireball, sending ripples of dark Haki energy surging outward.
The world seemed to hold its breath as even the red and orange flames of the Great Fireball dimmed in the presence of this overwhelming force.
This was the power of Haki!
Level 1 Armament Haki merely hardened the body, enhancing strength and defense. However, Level 2 Armament Haki allowed its user to create a Haki field, a tangible aura that affected the world.
With further mastery, Haki could develop even more destructive capabilities.
The space froze at the moment of impact, with the armed-colored fist at its epicenter. Ripples of black Haki energy radiated