Rocky scanned his surroundings, but Ging was nowhere to be seen.
The Guidance Arrow had shattered, signaling that Ging was supposed to be here. Although Rocky hadn't precisely determined the Guidance Arrow's range during development, its margin of error shouldn't be significant.
In other words, Ging should be within his field of vision.
Suddenly, a vortex appeared in the air, materializing in Rocky's blind spot. A fist emerged from the void, heading straight for Rocky's head.
Rocky's eyes narrowed as a powerful sense of danger surged through him.
At the same time, an intense wave of Nen energy erupted.
*Sneak attack?! This is bad!*
**Snap!**
The surrounding crystals shattered, scattering into countless fragments. The impact propelled Rocky over ten meters, landing him at the center of the temple.
The gust from Rocky's forced movement extinguished the lone candle, plunging the space into darkness. Now, only the faint glow from Rocky's Phantom Swords illuminated the temple.
"Hey!"
A shadowy figure emerged from the darkness, visible under the light of Rocky's Nen weapons.
Rocky's brows furrowed. Glancing at the remaining three Phantom Swords rotating around him, he thought, *The attack just now broke one of my Phantom Swords! Thankfully, it's not permanent. I can reform it, but it'll take about a minute.*
The Phantom Swords were designed to resist attacks, but Rocky hadn't anticipated someone destroying one with a single strike.
If this opponent maintained the same pace, Rocky estimated he'd only withstand four attacks before all his Phantom Swords were rendered useless.
Grasping the **Dragon King Sword**, Rocky prepared for battle.
The destroyed sword had been the **Wise King Sword**, a more versatile choice for confined spaces. However, with no better option, he stuck to the Dragon King Sword.
The remaining
**Demon King Sword (Yaksha King Sword)**
and **Flying King Bow** hovered around Rocky in their crystalized forms.
The shadowy figure's eyes glimmered with interest.
*Conjurer abilities… this is intriguing!*
Suddenly, Rocky split the Dragon King Sword into four smaller blades, two in each hand, resembling short weapons.
*His weapons can transform?*
Before the shadow could process further, Rocky hurled one of the swords. The speed was incredible—far faster than a bullet.
Sensing the danger, the shadow's Nen flared to life, illuminating the entire temple.
**CRACK!**
The ground beneath the shadow collapsed into a pit, and the resulting gust of wind reached Rocky's face. The pressure left no room for hesitation—Rocky couldn't even track his opponent's movement.
**POP!**
Rocky's figure disintegrated into crystals, vanishing just as the shadow's attack struck.
The shadow froze momentarily before spinning to face Rocky, who had reappeared behind him.
"Hey~!"
Rocky threw two of the Dragon King Swords in an arc, aiming for his opponent from two different directions.
The swords spun rapidly, creating sharp, glowing trajectories in the air.
The shadow leapt upward, narrowly avoiding the blades as they severed a temple pillar. The sheer destructive force momentarily surprised him.
But Rocky was relentless. As the swords struck the pillar, he teleported near it, grabbing the weapons and launching another attack.
Two more Dragon King Swords joined the fray, forming intersecting arcs that blocked all escape routes.
Suspended in the air, the shadow appeared cornered.
*Let's see how you dodge this!*
Before the attack could connect, the shadow unleashed three hastily-formed Nen bombs. The explosions altered the swords' trajectories, allowing the shadow to escape. However, one blade grazed his chest, tearing his clothes as it soared into the temple's ceiling.
Rocky didn't miss a beat. He teleported once again, snatching the sword from the ceiling. Channeling his Nen, he aimed a concentrated strike directly at the shadow's head.
The shadow landed and looked up just in time to see Rocky poised for another attack.
"Humph!"
The shadow snorted, irritation evident. He didn't dodge. Instead, he leapt toward Rocky, channeling immense Nen into his fist.
The temple trembled under the force of his kick-off, and the shadow burst through Rocky's coordinated assault. He punched the incoming Dragon King Sword, his Nen overwhelming the energy Rocky had infused into it.
*He's figured out the energy distribution in my attack?* Rocky thought, startled by his opponent's precision.
The Scarlet Eyes activated, burning brightly.
Rocky grabbed the hilt of the Dragon King Sword, pouring all his Nen into it as he collided with the shadow.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze.
Both combatants understood that this clash wasn't just physical—it was a battle of Nen mastery. Whoever held the greater resolve and control would triumph.
Rocky had the advantage of a weapon, but his opponent's raw Nen was overwhelming.
As their energies collided, sparks illuminated the temple, revealing the shadow's face.
*It's him!*
Rocky's expression shifted to a mix of realization and irritation.
"This guy… is Ging!"
Ging's eyes widened momentarily before recognition set in.
"The Kuluta tribe…?"
He muttered, connecting Rocky's Scarlet Eyes to their infamous heritage.
Ging initially thought Rocky was someone who had come to steal the ruins, but he quickly realized it was a misunderstanding.
"Kid, stop! This is a misunderstanding!" Ging shouted.
Rocky hesitated briefly, but it was too late to retract his attack.
**CRACK!**
The Dragon King Sword spun at high speed, drilling into the temple floor. It burrowed nearly 100 meters into the ground before coming to a halt.
Rocky landed gracefully, eyeing Ging, who appeared slightly shaken but unharmed.
Fortunately, he changed his direction a little at the last moment
At the same time, Ging was truly amazing and managed to block it.
Not only did he block it, but he also skillfully adjusted his posture to subtly alter the trajectory of the burst of his Nen energy, instantly deflecting Rocky's Dragon King Sword.
"You're pretty amazing to have deflected that," Rocky remarked with a faint smile.
Ging exhaled heavily, his relief evident. Despite the misunderstanding, his admiration for Rocky's control over his Nen and his resourceful combat techniques was clear.
"You're not bad yourself, kid," Ging replied, brushing dust off his shoulders.
*That control… it's on another level,* Rocky thought, slightly annoyed by Ging's nonchalant demeanor.