Xu Ruogu's rapier darted once again toward Shanter's nape, but Shanter leaned forward just in time, narrowly evading the fatal thrust.
"Restrain!"
Suddenly, numerous arms sprouted from Xu Ruogu's body, immobilizing his limbs and torso, binding him tightly.
For Shanter, more than half of his current lifetime had been spent alongside Robin. Their bond was so strong that their thoughts often aligned seamlessly. How could he not seize such a golden opportunity? Bracing his left hand against the ground, Shanter spun mid-air, delivering a spinning kick aimed squarely at Xu Ruogu's abdomen.
Xu Ruogu easily shook off Robin's restraining arms with a casual effort. Yet, in the fleeting moment of freedom, Shanter's kick landed.
To Shanter's shock, the kick—strong enough to incapacitate a Sea King—felt as if it had struck a mass of cotton, completely absorbing the impact. A powerful counterforce rebounded, forcing him back. Although Xu Ruogu was sent flying more than fifty meters, he emerged unscathed, save for a slightly disheveled appearance.
As expected, Xu Ruogu quickly rose to his feet.
"Feel that? This is my family's secret internal cultivation technique, the Tai Xu Secret Manual. Its strength lies in dissipating force," Xu Ruogu said, brushing the dirt from his clothes. "My internal energy is nearly perfected. Against blunt force, I'm essentially immune. The counterforce you felt? That's nei li [internal energy]." He sneered. "Not that you'd understand, you primitive! Speed and strength alone are hardly impressive."
Before Xu Ruogu could finish his mocking, Shanter had already launched himself into the air, slashing horizontally at Xu Ruogu's waist with unparalleled speed, his movements nearly imperceptible.
The moment Shanter neared, Xu Ruogu vanished without a trace.
A chill surged up Shanter's spine as danger loomed behind him. Without hesitation, he dove into a roll, dodging another thrust of Xu Ruogu's rapier.
"Is this... a Spatial Fruit?" Shanter asked, steadying himself with Huo Tian in hand.
"Correct. What you just saw was spatial displacement," Xu Ruogu confirmed. "Now, let me show you spatial folding."
"Blossom at his feet!" Robin shouted, summoning arms from the ground beneath Xu Ruogu to grab his legs and halt his movements.
"Cross Slash!"
Shanter seized the opportunity Robin created, sweeping Huo Tian in an airborne cross motion. The energy slash surged toward Xu Ruogu like a gliding hawk.
"Spatial Shield!" Xu Ruogu remained calm, drawing a circle in the air with his right hand. A black ring materialized, swallowing the explosive energy of Shanter's attack.
"Tempest Kick!" Xu Ruogu lashed out casually, breaking free of Robin's restraint with a gust of wind sharp as blades. Robin, unable to counter the force, lost control of her conjured arms.
Though Robin was the most skilled at utilizing a Devil Fruit among the four combatants present, her lack of physical combat prowess placed her at the bottom of the group in terms of overall strength.
"Shield!"
Huo Tian spun in Shanter's hands, creating a massive circular shield of blinding blade shadows that deflected Xu Ruogu's Tempest Kick.
"Nico Robin, it's best if you stay out of this!" Xu Ruogu said coolly before turning to Shanter. "Primitive, now witness spatial folding!"
Xu Ruogu sheathed his rapier and drew a blue-glowing, razor-sharp triple-edged military dagger. With a forceful thrust into the void, the blade tip seemed to vanish into thin air.
Before Shanter could process what was happening, his body reacted instinctively, performing successive backflips.
As he flipped, Shanter noticed that the ground where he had stood moments before bore multiple deep puncture marks, all from the dagger.
A wave of relief swept over him. Had it not been for his near-supernatural reflexes, Shanter would've been struck—and that dagger's lethal poison was unmistakable.
Xu Ruogu chuckled, genuinely impressed. "You dodged that? Impressive, truly impressive!"
Despite the praise, Xu Ruogu continued to manipulate the triple-edged dagger, forcing Shanter to dodge continuously without any chance to counterattack. Their roles from Shanter's earlier battle with Lu Qi were now completely reversed.
Meanwhile, Robin found herself engaged in a separate clash with Lu Qi.
Normally, Robin's abilities would be vastly outclassed by Lu Qi's overwhelming strength and skill. However, Lu Qi had already been gravely injured by Shanter in their prior encounter. Even though he had taken restorative drugs, his body couldn't recover fully, and Robin now had the upper hand, pummeling him relentlessly.
As for Shanter, his situation was dire.
Xu Ruogu's Spatial Fruit abilities allowed him to manipulate space within a 50-meter radius effortlessly. Against Shanter's incredible martial arts, Xu Ruogu relied on spatial displacement to evade or pursue, covering distances of nearly a kilometer in the blink of an eye. Furthermore, his spatial shields could redirect Shanter's ranged attacks with ease.
Shanter's God of War Fruit granted him unparalleled physical prowess, but against Xu Ruogu's instantaneous spatial control, even his incredible speed and strength were rendered moot. Xu Ruogu's mobility outmatched even legendary figures like Kuma, Kizaru, and Enel.
Unless Shanter could surpass Xu Ruogu's reaction time, victory was impossible.
Unlike Shanter, Xu Ruogu retained his memories from Earth, where he had been an elite member of China's Dragon Group. He possessed not only a superior cultivation technique but also years of combat experience and tactical insight. Combined with his mastery of internal energy and impeccable swordsmanship, Xu Ruogu was nearly invincible—even in a head-on clash with Shanter.
"Xu Ruogu!" Robin suddenly called out.
Her voice momentarily disrupted Xu Ruogu's concentration, allowing Shanter a brief respite. Yet, instead of launching a counterattack, Shanter used the opportunity to recover his stamina.
"What?" Xu Ruogu glanced toward Robin and noticed Lu Qi lying unconscious at her feet.
Though Xu Ruogu remained calm on the surface, anger surged within him. In this world, Lu Qi was more than a brother to him; they had grown up together. Their bond rivaled that of Shanter and Robin.
If Shanter had seen Robin similarly defeated, his rage would've been boundless.
Xu Ruogu, though colder and more composed than Shanter, was no less furious. Without a word, he slashed the air lightly with his dagger. Robin cried out as a sharp pain shot through her arms, forcing her to withdraw them instantly.
In a flash, Xu Ruogu appeared beside the unconscious Lu Qi, cradled him in his arms, and vanished once more into the void.
"Brother, don't push yourself too hard. Leave it to me."
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