Chapter 190
At that critical moment, a blond man wearing a peculiar mask suddenly appeared beside Zixu, like a flash of light.
Zixu didn't initially notice the man's appearance—the speed was far too fast.
"Who are you?" Zixu narrowed his eyes at the masked stranger, holding his spiked mace tightly and showing no sign of lowering it.
"There are too many puppets here. They might interfere with our next move. Let's get out first," the man said gently. His voice felt like winter sunshine, warm and calming, with a refreshing blend of lemon and sea breeze.
"Don't worry, I mean no harm. You can't handle this many puppets alone—just trust me and let's leave first."
He repeated the offer, and in the next moment, two more figures appeared beside him.
"Mushikui no Jutsu!" (Bug Eater Technique!)
"Hakke Kūshō!" (Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!)
The sudden appearance of the two men repelled the surrounding puppets. Clouds of black insects and chakra strikes, dense as a downpour, created a temporary safe zone.
The blond man then teleported Zixu and the others using a mysterious technique, instantly relocating them to a quiet, secluded structure.
He knelt and pulled out a kunai embedded in the ground. Zixu immediately recognized its unique design—it was identical to the kunai used in the sealing ritual earlier. That's when he remembered.