Chapter 193
When Zixu transformed into a dragon, even Mukade sensed something was wrong. He moved his fingers swiftly, shooting purple chakra threads from his fingertips. Although surprised, he wasn't particularly worried.
"The dragon vein gives me endless chakra. In this place, I'm invincible. I'm basically a dragon myself..." Mukade laughed wildly, his fat body trembling with amusement, making him look like a walking pork belly.
"Die." Zixu didn't waste time talking. Once hostility was confirmed, he focused solely on killing the opponent.
Several lightning orbs condensed in front of the dragon's mouth, while flames wrapped around Zixu's massive dragon body, forming a blazing fire dragon. Wind blades spun around its surface like dynamic, ever-shifting dragon scales.
The wind blades sliced through the air, and the flames' high temperature only fueled the wind's power. The synergy of wind and thunder created an even more destructive thunder orb, and soon, the entire underground was filled with the terrifying form of Zixu's dragon.
Mukade's body also began to change. He dropped to all fours, multiple arms bursting out from his sides. His face twisted grotesquely, hair falling to either side as he revealed a pale, emotionless expression. No longer Mukade, he revealed his true form—a monstrous centipede puppet.
All the surrounding puppet fragments began to stir under his control. Like a magnet, the centipede attracted the fragments to itself. In seconds, a colossal centipede, equal in size to the dragon, emerged underground. Its blade-like legs gleamed dangerously, and streams of purple poison sprayed from its flanks. Its upright head bared sharp fangs as it lunged at the dragon.
Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Minato Namikaze immediately took Princess Sara away. Right now, their top priority was shutting down the dragon vein. He instructed his teammates to assist Zixu while he got Sara to safety.
"Princess Sara, the situation's critical. You're the only one who can close the dragon vein—please!" Minato and Sara vanished in a yellow flash and reappeared in a deeper part of the underground chamber.
Minato retrieved his kunai from the ground. Sara, though still in shock, nodded firmly. She no longer wanted to be manipulated like a puppet—she wanted to prove her worth.
Minato handed her a marked kunai for safekeeping, then rushed back to the battlefield.