Boom!
Ancient Claw's chin was hit, his upper body shooting straight into the sky like a rocket.
Simultaneously, Ancient Claw's legs, split in two, fled in different directions like startled rabbits.
Law wouldn't let go of the hard-earned opportunity. After palm-striking Ancient Claw away, he immediately twisted his waist, choosing to pursue Ancient Claw's right leg while making two moves.
Recall White General, reclaiming the remaining, more than half-consumed Nen into his body, and released Kuro.
Kuro, after appearing, hadn't even landed before transforming into panther form mid-air, then landed on all fours, chasing after Ancient Claw's left leg like lightning.
As Law reversed his grip and pinned Ancient Claw's right leg to the floor with his blade, within seconds, Kuro in panther form also pressed down Ancient Claw's left leg with a paw.
Meanwhile, Ancient Claw's upper body, slapped into the air by Law, hadn't completely landed yet.
"Checkmate."
Law first looked up at Ancient Claw's upper body high in the sky, then looked down at Ancient Claw's right leg struggling frantically. With a slight thought, he continuously stripped the Aura from the right leg.
Elsewhere, Kuro stopped Ancient Claw's left leg and immediately brought it before Law.
In the previous clash, relying on powerful control and mobility, Ancient Claw turned the disadvantage of his split body into a strong pincer attack. But before making that choice, he hadn't considered the issue of line of sight.
Law precisely targeted this moment, summoning White General to meet Ancient Claw's upper half, while using White General's large body to block the view of Ancient Claw's lower half.
Because his view was blocked, Ancient Claw's lower half paused briefly when initiating the attack. Law seized the opening, threw out his Domain to reduce the lower half's mobility, then delivered a precise slash.
A mistake in choice, coupled with Law's response leaving no openings, caused Ancient Claw, who originally had strong offensive power, to instead be defeated.
While Law continuously stripped Nen from Ancient Claw's legs, far away in the Gatekeeper Clan's territory on another part of the Dark Continent, a group of powerful magical beasts watched the split-screen footage from the True Sight Eye with grave expressions.
This was the second purge operation targeting humans.
The first failed. This second one dispatched magical beasts who were quite formidable members, yet...
"These humans aren't simple," Red Shadow gritted his teeth.
In the footage, Ancient Claw, whose strength ranked high, had his vital points seized. Two other members were actually at a disadvantage, and one was taken somewhere by that human, even the True Sight Eye couldn't spy.
"Where does Ancient Claw's defense rank among us?" A magical beast's tone contained a barely noticeable hint of fear.
"Second?"
A magical beast subconsciously looked at the pangolin-featured companion.
"Second... But that human cut through Ancient Claw's body like chopping vegetables."
"Could it be that rusty long knife at work?"
"Possibly. Perhaps that rusty knife is one of the Legacy Treasures!"
The Legacy Treasures the magical beasts referred to were actually Nen Artifacts left behind by ancient humans.
Before the Gatekeeper Clan's internal reforms, they only maintained the balance between the Dark Continent and Lake Mobius. Although possessing information on many ancient human's ruin sites, they never actively contacted them, let alone touched them.
But they knew within those ancient human ruins sealed for unknown years, many unseen Legacy Treasures were stored.
There existed a group of natives that the Gatekeeper Clan wouldn't interfere with, who had always been searching for Legacy Treasures left by ancient humans, even contacting the Gatekeeper Clan before.
Inside the stone chamber, the Gatekeeper Clan's members' moods were affected by the footage from the True Sight Eye.
Two purge operations kept changing their perspectives.
Humans were far from as weak as imagined.
Precisely because of the hundreds of International Permit Agencies' soldiers brutally killed by Ancient Claw and other magical beasts for comparison, they could deeply contrast the strength of that human from Ink Plain and the humans in the footage.
"Spear Flower, remember to store the footage."
Listening to his clan members' murmurs, Red Shadow's eyes were covered by shadow. He instructed Spear Flower, who was continuously outputting ability, then walked towards the door.
"Okay."
Spear Flower acknowledged, then watched Red Shadow's tall, departing back.
The surrounding clan members also silently watched the departing Red Shadow, none asking about his actions.
Red Shadow left the room, striding through the silver-glowing rock passage.
Soon, he arrived before a pitch-black, deep pit, then without hesitation jumped into the pit entrance, his body rapidly descending in darkness.
After about a minute, he used some method to dissipate the falling force, then landed steadily without much sound.
Upon landing, a pale female voice came from the darkness, speaking the Gatekeeper Clan's language.
"If it were before, you'd be dead already."
"..."
…
Ancient Labyrinth City.
Ancient Claw descended from the sky, landing on a building rooftop fifty or sixty meters away from Law.
His chin was heavily struck by Law, but because Law diverted part of his Nen to maintain White General and the Domain at that time, this attack still didn't cause much damage.
Now, his situation was quite unfavorable.
'Life force... being stripped?'
Ancient Claw watched Law, who showed no intention to attack. Like most enemies affected by God Hand before, he immediately noticed Law's actions and his own changes.
Remove the Nen covering his legs, and the legs might be destroyed immediately.
If not removed, the Nen within him would continuously be consumed.
Assessing the situation, Ancient Claw unhesitatingly removed the Nen covering his legs, relying on his regeneration ability for this choice.
"Oh?"
Seeing this, Law unceremoniously summoned his book, sealing Ancient Claw's legs, now without Nen coverage, into the book.
Simultaneously, looking at the unflustered Ancient Claw, he curiously asked, "You can't regenerate, can you?"
Upon hearing this, Ancient Claw's eyes changed slightly.
'So what if guessed?'
Thinking his legs were sealed in Law's book, he didn't ponder much, believing he should be able to activate regeneration ability now.
However, regeneration ability still didn't work… his lost lower half didn't regrow.
"..."
The flesh on Ancient Claw's cheeks immediately bunched up.
"If so, that's truly regrettable."
As Law's words fell, he stored Kuro into the back of his hand, then charged at Ancient Claw with his blade.
Without the cover of his lower half, within just a few exchanges, Ancient Claw was pinned to the floor by Law's blade.
"Next are the hands."
Law looked at Ancient Claw's angry yet helpless face and said in a flat tone.