After a few hours, the process was complete, and Tang San's lover, Xiao Wu, disappeared. Normally, absorbing such a spirit bone would take longer, but since it was a sacrifice, the process didn't take much time. The spirit bone was her left leg. I felt numerous changes in my body, but I decided to check on them later.
"Are you alright?" Ning Rongrong asked, concerned.
"Yes, don't worry. It was successful. Thank you for protecting me," I said, grateful.
It seemed she was worthy of my trust. She didn't interfere during my absorption of the spirit bone, which could have weakened me. She could have also commanded her guard to try and kill me for the spirit ring or the spirit bone. Although I had a hidden card for such situations, she wasn't aware of it.
"I noticed when I was speaking to that girl, you wanted to tell me something. You can share it," Enlil said, looking at her.
"Nothing, but don't you think she was pitiful? You could've convinced her without threats. I mean, I understand the value of a spirit ring," she said hesitantly.
"Hmm, that's disappointing. As the young lady of a great sect, you should understand that strength means conquering others. If you act differently, you might get a better result, but usually, things turn out worse and you end up harming yourself. So, when you identify someone as an enemy, you must deal with them mercilessly, or they will return to harm you and cause you trouble." Enlil responded seriously.
"Yes, I understand," she said meekly, her gaze slightly lowered.
"You don't seem fully convinced," Enlil added, emphasizing his words. "Do you realize that if that girl leaves, she could inform two 100,000-year-old spirit beasts, and they would try to kill me, preventing me from going to Star Dou?"
"That's just one of the problems, and there are more. To prove that sparing an enemy is injustice to yourself and brings you trouble, I'll leave her lover, Tang San, whom I intended to kill, so you'll understand the truth of my words." He looked at her sharply, waiting for her reaction.
"But, brother, didn't you promise her you wouldn't kill him?" she asked, confusion clear in her tone.
"Yes, but do I need to keep that just because you mentioned it?" he replied nonchalantly.
"That's exactly what I expected from you, brother."
"Haha, what do you mean by that?"
"Nothing, it's just an observation."
"Alright, we need to leave Soto City to avoid any trouble."
"Where are we going?"
"We're heading to the Sunset Forest."
"We've never been to that area before."
"There's a place there that will help you, so it's better not to ask more."
She nodded and followed me as we left Soto City. The sky was covered with dark clouds, and the scent of rain filled the air. A shiver ran down my spine when I saw someone ahead of me—a figure resembling a beggar with disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes, likely from exhaustion or anger. I recognized him. It was Tang Hao. I'd seen him a few times in the Holy Spirit Village, but I didn't expect him to recognize me, as it had been a long time and my appearance had changed a lot.
I felt a strong urge to avoid him, and as I passed by, I felt relief that he didn't seem to recognize me. But Tang Hao's voice stopped me in my tracks. "Wait, boy, why do I sense my son's spirit aura on you?" Inside, I cursed, "Damn you, you mean your son's spirit ring!"
I gestured for Rongrong to run, but her eyes were filled with confusion. Though the man before us seemed unkempt, they had a titled Douluo with them, but seeing his serious and anxious expression, she fell silent and trusted me. His concern meant this person was extremely powerful.
I turned to Tang Hao, trying to maintain my composure. "What do you mean, sir? I don't concern myself with other people's wives."
Rongrong gave me a blank look.
Tang Hao, slightly embarrassed by how his words had been interpreted, replied threateningly, "Boy, reveal your martial spirit quickly, or you won't survive the consequences." He released his martial spirit, his nine spirit rings lighting up, particularly the ninth, a red spirit ring over 100,000 years old.
Ning Rongrong looked terrified. It was the first time she had seen a red spirit ring, and she felt a danger she had never experienced before. How could I not understand why Tang Hao suspected me? Not much time had passed since I absorbed the spirit ring, and its faint aura still lingered on my body. Tang Hao seemed intent on confirming it. If he discovered that I had the ring, he would kill me.
Suddenly, another figure appeared—Ning Rongrong's guardian, who stood in front of us, saying, "Sir, this young lady is the princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Sect, and the boy is her friend. Could you tell me how they've wronged you? Perhaps there's been a misunderstanding."
"Hmph, do you think to pressure me with your sect's name? I fear no one!" Tang Hao roared angrily.
The guardian frowned, restraining his reactions, already suspicious of the man in front of him. Though he wanted to avoid conflict by leaving Enlil behind, he realized when looking at Rongrong that she wouldn't abandon the boy. While considering knocking her unconscious, he noticed Enlil signaling him to wait.
As for Uchiha Enlil, he knew he was no match for Tang Hao, as one blow would be enough to kill him. But he approached anyway, activating his martial spirit, and shouted, "Run, Rongrong!"
Before she realized what was happening, she felt the guardian pick her up and carry her away. She started screaming, trying to free herself. "Let me go! How can you leave Enlil behind? Return me now, or I'll tell my father to punish you!" And when she saw no point, she screamed in Enlil's direction, "You better stay alive, or I'll never forgive you!"
"I don't know if it's bravery or foolishness, but you dare to stand before me alone. Are you ready to die?" Tang Hao said angrily, focusing his gaze on me, specifically on my fourth red spirit ring, ignoring Rongrong and the guardian.
"Not yet, I still have much to do," I replied confidently, though fear and anxiety swirled inside me.
"Then it's unfortunate, I'll have to kill you and take the spirit bone."
Tang Hao moved forward, grabbing me by the neck. I struck him with a kunai, but it only tore his worn-out clothes. "No use. But before I kill you, I want to know how you made her sacrifice her spirit ring." I didn't answer, but in that moment, I vanished and reappeared five meters away.
"No use." I heard his voice as his hand gripped my neck again.
"It's interesting that you possess a teleportation skill, but I haven't seen you use spirit ring abilities. Is it a spirit bone?"
"No use. Now, answer me, how did you make her sacrifice her spirit ring?" he asked after I tried to attack again, only managing to tear another piece of his clothing.
"Are you sure?" I smiled, trying to show confidence.
"What do you mean, brat?" As he looked around, he realized the piece of clothing I had torn was in the same place I had attacked earlier, but he decided to ignore it.
In that critical moment, Tang Hao sensed something strange and unfamiliar in the air around him. His instincts picked up a troubling signal, prompting him to abandon the idea of forcing Enlil to answer. He decided to end his life swiftly to avoid further complications, trusting his gut feeling. How the girl was convinced to sacrifice the ring no longer mattered. With a swift and powerful motion, he cut off Enlil's head, blood spurting forth.
But suddenly, he found himself in the same spot as before the attack. Looking ahead, he saw me still alive, with no wounds or marks on my neck.
"How did you do that? What kind of skill is this?" he asked, bewildered.
"It doesn't matter. What you need to know is that you're now in my grasp," I said confidently.
"Don't mock me. I'm a titled Douluo. How could I fall for a brat's trick?"
Tang Hao advanced to strangle me again, but I only tore another piece of his clothing before he cut my head off with a single blow, yet found himself in the same situation.
I looked at him and said lightly, "I told you, no use. Give up."
"You wretch! I'll kill you!" he screamed.
About fifteen minutes later, a massive explosion rocked the previous location, with Tang Hao panting in the center of it.
He had successfully broken free from the illusion after detonating eight spirit rings and using his most powerful attack.
Far from the scene, Uchiha Enlil was running at full speed in the direction the guardian had pointed—toward Sunset Forest.
He was clutching his left eye, which, if one looked closely, had turned white without a pupil.
"Damn Tang Hao, he actually forced me to activate Izanami, and I lost my left eye. I didn't even know the ability of this Mangekyo Sharingan."
I'm weak now, but in the future, I swear I'll have my revenge. Suddenly, I sensed something and glanced back. "It seems he's broken free of the Izanami, but he's too late. I'm already far