World's End
"Dead?"
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki laughed.
He was laughing very happily.
"Uchiha Kei, did you really think the one you killed was me?"
He raised his hand, and seven rays of light of different colors appeared in his palm.
Destruction, freezing, burning the heavens, nothingness, judgment, time, space.
Seven rules.
Seven rules that transcend true immortality.
"That 'me' was merely a clone created by the main body."
"The real Ōtsutsuki Isshiki awaits you here."
"We've waited... for over a thousand years."
Uchiha Kei did not run away.
Because he knew he couldn't escape.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki stood before him, surrounded by the oppressive aura of seven different rules.
Behind them, the crack in the sky was slowly healing, but it could reopen at any moment.
In front of him, A-Yi's figure began to become transparent.
"A-Yi..."
"Leave me alone."
A-Yi interrupted him, still chewing on her lollipop.
"I was just a wisp of remnant hope; if I'm shattered, so be it."
But you are different.
"This is the 380th time."
You can't afford to fail again.
She stepped forward, stood on tiptoe, and reached out to touch Uchiha Kei's head.
Just like many years ago, when she first met Jiang Hao in the long river of time.
Go ahead.
"Go to Jiang Hao's place."
"Go and awaken those three thousand warriors."
"Go..."
Her voice grew softer and softer, and her body became increasingly transparent.
"Defeat Him"
As the last word fell, A-Yi's figure vanished completely.
Only a single, crystal-clear tear remained, slowly drifting down into Uchiha Kei's palm.
Uchiha Kei clenched the tear, raised his head, and looked at Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
"It's just the two of us left."
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki laughed.
"Yes."
"For over a thousand years, I've been wondering what it would feel like to meet you, my 'last hope'."
"Excitement? Anticipation? Or an eagerness to kill you?"
He tilted his head, sizing up Uchiha Kei.
"Now I understand."
"I don't feel anything."
"Because you're too weak."
As soon as he finished speaking, he disappeared from the spot.
The next instant, he appeared in front of Uchiha Kei.
He threw a punch.
There were no fancy moves, just one punch.
But wherever the fist passed, space itself was annihilated!
Uchiha Kei did not dodge.
The Blade Intent was concentrated.
The power of the two worlds erupted.
He slashed out with a single stroke.
Boom--
Fist clashed with knife, unleashing a terrifying shockwave.
Uchiha Kei flying backward, crashing through three ruins and leaving a human-shaped dent in the wall of the fourth building.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki stood still, completely motionless.
He looked at his fist.
There was a shallow knife mark on his fist.
"Not bad," he said. "You're the first person to leave a mark on my fist."
"But..."
He raised his hand, and the knife wound on his fist healed instantly.
That's all for now.
His figure disappeared again.
Uchiha Kei burst out of the ruins and slashed to his side with his sword.
When--
It's blocked.
But the immense force sent him flying backward once more.
The Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was like a shadow, and then the second punch came crashing down.
When--
It's blocked again.
The third punch.
When--
The fourth punch.
When--
The fifth punch.
When--
One hundred punches.
Uchiha Kei took a full hundred punches.
Each punch displaced his internal organs.
Each punch caused blood to trickle from the corner of his mouth.
But he did not fall.
They did not escape.
He simply stood there, blocking each strike.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki stopped and looked at him with great interest.
"Interesting."
"You knew you couldn't stop it, so why did you still try?"
Uchiha Kei wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and grinned.
"Because I'm waiting."
"Wait for what?"
"Wait for Him... to open his eyes again."
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was taken aback, then his expression changed drastically.
He suddenly looked up.
In the sky, the crack that had healed split open again.
The illusory image of red and black eyes reappeared.
But this time, it didn't look at Uchiha Kei.
Instead, he looked at Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
"You... have been exposed."
A deep voice sounded.
"As an apostle, you have made unauthorized contact with the container."
"As the loser, you didn't report it immediately."
"As..."
"Enough!"
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki roared, interrupting him.
"I don't need you to teach me how to do things!"
His body radiated seven-colored light, transforming into a pillar of light that shot straight into the sky.
"Three hundred and seventy-nine times, I've stood guard here three hundred and seventy-nine times!"
"Every time, you say it's the last time!"
"Every time, you say it's the last hope!"
"But what was the result?"
"The result is that I've been waiting here like a fool for over a thousand years!"
"What awaited me was a piece of trash who couldn't even withstand a single punch from me!"
He pointed at Uchiha Kei, his eyes filled with anger and resentment.
"I won't wait any longer."
"This time, I'll do it myself."
He turned around and looked at Uchiha Kei.
"Bring it on."
"Use your strongest move."
"Defeat me, or... die."
Uchiha Kei remained silent for a moment, then gripped the Black Blade in his hand tightly.
"Good."
The Blade Intent was concentrated.
The power of the two worlds erupted.
The Third World also began to tremble slightly.
He took a deep breath and slashed out with his sword.
It's not a strike aimed at the Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
Instead, it slashed at... itself.
Puff--
Black Blade pierced through his chest.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was stunned.
"You..."
Blood trickled from the corner of Uchiha Kei's mouth, yet he smiled.
"Three hundred and seventy-nine failures."
"Every time, Jiang Hao was alone."
"So every time, he dies."
But this time...
He pulled out the Black Blade, and blood splattered.
"I am not alone."
Behind him, the river of time emerges.
Three hundred and seventy-nine illusory figures opened their eyes simultaneously.
Jiang Hao.
Three hundred and seventy-nine Jiang Hao.
Everyone looked at him with the same expression.
"The three hundred and eightyth time," they said simultaneously, "Together."
Three hundred and seventy-nine illusory figures simultaneously transformed into streams of light and surged into his body.
Uchiha Kei's aura surged wildly.
Peak of True Immortal.
Breakthrough.
Surpassing even true immortals.
It's still rising.
The three worlds are united as one.
The Fourth World.
The Fifth World.
The Sixth World.
Until the 537th world.
Five hundred and thirty-seven worlds surround me.
Those were the 537 worlds that Jiang Hao created amidst 379 failures.
Every world is a complete universe.
Every world contains Jiang Hao's obsession.
Five hundred and thirty-seven worlds, five hundred and thirty-seven obsessions.
At this moment, it all surged into Uchiha Kei's body.
He opened his eyes.
In his eyes, stars seemed to dance.
"This cut," he said, "Is called Five Hundred and Thirty-Seven."
He slashed out with a single stroke.
Five hundred and thirty-seven worlds descended simultaneously.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's pupils suddenly contracted.
He wanted to escape.
But there's no escaping it.
Because he was already surrounded by 537 worlds.
There is nowhere to escape.
Only accepting.
He roared, and the seven rules erupted simultaneously, transforming into a pillar of light that pierced through the heavens and earth.
Boom--
Five hundred and thirty-seven worlds collide with seven rules.
The world lost its color.
All things Return Ruins.
When the light faded, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki stood motionless in place.
His white robe was already torn.
His long hair had fallen loose.
His face was covered in knife marks.
"A good knife," he said.
Then, his body transformed into countless points of light and vanished.
Uchiha Kei sheathed his Black Blade and knelt on one knee.
Five hundred and thirty-seven worlds have vanished.
Jiang Hao's obsessions also completely disappeared.
Only one tear remained in his palm.
Those were A-Yi's tears.
"Thanks."
He said softly.
I don't know who I'm saying this to.
Or perhaps, it's meant for everyone.
He stood up and looked north.
That was Jiang Hao's refuge.
There are still three days left in the journey.
Eleven apostles were waiting for him.
He strode forward.
Step by step.
Every step shatters the ruins.
Every step leaves a deep footprint.
Day three.
He saw the mountain.
The World's End.