The hand of Bloodline Manifestation pierced Xiao's chest.
There was no spray of blood, no sound of shattering bones—only an icy sensation, as though his soul had been ripped away. Xiao looked down at the hand made entirely of azure chakra. It was gripping the beating heart within his chest—no, that was not a heart. It was a fiercely burning blue flame, the manifestation of his bloodline core.
"Do you feel it?" Bloodline Manifestation's voice rang in his ear, terrifyingly calm. "This is the true source of your power. Strip away those meaningless emotions, sever those fragile bonds, and only then can you fully control it."
Divine Erosion surged in like a tide.
Xiao's consciousness began to blur. The Bloodline Runes floating throughout the corridor seemed to come alive. They burrowed into his skin and fused into his marrow, every rune carrying cold knowledge—the laws of the universe, the nature of energy, the truth that life was merely a fleeting ripple in the cycle of energy.
Yes, emotions were burdens.
Protecting others was inefficient.
Only absolute rationality could reach the end of power.
Those thoughts took root in his mind and grew wildly. Xiao felt the corners of his lips rise beyond his control—a detached smile, almost godlike, looking down upon all living beings. He looked at Bloodline Manifestation. Reflected in those identical Tenseigan eyes was a face gradually losing all warmth.
"You finally understand." Bloodline Manifestation slowly withdrew its hand, and the blue flame in Xiao's chest throbbed even more violently. "Come. Become one with me. We shall become—"
Before it could finish.
A faint voice pierced through the thick energy barrier of the Bloodline Corridor.
"...Xiao!"
It was Hong's voice.
It was soft, as though coming from somewhere impossibly far away, distorted in the peculiar manner of a