Old Celestial Master VS Tsukuyomi!

When the Mangekyo Sharingan appeared, Kakashi's heart jolted, and he hurriedly warned, "Senior, do not look into those eyes!"

As a Sharingan user, he knew very well just how terrifying the Mangekyo was. Once trapped in its genjutsu, even a Kage Level expert would find it difficult to break free.

Yet the Old Celestial Master merely smiled faintly, as though he had not heard him. He calmly raised his eyes and met the other's gaze.

The instant their eyes met, he felt a strange force invade his consciousness. His five senses—sight, hearing, touch, and the rest—were swiftly taken over.

Then, with a brief blur before his eyes, everything in his vision underwent a drastic change. It was as though he had fallen into a peculiar space.

The place was pitch-black and dim, as if even sunlight could not penetrate it. Scarlet streams like blood flowed through the air, filling the space with death and silence.

He himself was bound to a cross reeking of decay, unable to move.

The Old Celestial Master raised his brows slightly and said softly, "So this is the illusion you created? It looks quite realistic."

As soon as he spoke, Itachi Uchiha's figure slowly emerged. Walking up to him, he said, "Here, everything is under my control, even the flow of time."

The Old Celestial Master said, "Is that so? It does resemble the inner landscape of a sorcerer, though it seems even more domineering."

After a slight pause, he looked at the other man and continued, "The appearance comes from the heart. Though this place is illusory, it is also the truest reflection of your heart."

Itachi Uchiha's expression shifted slightly at those words. He said coldly, "What are you trying to say?"

The Old Celestial Master continued, "This place is cold, dark, and bloody. It is much like the repression and madness in your heart. Yet even within this darkness, a trace of light still shines through, representing the feeling deep in your heart that you still cannot let go of.

"The one you have never been able to put down should be that boy, shouldn't it?"

Itachi Uchiha's heart trembled slightly. In that instant, he felt as though everything about him had been seen through by the man before him.

Then he shouted sharply, "You talk too much! In my world, you are nothing but a lamb awaiting slaughter!"

As he spoke, a kunai suddenly appeared in his hand, and he drove it straight into the Old Celestial Master's body.

Yet the gruesome scene he had expected never occurred. The other man's face did not show the slightest reaction, as though he had merely stabbed empty air.

The Old Celestial Master said blandly, "Do you wish to judge others? Heh..."

"In a certain faith, such a cross is used to save those who have sinned. Its appearance here means that the one truly guilty, the one longing for salvation, is you."

Itachi Uchiha's expression changed. Looking into those eyes that seemed capable of seeing through everything, his mind fell into a daze.

When his awareness returned, the Old Celestial Master had already broken free of his restraints, while he himself was tightly bound to the cross.

"Th-This, what is going on?!"

He was horrified. Since awakening his Mangekyo, this was the first time he had encountered such a situation. Tsukuyomi had actually failed!

The Old Celestial Master remained calm and said softly, "As I said before, the appearance comes from the heart. When there is no delusion in the heart, all demons and specters naturally have nowhere to hide.

"And since you believe yourself burdened by countless sins, these shackles naturally appeared upon you."

Itachi Uchiha struggled violently with all his strength, but he still could not break free.

The Old Celestial Master shook his head slightly. "Even if you can escape this place, as long as the shackles remain in your heart, you will never find release."

Hearing this, Itachi Uchiha clenched his fists and looked coldly at him. "As expected of a reclusive expert. Truly impressive. You actually used Tsukuyomi to injure me, the caster."

"Why can't you understand? The only person in this world who can truly hurt you is yourself."

The Old Celestial Master let out a soft sigh.

"Ah!"

Itachi Uchiha continued exerting himself with all his might, but even after drawing upon the Mangekyo's power again, he still could not escape its control.

Seeing this, the Old Celestial Master said, "Very well. Since you do not wish to remain here, then leave."

As he spoke, he lowered his eyes and softly chanted:

"The Supreme Lord's stars respond without cease,

Drive out evil, bind demons, preserve life, protect the body,

Wisdom shines clear, the mind finds peace,

Three souls endure, seven spirits never scatter!"

As the Calming Mantra manifested, strands of invisible Dao resonance rippled outward, instantly filling the entire space.

The blood-red clouds in the sky were swept away in an instant, and the darkness vanished as well. Dense cracks tore through the Tsukuyomi space, and in less than a breath, enormous fissures spread throughout it.

Amid sharp cracking sounds, the entire illusion shattered like a mirror.

Everything returned to the real world once more.

"Ah!"

In the forest, Itachi Uchiha cried out in pain. His body trembled involuntarily, his face deathly pale. A streak of bright red blood flowed from his left eye socket. He had clearly been seriously injured.

Using the Mangekyo already placed immense pressure on the eyes, and just now, the Calming Mantra had forcibly shattered the Tsukuyomi space, causing him to suffer backlash.

With both injuries compounded, he had suffered even greater damage. He likely would not be able to use ocular techniques again for some time.

Seeing this, everyone present was deeply shocked. They all knew Itachi Uchiha's strength and understood the terror of the Mangekyo Sharingan. Yet even so, he had still lost—and lost so cleanly and decisively.

Sasuke was completely stunned. He knew nothing about the Mangekyo, Tsukuyomi, or anything of the sort.

From his perspective, the two had merely exchanged a glance, and then Itachi Uchiha had suffered a crushing defeat.

In his heart, Itachi, who had destroyed the entire Uchiha clan, had already been unimaginably powerful. Yet he had never expected someone even stronger to exist—someone who could defeat him with a single look.

At that thought, something stirred in his heart. It was as though he had realized something. He clenched his fists tightly and made up his mind...

Chen Feng smiled faintly. The power system of this world was somewhat strange. Though all kinds of ninjutsu possessed enormous destructive power, and powerful taijutsu could split mountains and shatter rocks, matters of the soul were extremely weak.

That was precisely why genjutsu could be effective, and why the Sharingan appeared so powerful.

The Dao School, however, emphasized cultivating both nature and life, pursuing sublimation at the root rather than mere techniques of slaughter. Thus, one's spiritual consciousness was exceptionally resilient.

The Old Celestial Master had cultivated for a hundred years. His soul power had long surpassed that of ordinary people, and his will was as firm as a rock. Trying to break through his mental defenses with genjutsu was simply impossible.

Though an advanced genjutsu like Tsukuyomi pulled another person's consciousness into one's own soul space, the process was also an invisible clash between both sides.

As long as one's soul was powerful enough, even on the opponent's home ground, one could still reverse the battle and even overturn the entire battlefield...