Chapter 324: Death, You Chose It Yourself
In the instant he sent Ōtsutsuki Isshiki flying, Uchiha Dali didn't stop there—he immediately chased after him again.
It only took a heartbeat before he had already caught up to Isshiki.
The latter's pupils contracted sharply as Uchiha Dali appeared before him.
At that very moment, Isshiki's body erupted with a surge of chakra, releasing a blade-like shockwave of devastating power.
This move was insidiously timed, meant to strike only when the opponent came directly before him.
For an ordinary person, getting hit by it would mean serious injury if not outright death.
But Uchiha Dali, as though he had already foreseen it, merely smiled faintly and mocked, "Aren't you just a despicable, shameless piece of trash yourself?"
Isshiki was momentarily stunned.
Then, realization struck him, and his eyes widened in disbelief. "You… you can read my thoughts?"
Even as he spoke, his attack landed on Uchiha Dali.
Yet just like with the earlier black chakra rods, the feedback he felt upon impact was like striking solid steel.
That dull metallic sound left Isshiki deeply unsettled. He instinctively glanced again at Uchiha Dali's body.
This time, he finally understood what was happening.
He saw a thin layer of black energy covering Dali's body surface, already fading rapidly.
If not for his sharp observation, he might not even have noticed it at all.
"Was that layer of energy what blocked all of my attacks?"
"But there was hardly any chakra fluctuation… what is this ability?"
Isshiki's heart wavered with unease.
The more he clashed with Uchiha Dali, the more he realized that this man's secrets were countless.
Not only was his strength absurd, but his abilities emerged one after another, overwhelming to face.
He understood now that continuing the fight was meaningless.
Even if he went all out, it would likely be a wasted effort.
Thus, Isshiki once again considered fleeing.
But at that moment, Uchiha Dali sneered, "Run away when you can't win—that's your specialty, isn't it?"
"You bastard…"
Isshiki knew again that his inner thoughts had been read.
That made him all the more fearful.
It was terrifying enough to face an opponent stronger than you, with more abilities, each superior to yours.
But an opponent who could also peer into your heart at will?
That was like fighting a god.
Inevitably, Isshiki thought of Ōtsutsuki Kyōshiki.
That man had likely already reached, or even surpassed, this level.
If Uchiha Dali could be compared to someone like that—what was the point of fighting?
With that thought, Isshiki ignored Dali's taunts and immediately activated Yomotsu Hirasaka.
But at the same time, he also used Sukunahikona.
His body shrank down to a size invisible to the naked eye and darted toward the open dimensional gate.
Seeing him attempt to flee, Uchiha Dali let out a cold snort. "You think you can leave before we've settled our score?"
"As if it were that easy!"
With a wave of his hand, a mass of chakra exploded outward, blasting the rift in space apart.
The dimensional gate shattered, and Isshiki's escape plan crumbled with it.
Moreover, the aftershock from Dali's strike forced Isshiki out of his shrunken state, making him reappear.
"Damn it, what the hell do you want?"
"You're already this powerful—surely you don't even consider me a threat! Why insist on pushing me to death?"
For the first time, Isshiki showed fear.
His arsenal was limited.
Divine sealing arts were ineffective against this opponent, and not suitable to use now anyway.
Sukunahikona, Daikokuten—they were useless here as well.
Hand-to-hand combat? He was completely outmatched.
Simply put, he was being crushed on every front.
"Your threat is too great. That's why I must limit your freedom. Two choices—what will you pick? I'm curious."
Uchiha Dali spread his hands with a relaxed smile.
"What choices?" Isshiki asked warily.
"Become my slave—or die."
"..."
Neither choice was one Isshiki desired.
But facing Uchiha Dali's overwhelming power, he had no choice but to consider them.
His gaze flickered to the Divine Tree still growing rapidly nearby.
A bold idea took root in his mind.
For now, perhaps the only option was to feign cooperation with Uchiha Dali.
If he could soothe this man's suspicions, then once the Divine Tree bore fruit and he consumed it, he could evolve to the next stage.
At that time, he would no longer need to fear Uchiha Dali.
But the instant that thought arose, he regretted it.
Because it had come to him naturally, beyond his conscious control—he couldn't stop it.
And he knew very well that Uchiha Dali could read thoughts.
And this ability required no physical contact.
Even at a distance, it worked.
When he lifted his eyes nervously, sure enough, Uchiha Dali was staring at him with a half-smile.
"Gulp…"
Isshiki swallowed unconsciously, a sense of dread filling him.
And then, as expected, Uchiha Dali sneered, "So, you've chosen death."
"In that case, I'll grant your wish."
Without hesitation, he attacked.
This time, he used one of the Rinnegan abilities.
"Universal Pull!"
Isshiki tried to flee, but his body was bound by an irresistible force, not only preventing escape but dragging him helplessly toward Uchiha Dali.
"Killing me—what good will it do you?!" Isshiki struggled desperately.
Dali snorted coldly. "You'll know soon enough."
As he spoke, he unleashed the new ability he had recently mastered.
"Heavenly Devour and Refine!"
He yanked Isshiki closer, and when the latter was only about five meters away, Dali activated the technique.
In an instant, Isshiki's body began melting at a speed visible to the naked eye.
He stared in horror at himself. "You… what is this power?!"