At that moment, Hikaru Uchiha stood in the sky like a mythical hero descended from legend. His presence reignited hope in the hearts of all who witnessed it.
Those who had fallen into despair now lifted their gazes skyward, awe and reverence filling their eyes.
Zhang Jingqing and Zuo Ruotong emerged from their hiding place, both overwhelmed with emotion as they looked upon Hikaru's radiant figure.
Especially Zhang Jingqing, a man who bore the Tian Shi Du. A wild thought crossed his mind—one he once dismissed as impossible: Could Hikaru truly be a banished immortal, a Xian, walking among mortals?
But Hikaru paid no mind to what others thought.
His reason for acting was twofold.
First—this event hadn't occurred in the original narrative. That meant its appearance was likely tied to his presence in this world.
Second—he had never held any goodwill toward the people of Sakura Country. If they dared provoke chaos, then they would reap what they sowed.
These thoughts flashed through Hikaru's mind in an instant.
Then, with a simple flick of his fingers and a calm command—
"Return."
The suspended artillery shells immediately reversed course, flying back along their original path—only faster.
The Ambush Turns
Far away, in a camouflaged artillery encampment, the Sakura commander Kōko Mekawa sneered as he gazed in the direction of the Lu Clan.
He murmured under his breath, "Ibe-kun, your sacrifice will forever be remembered by the Empire."
Then he turned to a nearby soldier and ordered, "Send the word—two more rounds. We must ensure Ibe's death was not in vain."
The soldier saluted and turned to relay the order—
Only to stop short as a terrifying whistling filled the air.
Instinctively, he looked up.
And his eyes widened in horror.
The artillery shells… were coming straight at them.
"Incoming shells! Take cover!!" he screamed.
But the shells struck before his words could fully leave his lips.
Explosions erupted across the camp like a hellish firestorm.
The soldiers, utterly unprepared for a bombardment of their own position, ran in every direction—there were no shelters, no defenses.
They'd never expected to become the targets.
One shell after another fell, the roaring blasts consuming everything.
Commander Mekawa was thrown across the ground by the shockwave. He tried to rise—only to realize his legs had been blown clean off. Blood soaked his tattered uniform.
"This… this can't be happening!!"
He howled in despair.
He had believed the plan to be flawless. And now—he lay in the dirt, broken and ruined, his forces annihilated.
The God Above
High above, Hikaru hovered in the sunlight, coldly observing the devastation.
There was no pity in his eyes.
Only icy contempt.
When the dust settled, the courtyard survivors looked up with renewed joy and relief.
They were alive.
The plan had failed, yes. But they had survived. And in a world on the edge of death, that was everything.
But the joy was short-lived.
One by one, people began to feel weightless—as if pulled upward by an invisible force.
Panicked cries filled the air.
They looked around—and realized they were all being drawn into the sky.
Every object, every person, was pulled toward a single point.
No matter how they struggled or screamed, they could not break free.
Terror gripped their hearts once more.
Far away, Hikaru remained still.
His gaze sharpened.
He clenched his fist.
In that instant, all the drawn objects and people collapsed inward—compressed into a single point in space.
Time froze.
The pressure was unbearable. The very air trembled with death.
And then—silence.
When all was still again, the artillery encampment was nothing but ash.
The Sakura forces—so proud, so arrogant—had been erased.
Their corpses were twisted and fused into a grotesque heap, unrecognizable.
Recognition and Respect
Though the guests at the banquet had not witnessed this horror, they looked at Hikaru as though gazing upon a god.
Zhang Jingqing took a deep breath and stepped forward.
Then, bowing deeply, he said,
"Younger friend… I was wrong before."
It was a formal apology for his past tests and suspicions.
Had Hikaru not acted today, they would all be dead.
There was no longer any room for doubt.
But Hikaru merely offered a faint smile.
"It's fine. That's only natural."
Zhang said no more.
Zuo Ruotong stepped forward, face full of emotion, eyes shining with hope.
He took a deep breath and asked with trembling voice,
"Immortal… I've long wrestled with a question. Might I ask your guidance?"
Hikaru gave a small nod, signaling him to continue.
Zuo gathered his thoughts and spoke slowly:
"I've long pursued the mystery of Threefold Reverse Rebirth, seeking whether one might return to the Primordial Qi and ascend beyond mortality. Is such a path… possible?"
This was no small question.
It was the very heart of Trinity Gate's foundational art, and Zuo's own lifelong pursuit.
He stared at Hikaru, hanging on every expression and tone.
The Immortal's Answer
Hikaru fell silent in contemplation.
He wasn't an expert in this world's arts—but the Idle Training System had granted him deep theoretical insight.
He understood the core of Zuo's question:
Could Threefold Reverse Rebirth lead to ascension?
The answer was clear.
No.
If ascension were that easy, immortals would not be legendary rarities lost to time.
The technique was clever—returning the body to a state of Primordial Qi. But it lacked balance—focusing only on the body, not the soul.
It was a shortcut.
And all shortcuts demand a price.
Threefold Reverse Rebirth might grant great power… but ultimately, it would return the user to primordial origin—to death.
Hikaru exhaled lightly and shook his head.
"The realm you seek is not one the common man can touch.
Reverse Rebirth is indeed a shortcut… but one that cannot reach true ascension."
His words were gentle but firm.
Zuo's face twitched.
It was a heavy blow to a lifelong dream.
But in the end, he smiled.
Decades of pursuit would not be abandoned by one man's judgment—even if that man was a god.