In the Tsukuyomi realm, Xu Wenwu found himself immobilized, helpless as the crimson moon in the sky slowly descended upon him, crushing his mental and spiritual will bit by bit.
The agony of having his consciousness shattered and reformed repeatedly was unbearable, each second feeling like an eternity.
Outside, the Akatsuki members observed the scene. To them, it seemed as if Xu Wenwu had suddenly faltered and dropped to one knee, just as Hidan's triple-bladed scythe grazed his face, leaving a bloody cut.
Despite Xu Wenwu's efforts to dodge, he couldn't completely evade the attack, and for the first time in many years, he found himself physically and mentally wounded.
Enraged, Xu Wenwu growled, "You have truly angered me."
The Ten Rings on his body began to emit a bright blue light, illuminating the entire mountain range. It looked as though he was about to unleash his most powerful attack.
However, before Xu Wenwu could act, he suddenly staggered, coughing up blood. The Ten Rings, which had been floating around him with menacing energy, fell to the ground. The overwhelming power he had been preparing to unleash dissipated.
"You... How is this possible?" Xu Wenwu gasped in disbelief.
It turned out that Hidan, after obtaining Xu Wenwu's blood with his scythe, had immediately activated his Curse Technique.
He had drawn a ritual circle on the ground with a triangle inside it, then impaled himself through the heart with a spear. Hidan's twisted laughter echoed as he performed the ritual, transferring the fatal damage to Xu Wenwu.
"Ha ha ha ha!" Hidan cackled maniacally.
"Xu Wenwu, your soul is now a gift to Lord Jashin. A thousand-year-old life, and it's the first time I've sacrificed someone this powerful to the Evil god!"
With those words, Hidan pulled the spear out of his own heart, a move that further exacerbated Xu Wenwu's injuries. Xu Wenwu coughed up another mouthful of blood before collapsing to the ground, powerless.
Though the Ten Rings had granted Xu Wenwu longevity and immense power, they did not make him immortal.
With his heart pierced, survival was impossible. As he lay on the ground, his gaze fell upon the Ten Rings, and he reached out weakly, trying to summon them back to him. But he no longer had the strength.
In his final moments, he saw a vision of his wife, Ying Li, beckoning to him. With that, Xu Wenwu took his last breath, his outstretched hand going limp.
Meanwhile, Hidan lay within his ritual circle, feeling an overwhelming surge of power coursing through him—stronger than any he had ever received from a sacrifice.
"Thank you, Lord Jashin, for your blessing!" Hidan exclaimed, knowing he had to remain in the circle for thirty minutes to complete the ritual, as required by the Jashin religion.
The other members of Akatsuki, familiar with the effects of Hidan's rituals, watched with calm indifference.
However, they couldn't help but notice that this time, the increase in Hidan's strength was particularly pronounced. They knew that the stronger the person sacrificed, the greater the benefit Hidan received.
Uchiha Itachi appeared before the Ten Rings, but instead of grabbing the equipment directly, he retrieved a sealing scroll and carefully sealed the rings inside.
As for Xu Wenwu's corpse, Itachi did not overlook it; for a ninja, even a body could hold numerous secrets worth investigating.
Charles Doyle, watching from the rooftop, was pleased with the Akatsuki members' performance. The group's coordinated assault had left Xu Wenwu with no chance to retaliate.
Xu Wenwu's defense had been exceptionally formidable—he had endured multiple powerful attacks, including Itachi's Tsukuyomi, without fully breaking. If not for Hidan's unexpected curse, who knew what more he could have unleashed.
As Charles pondered, Itachi suddenly appeared in front of him, handing over the scrolls with a respectful demeanor. "My lord, here are the Ten Rings you requested."
Charles nodded approvingly and took the scrolls from Itachi.
"Well done. I'm very pleased with your performance."
He then turned to the others and said, "We've got what we came for. Let's retreat."
Upon hearing Charles's command, even Hidan, who had been lying on the ground, got up. With a puff of smoke, the Akatsuki members disappeared from the scene.
Once the area was quiet, Tony Stark finally emerged from his hiding spot.
When they left, he noticed that Itachi had glanced in his direction before disappearing, likely aware of his presence.
Tony had encountered Itachi before, back when he was still loyal to Konoha and accompanied Charles. He had been a quiet, reserved boy back then, but now his power was terrifying.
Tony wasn't sure if Itachi had spared him out of indifference or because they had met before, but the whole incident left Tony deeply shaken.
The events in New York—the alien invasion, Asgardian gods, ninjas, rogue ninjas, and the ever-looming threat of the Hell Dimension—were all overwhelming his mind.
He looked around at the now-destroyed Ten Rings headquarters, feeling a sense of confusion. Just then, Jarvis's voice broke the silence. "Sir, the Mark 42 suit is approaching."
Tony looked up to see the Mark suit flying toward him and stretched out his arms as if to embrace it. The suit descended, fitting perfectly onto his body. Once fully equipped, Tony surveyed the area one last time before taking off into the sky.
As he flew, Tony instructed, "Jarvis, hold off on deploying the other two suits for now."
"Understood, sir."
"Connect me to Charles Doyle's virtual line."
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