"What immense pressure!"
Tsunade couldn't help but fall to one knee, a mouthful of blood erupting from her lips.
Jiraiya, enduring the strain, shielded Naruto tightly behind him.
A bead of cold sweat slowly traced a path down Uchiha Itachi's forehead.
Within his eyes, the Mangekyo Sharingan began to spin.
"Mr. Itachi, can you handle this?"
Beside him, Kisame gasped for air, struggling even to lift his head.
The dense sea fog dispersed.
The muscular Gonggong, shirtless, slowly floated into the air, his eyes filled with a divine radiance.
His obsidian-black hair cascaded over his shoulders in the wind.
"Is this the vastness of the prehistoric era, Gonggong's divine might?!"
Kisame stared at Gonggong in the air, his legs going weak, unable to stand.
Su Mu looked at Kisame with a wry smile. "Scared yourself into peeing?"
A trickle of blood flowed from Kisame's lips. He tightened his grip on Samehada, absorbing the chakra stored within to maintain his strength.
Shock Value +1000!
Shock Value +5000!
Shock Value +700!
Shock Value +1057!
...
In this ink-painted void, the system's notifications of rewarding shock value had never ceased to reach Su Mu's ears.
The patrons were nearly petrified, their current shock beyond description.
Jiraiya took a step, laboriously walking to Tsunade's side and helping her up. "Hang in there..."
"But speaking of which, I am quite interested in this Gonggong's body..."
Jiraiya and Tsunade heard this familiar voice and turned their heads.
They saw Orochimaru, casting off his black robe, approaching. He looked up at Gonggong, his lips smacking greedily.
"Orochimaru, why are you here too?"
Tsunade's face was filled with surprise. Jiraiya pulled her back instantly. "Stay away from him, he just killed the Third Hokage!"
Orochimaru chuckled wryly. "Jiraiya, is there a need for such animosity upon meeting?"
Suddenly, Uchiha Itachi walked over.
"If this were genjutsu, I should be able to sense it..."
"But the Mangekyo Sharingan cannot see through the essence of this world!"
With that, two blood streaks slowly flowed down his cheeks.
A cluster of black flames suddenly appeared on Gonggong's body.
"Amaterasu!"
"It's Amaterasu..." Seeing the black flames, Kisame showed a hint of a triumphant smile.
To his surprise, Gonggong merely flicked his hand, and the Amaterasu flames were instantly extinguished!
"What!"
For the first time, Uchiha Itachi felt the opponent's terrifying power.
Amaterasu could burn everything to ashes, yet this man had extinguished it with his bare hands!
"He has a physical body, yet I cannot inflict any damage upon him!"
"Could it be that this is not genjutsu!"
As soon as Itachi finished speaking, Jiraiya and Tsunade prepared to use various means to dispel the genjutsu.
But no matter how they tried, the scene before them remained unchanged.
This meant that the place they were in was indeed the ancient prehistoric land that Su Mu had spoken of!
A tempest of shock surged through their hearts.
Kisame regretted it; dying in a battle within the ninja world would have been a hundred times better than this feeling!
The sight of Gonggong and the apocalyptic scene before him had shattered his inner resolve.
"Kabuto..."
Orochimaru grabbed the unconscious Kabuto.
"Let me test the strength of this body!"
With Kabuto's assistance, white smoke rose from the ruins.
"Lord Orochimaru... What do you require..."
Upon its appearance, Manda surveyed its surroundings.
When it saw Gonggong, its body couldn't help but tremble, feeling as if the blood within it was boiling.
"What is this place... How can there be someone so powerful..."
Jiraiya and Tsunade, seeing Orochimaru's summoning jutsu, simultaneously bit their fingers and slammed them onto the ground.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
Two plumes of white smoke rose.
Gamabunta and Katsuyu appeared simultaneously.
"It's the Legendary Sannin!"
"They've appeared at the same time!"
The tale of the Sannin had spread throughout the ninja world, and many had heard of it.
Thus, they were recognized on the spot.
"I never thought the three of us would reunite in such a manner... to fight together..."
Orochimaru said with a forced smile.
Jiraiya snorted. "I'll settle the score with you regarding the Third Hokage later! Let's subdue him together first!"
Su Mu, sitting on the ground, couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Are these three people insane?"
Behind Gonggong, a hundred birds paid homage to the phoenix, and the waves of the sea roared.
A slanting sun shone upon his powerful physique as his strength coalesced!
Tsunade's expression changed dramatically. "What... what kind of existence is this!"
Already possessing regenerative abilities, she now eagerly activated the Hundred Seals Technique!
Seeing Tsunade's reaction, Jiraiya was astonished. "Even you cannot withstand his attack?"
Tsunade nodded slightly, her expression solemn. "His power... is enough to destroy the heavens and annihilate the earth!"
"Manda, attack!"
As Orochimaru commanded, Manda twisted its massive body and charged towards Gonggong.
Seeing this, Jiraiya and Tsunade quickly followed.
The three of them and three beasts charged towards Gonggong in a formidable wave.
At this very moment, Gonggong, the Water God, suddenly raised his head, his body emitting a radiant glow. In the next second, he raised his right arm.
A lightning bolt streaked across the sky, and his enormous arm pierced through the clouds, descending rapidly. It slammed towards Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru.
Boom!
A muffled thunderclap echoed from the sky.
Everyone instinctively looked around.
The waitstaff in the tavern were still pouring wine for them.
Gonggong had vanished, and the prehistoric land was gone.
In the blink of an eye, they were back.
Jiraiya was still seated in his original position.
As the three of them returned, they simultaneously took a deep breath.
"What... what happened?"
"Was that... a dream?"
Everyone looked at each other, utterly bewildered.
Uchiha Itachi and Kisame remained standing by the doorway.
However, the difference was that Kisame now looked at Su Mu with reverence.
"Was it genjutsu..."
Tsunade hesitated, then asked doubtfully.
"No, I don't think so. At least, the feeling was real."
Jiraiya rubbed his hair with frustration. It wasn't genjutsu, so why had they suddenly returned to moments ago?
Bang!
A loud noise suddenly erupted from outside.
Upon hearing the sound, everyone rushed out.
When Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru emerged, the expressions on their faces could no longer be contained.
Gamabunta, Katsuyu, and Manda, the three summoned beasts, were on an open space near Short Sand Street.
"Jiraiya, what's going on? Weren't we just fighting a shirtless man?"
Gamabunta's words completely confirmed the reality of what had just happened for Jiraiya.
"It seems it wasn't genjutsu..."
"It was real... Too terrifying..."
"This innkeeper... is not human..."
On the high platform, Su Mu drank the last sip of his tea.
"Everyone, the story has ended."
"If you haven't heard enough, please return in two days."
"Farewell!"
Su Mu put away his fan and turned to leave, leaving behind a room full of people, staring blankly at the spot where Su Mu had just departed.
On the table, a teacup, an incense burner, and the still-burning ink painting.
A single portion of land had opened up a new world.
This story was truly marvelous!