Chapter 329: Duel
Just as Uchiha Dali thought he had shaken off his pursuer and let out a sigh of relief, muttering to himself, a chill suddenly shot through his heart.
Sure enough, a voice rang out behind him.
"Is that so?"
It was a voice dripping with amusement—mocking, and full of confidence.
Uchiha Dali turned in shock, only to see a figure silently appear behind him in the vast starry sky.
The man stood with arms crossed, looking at him with a playful expression. That calm and leisurely demeanor made Uchiha Dali's scalp tingle.
He never expected that even after his massive improvement—his Heavenly Rinnegan's power amplified a hundredfold—this guy had still caught up to him effortlessly.
Clearly, his opponent's strength was far greater than he had imagined.
Uchiha Dali quickly regained his composure.
He fixed his gaze on the man and asked coldly, "You're Ōtsutsuki Kyōshiki?"
"So, you really don't recognize me."
"But it doesn't matter."
"I am Kyōshiki. But let me correct you—you should address me as Lord Kyōshiki."
With that, he floated slowly toward Uchiha Dali.
Then he continued, "Now, I'll give you two choices. One is to become a part of me. The other… is also to become a part of me."
"Choose."
Arms still folded, Ōtsutsuki Kyōshiki loftily laid out his so-called options.
Two choices—but they were identical.
In other words, no choice at all.
Uchiha Dali snorted coldly.
He was not the type to submit meekly or bow in humiliation.
"And if I refuse?"
"Refuse? On what grounds?"
Ōtsutsuki Kyōshiki sneered, as if he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world.
Then, in a leisurely tone as though speaking to himself, he added, "I don't know how you suddenly gained such speed, but don't bother struggling. Give it up."
"You'll never escape my grasp. In this universe, I am the strongest."
"The strongest? I don't think so!"
"Hmph. Reckless fool. If you won't recognize what's good for you, then I'll just have to use force!"
Enraged by Uchiha Dali's defiance, Ōtsutsuki Kyōshiki immediately struck out.
All at once, an overwhelming, irresistible force slammed into Uchiha Dali. He felt as though his bones were being crushed in an instant.
Shocked, he quickly countered.
"Heavenly Rinnegan: Shinra Tensei!"
A terrifying wave of repulsive force erupted from Uchiha Dali's body, surging toward his opponent.
The overwhelming momentum made Kyōshiki's brows crease ever so slightly.
Uchiha Dali noticed that tiny detail immediately.
"So, this guy isn't completely without weakness!"
"My attacks can threaten him too!"
Encouraged, Uchiha Dali launched another strike.
Before the power of the first Shinra Tensei had even dissipated, he unleashed a second one, stacking its destructive force onto the first as it roared toward Ōtsutsuki Kyōshiki.
"Oh?"
Seeing this, Kyōshiki's expression showed a flicker of surprise.
"So Momoshiki was right. You are indeed a bit unusual."
"Those eyes of yours—they aren't ordinary Rinnegan, are they?"
With a single glance, Kyōshiki had seen through the truth of Uchiha Dali's ability.
Normal Rinnegan could never bypass Shinra Tensei's cooldown.
Yet here and now, Uchiha Dali was firing them off consecutively—proof enough.
"Enough chatter—take this!"
Uchiha Dali snorted coldly and unleashed a third Shinra Tensei.
Three layers of overwhelming repulsive force stacked together at once, and for the first time, a trace of gravity appeared in Kyōshiki's eyes.
He could feel the mounting pressure.
"This brat really is no simple matter…"
Suspicion flickered within Ōtsutsuki Kyōshiki's mind.
Yet even now, he had merely been testing Uchiha Dali's strength, never truly striking back.
Uchiha Dali wondered—could it be that this guy wasn't worried about his attacks at all?
Sure enough, at that moment, Kyōshiki finally moved.
Before Shinra Tensei's force actually reached him, a transparent shield suddenly materialized before him, without warning.
It was conjured from nothing, yet its power was absolute. In an instant, it completely blocked Uchiha Dali's attack.
Dali's eyes twitched sharply—his instincts screamed danger.
Not only had Kyōshiki used this mysterious shield to defend against his assault, but he had also absorbed the very shockwave of Shinra Tensei itself.
This was a technique Uchiha Dali recognized.
It resembled the Rinnegan's Preta Path absorption.
But clearly, in Kyōshiki's hands—even the most basic jutsu would become unimaginably powerful. And this technique was no exception.
Sure enough—
As Uchiha Dali observed, a force countless times more terrifying than before rebounded.
Kyōshiki hadn't even lifted a finger, yet the dark void of space itself began twisting and warping before Uchiha Dali's eyes.
The glittering stars and black void seemed to collapse together, as though condensing into a singularity.
Uchiha Dali understood—this was space itself buckling under the crushing weight of power.
Like the pull of a black hole.
That was how overwhelming Kyōshiki's rebound truly was.
Naturally, Uchiha Dali wouldn't clash with it head-on.
With a single thought, he activated Yomotsu Hirasaka to escape.
At that exact moment, however, a familiar chime sounded in his mind.
[Ding! You have witnessed the Divine Art: Seal-less Rebound! Your understanding of divine arts has deepened. You have comprehended Divine Art: Heavenly Might: Seal-less Rebound!]
[Divine Art: Heavenly Might: Seal-less Rebound — A divine technique usable only by gods. Requires no hand seals or special activation. When attacked, it automatically reacts, generating a powerful shield to block damage while absorbing the enemy's assault. After five seconds, the absorbed attack is amplified by a certain multiplier and rebounded back at the target.]
[The rebound multiplier depends on the user's own strength.]
Hearing the system's voice, Uchiha Dali burst out laughing.
"So it's a divine art… awesome!"