Chapter 104 "悟"

The Box of Ultimate Bliss.

The interior of the Box of Ultimate Bliss was strikingly similar to the hell described in Hanma's previous life. 

This place was filled with skeletal zombies, their eyes glowing with bloodlust, crying out in misery as they sunk into the blood-soaked earth, where their bones and blood gradually dissolved into wisps of black smoke, merging into the Box of Ultimate Bliss.

A cold wind howled within the box, scraping against these skeletons and lifting layers of bone dust, making those controlled by the Box of Ultimate Bliss stare hungrily and resentfully at the unique figure of Hanma, the only living being to retain consciousness here.

Despite the hellish scene, Hanma's appetite remained unaffected. In fact, his aura harmonized perfectly with the aura of the Box of Ultimate Bliss, creating no sense of discord.

"Crunch crunch."

Picking up a leg bone, Hanma's sharp teeth effortlessly crushed the hard bone as if it were tofu, and he let out a satisfied burp. 

Such pure negative energy was a rare delicacy in Hanma's experience, having absorbed countless kinds of chakra.

Standing up and surveying his surroundings, Hanma's surging blood energy mingled with the hellish wind of the Box of Ultimate Bliss, fighting for the energy released from the dissolving skeletons.

When Hanma was first drawn into the Box of Ultimate Bliss, the cold wind within the box attempted to invade his mind, trying to turn him into one of the fleshless beings that would dissolve into the box. 

However, Hanma possessed the power of "Absolute Self-Preservation," his body and spirit deeply bound together. This illusion-like mental invasion had no effect on him.

"The Box of Ultimate Bliss, truly extraordinary."

After Uchiha Madara made a wish outside, the intense resentment within the Box of Ultimate Bliss condensed into a physical entity, taking the form of a young Uchiha Madara. Despite being a monster formed from negative energy, it contained vast vitality. If allowed to merge with Madara, it could lead to catastrophic consequences.

Unaffected by the box, Hanma easily tore apart the newly formed young Madara, seizing the fruits of Madara's victory. Unexpectedly, the shattered young Madara did not try to merge into Hanma as he had anticipated but dispersed into black smoke within the box, leaving Hanma with only a portion of energy.

"Gulp gulp."

Hanma's devouring blood energy hungrily consumed, repairing his damaged body. Uchiha Madara's desperate attack had ripped apart Hanma's body, which had not been truly harmed for years, nearly pushing him to the brink of death.

"No wonder the Planetary Devastation is said to create the moon and seal the progenitor of chakra, Kaguya."

The massive gravitational pull of the Planetary Devastation's core, combined with the repulsion force of three Almighty Pushes, made Hanma feel powerless. This terrifying power was something his body couldn't currently resist.

Hanma had no doubt that if it were the peak Uchiha Madara, using Planetary Devastation right from the start would have left him with no chance to fight back, merely becoming a tool for Madara's amusement.

"However, that old man must be on the verge of death too?"

A flash of fierceness appeared in Hanma's eyes. When Madara used Planetary Devastation, Hanma noticed his shriveled skin and the blood tears from his Rinnegan, as well as his powerless slump—signs of exhaustion.

"And the Limbo: Border Jail, using such advanced Rinnegan techniques must be a significant burden for Madara."

"If I ever encounter him again, today's humiliation will be repaid a hundredfold."

To be blunt, Hanma served as a punching bag, hoping to exhaust Madara to death. In his current elderly state, Madara was cautious with chakra consumption and still harbored thoughts of using Hanma as a sacrifice, opting for a gradual approach and losing the opportunity for a decisive strike, allowing Hanma to find a flaw.

If Madara had unleashed his strongest move from the start with the intent to kill, the outcome of the battle would have been unpredictable.

This conflict with Madara also deepened Hanma's understanding of the Rinnegan, a force truly worth being called divine, as evidenced by Nagato's claim in the original timeline.

The foul-smelling wind and Hanma's blood energy blended, transforming into pure energy that nourished Hanma, with his body visibly repairing itself. An unexpected change was occurring within his body.

With eyes closed, Hanma examined his attributes. The "Refining Furnace of Heaven and Earth" was cheering and its characters were gradually becoming blurred, seemingly on the verge of evolution.

"Something unusual seems to be happening."

The "Refining Furnace of Heaven and Earth," created by Hanma, was initially a balanced attribute, solidifying his body with chakra in a proper manner, emblematic of a steady and powerful ability. Its characters should have been bold and dignified, exuding an aura of solemnity. However, they were now unusually distorted, intertwined with violence and greed.

"This evolution seems off."

Whenever Hanma reached a certain height in his growth, his attributes would evolve. To maximize the effect, he would always offer sacrifices matching the ability right before evolution, rather than letting it happen naturally.

"Interesting. The aura of the Box of Ultimate Bliss can significantly influence the evolution of attributes? Truly the ultimate weapon crafted by the Sage of Six Paths."

Hanma smiled freely. Given the current situation, he couldn't worry about how the "Refining Furnace of Heaven and Earth" would ultimately evolve.

Accumulating strength, repairing himself, and escaping the Box of Ultimate Bliss as soon as possible were now his top priorities.

At this moment, the skeletons in the Box of Ultimate Bliss ceased their wailing, stood up from the muddy blood-soaked ground, and began gathering in one direction.

Hanma furrowed his brow and punched, turning the skeletons into dust. Despite this, they stubbornly floated, drawn by an unknown force, converging into a single entity.

"Born from悟, moving with悟, ending with悟."

A hoarse voice sighed. Accompanied by the cold wind and dark energy, a massive monster appeared in the center of the Box of Ultimate Bliss.

Hanma narrowed his eyes. He recognized this so-called monster. It was the creature that Wu Wei's son turned into in the original timeline, named "悟."

"Is that Indra? After hundreds of years, you haven't been completely killed by Asura?"

悟 looked at Hanma and slowly spoke. Clearly, this monster mistook Hanma for someone familiar.