Chapter 107: The Evolution of the Furnace of Heaven and Earth!!

This was Wu's ninth resurrection.

This time, just a slight touch from Hanma caused Wu to immediately disintegrate, turning into wisps of negative energy that dispersed.

Hanma stayed still, quietly waiting for Wu to reappear.

Since Hanma had killed Wu several times, the internal environment of the Blissful Box had undergone drastic changes.

When Hanma first entered, the interior of the Blissful City, though eerie and terrifying, could still be described as lively in terms of ambiance. The black wind howled, skeletons wailed, pools of blood on the ground bubbled, and Wu, the chatterbox, constantly babbled, always trying to invade Hanma's mental space.

It was akin to a grand welcome for Hanma to provide guidance on the Blissful Box's operations.

Now, however, the place was silent as a grave, as if time itself had been paused. Even Wu's resurrection, manifesting as black smoke formed from negative energy, was silent.

No sound, no light, no scent; even the air became thick and lost its ability to conduct.

Wu reappeared again, silently floating mid-air, his pitch-black body blending into the darkness, making it his best disguise.

"Are you trying to deprive me of my senses?" 

Hanma silently experienced the deathly still environment.

Research has shown that in an enclosed environment, depriving an intelligent being of all senses for just three days can drive them physiologically mad and lead to severe mental issues.

Even in a world with extraordinary powers like the ninja world, the loss of senses is terrifying—even tailed beasts can hardly escape such punishment.

Years ago, when Minato split the Nine-Tails into two, the Yin Nine-Tails, with the world's most ferocious chakra, theoretically should have been harder to tame than Naruto's Yang Nine-Tails.

Having descended together into the Shinigami's stomach for sixteen years, an enemy becoming a companion, the Nine-Tails and Minato became spiritually connected, making Minato the perfect Jinchuriki upon reemerging.

It could be said that under those conditions, the Nine-Tails had no choice but to forget its hatred and seek mutual comfort with Minato, thus opening its heart.

Wu, silently breaking into a grin, sensed Hanma's emotions, eagerly waiting to taste the fear and anxiety, craving revenge.

The environment Hanma found himself in was the Blissful Box's true killer move and the secret to assimilating every devoured soul.

Over centuries, countless strong individuals who were devoured and maybe could have defeated Wu, but none could overcome this endless darkness.

"Despair, panic, and finally, go mad!"

A surge of intense emotion erupted in Wu's heart. Hanma's torment had pushed this demon to its limit.

"Die, die, die, die!"

As Wu's thoughts aligned, a claw appeared silently before him, instantly piercing his heart.

Wu screamed in agony, cursing Hanma loudly before disintegrating once again.

The reason for Wu's scream was less about physical pain and more about the mental torture that Hanma inflicted upon him.

Hanma licked the black blood off his hand, smacking his lips and musing to himself:

"Depriving senses is indeed a domineering ability."

"However, it seems that my taste buds are still functioning normally."

Hanma, with his ability to maintain a steady state, if the sensory deprivation skill directly acted on his physical body, he might have reduced its effects.

However, the Blissful Box altered its environment, passively creating a sensory deprivation environment.

The only external sensory perception Hanma currently retained came from bloodlust.

Coincidentally, bloodlust was also formed from malice and killing intent, making it especially sensitive to existences like Wu, composed of negative energy.

Wu, unable to control his malice towards Hanma, appeared as bright as a torch in the dark to Hanma's perception.

Interestingly, can this demon control its emotions?

If it does manage, will it still try to devour Hanma?

These questions form a closed loop, seemingly unsolvable for Wu.

Hanma and Wu, two existences who could sense malice, began a battle of wills in this silent world.

"Ahhhh!"

"Why, why, why!"

Evidently, Wu failed to control his malice, once again exposing his position in the darkness.

Hanma, moving like lightning, tore Wu's body apart the moment he sensed his intent.

"Wu, as a being composed of negative emotions, it's laughable that you can't control your own power."

"Even more pitiful, as the puppet of the Blissful Box, you operate strictly within the rules set by the Sage of Six Paths."

"Give up, stop struggling, embrace me, and let's together bring light to this ninja world!"

Throughout Wu's numerous resurrections, Hanma was surprised to discover that the demon seemed to be forcibly resurrected by the Blissful Box's power.

If Wu did not choose to resurrect, Hanma would have had to slowly absorb the remaining energy of the Blissful Box through bloodlust, waiting for a change.

The Blissful Box, possessing defenses unscathed by Supreme Rasengan and Tailed Beast Bombs, was currently more durable than Hanma's physical body.

If Hanma wanted to break free forcibly, it would be challenging and unforeseeable when the change would come.

Now, Wu's repeated resurrections, empowered by the Blissful Box, allowed Hanma to rapidly absorb this pure energy, essentially "aiding the enemy."

Upon resurrecting once again, Wu heard Hanma's demonic whispering and was thoroughly enraged yet speechless.

The main point was, Hanma had guessed the true cause.

The Sage of Six Paths initially designed the Blissful Box as a receptacle to eliminate the negative emotions in beings.

Wu's existence was not in the original plan of the Sage of Six Paths.

It was after the Sage of Six Paths returned to the afterlife that the Blissful Box went out of control, compressing negative energy into the demon now replacing the Blissful Box's original function.

No matter how powerful Wu was, all of his abilities were granted by the Blissful Box, constrained by the rules set by the Sage of Six Paths.

The malicious Hanma, like a virus under the Blissful Box's rules, had to be eliminated.

As a cleaning tool, Wu was forced by the rigid rules to confront Hanma again and again, enduring resurrection and dissection repeatedly within this confined space.

The survival game continued for what felt like both an eternity and an instant, rendering time a blurry concept.

Wu's ninety-ninth resurrection.

Now, Wu cowered in a corner, his wings shielding his body, each feather drooping, desperately trying to control his malice to avoid detection by Hanma.

Hanma's body was shrouded in black aura. The prolonged hunting had led him to absorb most of the negative energy within the Blissful Box.

The severe injuries from Uchiha Madara's Planetary Devastation had already healed and, more critically, this negative energy was significantly transforming Hanma's body, even altering his genes.

Hanma, guided by the bloodlust's returning emotions, locked onto a direction, slowly advancing.

Heavy footsteps echoed, each step burning the ground with black energy, sizzling in response.

Hanma approached, and Wu, instead of escaping, resigned himself to his fate, lying prone and waiting for a familiar scenario to unfold.

"A being harboring fear cannot conquer the Blissful Box. That was your original statement to me."

"So now, feeling fear towards me, do you still have faith in victory?"

Hanma inquired gently, as if encouraging Wu.

Standing before Wu, Hanma refrained from immediately devouring him, instead sensing Wu's emotions carefully.

Having absorbed so much negative energy seemed to have peculiar effects on Hanma, gradually corrupting his nature.

"Maintaining a steady state should seek evolution too; the Blissful Box's influence seems hard to fully resist."

Examining his soul, his thoughts grew chaotic, and Hanma silently introspected.

Hanma's hardened claws gently caressed Wu's wings, causing his feathers to bristle before resigning in submission.

Seeing Wu's low spirits, Hanma shook his head, feeling slightly dissatisfied.

With this attitude, how can he gather more negative energy for a fuller feed?

"You already understand it, don't you? You're merely a puppet of the Blissful Box, a toy of the Sage of Six Paths, a pitiable being not meant for this world."

"Having manipulated countless hearts for centuries, why do you now fear me?"

"Admit it, my bloodlust has felt your heart—you're terrified of me."

Hanma whispered, soft yet piercing Wu's ear.

"Stop getting carried away!"

Wu's trembling ceased, Hanma's words sparked something within him.

Roaring, Wu's shattered body gathered a mass of red-black energy, ready to detonate on contact with Hanma.

Hanma sneered, unhesitatingly pierced Wu's throat, lifting him high before slamming him forcefully to the ground, yet sparing his life.

Squatting beside Wu, Hanma sighed,

"Instead of fear, confront pain."

"Experience pain, feel pain, accept pain, understand pain. Creatures ignorant of pain cannot attain real strength."

"You have less meat now. This time, I'll start with your wings."

With Wu's throat pierced, hatred flashed in his eyes, but he could utter no sound.

Once more turning into black smoke, Hanma eyed the juicy wings in his hand and, with a thought, ignited his Fire Style, beginning to roast them.

"Wu's revivals are getting slower."

"If the Blissful Box doesn't want me to leave, excuse my rudeness."

Hanma leisurely flipped his roasted wings, cooking them contentedly.

Yet again resurrecting, Wu saw Hanma's actions and fell into utter despair.

Outside the Blissful Box.

A white Zetsu, with poop-like hair, secretly blended into the earth, muttering complaints,

"How boring, the old man Madara really knows how to order people around. As he ages, he grows more rigid."

"What's so interesting about this box? For over twenty years, he hasn't told me what poop feels like, such a terrible guy."

"Little White, Akusa, Aki, all taken by Madara and never returned."

"Even the mighty Tobi is now half-dead, who knows what Madara did to him."

"He himself is also half-dead, I hear he was beaten up by his junior. Truly a disgrace to the Rinnegan."

This White Zetsu, bored senselessly rolling underground, felt discontented like a middle-aged office worker unwilling to go home, madly ranting about his boss.

After his battle with Hanma, Uchiha Madara suffered severe chakra depletion. Even his last Planetary Devastation was forcibly released at the cost of his life energy.

Seeing his wish destroyed by Hanma, Madara, unable to maintain composure, retreated to his hideout in disarray.

If not for the Uzumaki survivor he rescued, awakening a special bloodline ability to restore Madara's chakra massively, Madara might truly have been endangered.

Now, Madara was covered in tubes from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, akin to his state when meeting Obito in the original timeline, a lingering old man.

Yet, he couldn't rest assured about the Blissful Box. Previously watching the young Uchiha Madara slowly emerge from it gave him an urge to merge with it from deep within.

Thus, this White Zetsu, as ordered by Madara, continued guarding, seemingly awaiting changes in the Blissful Box, hoping it would reopen soon.

"Ehhhhh!"

"This black box is finally changing!"

White Zetsu excitedly shouted, having watched it for three months, finally seeing a unique scene.

The pitch-black Blissful Box rapidly faded, revealing its pale color.

The lion's head on its walls slowly opened, and a demon-like figure emerged.

In three months, Hanma had absorbed all the Blissful Box's negative energy, effectively purifying this demonic artifact.

Although the current Blissful Box's energy was merely that of a Tailed Beast, for Hanma, the most crucial element wasn't chakra but its high-level devouring ability.

Hanma walked out slowly, friendly waving to the distant White Zetsu. After nostalgically looking at the now white Blissful Box, he sat cross-legged on the ground, awaiting transformation.

[The Furnace of Heaven and Earth]——>[Blissful Glutton]!

A chaotic contortion enveloped him; pitch-black negative energy poured into his body, writhing like a serpent, igniting a craving and devouring lust within Hanma's eyes.

With a long roar, Hanma erupted in terrifying energy waves; a black pillar of light shot into the sky, venting wildly.

"Gyahahahahaha!"

A gust of wind swept through, dispersing the waves. Amidst the dissipating smoke, the distant White Zetsu glimpsed Hanma's current form.

"What… what is that!"

White Zetsu shrieked in fear.

Now standing thirty meters tall, Hanma brandished his surging back muscles, forming four black wings adorned with blood-red highlights.

Bulging muscles resembled armor, reflecting a dark red glow. His chest bore a black-gold mark, akin to a miniature Wu.

Previously fragile joints twisted in reverse, shrouded in hard bone covered with protruding spikes.

Hanma inspected his new body with satisfaction, then carefully examined the changes in his attributes, fully experiencing the new abilities.

[The Furnace of Heaven and Earth]——>[Blissful Glutton]!

(The End)