Jiraiya's instincts screamed—something was wrong.
He was ready to strike at any moment.
"This shark-faced freak is getting on my nerves,"he muttered to himself."Su Mu has answers I need. Looks like I've got no choice but to get involved…"
"A few years ago, I'd have already strapped a thing like this—neither man nor fish—onto my lab table."
Orochimaru's tongue flicked out with irritation. He had made his decision: he would side with Su Mu.
Ding! Storytelling task #3 completed. Reward: [Memory Ink Scroll Painting] x1!
Ding! Audience reception to "Immortality" was underwhelming. Many expressed doubt. Use the [Memory Ink Scroll Painting] to finish shocking the audience. Rewards will be recalculated and reissued.
Ding! World Template "Immortality" has been unlocked in the Universal Exchange Store. Host may now redeem or draw from rewards within that world.
Su Mu rose and calmly walked toward a birdcage in the corner.
He pinched a bit of feed and scattered it inside.
His serene demeanor only made people more uneasy.
"What's with him? Just how strong is Master Su really?"
"I can't get a read on him... feels stronger than a jōnin!"
"Shh! If a fight breaks out, we better worry about staying alive!"
Just then, Uchiha Itachi began walking toward Naruto.
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, already starting to circulate his chakra.
"Everyone,"Su Mu's voice rang out,"how about I show you a painting?"
"No need for violence, is there?"
He flicked his fan, and suddenly—a scroll painting floated into the air.
Su Mu turned slightly to Kisame and smiled:
"You want to know if Gonggong can use Water Style? Why don't you take a look for yourself?"
"This is a Mountain-and-River Ink Scroll... and with a single sip of tea, the heavens are revealed."
He raised his teacup, took a mouthful, and spat it directly onto the scroll.
In an instant, the floating painting burst into radiant light.
Gasps filled the room.
"T-The painting... it's moving!"
"Am I dreaming?!"
A patron ran up to get a closer look, rubbing his eyes furiously.
"Wait! I see it too! The river is flowing! The mountains are shifting!"
More and more people could see the illusion come to life.
Even Itachi stopped in his tracks, sensing something… dangerous approaching.
"Is this... genjutsu?"
Inside the scroll, there were mountains and flowing rivers, a world of peaceful beauty.
The longer people stared, the calmer they felt.
They didn't know why—but it was real.
"Allow me to add one final touch."
Su Mu reached into the air—and pulled out a calligraphy brush from thin air.
He made a few casual strokes—
And the painting caught fire.
Before the crowd could even react, flames erupted around the tavern itself!
"What the hell?!"
"It's hot—fire! Someone get water!"
But as they jumped to their feet—
The environment around them completely changed.
Jiraiya looked around in shock.
They were now standing on a massive stone pillar, suspended high above the clouds, the sky stretching endlessly overhead.
And in the distance—the sounds of weeping, screaming grew louder.
Some guests panicked and bolted for the edge—only to find...
A bottomless abyss.
Wind roared up from the depths, so real it made their skin crawl.
Suddenly—a massive azure dragon soared overhead, its roar shaking the heavens.
Kisame sneered.
"Trying to impress us with illusions? You think you can out-genjutsu Itachi-sama? Don't make me laugh."
But then—
Someone realized something horrifying.
"Wait... didn't Su Mu say earlier that Gonggong once rammed into the pillar of heaven?"
"No way... you're not saying we're standing on the Heavenly Pillar?!"
"Shut up! It's just a story—there's no way it's real!"
"You were the one who didn't believe it a minute ago!"
Orochimaru took a deep breath—and his face lit up with glee.
"This… this is it!"
"The second force that exists in this world—spiritual qi!"
In the Great Desolation era of that cultivation world, the spiritual qi was so thick, even taking one breath might boost your power by several realms.
Suddenly—
The Heavenly Pillar shook violently.
Panic spread like wildfire.
Naruto stumbled near the edge—about to fall.
"Naruto!"Jiraiya dashed forward and grabbed him."Don't move!"
Tsunade stared at her trembling hands.
"It feels... real. Too real…"
BOOM!!
A deafening impact echoed from below.
Kisame drew Samehada and prepared to jump off the pillar.
"Itachi-sama, I'll handle the illusion. You stay here."
"Wait—Kisame!"
Itachi tried to stop him—but too late.
The pillar began to tilt.
"We're falling!""Grab something—anything!"
"Don't pull my pants, you idiot!!"
In less than 30 seconds, the Heavenly Pillar had tilted by a third.
Everyone clung to the stone surface for dear life. A single slip meant plunging into the abyss.
Kisame jammed Samehada into a crack in the pillar to anchor himself—
But when he looked down…
He saw it.
At the base of the pillar, a figure glowing with blue light was slamming into the foundation with all its might.
Kisame's eyes widened.
"That… that's Gonggong?!"
BOOM!!!
The glowing figure launched another devastating blow.
Overhead, the sky dimmed into a golden-red hue—meteors fell from the heavens.
The Heavenly Pillar gave way—
And everyone began to free-fall.
For the first time since entering—
Kisame panicked.
But just as the world spiraled into chaos—
Su Mu opened his eyes.
And calmly waved his fan again.
A breeze swept over the scene—
And in a blink—
Everyone was now standing on a ruined battlefield.
Flames everywhere. Tsunamis towering overhead.
Bodies floating in bloodied waters.
The air was thick with death.
It was the apocalypse.
And from the waves—
A towering, blue-glowing figure stepped forward, walking slowly across the surface of the ocean.
"Such overwhelming pressure…"
Tsunade couldn't bear it. She dropped to one knee, coughing up blood.
Jiraiya gritted his teeth, placing himself in front of Naruto protectively.
A cold sweat slid down Itachi's cheek.
His Mangekyō Sharingan spun to life.
"Itachi-sama… can you handle this?"Kisame gasped, barely able to lift his head.
The fog on the sea began to clear—
And from it, Gonggong emerged, shirtless, muscles bulging, floating into the air.
His eyes burned with divine light, and his long obsidian hair rippled in the wind.
"So this is the power of a god from the Great Desolation... the might of Gonggong…"
Kisame's legs gave out. He couldn't even stand.
Su Mu smirked from above.
"Scared yet?"
Blood trickled from Kisame's mouth.
He clenched Samehada tighter, desperately trying to draw on its stored chakra just to stay conscious.