Chapter 75

In the Land of Waves, amidst the dense forest.

A massive ice block stood in the middle of the river. The crystal-clear ice was covered with intricate seals.

Three figures stood solemnly around the ice block, forming seals.

Haku's hands, clasped together, trembled slightly. Sweat covered his forehead, sliding down his cheeks and dripping from his chin.

"Maintain a steady flow of chakra, hold on!"

The other two, a boy and a girl, were sealing experts recruited by Zabuza. They were in even worse condition than Haku.

Their faces were pale, drenched in sweat, and they swayed on the verge of collapse.

If it weren't for Haku's leadership, the sealing technique would have already failed!

The ice block in the river began to vibrate violently. What should have been fragile ice now resembled a highly malleable gel.

The sharp edges became smooth and elastic. It seemed as if a monstrous beast was struggling inside, causing the ice to bulge and indent continuously!

As the vibrations increased, the three people maintaining the sealing technique struggled even more, sweat pouring down their faces.

Bang!

The sealing technique was finally broken, and the ice block shattered into the river, quickly being carried away by the current.

Su Zhong leaped out of the river, clenching his fists, feeling the significantly enhanced power, and feeling particularly refreshed.

Turning to look at the three people who had collapsed on the ground, he frowned slightly.

"Haku, tell Zabuza to continue searching for more sealing experts. Your strength is too weak."

The three people were full of shame. Haku struggled to get up and bow.

Su Zhong waved his hand, telling him to rest, and walked into the depths of the forest alone.

Under the Insight Eye, wisps of white energy flowed into his skin, and the depleted essence quickly recovered.

"My idea was indeed correct. By increasing the upper limit of physical strength and utilizing the balanced nature of essence, I can overall increase the amount of essence."

For a while, he had been verifying this idea. As time went on, Su Zhong gradually entered a state of excellence.

"However, just increasing physical strength is not enough; mental strength cannot be neglected. Fortunately, there is sealing technique."

Su Zhong thought with relief.

He was originally looking for ways to use essence, but he never expected that sealing techniques would indirectly strengthen his mental power.

"However, it makes sense. Sealing techniques mainly involve constructing seals and injecting energy. The key to constructing seals lies in the strength of the mind."

Thinking about the three people who had collapsed in exhaustion, Su Zhong's understanding of sealing techniques became even deeper.

They were more mentally drained than physically tired. Maintaining a sealing technique framework requires a vast amount of mental power and extremely precise chakra control.

With Su Zhong constantly resisting the sealing technique, the difficulty increased exponentially, leading to their rapid mental exhaustion, which was the reason for their miserable state.

"Essence has recovered enough; it's time to start practicing sealing techniques."

Unlike others, Su Zhong didn't need to form seals.

Extending his hands, he directed the essence to the mental power attribute, and a sealing technique framework was easily constructed.

Then, he directed the essence to the natural power attribute, and the framework was naturally infused with energy.

A complete sealing technique was instantly formed.

He casually slapped a stone in front of him.

Swish!

Black lines shot out from under Su Zhong's hand, forming a giant spider web that instantly enveloped the stone.

Su Zhong clenched his fist and punched the stone hard. The stone didn't budge at all!

Feeling the powerful counterforce from the stone, Su Zhong raised an eyebrow.

"Such a strong rebound force. Indeed, this sealing technique can be used to enhance defense!" he thought with pleasant surprise.

If it were an ordinary stone, a light punch from him would shatter it instantly. His current physical strength was terrifying.

But after applying the sealing technique, Su Zhong's full-force punch left the stone intact.

This powerful defense greatly invigorated Su Zhong.

"Sealing techniques are indeed not simple. No wonder the Uzumaki clan was wiped out. Besides the coveting of Uzumaki bloodline, the greed for sealing techniques also played a significant role."

"This sealing technique will be called 'Defense.' Applying this sealing technique to myself is like putting on a powerful armor!"

Su Zhong had always practiced hard qi gong, with astonishing defensive power. Now, ordinary blades wouldn't even leave a mark on his body.

If he added this defensive sealing technique, Su Zhong wouldn't fear being hit, even if he stood still.

With the powerful rebound force from the sealing technique, it might be the other person who falls first.

Su Zhong never blindly copied sealing techniques.

The special nature of essence made it easier for him to activate sealing techniques and understand their principles. With such conditions, how could Su Zhong remain stagnant?

Naturally, he reassembled and combined sealing techniques.

This powerful defensive sealing technique was one of his research results.

However, compared to this, Su Zhong's research on the restraining ability of sealing techniques was even deeper.

After a long period of continuous practice and experimentation, he summarized two powerful sealing techniques.

One was the "Defense" just mentioned, which mainly increased defense. The other was "Restraint," which focused on restraining and controlling.

Su Zhong nodded in satisfaction, sensing his essence, and then frowned.

Intense physical training and frequent use of sealing techniques rapidly depleted his essence.

Under the Insight Eye, the white energy around him quickly entered his body, replenishing the essence.

But Su Zhong was not satisfied with this.

"Before, I didn't notice. Recently, with the large consumption of essence, this method of absorbing natural energy seems too crude and outdated. I must find a way to speed up the absorption of natural energy."

Various ideas ran through Su Zhong's mind. Recalling the original plot, his eyes gradually brightened.

This was his advantage; he knew where to find good things.

"Haku!"

Su Zhong called out, and Haku immediately appeared beside him. Despite his exhausted expression, he respectfully bowed to Su Zhong.

Su Zhong couldn't help but notice Haku's recent changes. However, he didn't mind and was pleased with the development.

"Tell Zabuza to search for the Tsuchigumo clan. Once found, mobilize all forces to bring back all remaining members, alive."

Haku nodded and went to convey Su Zhong's orders.

"If I can obtain the special sealing techniques of the Tsuchigumo clan, after perfecting them and applying them to myself, accelerating the absorption of natural energy should be no problem. This way, my cultivation will rapidly increase."

After thinking for a while, Su Zhong continued his research and practice of sealing techniques.

Power can bring authority, wealth, and beauty, but these were not the reasons for Su Zhong's obsession with power.

In the previous world, his pursuit of power was largely out of necessity. But as time passed, Su Zhong gradually enjoyed the pleasure of the effort-reward relationship.

The gradual improvement through hard work always made him feel incredibly at ease.

Immersed in this sense of achievement, Su Zhong was highly addicted. This was the reason for his疯狂追求力量的原因。

……

In a dark cave, a pile of firewood burned quietly, occasionally crackling, the sound echoing clearly in the silent cave.

Uchiha Itachi sat by the fire, his eyes unconsciously staring at the flickering flames, lost in thought.

Suddenly, the air around him distorted.

A vortex appeared out of nowhere, and a masked person emerged from it.

"Itachi, I have a mission for you."

Uchiha Itachi's eyes moved, glanced at the person, and then returned to staring at the flames.

Tobi was used to Itachi's behavior.

"Uchiha Shu killed Kakuzu and Hidan. Go and bring him back, dead or alive."

The cave fell silent again. The firelight cast a mysterious shadow on Itachi's pale face.

After a long silence, Itachi spoke calmly, "I won't go."

"Hmm?" Tobi sounded puzzled.

"Interesting. Since you joined Akatsuki, you've never refused a mission. I'm very curious, what's different this time? Are you feeling compassionate? Haha."

Tobi laughed with a hint of mockery.

Compassionate? The person who could mercilessly slaughter his entire clan, how could he care about the life of a clan member he had never paid attention to?

"I can't beat him."

Itachi remained calm, unaffected by Tobi's mockery.

Tobi's face behind the mask froze, his exposed eye flashing with surprise.

"Can't beat him? How is that possible? I think you're not using your full strength!"

Tobi had seen Itachi's skills. Saying he was the most outstanding Uchiha after Madara was not an exaggeration. In the development and use of the Sharingan, Itachi was no less than Uchiha Madara.

With such strength, saying he couldn't beat Uchiha Shu seemed like an excuse to Tobi.

Itachi stared at the fire, expressionless, and remained silent.

Full strength? Full strength means going all out.

Itachi was not afraid of Su Zhong, even though he was at a disadvantage in their last encounter. That was because he was deliberately suppressing his power.

His vision was becoming increasingly blurry, and Itachi knew his time was limited.

He had only one chance left to go all out.

He had to save it for Sasuke. Only by dying at Sasuke's hands would his plan be complete.

In this situation, how could he possibly go all out against Su Zhong?

Seeing Itachi's determination, Tobi's expression changed, but he was helpless. He couldn't conflict with Itachi over this.

"Fine, I'll go and see for myself. Is this Uchiha Shu really as strong as you say?"

Tobi said with a hint of mockery.

With that, the space in front of him distorted and swirled, and he disappeared in a flash.

In the dark cave, Itachi continued to stare at the flames.

He had decided that in the coming period, he would no longer act. He would focus on recuperating, waiting for Sasuke's arrival. He had no more energy to pay attention to other matters.