He hurriedly dropped to his knees before Hikaru Uchiha, begging:
"Lü Liang was wrong to spread false rumors. It was my fault this time. Please, sir, spare my life!"
As he spoke, he gritted his teeth—and tore off his own arm.
Blood and flesh burst into the air, but were quickly incinerated by pitch-black flames.
Lü Liang witnessed it all. His heart filled with terror… and relief.
If he hadn't submitted, it might've been his whole body burned to ashes.
Yet just as relief bloomed within him, he realized something was wrong.
His arm… couldn't regenerate.
Even with his Twin Perfection Hands, the severed limb refused to regrow.
That sinking feeling returned, heavier than ever.
He looked up at Hikaru. The young man's face still wore that calm, faint smile.
In that instant, Lü Liang knew his instincts weren't wrong.
His face went pale as death.
Their commotion had drawn attention.
Unfortunately for Lü Liang, aside from him, the only other person stationed here for the Dragon-Tiger Mountain operation… was Xia He.
Xia He stepped out of the building. The sight that greeted her was Lü Liang on his knees—his arm completely gone, not even a trace left behind.
Her pupils narrowed in shock, but she quickly composed herself.
She had no deep ties with Lü Liang. Their cooperation was only temporary, arranged by Gong Qing's orders.
From her perspective, there was no reason to offend such a dangerous person for the sake of someone she barely knew.
Still… letting someone beat you up on your own turf without even responding? That was embarrassing.
Her gaze swept over Hikaru. Seeing how young he looked, she guessed he couldn't have that much mental fortitude.
So she decided to test him—with her innate ability.
Gracefully, she sauntered toward him, her hand gently resting on his shoulder as she whispered into his ear:
"Handsome~ Interested in doing something fun with big sis?"
Her fingers made contact easily, a glint of triumph flashing in her eyes.
But she missed the gloating look in Lü Liang's eyes.
Right now, Lü Liang was practically in tears of gratitude for Xia He.
Sure, he had sacrificed an arm to survive, but it was clear that wasn't enough.
Now someone had stepped in to share the heat—that was a godsend.
He silently gave Xia He a thumbs-up in his heart, even considering erecting a shrine to her in thanks.
But her ability… had no effect on Hikaru.
Even though ability-users in this world had grown much stronger, and Xia He's powers could rival Tsukuyomi itself, she still couldn't sway Hikaru.
She blinked, surprised.
She had absolute confidence in her power, yet this man remained unaffected.
She leaned in closer, voice even more seductive:
"Little brother~ Won't you reconsider? I can give you experiences you've never dreamed of…"
Before she could finish, Hikaru abruptly pulled her into his arms.
Xia He froze, heart racing. She thought her ability had finally worked—she'd seduced him.
Then he spoke.
And her heart turned to ice.
"You came to me willingly. Don't blame me for taking advantage."
Xia He's body stiffened. She felt the danger in his aura rise.
She tried to escape—but a flood of desire surged through her like a tidal wave, drowning her rational mind.
Her heart raced, breath quickened—drawn by a force she couldn't resist.
Though Hikaru's Sharingan had surpassed even the Ōtsutsuki, its abilities remained intact.
Xia He's power, unique as it was in this world, was utterly insignificant before his evolved Sharingan.
Her ability was bounced back onto herself—completely.
Now, Xia He was trapped in her own illusion, lost and confused.
Her pupils lost focus. Her soul seemed to drift away from her body, leaving behind only a trembling shell.
Hikaru gave Lü Liang a cold glance—so intense it nearly stopped Lü Liang's heart.
Lü Liang knew better than to say a word. One wrong move, and he'd end up like Xia He.
Fortunately, Hikaru had more pressing matters.
He barely spared Lü Liang another look before vanishing with the limp Xia He in his arms.
In Hikaru's personal dimension, Xia He was completely overtaken by her own lust.
She pounced.
…
When the storm subsided, Xia He slowly regained her clarity.
Her emotions were a mess. Her eyes flickered with complicated light as she looked at Hikaru, unsure of what to say.
In this world, enhanced by strange abilities, she hadn't become mute like in the original storyline.†
However, during one incident where her powers went out of control, she accidentally dragged Zhang Lingyu† and a nearby girl into her ability's effect, leaving them in a dazed, passionate trance.
That accident ruined her relationship with Zhang Lingyu, even breeding resentment.
He'd grown cold and distant toward her, leaving her heart full of guilt and regret.
Now, facing this mysterious and powerful man, Xia He didn't know how to explain her past—or face what came next.
But Hikaru pulled her close and declared with dominance:
"You're the one who provoked me. From now on, you're mine. Got it?"
Xia He was stunned speechless.
Her heart pounded again—this time not from her ability's backlash, but from Hikaru's commanding tone.
She had imagined many outcomes, but never one like this—where someone would claim her so boldly.
It was new.
It was thrilling.
Men in her past had always been puppets under her ability—clowns in her eyes.
But this one…
"You… what do you mean by that?"
She tried to sound calm, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her fluttering heart.