Chapter 177

"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"

All ten shadow clones simultaneously unleashed the advanced Lightning Release technique, ten lightning spears shooting toward Xu Wenwu like bolts of lightning.

Xu Wenwu, already confused by Leo's technique of creating ten shadow clones, was instantly alarmed by this attack. He hurriedly released the Ten Rings to form an energy shield in front of him.

However, ninjutsu is different from magic—it focuses primarily on destructive power. The energy intensity of Lightning Release, in particular, is exceptionally high. Even the power of the Ten Rings couldn't deflect all of it; they could only barely hold up the defense.

While the Ten Rings were being held back by the Lightning Release, Leo used the Body Flicker Technique to quickly move beside Xu Wenwu, pressing his wand against Wenwu's forehead.

"Alright, it's over. Stupefy!"

The Stupefy spell hit Xu Wenwu squarely, causing his eyes to roll back as he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

The Ten Rings were Xu Wenwu's weakness. When the rings were occupied and their energy focused on defense, the power augmenting his body naturally diminished significantly, making him much easier to defeat.

If it weren't for his intention to keep Xu Wenwu alive, Leo could have crushed his head with a single punch earlier.

With Xu Wenwu unconscious from the Stupefy spell, the Ten Rings, lacking a host to control them, immediately ceased their energy output and fell to the ground.

After dispelling the Shadow Clone Jutsu, Leo picked up the Ten Rings and put them on both of his arms. Instantly, a peculiar energy from the rings surged into his arms and then flowed throughout his body.

At this moment, Leo felt his cells undergoing strange changes under the influence of the Ten Rings' power.

Additionally, the energy boost from the Ten Rings significantly enhanced his strength once more.

"What a peculiar weapon," Leo muttered as he removed the Ten Rings. The unusual energy dissipated, and his cells returned to their normal state.

The power of the Ten Rings, much like the energy Ancient One drew from the Dark Dimension's Dormammu, was an external force. It could be used to enhance one's abilities and grant eternal youth, but without use, it had no effect.

This wasn't the form of immortality he was pursuing, but it was a viable short-term substitute, certainly better than methods like the Philosopher's Stone, Horcruxes, or the Reanimation Jutsu.

Even if he went to the cultivation world, achieving eternal life wouldn't be easy. The power of the Ten Rings at least provided an additional safeguard.

Moreover, he noticed a distinct advantage of the Ten Rings: when their power was activated, the side effects of using the Eight Gates Release Formation were greatly reduced.

The Eight Gates Release Formation is a forbidden technique that temporarily unlocks the body's chakra gates to gain immense power. It requires a strong body as a foundation, and the longer it's sustained, the more damage it inflicts on the body. Opening the final gate brings a massive surge of strength, but after use, the body collapses and dies.

Thanks to the No. 1 Enhancement Serum containing Super Soldier Serum and Hulk's cells, Leo's body was incredibly resilient with strong regenerative abilities, allowing him to maintain the Eight Gates for longer with reduced side effects.

Still, prolonged use was not feasible.

However, the unique energy channeled from the Ten Rings into his body could significantly alleviate the physical strain caused by the Eight Gates, potentially doubling the time he could sustain it.

If his body grew even stronger later on, he might eventually be able to open all Eight Gates without facing death.

The only downside was the mystery surrounding the Ten Rings' origin. It wasn't clear where they came from. Judging by their immense power, they were likely an artifact of an ancient god or a weapon from some advanced interstellar civilization.

Moreover, they continuously emitted a signal, which might bring unforeseen trouble in the future.

On the whole, though, they were beneficial, providing a considerable boost to his current strength. Future complications could be dealt with later—after all, the Earth already faced numerous crises.

First and foremost, he needed to strengthen himself. Only with sufficient strength could he face any threat.

"Rennervate!"

Leo stored the Ten Rings in his small pouch for the time being and then used his wand to lift the Stupefy spell on Xu Wenwu.

As Xu Wenwu opened his eyes and realized the Ten Rings were no longer on his arms, he knew he had lost.

"Please, don't harm my two children," he pleaded.

"You have two choices: kneel and submit to me, or die! If you submit, I will resurrect your wife, reuniting your family. If you choose death, I will send your family to the afterlife to be together," Leo said, looking down at Xu Wenwu.

Without the Ten Rings, Xu Wenwu was just a somewhat stronger ordinary person, posing no threat to Leo. Killing him wouldn't benefit him; it would only lead to frenzied revenge from Xu Wenwu's scattered followers.

Although Leo wasn't afraid of retaliation from regular people, dealing with occasional sniper shots, rocket launchers, or street assassinations would be troublesome.

Moreover, he didn't have the time to systematically eliminate all the Ten Rings' core members spread worldwide.

And subjugating them was even more unrealistic. Killing Xu Wenwu wouldn't make the Ten Rings' members swear allegiance to him—he didn't have the charisma of a conqueror. Xu Wenwu had built this organization over a thousand years; it wouldn't be easily taken over.

He had no time to waste on such matters.

Instead, it was more efficient to make Xu Wenwu submit. This way, Leo could indirectly control the vast Ten Rings organization through Wenwu. If something came up, a simple phone call would suffice, saving time and effort.

Moreover, he wasn't worried about Xu Wenwu betraying him. The Reanimation Jutsu could revive Wenwu's wife, and he could lift the spell whenever he wanted, taking away what Wenwu cherished most.

Wenwu's love for his wife would serve as the strongest shackle binding him.

And if that shackle ever proved ineffective, Leo could always kill him later. Without the Ten Rings, Xu Wenwu was no stronger than an ant in his eyes.

"Can you really bring my wife back to life?" Xu Wenwu looked up at Leo, hope filling his eyes.

Initially, he believed Leo's claim to revive his wife was likely a lie. But given the current situation, Leo had no reason to deceive him, and the abilities he had demonstrated gave Wenwu some hope.

"Of course, I have no reason to lie to you. But first, I need to know if you still have her ashes."

Last night, Leo had conducted an experiment with the Reanimation Jutsu, confirming that it could indeed work in the primary world.

This outcome wasn't entirely unexpected, as resurrection wasn't unheard of in this world.

For example, there were beings like Ghost Rider and Moon Knight.

As for whether this would attract the attention of any dimensional entities, such as Mephisto, the Hell Lord, with Ancient One around, no dimensional entity would dare openly step onto Earth.

Besides, Wenwu's wife wasn't an important figure to any of the major gods; no one would care about such a matter.

Thanos snapped his fingers, wiping out half the universe's population, and then Iron Man snapped them back to life, yet no one interfered.

....