novelhk Chapter 277 Phantom Sound Realm
Chapter 277 Phantom Sound Realm
The Otogakure Village's illusionary defense formation glowed a lavender in the night. Tayuya stood at its center, the magic flute "Yellow Spring" resting against her lips, her cherry-pink hair gently swaying with phantom sound chakra. Her illusion-type Mangekyo slowly spun, and six sonic ripples emanating from her flute-shaped pupils synchronized the villagers' consciousness fluctuations with her sensory network. This was the seventh day since her Mangekyo awakened, and she practiced daily to refine the coverage of "Phantom Sound: Soul Awakening." However, whenever her chakra reached the "Misty Forest" ten miles outside the village, it was always interrupted by a cold energy, as if blocked by a thick layer of cotton wool, unable to capture the movements deeper within.
"Still not working?" Karin's voice came from behind her, her sensory network intertwined with Tayuya's phantom voice. "The energy in the Misty Forest can absorb fluctuations of consciousness. It's very similar to the Soul Devouring Curse used by the Akatsuki last time, but the concentration is even stronger."
Tayuya put away the Mangekyō, the phantom sound chakra at her fingertips suddenly dissipated, and the cursed patterns on the magic flute glowed faintly: "I can feel that energy approaching, but my phantom sound can't penetrate the fog... If the villagers are controlled, we won't be able to save them in time!" She touched the "Phantom Sound Amplification Jade" around her neck - this was made by Yinzhu using her cursed seal fragments and Uchiha crystals, which can enhance the penetrating power of phantom sound, but she always felt that she had not fully tapped the true power of the Mangekyō.
At that moment, screams erupted from the village's east end. Tayuya's Mangekyo instantly lit up, and phantom sound chakra spread along the illusion circle. But the moment it reached the villagers' consciousness, it was abruptly severed by a wave of black phantom energy. The energy of the Misty Forest had penetrated the village, transforming into countless black threads that entangled the villagers' brows, leaving them walking out of the village with empty eyes, like controlled puppets.
"It's the 'Soul Devouring Illusion'! The remnants of the Akatsuki organization are coming!" Yin Zhu's voice came from the air, his Eternal Mangekyo locked onto the direction of the Misty Forest. "The remnants led by him are proficient in the 'Illusion Energy Devouring Technique', which can absorb your phantom sound. Quickly use the Mangekyo to build a consciousness barrier!"
Tayuya immediately raised her magic flute and played "Phantom Sound? Awakening Soul." A lavender phantom sound chakra formed a barrier above the villagers' heads, but it was gradually corroded by the black phantom energy, leaving spiderweb-like cracks on the barrier. She could clearly "hear" the villagers' screams of pain from within their minds. These sounds traveled through the phantom sound into her mind, resonating with the curse seal within her body and causing her chakra to begin to distort. "No! His phantom energy can absorb my phantom sound. I can't block it!"
"Don't panic! Use your curse seal to resonate with the Mangekyō!" Mitomon En's voice came from the communicator, his illusion chakra helping to strengthen the barrier. "Have you forgotten what Yinzhu said? Your curse seal and the Uchiha bloodline share the same origin. The illusion sound is not 'resistance', but 'guidance' - turn the illusion energy that consumes you into a 'trigger' to awaken the villagers!"
These words were like thunder, splitting Tayuya's confusion. She remembered what Yinzhu had said when he handed her the Phantom Sound Amplification Jade: "Your Phantom Sound is the 'key' that can unlock a sealed consciousness; your seal is the 'fuel' that can ignite a dormant will. When these two resonate with the Kaleidoscope, there is no illusion that cannot be broken."
Tayuya took a deep breath and pressed the Phantom Sound Amplification Jade onto the magic flute. Cursed chakra and Uchiha energy collided violently within her Mangekyo. Pain burned her eyes like fire, yet it also caused her Phantom Sound to undergo a qualitative change. The lavender Phantom Sound, which had been swallowed up, suddenly transformed into countless tiny sound waves, following the trajectory of the black phantom energy and invading the core of the remnant's phantom formation.
“Ah——!” Tayuya’s roar intertwined with the devilish sound, and the sound wave patterns in the kaleidoscope suddenly accelerated, “Illusionary sound? Reverse soul!” Pale purple sonic chakra burst out from the bottom of her eyes, penetrating the black illusory energy and directly acting on the depths of the villagers’ consciousness - those controlled villagers suddenly stopped, their eyes gradually regaining clarity; the black illusory energy that invaded the village was like ice and snow encountering sunlight, which was purified bit by bit by the illusory sound and turned into harmless water vapor.
"Impossible! How could your phantom sound penetrate my illusion array?" The leader of the remnants rushed out of the misty forest, holding a phantom staff with black lines in his hand. "I will make you and these villagers trapped in the illusion forever!"
He swung his energy staff, sending countless black phantom claws hurtling toward Tayuya. Karin's sensory network instantly alerted him, "Tayuya, left!" Neji's Baguazhang struck out in time, its golden chakra shattering the phantom claws. However, he wasn't prepared for the remnants' potential—a sudden black beam from the energy staff pierced Tayuya's Mangekyō, attempting to devour her eye energy.
"Be careful!" Kimimaro's bone blade shot out from the ground, blocking Tayuya's path. However, the black beam of light corroded the bone chakra, leaving tiny cracks in its chakra. Tayuya's demonic voice suddenly shifted, and the sonic patterns within the kaleidoscope transformed into a "Phantom Sound Soul Binding Formation." Pale purple sonic chakra entangled the phantom staff, simultaneously injecting phantom sound into the remaining party's consciousness, causing them to immerse themselves in the illusion of being "attacked by their own phantom energy"—he saw himself surrounded by the minds of countless villagers, black phantom energy raging through his body, causing him to writhe on the ground in pain.
"Ah! My head!" The remnant screamed, clutching his head. The energy staff fell to the ground, and the energy of the Soul Devouring Illusion Formation instantly dissipated. Kimimaro seized the opportunity to step forward, pressing the bone blade against the remnant's throat, subduing him.
When the battle ended, the village's lavender glow returned. Tayuya's kaleidoscope gradually faded, and the cursed patterns on the magic flute, "Yellow Spring," glowed softly. She approached the awakened villagers. Children threw themselves into her arms, crying, "Sister Tayuya, I just had a nightmare!" Elders held her hands, gratefully saying, "Thank you for waking us."
Tayuya squatted down, touched the child's head, her eyes red but she smiled and said: "Don't be afraid, my illusion will always protect you from now on, and never let bad guys break into our consciousness again." She looked at her hands, looked at the kaleidoscope in her eyes, and suddenly understood - the power of this curse seal is not Orochimaru's "transformation", but a "gift" that can protect others; this magic flute is not a "tool of killing", but an "instrument of awakening"; her illusion is not a "means of harm", but a "voice of protection".
Yin Zhu stepped forward and handed over a lavender potion. "This is the 'Cursed Seal Nourishing Potion,' which will help stabilize the power of your Mangekyo and prevent excessive energy drain from your Phantom Sound." He pointed at Tayuya's Mangekyo. "Your 'Phantom Sound Reversal' is a new ability. It can reverse the enemy's Phantom Energy. Even if you encounter stronger illusions in the future, you'll be able to handle them with ease."
Tayuya took the potion, gripping it tightly in her hand. The lights of Otogakure Village shone brightly in the night, and the villagers were helping each other home. Her eyes reflected the smiles of her companions—Neiji's Byakugan irises shone with a gentle light, Kimimaro's bone blades softened their sharpness, and Karin's sensory network enveloped the entire village like a warm veil. She suddenly felt that she was no longer the "experimental subject" controlled by the curse, no longer a "illusionist" who could only hide behind her companions, but a powerful being who could fight alongside them, protecting everything with her phantom sound and Mangekyō.
"From now on, leave the defense of Otogakure's illusions to me!" Tayuya raised the magic flute, and the sound waves in the kaleidoscope gently rotated. "I will use my illusion sound to protect the consciousness of every villager and guard our home!"
The laughter of her companions echoed through the village, interwoven with the melody of Phantom, like a warm and resolute song of protection. Tayuya knew that this was only the beginning of her Kaleidoscope Journey. There would be stronger enemies and more difficult challenges ahead, but as long as she was with her companions and her magic flute could still play, there would be no difficulty she couldn't overcome.