"Yes. I have no dreams of immortality or power, nothing like that," Su Yan said with a soft smile. "Even if I can't win your heart, just being able to keep up with you would be enough."
Itachi nodded, accepting her words without judgment. "Alright… then Snow will stay by your side. I don't know how strong he really is, but he's my protector," Itachi said calmly.
Snow raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. With a sigh, he leapt into Su Yan's arms, clearly preferring her company over Itachi's endless studies and long hours spent locked away.
"I'll be going to see the village head next week. You can come along if you'd like," Itachi said casually. Then, without turning, he added, "Snow, go and kill the Emperor and the Ancestor. You can leave the Crown Prince alive… if you feel like it."
With those words, Itachi walked off, leaving Su Yan standing there as Snow's eyes glinted with amusement. So, this was a test.
Itachi was sending her to dismantle an empire—not out of necessity, but to get a read on just how powerful she really was. He had no clear idea of her true limits, and this would serve as the perfect benchmark.
With a flash of light and a flick of her tail, Snow vanished from Su Yan's arms, rocketing into the distance—her target: the empire itself.
Meanwhile, Itachi turned his attention to a long-standing weakness of the Uchiha clan—wealth. Despite their rising influence, the clan lacked a steady flow of income. His mother had never cared to establish one, and most of the clan's resources came from treasures they had picked up over the years rather than any form of sustainable economy.
Itachi planned to change that. With his mother's help, he began laying the foundation for something new: the concept of a brand. A name that would sell only the finest goods—flawless quality at unbeatable prices. He didn't claim to be the smartest man alive, but his first life had given him insight far beyond anything the cultivation world could offer.
Itachi worked quickly, his clone assisting him as they moved in near-perfect sync. But with only a limited understanding of the cultivation world's full scope, he chose not to make the finished product just yet. Instead, he completed a rough draft—something functional, but far from polished. The final version would be completed alongside his mother once he returned home.
With that done, Itachi made his way to Red Bull Village to meet the village head. Upon arrival, he offered the man high-quality resources to aid in his cultivation, a gesture of quiet respect. As expected, the villagers, who once shunned him, now tried to warm up to him upon seeing his return. But he ignored their attempts, giving them neither scorn nor attention.
Instead, he focused on the one who had supported him. He personally thanked the village head and revealed the truth about his background.
Itachi helped the village head break through to the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. It wasn't something that could happen overnight, but with his knowledge and ability, Itachi made it possible. He rewrote the village head's genes, enhancing his natural talent and unlocking hidden potential that had long been dormant.
To support this transformation, Itachi also handed him a pill—carefully crafted to work gradually. Even without focused cultivation, the pill would guide the village head's body toward the Nascent Soul Realm, step by step. It was a quiet yet profound gift, one that would shape the village's future long after Itachi was gone.
With everything done, Itachi said goodbye to everyone. He ignored the villagers who tried to warm up to him, offering them nothing more than a passing glance. His attention turned to the sky, where clouds began to churn.
A moment later, a massive azure dragon appeared, descending from the heavens. Its arrival sent a chill through the air, its powerful presence forcing the winds into silence. The sight of it shook the sect to its core.
Even the Black Tower within Ling Han froze. Not out of fear, but from recognition. An Immortal Sovereign had stepped into the lower realm, ignoring the rules entirely.
To the cultivators of the lower realm, this was a realm beyond imagination—the peak of all existence within the 99 Heavens. To see such a being appear was like witnessing the laws of the universe bend themselves.
But the dragon was not here to bring ruin. It had come for Itachi. Itachi rose without a word, flying up to land on the dragon's head.
"Time moves faster down here compared to the Immortal Realm. One hundred years here is only a single year up there. So, to me, it won't be long until we meet again," Itachi said, his gaze fixed on Red Bull Village below… or more specifically, on Su Yan, who stared up at him, eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
He gave the world one last look—this small realm where he had spent the past years. Then, with a final nod, he turned to the Azure Dragon.
The great beast roared. Its cry tore through the sky, a thunderous call that echoed across the world. From the smallest village to the furthest corners of outer space, the roar was heard. And with it came a pressure so vast, so primal, that even those who didn't understand it instinctively dropped to their knees in fear.
"Show off," Itachi said with a light smile.
The Azure Dragon let out a low, amused rumble before shooting upward, breaking through the skies in a flash of light. In an instant, it vanished beyond space and time, crossing the threshold into the Immortal Realm. As an Immortal Sovereign, it had the right to travel freely between realms, though its power had to remain suppressed while in the lower plane—lest the heavens take notice and strike back against such intrusion.
With his hands resting calmly behind his back, Itachi glanced toward the endless sky. "So, how is the Uchiha Clan?" he asked.
The Azure Dragon, flying just ahead, glanced back at him through one enormous, knowing eye. It was one of the Four Heavenly Divine Beasts, tamed by his mother during her rise. Among them, the Azure Dragon was the strongest… and, in Itachi's opinion, the coolest.
They had grown up together, in a way. The dragon had been like a pet snake to him—if said snake were hundreds of times larger than any normal one and capable of shaking continents with a breath.
"Haha, you actually thought anyone in the 99 Heavens could challenge your mother?" the Azure Dragon rumbled, amused yet reverent. "They all joined forces, believing their numbers could suppress the Uchiha Clan. But your mother… she had already awakened something new—those eyes born from the phenomenon caused by your birth. She calls it the Mangekyō Sharingan, a name etched into legend now."
There was awe in the dragon's voice as he recalled the memory. "With a single look, she cast entire armies of powerful experts into a powerful genjutsu. Some fell asleep where they stood, others turned on each other in a frenzy of slaughter. It was beautiful… and terrifying."
Although she had always possessed the Uchiha bloodline, the Mangekyō Sharingan had eluded her. Her lineage was purer than anyone who had ever lived in the Shinobi World, but something crucial had always been missing—some dormant piece of the puzzle that prevented evolution. That piece awakened during Itachi's conception. The phenomenon that shook the heavens didn't just mark the birth of a prodigy—it perfected her bloodline… and thanks to the cultivation art which Itachi gave her, she was able to awaken those eyes.
"That's good… I wonder what ability she awakened," Itachi said lightly, his voice calm but thoughtful.
When the Mangekyō Sharingan awakened, it typically brought with it two unique abilities—one for each eye—as well as the Susanoo. Each Mangekyō was unique to its wielder, and knowing his mother, Itachi could already guess what one of her powers might be.
Sharingan genjutsu usually requires eye contact. But to affect an entire army without even looking at thier eyes? That could only mean one thing—she had awakened a genjutsu that bypassed the need for eye contact altogether.
It was an absurdly overpowered ability. After all, those affected weren't mere mortals—they were elites, and among them, many stood at the peak of the Immortal Sovereign Realm.
'I don't like the look of this place,' Itachi thought as he returned to the Uchiha Galaxy.
In the Immortal Realm, a single galaxy was vast, comparable in size to the entire lower realm. Then again, not all galaxies were equal. But on average, a single galaxy matched the scale of what some would call a multiverse… and that's exactly what Itachi preferred to call it.
The Uchiha Galaxy was surrounded by four others: the Azure Dragon Galaxy, the Black Tortoise Galaxy, the White Tiger Galaxy, and the Vermillion Bird Galaxy. All of them fell under the rule of the Uchiha clan—his mother's domain, protected and unchallenged.
Anyways, the Uchiha Galaxy was, of course, massive. It wasn't the largest galaxy in existence, but it easily ranked among the bigger ones. Scattered throughout its stars were countless powers that had been taken under Itachi's mother's wing, each one having cast away their former clan names to proudly bear the name Uchiha.
But what bothered Itachi was the architecture. The buildings were plain. Lifeless. No one here seemed interested in pushing boundaries or doing anything remotely creative. It was as if the entire galaxy had settled for dull functionality over style or vision.
And that—Itachi would not stand for. The Uchiha clan was meant to rise above all others… in every possible way.
So, upon returning home, his mind was already forming blueprints—designs for homes that could endure even the harshest weather, all while using mid- to low-grade resources efficiently. But just as he began to immerse himself in those thoughts, he was yanked out of them—literally.
Two soft melons smothered his face as he was pulled off the dragon and into a suffocating embrace.
"Oh, my baby is back!" his mother cried joyfully, hugging him tight.
Itachi sighed lightly. He knew better than to resist. The more he struggled, the more she'd find it adorable, making her even more reluctant to let go. Yes… she was completely obsessed with him. Then again, Itachi couldn't exactly blame her. They had spent ten thousand years together, forming a bond unlike any other.
"Mom, we should get to work. There are a lot of things I need to focus on, and I'll need your help," Itachi said, noting how she still refused to let him go.
In the lower realm, four years had passed. Up here, only about two weeks had gone by—but that was still enough time for her to become completely glued to him.
"Okay," she said with a soft sigh, finally loosening her grip. Her thoughts drifted back to their conversation in the lower realm.
The version of her that had appeared down there hadn't been her true body, of course. It was just an avatar—something she had to rely on since her presence was too important to the Uchiha clan for her to leave it lightly.
For all her overwhelming strength, the Uchiha clan had become her prison. She couldn't stray too far without risking a devastating assault. Sure, the five galaxies under the Uchiha name had many Immortal Sovereigns—powerful, yes—but none strong enough to stand against a peak Immortal Sovereign if a true war broke out.
"Alright," she said, shifting the topic as she held Itachi up to meet her gaze. "This card thing you mentioned from your past life—how exactly does it work?"
She was genuinely curious. Of course, she already knew about Itachi's past life. While he was still in her womb, she had dreamed of it. Cultivators often came to recall fragments of their past lives, especially at higher realms. But what had surprised her most was that Itachi had remembered his before even stepping onto the path of cultivation.
"I don't know everything," Itachi admitted, "but this card would act as a safer way to manage wealth. Instead of carrying around a storage ring filled with spirit stones or treasures, the card would hold your wealth remotely. It would protect that wealth from being stolen, even if someone got their hands on the card itself. Think of it like spirit stones, but stored somewhere only you can access—with a pin or key that only you know."
He explained it as clearly as he could, and his mother nodded, instantly grasping what he was aiming to create.
"So, you want me to make sure even Immortal Sovereigns can't bypass the card's protections to steal someone's wealth?" she asked.
Itachi nodded. "Exactly."
"I also want the card to be designed in a way that even an Immortal Sovereign couldn't replicate or forge," Itachi added with a calm smile. "That way, anyone who wants one will have no choice but to come to us. Others might try to imitate it, but nothing will match the quality of what we offer."
His mother nodded, though a slightly dazed look crossed her face as she imagined the scale of it.
"From the immortal realm down to the lower realms… if every living being had one of these cards, the Uchiha clan would control the wealth of the entire world," she murmured, still wrapping her mind around the scope.
But Itachi shook his head lightly, a sharper glint in his eye. "That's not how I plan to make money off it. The real profit comes from the fees. Every time they use the card to buy something or transfer wealth from it, there's a small charge. So small they'll barely notice it, but—"
He didn't get to finish. His mother cut him off. "But with how many people would be using the card… we'd be making an enormous amount of money just by existing,"