Chapter 254: Initial Release

In a layered space outside the Ninja World at this moment

Madara Uchiha sat cross-legged on a floating giant rock, Truth-Seeking Balls swirling around him.

The surroundings were endless void, with only scattered rocks floating in the air.

Massive soul energy gathered from all directions, forming a huge vortex before him.

These were powers collected from the Pure Land, and after refinement would become the purest life energy.

Madara used the circulation of this power to consolidate the stability of the Pure Land.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a violent energy fluctuation came.

"This energy fluctuation..." Madara opened his eyes, eye power activated, the veins of the Byakugan appearing.

His vision instantly broke through spatial limits, penetrating layer after layer of barriers, directly locking onto the situation above Konoha.

Only to see a silver-haired man in a black kimono hovering in the sky, launching an attack on Konoha.

"This energy... isn't chakra," Madara narrowed his eyes, "It seems my previous judgment was correct; reincarnators from other worlds have finally set their sights on the Ninja World."

Since becoming a Reincarnator, Madara Uchiha had speculated that invaders would arrive, and had been constantly improving his strength for this moment.

"But for now, it seems I don't need to act myself..." Madara Uchiha withdrew the Truth-Seeking Balls around him and stood up.

On one hand, he was very interested in these invaders' strength; being able to unleash attacks of that level, they were obviously not ordinary characters.

More importantly, he wanted to see what level Hashirama had reached at this moment.

Since Hashirama broke through to the Six Paths Realm, he had not had the chance to witness the other's true strength.

"Hashirama..." Madara muttered softly, "Let me see where your limit lies now."

Madara stepped forward, the Moon's Eye rotating, space shattering like glass, revealing a crack leading to Konoha.

On the battlefield

Hashirama stared at the silver-haired figure in the air; the other's hovering posture and the destructive power of that lightning pillar just now both exceeded his understanding.

"You don't intend to answer?"

Hashirama's eyes narrowed, chakra exploding beneath his feet as he quickly approached the other.

He could not let the other start a war within Konohagakure; he had to shift the battlefield first.

"Wood Release: Multiple Wood Dragon Technique!"

Hashirama's hand seals were so fast they left afterimages; in an instant, the earth trembled.

Dozens of huge wood dragons shot up from underground, each dozens of meters thick, opening bloody mouths to bite at Alan.

The wood dragons surrounded from front, back, left, and right in three dimensions, instantly weaving a great net in the air, sealing off all of Alan's retreat.

"Interesting." Alan looked at the wood dragons surrounding him, his expression still calm, "Is this the legendary Wood Release?"

"But that's all there is to it." He waved his right hand forward, a chant sounding from his mouth:

"Hado Number Seventy-Eight, Zangetsurin!"

A ring-shaped white blade of light spread outward from Alan as the center. Wherever the light blade passed, the air was cut with a sharp whistling sound.

"Boom!"

Dozens of wood dragons were instantly sliced into fragments, wood chips flying everywhere.

But Hashirama's offensive did not end; new branches immediately grew from the severed places of the cut wood dragons, like tentacles continuing to wrap around Alan.

Seeing this, Hashirama immediately changed strategy, forming hand seals again: "Since that's the case... Sage Art: Myojin Gate!"

Suddenly, three huge vermilion torii seals appeared in the sky, each dozens of meters tall, emitting powerful pressure.

"Fall!"

The three torii seals simultaneously pressed down on Alan from above; powerful sealing power enveloped the surroundings like substance, even the air stagnated.

"A seal of this level..." Alan's eyes narrowed, feeling the surrounding space begin to become viscous.

The sealing power was interfering with his ability to move.

Just as the torii seals were about to smash into him, a circle of light glowed beneath Alan's feet.

"Shunpo."

His figure instantly vanished from the spot, leaving only an afterimage in the air.

Two Myojin Gates heavily smashed onto the ground, smashing a huge crater into the ground.

"Where is he?"

Hashirama's gaze rapidly swept the surroundings, but could not catch any trace of the other at all. This movement speed had already exceeded his perception range.

"Looking for me?"

A cold voice suddenly sounded from behind; Hashirama's pupils suddenly contracted, but it was already too late to react.

"Pfft!"

A sharp blade slashed diagonally across Hashirama's back from behind, blood splattering.

This strike was both fast and ruthless; if it were an ordinary ninja, they would probably have been cut in half at the waist.

The huge force sent Hashirama flying.

His body traced an arc in the air, but just then, the "Hashirama" who had been slashed suddenly turned into a wooden post.

"Wood clone?" Alan sheathed his sword, "Reaction is not bad."

On a treetop dozens of meters away, the real Hashirama stood there, looking at Alan with a solemn expression.

If not for having anticipated it in advance and made a substitution just now, he would probably have been seriously injured.

"This speed and swordsmanship..." Hashirama thought to himself, "Completely unable to see any flaw."

"I can't let him control the pace of the fight anymore." Hashirama quickly formed hand seals, "Wood Release: Flower Tree World Descent!"

Boom—

The earth trembled as countless thick tree trunks shot up from the ground, these trees growing at an astonishing speed, forming a vast forest in the blink of an eye.

Alan's figure flickered repeatedly, each jump precisely avoiding the madly growing trees.

His movements flowed like clouds and water, weaving freely through the dense tree trunks.

"Open!" Hashirama changed his hand seals.

At This Moment, those huge flower buds suddenly bloomed. Pale purple pollen spread through the air, covering the entire battlefield in an instant.

These pollens carried deadly poison; once inhaled, they would paralyze the nerves.

"Want to weaken my stamina?" Alan watched the poisonous mist coming at him and began chanting:

"Way of Destruction Number Seventy-Three: Double Lotus Blue Fire Drop!"

Powerful Spiritual Pressure erupted from within him, and the surrounding air began to twist.

Boom!

Two huge pillars of fire descended from the sky, twisting the air wherever they passed.

The scorching flames instantly ignited the pollen spreading through the air, triggering a chain reaction.

Boom boom boom!

A series of explosions rang out in the air. Flames swept everywhere, turning Hashirama's Wood Release forest into a sea of fire.

Thick tree trunks quickly carbonized under the high temperature, turning to ashes; under the firelight, Alan's figure appeared especially tall.

"First Hokage, moves of this level cannot injure me." A hint of arrogance was in Alan's voice.

"Not over yet!"

Hashirama was about to form hand seals to counterattack, but saw Alan wave his left hand, a new incantation already sounding: "Way of Binding Number Seventy-Nine, Nine Suns Binding!"

Instantly, nine pitch-black energy balls appeared out of thin air, circling around Hashirama at extreme speed.

These black balls emitted eerie fluctuations, rotating rapidly along a special trajectory.

"What?!" Hashirama felt a powerful binding force coming from all directions.

Those nine black balls formed a perfect three-dimensional formation, firmly locking him at the Center.

Alan gave him no chance to catch his breath, immediately starting a new chant: "Vaguely revealing the murky emblem, the unbridled talent of madness"

As the incantation was chanted, a huge black cube began to form around Hashirama.

This black space emitted a suffocating Oppressive Feeling, as if it could Devour all light.

"Way of Destruction Number Ninety: Black Coffin!"

The moment Alan's voice fell, sharp Break Sky sounds suddenly erupted from inside the Black Coffin.

Countless black blades condensed from pure energy stabbed toward the Center from all directions.

"It's over." Alan looked at the Black Coffin before him, his Tone carrying a hint of victory in hand.

Even Hashirama with the Sage Body could not survive the power of this move.

However, at This Moment, an unexpected change occurred!

A crisp Shatter sound rang out. A tiny crack suddenly appeared on the surface of the Black Coffin.

"Huh?!" At this moment Alan suddenly looked toward the Black Coffin.

Crack—

Immediately after, the crack spread at an astonishing speed, covering the entire black cube in the blink of an eye.

Boom!

Accompanied by a deafening roar, the entire Black Coffin exploded with a bang, turning into countless fragments that Dissipated in the air.

"What?!" Alan's Pupils suddenly shrank.

The smoke and dust cleared, and Hashirama's figure Appeared.

His whole body was enveloped in golden radiance, and six pitch-black Truth-Seeking Balls appeared behind him.

Powerful aura swept everywhere, even making the air Tremble.

"This is Six Paths Mode?!" At this moment Alan looked utterly incredulous.

Hashirama moved his wrist, chakra circulating around his body: "It's my first time using this form."

"Impossible!" Alan frowned tightly, "This is impossible... Could it be that you've collected all the Tailed Beasts in this world?"

Alan quickly Calmed down, carefully sensing the other's Energy Wave, and discovered an anomaly.

Although Hashirama had indeed entered Six Paths Mode, the energy fluctuations within him were several orders of magnitude lower than true Six Paths.

"Although I don't know how you did it." A hint of contempt flashed in Alan's eyes, "But this half-baked Six Paths Mode is still far from enough to defeat me."

"Is that so?" Hashirama's eyes narrowed, and six Truth-Seeking Balls suddenly accelerated their rotation.

His figure suddenly vanished from the spot. Only a golden Body Flicker remained in the air.

"So fast!"

Alan had just sensed something when Hashirama appeared before him, the Truth-Seeking Ball in his hand flying directly toward Alan's head.

Clang!

At the Critical Moment, Alan drew his Zanpakuto to block.

The moment metal clashed, sparks flew everywhere, and the collision of the two forces produced a huge Shockwave, making the air Tremble.

Boom!

Alan was blasted away like a Shell, drawing a long arc in the air.

He flipped several times in midair before stabilizing his figure, the Zanpakuto in his hand trembling slightly.

"Let you see what the power of a Zanpakuto is!"

He slowly raised the Zanpakuto in his hand, the blade beginning to hum: "Shikai Roar: Thunder God Flash!"

In an instant, the sky was filled with dark clouds, electric light flashing within the clouds.

As the Shikai incantation sounded, Alan's Zanpakuto underwent a tremendous change.

The blade turned deep blue, covered with lightning-shaped patterns.

The guard took the shape of lightning, and deep blue cloth strips were wrapped around the hilt.

Electric light roamed across the blade, ionizing the surrounding air into a pale blue glow.

(Chapter End)