Chapter 250: The Final Battle (Mid)

"It seems everything you've done was in vain."

The fighting on other fronts has already reached a white‑hot state, and Yuzhi here is not giving any ground.

Yishi, in order to affect Yuzhi and release the Ten‑tails, was stunned to discover that Yuzhi seemed never to have cared about it at all.

At first he thought Yuzhi simply didn't care about the lives of ordinary people, which, oddly enough, aligns with the Ootsutsuki's perception.

After all, who would care about how ants fare, but now he finds the situation differs from his expectations.

Yuzhi isn't indifferent; rather, he seems to have long concluded that the Ten‑tails couldn't trouble ordinary people.

With that belief, the guy naturally couldn't react strongly!

The fact is exactly that; Yishi fights Yuzhi earnestly, yet he keeps watching the other fronts.

After Taoshi devoured Jinshi, there was no healing effect, and Pushi was pressed down tightly; both of them are utterly collapsed.

And the Ten‑tails was suppressed by three little devils, a scenario he never anticipated; they are now completely defeated.

Worse still, he can already feel Taoshi and Pushi on the brink of collapse; they might soon be truly annihilated!

This is not the outcome I wanted.

While sensing the surroundings' changes, dodging Yuzhi's attacks, and enduring Yuzhi's taunts, Yishi couldn't help a low sigh.

The development has truly slipped beyond his control; everything is racing toward an extreme!

"Perhaps it's truly futile."

Suddenly, Yishi spoke, and his words made Yuzhi pause.

But the daze lasted only a moment; the next instant, Yuzhi swung his blade without hesitation, unleashing a force that seemed capable of destroying heaven and earth.

Yishi reacted swiftly; in an instant, the black staff in his hand rose, blocking Yuzhi's long sword with perfect precision.

"I didn't expect you already show signs of surrender."

Yuzhi looked at the Yishi before him, let out a light hum, and said with a smile.

"Still, that's fine; having reached this point, you truly have no chance. Surrendering might be the best option."

"Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't."

Yishi shook his head; his gaze at Yuzhi shifted slightly, yet his tone remained as flat as before.

"Honestly, I misjudged you. Someone with no Ootsutsuki heritage at all, who hasn't even consumed a fruit, reaching this level."

It's truly awe‑inspiring: tactics, chakra usage, control over one's own power—few Ootsutsuki could achieve what you've done.

But I'm genuinely curious—don't you want to go further, to keep climbing toward a higher pinnacle?

Yishi's words made Yuzhi raise an eyebrow; he gave no reply, yet that expression was clearly grasped by Yishi.

"Indeed, you still have ambitions; after all, advancing step by step in this world to this stage, your heart can't lack ambition."

In fact you should feel how vast the gap is between you and those ordinary ants; your strength, will, even your life have far surpassed theirs!

I've spent a thousand years in the Ninja World, witnessing countless sunrises and sunsets, joys and sorrows, watching humans from newborns to those who close their eyes and return to the earth.

Life, to me, is just that; human lives are merely a drop in the torrent of time.

You've already become extraordinary; even if you still aid humans now, does any of this hold meaning?

Fifty to a hundred years is a blink for you, yet for those humans it spans an entire lifetime.

As a higher being, as an Ootsutsuki, when you become accustomed to such ebb and flow, your emotions naturally numb, and your heart gradually freezes.

The only thing that can push you onward is greater strength; perhaps you still need to adapt, but sooner or later you'll reach the level we have.

Moreover, I can tell you something: this stage isn't the Ootsutsuki's limit; there's still higher beyond.

"You mean the Ootsutsuki god?"

Before Yishi could finish, Yuzhi suddenly interrupted, leaving Yishi stunned.

"Was it that slut Kaguya who told you?"

"No need."

Yuzhi gently shook his head; his assault never ceased, and his and Yishi's silhouettes collided in the sky like meteors.

The intense roar sent visible shockwaves outward, and the sky's clouds had long been shattered by their blows.

Yet they seemed unaffected; even amid such fierce combat, they could still converse.

"What you do has already given me a hypothesis.

Why, being so strong, you keep invading other planets, planting the so‑called Divine Tree, devouring entire worlds' life to condense fruit.

The purpose is likely only one: to go further, the so‑called god humans speak of—perhaps you Ootsutsuki have one too?"

"Your reaction is indeed swift."

Yishi dodged quickly, and couldn't help letting out a sigh.

"Indeed, Ootsutsuki have gods; the true Ootsutsuki god transcends the definition of life's limits.

Even though at this stage we are already regarded as divine beings before other life, this is far from enough; we still die, we still have our lives taken.

Only by surpassing the definition of life and death, truly crossing that threshold, can one reach the ultimate destination—the true god!

You have great potential; at least you're the first person I've seen in my endless years who has crossed life's tiers and progressed to where you are now.

Even though you bear Kaguya's bloodline, with talent like yours, I think you should return to the Ootsutsuki!

Yishi's thought is sincere; besides being dazed by Yuzhi's heavy punch, he truly sees Yuzhi's potential.

Now, though others have risen to this stage through their own strength, Yuzhi is undeniably the first.

Moreover, Yuzhi displayed such power without ever consuming a fruit, which truly gave Yishi an idea.

He advises Yuzhi to cease the war and return to the Ootsutsuki—a win‑win, perhaps.

"I think I'll pass."

But unfortunately, Yuzhi chuckled lightly and shook his head.

"Though your words are sincere, I'm curious how you'd deal with the people of this world."

"Then I'm very curious about one thing."

Yi Shi furrowed his brow slightly and asked in a low voice.

"When you were human, the poultry and beasts you ate, the ants you stepped on by the roadside—do you have any thoughts about them?"

Yi Shi's question indeed left Yuzhi somewhat speechless; what humans have done to those poultry and beasts is truly countless.

If those poultry and beasts possessed intelligence and could resist, their first words would likely be: "You treacherous, evil, rebellious humans, eating our flesh and skin, you deserve a death a thousand times over!"

After all, humans truly never cared much about their thoughts, because there was no need to.

What Da Tongmu does is not much different from humans, but Yuzhi does not intend to accept any of it.

"I naturally understand everything you say."

Yuzhi shook his head, and his gaze grew serious.

"Our issue is a matter of stance; there is simply no room for compromise.

Moreover, the emptiness you speak of I can foresee; on the battlefield I've seen countless people die beside me.

They may have been my comrades and friends a second ago, but the next moment they were already fallen, and only their names on memorial stones can be mourned.

Such emptiness brings numbness, making emotions indifferent, but I'm sorry—I fear I cannot reach that level.

Furthermore, I cannot accept treating other sentient lives as supplements to consume."

"Stubborn and dull!"

Yi Shi's complexion also turned sour; he felt like he was playing a lute to a cow!

"Sooner or later you'll come to this point; even if you don't target people of the ninja world, wouldn't you target people of other planets?"

To go further, you need the essence of life, the endless life force!

And you must understand one thing: the universe may seem boundless, but its essence is limited, resources are limited, and every life's birth consumes the universe's resources.

When we devour these lives, aren't we relieving the universe's burden? Only a short-sighted fool like you would not see that!"

Got it right?

Yuzhi fell silent upon hearing that; he had been speculating whether Da Tongmu is the universe's scavenger.

Perhaps the job is like the one undertaken by that purple sweet potato spirit in a series of movies he watched before his transmigration.

Although Yi Shi might be trying to convince himself, his words still made Yuzhi let out a sigh.

Nevertheless, Yuzhi had no intention of dealing with him; future matters can wait, now is not the time to think about this!

"Are you done speaking?"

Yuzhi stared coldly at Yi Shi, and the chakra within him surged even more at that moment.

"Indeed, what you say may be correct, but I still have a curious question.

You, and your kind, on what basis decide who should be devoured and erased?"

"When you eat chickens, ducks, pigs, and cattle, have you ever wondered why you choose them?"

Yi Shi fully realized that their beliefs, consciousness, and stances were completely different; no one could truly persuade anyone else!

At that thought, Yi Shi's attack speed suddenly surged; he was no fool like Tao Shi and Pu Shi, his strength far exceeded everyone's imagination!

Boom—

Boom—

Boom—

The sky rang with continuous booms, two figures like streaks of light clashed wildly upon the earth.

That mighty force turned into torrents, constantly assaulting every inch of the surrounding land, and their impact spread far and wide!

Whoosh—

On the sea surface, the once calm ocean, guided by the energy tide, raised hundred‑meter‑high waves that turned into a tsunami raging toward the shore.

A distant volcano, driven by the power tide, erupted wildly, scorching lava flooding the land.

In the sky, the raging shockwave shattered the clouds, and the strange power tide summoned dense black clouds, instantly casting the whole earth in darkness.

A hell‑like scene spread across the world, sending chills down one's spine.

Yuzhi kept launching attacks; he was now giving his all, but Yi Shi was not so easy to defeat.

Yi Shi differed from Pu Shi and Tao Shi, and in his current perfect state, killing him was far beyond ordinary difficulty.

"And this guy has truly been in the ninja world for a thousand years; he's deeply versed in the ninja arts, this guy..."

Yuzhi cursed inwardly, especially after noticing that as the battle deepened, Yi Shi kept adapting to his strength.

He even learned and mimicked through his fighting style!

In the end, the power Yuzhi wielded was essentially the use of chakra, and the Da Tongmu clan had mastered the ultimate form of chakra.

Yi Shi remained Yi Shi, his power the same, only the different application made his combat more rational.

This situation made Yuzhi slightly frown; even though he wasn't worried, who knows how it would turn out if it continued.

"As long as Pu Shi and Tao Shi are completely taken down, then"

Yuzhi's speed increased considerably, yet he couldn't help thinking of one thing.

Is absorbing life truly the only evolution path for Da Tongmu?

He had long entertained this idea, and had considered the 'Nature's Power' solution, but Yi Shi's earlier words seemed to deny it.

If Da Tongmu truly is a 'scavenger', then to cross the 'definition of life and death' boundary, there is only that one path.

"No, what is the definition between life and death?"

Suddenly, Yuzhi sensed something amiss, as the images of Yu Yi and Yu Cun, two old ghosts, involuntarily sprang to mind!

"They are in a soul state?!"

In Da Tongmu's battle, when the body is destroyed, its essence enters a death countdown, and only a 'Wedge' can save it.

But Yu Yi and Yu Cun, those old guys, seem to have taken no ordinary path; they had long abandoned their bodies.

According to the normal state of the Otsutsuki, they should be dead, but these two are still alive and well.

They even gave Yuzhi a dream in the middle of the night, and even sent cheats to Naruto and Sasuke!

"They—does this count as transcending the definition of life and death?"

Yuzhi thought of this, and his heart stirred involuntarily; strictly speaking, these two are truly too special.

Their will is contained within chakra, their souls reside in the pure land; in some sense they truly cannot be considered alive, nor can they be said to be dead.

Such a state is better described as a spiritual body, and according to Isshiki's saying, this state.

"Could they be the Otsutsuki god? That shouldn't be the case."

Whether these two are some kind of "Otsutsuki god" doesn't matter to Yuzhi, but he cares about their transcendent state at this moment.

Recalling these two, especially the past of the Sage of Six Paths, he seems to be on a normal path, the only difference being sage techniques.

In combining the growth of the God Tree, besides infinite life, it also requires massive natural chakra, which makes Yuzhi seem to have firmed up an idea.

"Nature's Power, I'm afraid, truly is a bright path!"

Yuzhi's eyes glowed faintly; although he had always held this judgment, without a clear result he himself dared not affirm whether this path was right or wrong.

After all, he cannot be considered to have a benchmark, lacking a clear reference, making it hard for him to make a determination.

But now he seems to have stronger motivation to try, after all, that seemingly somewhat dull old man, the Sage of Six Paths, really does give him a direction!

"In that case."

Looking at Isshiki's defensive stance, which was like a turtle's, Yuzhi's gaze began to change.

Although he didn't know how to begin cultivating Nature's Power, he could adopt the simplest method: maximize his usage of Nature's Power.

"Let myself get closer to nature, and in battle, deeply understand and feel Nature's Power—this is also a good choice!"

Hum—

Thinking of this, Yuzhi's movements slowed slightly; Isshiki is now more focused on defense, and even though he has adapted to the intensity, he still finds it hard to withstand Yuzhi's assault.

Just like in the original story when he faced Naruto, he was completely blown away by Particle Mode Naruto and couldn't find his bearings.

What makes him better now than when he originally suffered Naruto's heavy punch is that he has full vitality and can continually adapt and temper his strength, but this also gives Yuzhi an opportunity.

"Huh?"

Yuzhi's movements suddenly slowed, which also caught Isshiki's attention; the next moment he suddenly discovered that Nature's Power began to erupt on Yuzhi's body.

"Nature's Power? I admit this power is indeed a huge threat to me, but can you really defeat me with Nature's Power? Besides, absorbing too much would also be bad for you."

Yuzhi ignored Isshiki; he was quickly balancing the power within his body, and it's common knowledge that Nature's Power is hard to master, even for Yuzhi.

But Yuzhi is different—his control and adaptability to this power are far stronger than ordinary people's.

"How would we know without trying?"

After a while, Yuzhi suddenly laughed.

"Then please give me a proper evaluation!"

Hum—

In an instant, Yuzhi's figure burst forth with a powerful aura, his speed fast as if teleporting!

However, Isshiki clearly sensed that Yuzhi wasn't using any spatial power; this was pure speed!

"This"

Isshiki's face changed drastically; Yuzhi's power just now was already exaggerated, so how is this guy's speed even faster?

Nature's Power is strong, Isshiki knows that, but for them it is fundamentally unbearable.

One careless mistake and their bodies would suffer; as Otsutsuki, they would never lightly attempt this power.

Moreover, because of the Ten-Tails, they also have a way to use this power; who would willingly guide such power into their bodies for no reason?

Pop—

With hardly any time to think, Yuzhi's Ninja Sword had already been swung, and Isshiki tried to avoid it as much as possible.

However, his movement was still a bit slow, and that blade, shining with majestic divine might, came down heavily on his body, and in an instant a crimson appeared on him.

"Not impossible!"

Isshiki roared inwardly, and in the next moment he swiftly swung what was in his hand, barely blocking Yuzhi's incoming second sword strike!

"You won't last long; the corrosion of Nature's Power will kill you—are you trying to perish together with me?"

"Who knows, before I am corroded, you might already be dead beneath my blade!"

Yuzhi let out a cold snort; the force of his Ninja Sword began to increase, while Isshiki was already gritting his teeth and holding on.

Seeing this, Yuzhi mercilessly kicked forward, and Isshiki likewise quickly raised his leg, instantly blocking Yuzhi's kick.

"Pretty quick reflexes."

Yuzhi muttered a sentence, but in close-quarters combat he truly hasn't lost to these Otsutsuki!

His body leaned back slightly, and this instantly caused the black staff that Isshiki had been continually increasing force to resist to lose its target; his whole person, even in midair, pitched forward.

Moreover, since Yuzhi had already trapped one of his legs, Isshiki nearly lost his bodily balance at that moment.

And Yuzhi showed no mercy either; he clenched his left fist and swung it at Isshiki's belly.

Hum—

However, at the moment Yuzhi's fist struck Isshiki, the fist hit empty air; Isshiki's figure vanished, but Yuzhi could still see his trace.

"Did he shrink? He's really fast."

Yuzhi murmured, then immediately retreated backward, because several black staffs had flown toward him at that moment.

Easily dodging the dense black staffs, Yuzhi instantly turned his head, and the next moment a stronger surge of chakra burst forth not far from him.

"Die!"

The rumbling chakra quickly condensed, a huge bird containing all types of chakra fiercely lunged at him.

"The use of techniques is indeed as smooth as ever, truly worthy of the Bloodline Net."

Facing Yishi's attack, Yuzhi appeared very calm; no matter what kind of move Yishi used, he wouldn't find it strange.

After all, Yuzhi himself could use similar methods!

Whoosh—

There was basically no need to fight; as that ninja technique rushed toward Yuzhi, a Truth-Seeking Orb had already appeared and turned into a shield blocking in front of him.

At the same moment, Yishi instantly turned his head, because a strange space had appeared behind him, and Yuzhi's Ninja Sword had already broken through the space and slashed toward him!

"Little Fame Deity!"

Yishi quickly raised his hand, and a black cube suddenly expanded, but in the next instant his expression changed slightly, because the speed of the cube's expansion was suppressed.

"Damn time technique!"

Yishi knows exactly what's going on; Yuzhi has set up nearby that kind of eye technique that alters space and time.

Even if he himself isn't afraid, his technique will still be affected.

He suddenly turned his body to dodge, but this slash still missed the slowly expanding cube and struck his shoulder.

Blood spattered, Yishi instantly pulled back some distance, but he was indeed wounded again by Yuzhi!

"Damn, this can't go on!"

Yishi quickly sidestepped forward; he knows there's no chance to run, the opponent's speed is so fast they can definitely catch him.

He never expected Yuzhi to be this crazy, nor did he expect Nature's Power to erupt to this extent!

Before, Yuzhi had been using Nature's Power, but that extent was mostly just blending Nature's Power into his own chakra.

Such combat brings variability and can strengthen one's attacks, but it's only considered routine.

But now this guy has balanced the chakra within his body with that immense Nature's Power, which to Yishi seems no different from madness!

How much chakra does the Big Tubewood have, and how much Nature's Power needs to be fused to achieve balance—this is simply unimaginable.

A little carelessness, and there really won't even be a chance for someone to use a wedge before being instantly backlashed by Nature's Power.

But Nature's Power can actually erupt with such power?

Yishi knows that if this continues, Yuzhi won't be able to hold out for long, but the key issue is that he probably can't hold out either during this period.

This is absolutely not the result he wants; he must think of a way!

"Since."

Suddenly, he heard the Ten Tails' roar; in an instant he seemed to think of something, and his expression grew even darker.

"You care so much about these ants, even willing to throw your lot in with them, then I'll wipe them out—I want to see what state you'll be in!"

Thinking this, Yishi suddenly turned and in an instant turned into a stream of light!

"Huh?"

Yuzhi also instantly sensed Yishi's movement, which made his expression shift slightly, and he swiftly followed.

"You're too late!"

However, when Yuzhi caught up to Yishi after a few breaths, Yishi had already raised his hands; below, the Ten Tails let out a roar, and terrifying chakra in the sky above was frantically gathering.

"I admit, you are strong enough now, I also admit you are crazy enough now."

But as a Big Tubewood, you have such an obvious flaw—you actually care about ants that could be stepped on to death, which dooms you to be restrained.

Your space and time techniques are indeed strong; then I'm curious about one thing: to what extent can you achieve with such space and time techniques?

Before his words even finished, Yishi's figure suddenly shrank, and his chakra had already been conducted to the horizon.

Yuzhi slightly raised his head, the corner of his mouth involuntarily twitching a little, because it had grown darker, and beyond the countless dark clouds were dense masses of huge meteors!

This scene is even more terrifying than what Madara produced in the original, and each of these meteors is larger than the second meteor of Madara's Heavenly Collision Star.

Even seeing this scene, Yuzhi felt a sense of astonishment, but soon his gaze became somewhat vacant.

Because he sensed something, the next moment he involuntarily activated one of his techniques.

"Soul Forge."

In an instant, a vast amount of life essence surged rapidly into his body.

This immense life essence made even him, who had come this far, feel astonished, because it was simply too huge!

"Are Momoshiki and Urashiki already dead?"

Life essence continually surged within Yuzhi's body, continually raising his life state and life level.

He also immediately noticed his eye technique improving, and even the intensity with which he absorbs Nature's Power was rapidly expanding.

This change really let him, while astonished, also somewhat understand why the Big Tubewoods would choose to take a 'shortcut', because it's truly too simple!

"But this is fine too; it's time for all of this to end!"

Thinking this, Yuzhi raised his head to look at Yishi, and his newly gained power instantly erupted fully.