"Actualize."
Hyūga Kawa lowered his eyes and thought: "Based on the power of the Miko (Shrine Maiden), create an item—similar to the Hōgyoku (Orb of Distortion)—that enables the self to continuously evolve toward a higher level of existence..."
[Points Insufficient]
Hearing the notification in his mind, Hyūga Kawa's breathing grew a little deep.
It's possible.
It's actually possible.
It was only a matter of insufficient points.
Hyūga Kawa pondered for a moment, and a guess formed in his mind.
"Actualize—based on the power of the Miko..."
Hyūga Kawa thought: "...create an ability—similar to the Hōgyoku—that continuously pushes the self to evolve to a higher life-level as it absorbs mental energy."
He had figured out how to use the points. From his previous acts of actualization, he knew that actualizing an overly powerful item all at once consumed a massive number of points.
But if he created something, like the 'Seven Deadly Sins' ability, that had a low initial strength but could gradually increase its power by absorbing souls, he could save many points.
Therefore, he changed "item" to "ability," effectively sacrificing short-term strength to raise the upper limit of power.
[Spend 20,000 'Achieve True' Points. Actualize?]
"As expected, only 20,000 points are needed?"
Hyūga Kawa calmly suppressed the slight ripple of emotion and mused, "In other words, I need to absorb a large amount of mental energy and convert it into my own power, like the Miko."
"Or rather, like Aizen from the Shinigami world, collecting countless powerful souls and absorbing them, slowly growing stronger through the nurturing of the Hōgyoku."
The difference was that he could not only absorb the souls of Shinigami or Hollows, like Aizen, but also the dispersed mental energy of others, like the Miko, to nurture the 'Hōgyoku.'
Moreover, he wouldn't need to wait until the 'Hōgyoku' was complete to use it; it was just that the effectiveness of the 'Hōgyoku' would vary depending on its stage of development.
Yin Release, which governs imagination and uses mental energy as its source, is essentially about creating forms from the unseen—"creating form from nothing" and "generating existence from naught."
The 'Hōgyoku' guides this chaotic power to develop in the direction desired by its possessor, provided the possessor has the potential to achieve that desire.
The 'Hōgyoku' in Aizen's hands granted his body immortality. When he reached his limit or his life was threatened, it forced him to evolve to the next stage.
"If the 'Hōgyoku' is in my hands..." Hyūga Kawa considered what he desired, thinking, "It will be used to continually push my life-level to a higher plane."
Before possessing the 'Hōgyoku,' even though his power was already immense, it was fundamentally on a human level—the level of a Six Paths Sage. His physical body would still age and die.
Even beings like Shibai Ōtsutsuki, who was closest to the "Ōtsutsuki God," ultimately chose to abandon his body, allowing it to be dissected by humans.
Hyūga Kawa did not intend to abandon his physical body.
The Ōtsutsuki bloodline alone could not achieve what even the Ōtsutsuki God could not do, but with the power of the 'Hōgyoku,' it might be possible.
Once he possesses the 'Hōgyoku,' he can "kill two birds with one stone" in the future.
He can use lies to provoke emotional fluctuations in people, thereby gaining points, and simultaneously absorb the mental energy that dissipates when those emotions are generated.
The shortcoming of being unable to use points to mend his own body's flaws is now filled by the appearance of the 'Hōgyoku.' The 'Hōgyoku' can utilize that mental energy to drive the evolution of his life-level.
He can evolve his life-level to a stage that transcends "God."
"..."
Hyūga Kawa stood quietly, his pure Byakugan lowered, making it impossible to read the slightest ripple in his heart.
Behind the gauze curtain, Miroku's silhouette subtly swayed in the flickering candlelight.
After a long silence, a very light sigh came.
Then, a slender hand pulled back the layers of gauze curtain from the inside, and Miroku emerged.
She was barefoot, treading silently on the cold floor.
Her simple, flawless white Miko attire outlined her slender, delicate frame in the dim light.
"Hyūga Kawa-dono."
She lifted her pure, deep eyes to look at the lowered gaze of Hyūga Kawa, her voice soft. "Mōryō is a pure energy aggregate, similar to a Tailed Beast."
"Ninja power, Chakra attacks, can heavily wound it, perhaps even temporarily defeat its physical form, but they cannot truly kill it."
"As long as malice exists in the hearts of the people in this world, it can slowly recover its power, and even grow stronger."
"Only the power of the 'Miko' can completely seal it."
"And according to the prophecy I saw earlier—though I do not know how you achieved it—the prophecy clearly shows that you, after inheriting the power, will be able to completely kill Mōryō!"
"Therefore..."
Miroku took another step forward, getting closer to Hyūga Kawa, and said, "No matter what, please trust me for now, and accept the power of the 'Miko.'"
These words, bordering on a plea, finally broke the suffocating silence, prompting Hyūga Kawa to look up.
His pure Byakugan now revealed a look of perfect bewilderment and innocence, like a helpless youth.
"Although I still cannot fully understand what you mean, Miko-dono."
He frowned slightly, a look of perfect confusion and thought on his face, and slowly said, "However, if it truly means I can kill Mōryō and eliminate a danger to the ninja world..."
"I will not refuse."
This seemingly naive but responsible statement immediately made Miroku let out a silent sigh of relief.
"That's wonderful." The tight lines on her beautiful face instantly softened, and a shallow, relieved smile appeared.
"Kawa-dono, please follow me. I will impart the power of the 'Miko' to you."
Hyūga Kawa nodded, but quickly, as if remembering something, a look of solemnity and worry appeared on his face.
"If the power of ninja cannot kill Mōryō, aren't Lord Third and the others in great danger?" he asked.
Miroku looked at the worry in his eyes. Her shallow smile did not disappear; instead, it became even softer.
"You don't need to worry about the Hokage-dono..." she gently shook her head. "I have already informed the Hokage-dono of Mōryō's characteristics through projection."
"With the power of the Hokage-dono and the other Kage, they can definitely hold out until the power transfer is complete. At that time, it will be the death of Mōryō."
Hearing Miroku's firm answer, the taut concern on Hyūga Kawa's face slowly faded.
"In that case."
He took a deep breath, as if calming his inner unease, and said steadily, "Please begin immediately!"
Miroku nodded slightly, said no more, and turned to walk into the depths of the shrine. Hyūga Kawa followed her without hesitation.
Their figures, one after the other, silently disappeared into the darkness of the shrine's depths.
The candlelight behind them gradually dimmed, flickered, and finally vanished completely.
A deadly sense of oppression weighed on the last line of defense outside the shrine.
The line of defense was composed of thick rock walls and deep trenches, manned by the final group of guards. They were not ninja, but devout priests and guards who had served the Miko for generations.
Their faces wore an expression of grim determination and exhaustion, almost like martyrs.
At this moment, all the priest-guards were fixated on the open, dust-covered battlefield beyond the defense line, which had been thoroughly trampled.
The battlefield was a mess. Broken cheval de frise (wooden defensive spikes) and swords were scattered across the scorched earth, reflecting a dull light. Dark red blood had soaked into the soil beneath their feet.
There, a silent and terrifying legion was steadily advancing toward the defense line!
They were vast in number, dense and packed together. Two points of scarlet light flashed in their empty eye sockets. Their movements were slow and rigid, like a moving stone forest.
Their bodies seemed to be made of some kind of hard rock, and they came in various forms: some held giant stone spears, some carried heavy stone shields, and some raised stone axes like guillotines...
Their movements were uniform, their steps heavy and slow. Each step issued a chilling, dull thud, like the beating of war drums.
Mōryō's Ghost Legion, the Immortal Stone Statue Army!
As they advanced, trees were easily snapped and crushed like fragile straw. Rocks turned to dust beneath their heavy steps, and deep furrows were ploughed into the earth!
A heavy, suffocating aura surged forward like a tide!
"Fire the arrows!!"
On the wall, a priest leader let out a hoarse, desperate roar.
Szz! Szz! Szz!
The priest-guards, who had been waiting in readiness, released their tightly strung bowstrings without hesitation.
Arrows, dense as rain, made a sharp tearing sound through the air, shooting like locusts toward the slowly advancing stone statue legion!
Clang! Clang! Clang!!
A flurry of impacts rang out.
However, the wrought-iron arrowheads, which were powerful enough to pierce leather armor, struck the bodies of the stone statues and shattered or bounced off, as if hitting steel, leaving only faint white marks!
"Catapults! Heavy Crossbows! Prepare..."
The priest leader's pupils narrowed, and he shouted again, "Fire!"
Behind him, heavy catapults emitted a dull sound. Millstone-sized boulders, whistling through the air, slammed violently into the heart of the stone statue legion!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several stone statue soldiers were struck by the boulders. Their hard rock bodies instantly shattered, scattering fragments of stone!
Grind!
The giant ballistae were wound taut. Steel bolts as thick as an arm, flashing with a cold light, ripped through the air like javelins, accurately striking the stone statue soldiers carrying large shields in the front row!
The bolts effortlessly pierced the heavy stone shields, maintaining their momentum to penetrate the chests of the soldiers behind the shields, shattering them and pinning them to the ground!
"Yes!"
A muffled cheer erupted on the wall.
However, before the cheers could fade, their expressions stiffened slightly.
The fragments of the stone statue soldiers—those shattered by the boulders and pierced by the ballista bolts—began to tremble and coalesce, as if drawn by an invisible force!
In just a few breaths, the shattered stone fragments re-formed, restoring the stone statue soldiers to perfect condition!
The scarlet light in their empty eye sockets lit up again. They seemed utterly unharmed and continued their heavy, slow advance!
"Damn it! Just as the records and intelligence said, they are unkillable monsters!"
Staring at the approaching, tide-like immortal stone statues, the priest leader clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deeply into his palms, his eyes bloodshot.
They had long known the terror of this "Ghost Legion," that they were immortal and that no physical attack could truly destroy them.
They knew that their meager flesh-and-blood priest-guards could not block this undying army.
But their faith sustained them, and their absolute loyalty to the Miko compelled them to throw their bodies and their lives into the fight, charging forward one after the other.
They attempted to use every suicidal attack they could think of to slightly delay the advance of that destructive flood.
But this was nothing but a mantis trying to stop a chariot, and the defense line was on the verge of collapse.
Just then, an explosion tore through the oppressive air above the battlefield!
A burly figure, wreathed in dazzling blue lightning, leapt onto the precarious wall.
The Fourth Raikage's feet landed. He squatted, lowering his center of gravity, his muscles coiling and storing energy...
BOOM!!
The wall beneath his feet cracked in a spiderweb pattern. Using the wall as a springboard, his figure shot into the air like a cannonball, soaring above the dense ranks of the stone statue soldiers.
His Raikage robe flapped violently in the fierce lightning. Looking down at the packed stone statue legion, he suddenly raised his right leg high.
An ear-splitting burst of electrical current resounded. Blue lightning surged wildly from his body, completely enveloping his raised right foot, ionizing the air with crackling static!
"Lariat, Divine Lightning Cutter!!"
The Fourth Raikage roared. His right foot, condensed with Lightning Release Chakra, descended like a colossal axe, crashing down with a reckless, all-destroying momentum onto the stone statue legion below!
CRASH!!
A deafening explosion that threatened to tear eardrums apart instantly erupted.
The Fourth Raikage's strike landed squarely in the most densely packed area of the stone statue legion.
The terrifying force, the moment it contacted the ground, exploded without reserve!
Centering on his landing point, the hard ground instantly cracked and collapsed. Spiderweb-like fissures spread rapidly outward, and a massive, hundreds-of-meters-wide crater instantly formed.
The brutal shockwave, carrying countless fragments of rock, dust, and savage electricity, surged outward in a ring!
Everything in its path—from the broken cheval de frise and burning debris to the hardened stone statue soldiers...
All shattered instantly without resistance upon encountering this violent force. The heavy stone spears, shields, and bodies were instantly pulverized into flying dust and stone fragments!
Dust and smoke shot into the sky, engulfing the entire battlefield in a grey chaos!
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