Chapter 259: Spirit Sealing (Extremely Rare) (4K+ Big Chapter, Please Subscribe)
"You have come into contact with a special spirit body: Death God (local deity, Yin God). Do you wish to absorb it?"
"Absorbing..."
"Judging..."
Bai Cangshu's smile was almost ferocious. He leaned back, then stretched his hands forward, and in Hiruzen Sarutobi's disbelieving eyes, grasped the Death God's body, which should have been untouchable.
Yes, he was very sure that Tao Bai Bai had indeed caught the "Death God" itself!
From the Death God, who was clad in a white robe, held a short blade in its mouth, and carried prayer beads, Bai Cangshu felt an extremely strong repulsive force. Unlike Keli's ordinary souls, this Death God inherently possessed the ability to seize and control the souls of ordinary people.
Regardless of whether you are a Hokage, a Sannin, a Tailed Beast, or an ordinary person, once your soul is caught by the Death God, it will be slowly pulled out of your body. Finally, the Death God will use the blade in its mouth to sever the connection between your soul and body, completely devouring your soul.
This is the highest-level sealing jutsu. After the soul disappears, even techniques like Impure World Reincarnation and Samsara of Life and Death cannot revive you. Similarly, if a part of your body's soul is devoured by the Death God, that part of the body will completely lose its vitality, an irreversible injury beyond medical treatment.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's idea was not wrong. The Reaper Death Seal was indeed one of the few attack methods that posed the greatest threat to Bai Cangshu.
Once Bai Cangshu's soul was sealed, his so-called "Intermediate Immortality" would not take effect. In Bai Cangshu's view, this was one of the most valuable items and abilities in the Naruto World, aside from the Otsutsuki bloodline.
Of course, he would not learn Chakra or this sealing jutsu. Such a technique, which required the user's life as a price, did not align with Bai Cangshu's aesthetic of power.
He chose a more direct approach—devouring the Death God, incorporating it into himself, and turning all its abilities to his own use!
Feeling the repulsive force, Bai Cangshu ignored it and directly switched to the "Spirit Toucher" milestone. He reached out and grabbed the Death God's arm, beginning to pull it forcefully towards his body.
The power of the Underworld, hidden within his bloodline, also began to surge. That cold, deathly silent power instantly extinguished the Killing Intent Ripple burning on Bai Cangshu's body.
That was the power that held absolute dominance within Bai Cangshu at this moment, the power personally wielded by the Lord of Mount Tai, drawing the Underworld to flow backward and allowing Possession of Yin Spirit. It was a power that 33,000 Yin Spirits could never resist, and a power that even a World Child like Gojo Satoru had no desire to try and break.
Bai Cangshu pulled hard, and the Death God, which had been floating behind Hiruzen Sarutobi, was instantly pulled closer. The Death God was no longer calm; it had merely accepted Hiruzen Sarutobi's sacrifice and come to reap a soul.
But it never expected that even it would be attacked.
It felt a familiar aura flowing from where it touched—that was... the Underworld!
The Death God silently removed the short blade from its mouth, raising it high. It intended to directly sever the soul it held and swallow it to complete the ritual.
This was different from what Hiruzen Sarutobi had imagined. His face was pale, and the coldness and pain of his soul being pierced by the Death God's hand were unbearable. His combat uniform was torn at his chest, revealing mysterious black, tadpole-like characters—that was his contract with the Death God.
"No... no, I must take this guy with me..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood firm on his feet, his soul also burning. A strong will emanated from his soul, and the Death God's raised short blade actually hesitated.
The two sides were again in a struggle.
Gojo Satoru was now largely pulled back by Bai Cangshu. The part of his body that was separated from Bai Cangshu's physical form became stiff due to the Death God's touch. At this moment, he was still ridiculing Bai Cangshu.
"Hey, host, put some effort into it! You don't want to lose my Limitless, do you?"
Bai Cangshu ignored this person, who was too erratic in personality due to his immense power. With a thought, a huge suction force came from the Heart Throne.
"Oh~ oh! I feel that power!"
Gojo Satoru let out a cry, whether in mockery or admiration. But the next second, he was pulled back into the Heart Throne again, and along with him, the Death God, who was holding Gojo Satoru, was also pulled by this force towards Hiruzen Sarutobi and Bai Cangshu.
Bai Cangshu realized he had found a method. This was a battle of souls, and also a battle of "Heart" and "Will."
He might not have Hiruzen Sarutobi's resolve to die with him, but he had something else.
Greed, unparalleled greed!
Bai Cangshu wanted to take the Death God's power for his own, along with all the souls and powers that the Death God had previously swallowed!
And Bai Cangshu's soul quality, after experiencing the Lord Taishan, was completely different from that of ordinary Human Race.
He was a Mythical Race, a Die Yi Sen Luo, a human being whose lineage had been passed down since the ancient mythical era!
Hiruzen Sarutobi only felt a chilling, deathly stillness emanating from the Death God's arm, causing even his soul to grow cold, while that powerful suction force continuously radiated from Tao Bai Bai's body.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was not foolish; on the contrary, he was very skilled in ninja-style intelligence battles. Although he didn't understand what Tao Bai Bai's ability was, he knew that if an enemy wanted to achieve something, you absolutely could not let him succeed.
At this moment, his will quickly changed. The Death God was no longer affected by him, its contractor, and the highly raised short blade swiftly cut downwards.
Hiruzen Sarutobi saw that the Death God was clearly going to cut off its own arm!
In other words, in the Death God's judgment, this Reaper Death Seal could not be completed; even with the Death God's power, he could not defeat Tao Bai Bai on a soul level.
The Death God was going to sever its arm to escape!
"Don't run, Death God!"
Bai Cangshu quickly raised his left hand and directly grabbed the short blade.
That short blade, which could clearly sever souls, had completely lost all its mystical power in Bai Cangshu's left hand.
"king's left arm, indestructible."
"Come in, Death God!"
Bai Cangshu took a step forward. Hiruzen Sarutobi instinctively retreated, but the powerful suction made him feel his soul draining. Even more terrifying, the Death God behind him clearly couldn't resist either, and was being absorbed into the other party's body little by little through his own.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stretched out his hands and grabbed Bai Cangshu's left arm.
He used too much force, triggering the Flame Dragon Scales, and Blazing Flame began to burn on him. At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi was powerless to use ninjutsu to escape this fire.
In an instant, his flesh began to curl. The intense pain made the "Professor of Ninjutsu" let out a muffled groan, but he still didn't let go, gripping Bai Cangshu's arm tightly, as if trying his best to disrupt Bai Cangshu's actions.
The smile on Bai Cangshu's face slowly faded, replaced by a cold indifference as he looked down on all living beings. He was tall, standing before the already aging Hiruzen Sarutobi like a towering wall, his head bowed as he gazed upon the longest-serving Hokage in Konoha's history.
The other party had led Konoha through its most difficult period, experienced glory, and emerged victorious from the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars. However, due to his policies, talented individuals and elites within the village were continuously lost.
Sakumo Hatake committed suicide, Minato Namikaze died on the Nine-Tails' attack night, and his three disciples either left or defected...
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly realized that he was about to die. The numerous scenes before his eyes were the 'revolving lantern' of a dying person.
The strength in his hands suddenly loosened a bit.
"Tao Bai Bai..."
He didn't hear Bai Cangshu's reply, and tightened his grip on Bai Cangshu's left arm again. Flames ignited, and the smell of his burning flesh was even discernible to Bai Cangshu.
Bai Cangshu forcefully absorbed the Death God. The cold arm plunged into his chest, immersed in the Underworld filled with Die Yi Sen Luo, and he suddenly felt a distinct power.
But the smell of burning in his nostrils still made Bai Cangshu spare a thought to notice what the dying old man was saying.
"If you want battle and life... my life, I give it to you..."
Bai Cangshu's lips curved into a mocking smile.
"Wasn't your life already mine?"
If he hadn't wanted Hiruzen Sarutobi to use the Reaper Death Seal, there were many better ways to kill him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi ignored Bai Cangshu's mockery. He gripped the other's left arm with a final surge of strength, letting himself be burned by the flames. That stinging pain was what allowed him to maintain consciousness at that moment.
"Then, take the lives of us old folks of this generation... all of them..."
"In that case, can you... spare those young sprouts..."
In Hiruzen Sarutobi's cloudy eyes, a look of yearning appeared. He seemed to return to his strong, young days, when he chose Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade as his disciples.
Jiraiya was erratic but kind-hearted, deeply caring for his comrades;
Tsunade-hime, though spoiled by the First Hokage, was also a strong woman who valued camaraderie and firmly carried out her grandfather's decision to integrate the Senju into Konoha, abandoning the status of Konoha's greatest clan...
And Orochimaru...
Recalling his favorite disciple, Hiruzen Sarutobi's dull eyes reflected the image of young Orochimaru, solitary and prejudiced, talented but harboring sadness in his heart.
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly realized that he had never truly comforted his disciple's heart. Orochimaru remained trapped by the deaths of his parents and his disciple Nawaki, and Tsunade was the same...
He had, at some point, become too accustomed to the so-called "Hokage mindset," always considering the bigger picture, yet overlooking the individual vibrant souls beneath that grand scheme.
Ultimately, one elite after another disappeared from Konoha...
Tears streamed down Hiruzen Sarutobi's face. In the final moments of his life, he suddenly felt that there were many things he had not accomplished. If Konoha were to suffer disaster today, and war were to restart, would he be the greatest culprit?
Although Bai Cangshu couldn't read minds, he had a good grasp of the other's thoughts.
His mocking smile also slowly faded, replaced by a cold indifference as he looked down on all living beings.
These people in this world seem to want to carry the happiness of everyone, and even world peace, on their own shoulders.
They are clearly fragile beings who cannot even live for a hundred years, and most geniuses die in their teens or twenties. What is there to save in such a world...
Weak, yet wanting to protect.
Fragile, yet desiring eternal peace and happiness.
Is this perhaps the reason why this world's tone is so dark and sad?
From an extremely detached perspective, Bai Cangshu judged the actions of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Itachi, and many other elites and heroes of this world.
"Tao Bai Bai... spare those young sprouts. They are not worth killing... and should not be killed!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi tightly gripped Bai Cangshu's left arm, flames now completely engulfing him.
At the same time, the Death God's spirit body had emerged from his body, and was about to pull out Hiruzen Sarutobi's soul.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi clung desperately to Bai Cangshu's left arm, unwilling to let go.
Bai Cangshu suddenly lost interest in Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Not strong enough, nor pure enough in heart. Whether good or bad, at least choose one side and stick with it to the end. Being half-hearted like this, isn't it like a dilettante?!
"Tsk, I have no interest in slaughtering the weak."
Whether it was because he heard Bai Cangshu's reply, or because Hiruzen Sarutobi had reached his limit, the next moment, his soul, enveloped by the Death God, was absorbed into Bai Cangshu's body.
"You have killed Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, gaining 3000 dimensional points."
"You have obtained 1 c-rank special point."
"Konoha Crush Plan completion updated. Current: 73%."
"You have absorbed the special spirit body: Death God (local deity, hidden god). Energy attribute +7. Current: ?"
"Please note, the special spirit body: Death God is an absorption-type special spirit body. It contains other souls and powers, which will gradually be separated into the Underworld."
"You have gained a new characteristic: Spirit Sealing (Extremely Rare)."
"Spirit Sealing (Extremely Rare): When you draw the Death God into your body, you can pull the target's spirit body out of their body and devour it into your own. While the Death God is not fully assimilated, this characteristic can only be used during Possession of Yin Spirit (Death God)."
...
"Attention, Reincarnator EX051, your act of absorbing the Death God will have a significant impact on this world. The world difficulty will undergo unpredictable changes."
"You have obtained 2 b-class special points."
"Based on your influence, relevant plot characters and quest lines will be removed from this world."
Bai Cangshu saw a waterfall of spatial notifications flooding his vision. He stood on the collapsing Hokage Rock, looking down at Konohagakure, where explosions continued to erupt.
He finally felt the benefits of wantonly changing the plot world.
But at the same time, this ninja village was slowly losing its value.
He picked up Hiruzen Sarutobi's corpse, and with a slight push of his foot, floated down from the air like a falling leaf.
This gravity-defying movement was naturally the effect of Wind God Kick. The first to notice Bai Cangshu was Orochimaru. This evil ninja, who had finally obtained the Sharingan as he desired, was currently observing the changes in strength of his old acquaintances on Konoha's side after his departure.
Noticing Tao Bai Bai's return, he turned his head, his expression momentarily stiff, but it quickly softened. He approached Bai Cangshu, lowered his head to confirm, and indeed, it was his teacher's corpse.
"He, indeed, was killed by you..."
Bai Cangshu set down Hiruzen Sarutobi's corpse and did not reply.
Bai Cangshu's gaze swept around; he decided to kill Danzo as well, but couldn't find him.
At this moment, a blonde woman gracefully walked out of the chaotic battlefield. Various explosive ninjutsu, flying kunai, and shuriken naturally avoided her.
Tian Yi looked at Bai Cangshu, not even glancing at the deceased Third Hokage. Such a predetermined event held no surprise for her.
"Tao Bai Bai, interested in a collaboration?"
Bai Cangshu's gaze focused on the woman. This woman was the leader of the "9527" remnant trio, and in Wu Xin's words, the most extraordinary Reincarnator.
She was probably also the key to that guy escaping his farmed status.
Bai Cangshu took a step forward, his hands hanging at his sides, and the Killing Intent Ripple reappeared.
"Collaboration?"
His tone was strange, the threat unmistakable.
But Tian Yi merely stepped back, her expression still calm.
"I have a bargaining chip that you will definitely be interested in."
"Oh? What is it?"
"A person, a man named Ping Zhongshi."