Chapter 423: In the End, It Still Came to This
Now, three Ōtsutsuki gods were preparing to join forces against Uchiha Dali.
Shibai had remained silent all along, only watching Uchiha Dali with an ambiguous, half-smiling expression.
Meanwhile, the Ōtsutsuki King and Ōtsutsuki Aoshe had already adopted predatory stances, eyes full of hostility.
The situation was clearly unfavorable for Uchiha Dali.
"Their proposal is quite tempting, isn't it, Uchiha Dali? Tell me—do you think we'll end up as enemies?"
Shibai finally spoke, his eyes fixed on Dali with that same teasing smile.
"Heh…"
Uchiha Dali gave a cold chuckle.
Without another word, he raised his hand slightly.
That small motion instantly made both the Ōtsutsuki King and Ōtsutsuki Aoshe tense up. Instinctively, the two retreated several steps at once.
Shibai, on the other hand, didn't move—but the wariness in his gaze was obvious.
In truth, though he was stronger than the Ōtsutsuki King and Aoshe, the gap between his power and Uchiha Dali's wasn't as large as he would've liked to believe.
Shibai knew that all too well.
That was precisely why he hadn't used brute force to seize their energy outright, and instead had tried to persuade the three to offer it willingly.
And the main reason he'd done that—was because of Uchiha Dali.
If Uchiha Dali weren't here, leaving only the Ōtsutsuki King and Aoshe, Shibai would've acted long ago.
Facing Shibai's amused question, Uchiha Dali appeared calm and composed.
He glanced at the Ōtsutsuki King and Aoshe, then smiled. "Why not the other way around? Why don't we two join forces to divide their energy instead?"
"One for you, one for me. That way, there's no need for conflict over distribution."
"If the three of you gang up to absorb my energy, how will you ensure things are divided evenly?"
"And more importantly—how can you be certain that the three of you, together, can take me down without any losses?"
Uchiha Dali tossed the question back at Shibai, his expression meaningful.
Seeing that look—and hearing those words—Shibai couldn't help but hesitate.
Truth be told, he wasn't confident he could defeat Uchiha Dali.
The man's potential was simply too terrifying.
That was the reason he had delayed all this time. Otherwise, would there have been any need for talk?
Now, seeing Shibai fall silent, the Ōtsutsuki King and Aoshe began to panic.
Before Shibai could even respond, they started shouting at Uchiha Dali.
"Hmph! Uchiha Dali, don't think you can sow discord between us!"
"That's right! You're a despicable outsider—how dare you try to manipulate us?"
"Lord Shibai, we're with you! We share the same bloodline—we're all Ōtsutsuki! We would never betray you!"
"Yes, Lord Shibai! Uchiha Dali is an outsider; he'll only cause chaos! Even if he defeats us, wouldn't you be next, Lord Shibai?"
"Hm?"
Shibai's face darkened as he glared at Aoshe.
Aoshe immediately shut his mouth.
Shibai hadn't cared much about Uchiha Dali's words at first—he'd been treating the whole situation like entertainment.
Whichever side suffered losses was fine with him; it only benefited him in the end.
The so-called "Ōtsutsuki clan" wasn't enough to dictate his will.
But Aoshe's last sentence truly annoyed him.
The one person Shibai feared most was Uchiha Dali.
And Aoshe just had to bring him up.
At that moment, Shibai's mindset shifted.
He had originally intended to sit back and watch, but now he decided to act.
If he joined forces with the Ōtsutsuki King and Aoshe against Uchiha Dali, those two could share in the spoils—but he would still come out on top.
As for those two fools—once Dali, the biggest threat, was eliminated, taking care of them would be easy.
"It seems it's best for the three of us to share your energy, Uchiha Dali," Shibai said.
"But I'm a civilized god. I'll let you choose for yourself: will you calmly accept your fate and offer up your power to help us break through to a higher dimension?"
"Or… will you insist on experiencing defeat first?"
This time, Shibai made his stance clear.
The Ōtsutsuki King and Aoshe were overjoyed.
Their ancient ancestor had now openly sided with them against Uchiha Dali.
It was the perfect outcome.
The end of Uchiha Dali was finally at hand.
"So there's really no turning back?"
The smile on Uchiha Dali's face slowly faded.
He saw Shibai shake his head.
"I already knew your intentions, Ōtsutsuki Shibai," Dali said coldly.
"Those two idiots—do they really think they can trust you? Even if you manage to kill me, do they honestly believe they can defeat you afterward?"
"And when that happens, how can they be sure you'll bring them along to break through the dimensional wall?"
Uchiha Dali had abandoned all illusions.
He was ready to fight.
But before that, he wanted to disgust Shibai a bit—and plant some seeds of distrust among the three.
He didn't expect to actually divide them, but at the very least, his words could rattle their focus.
Sure enough, after hearing his taunt, all three—Shibai, the Ōtsutsuki King, and Aoshe—showed visible displeasure.
Still, they didn't turn on one another.
Shibai snorted coldly. "Uchiha Dali, you're already at death's door. Do you really think such petty tricks can divide us?"
"Hand over your power peacefully!"
"That's right! Give us your energy, and maybe we'll grant you a swift death! Otherwise, prepare for the most excruciating torment of your life!"
"Uchiha Dali, stop resisting!"
"…"
The Ōtsutsuki King and Aoshe barked alongside Shibai—
—but before they could finish, a terrifying force suddenly crushed down upon them.
Without another word, Uchiha Dali unleashed his divine Devour and Refine Technique.
In an instant, the three of them were struck with overwhelming horror, their souls nearly scattering in fear!