Two months after Ōtsutsuki Zeroshiki and Ōtsutsuki Yagara officially laid their cards on the table.
"You are..."
Inside the palace, Ōtsutsuki Ginshiki looked at the man sitting on the throne, his face filled with shock.
"Ginshiki, do you not recognize me?" Ryun smiled faintly, his voice sounding exactly like Ōtsutsuki Zeroshiki's.
"You are the Clan Head? But why is your presence completely different too?" Ōtsutsuki Ginshiki cautiously inquired.
He knew the Clan Head planned to take over this human's body. But when this human appeared before him alive and well, while the Clan Head and Young Master had completely vanished... This scene not only felt strange to him, but also filled him with fear.
This unfamiliar man before him only shared the Clan Head's voice. But was he truly the Clan Head?
Ryun stored the puppet forms of Zeroshiki and his son into the Kamui dimension. Then, he directly revealed his true appearance before Ōtsutsuki Ginshiki. He wanted to see how this fool would react.
"I used the 'Karma' to take over his body, so of course it's his presence. What, are you questioning me?" Ryun asked expressionlessly.
"No... I wouldn't dare."
Because Meishiki had given Ōtsutsuki Ginshiki a heads-up earlier, even though this man's appearance was very abrupt, he could only grit his teeth and accept it.
From the moment he killed Yoshiki with his own hands, he lost the right to question.
In fact, after an Ōtsutsuki clan member uses 'Karma' to complete a takeover, they can freely choose an appearance. Just as Ōtsutsuki Isshiki could use Jigen's face, but also could use his original face. This situation is not considered strange within the Ōtsutsuki clan.
"I have a question for you now..." Ryun suddenly spoke to Ōtsutsuki Ginshiki with a smile.
"Clan Head, please ask anything. Ginshiki will speak without reserve..." Ōtsutsuki Ginshiki responded, lowering his head.
"Good... If one day I have a falling out with the main family, would you support me? Or would you support the main family?"
As soon as this pointed question was asked, Ōtsutsuki Ginshiki's eyes widened immediately, looking at a loss.
First, Meishiki asked him whether he supported the Branch Family Head or Yoshiki. Now, the Clan Head asks whether he supports the branch family or the main family...
Each of these questions is deadly.
Trained as a weapon, the education he received since childhood was unconditional loyalty to the clan. Originally, he was told that just protecting his assigned charge (Yoshiki) was equivalent to being loyal to the clan. But he never expected to encounter the Branch Family Head, who held higher status than Yoshiki...
He was forced to choose the Clan Head over his 'charge,' because both the protector and the charge belonged to the branch family, all under the Branch Family Head's authority.
But now, the Branch Family Head is making the loyalty issue even more detailed, and actually asked the fatal question of 'supporting the branch family' or 'supporting the main family'... This truly put Ginshiki in an impossible position.
Logically, Ginshiki should choose the main family without hesitation, because the branch family is subordinate to the main family. The main family holds the highest status. Even the Branch Family Head's position is only slightly higher than that of an ordinary main family member.
But currently, the Branch Family Head's question clearly made Ginshiki smell a crisis of death. He had a premonition that answering 'main family' could very likely lead to his death in the next moment.
His instinct for loyalty and his instinct for survival were momentarily deadlocked. However, in the end, Ōtsutsuki Ginshiki still made a fatal choice.
"Within the clan, the main family... is supreme."
Hearing Ōtsutsuki Ginshiki's words, Ryun couldn't help but laugh.
"A weapon, after all, is just a weapon..."
Ryun shook his head with a sigh. The next moment, he extended a finger towards Ōtsutsuki Ginshiki kneeling on the ground. A terrifying black lightning faintly surged at his fingertip.
Although killing intent had already spread within the palace, Ōtsutsuki Ginshiki remained kneeling on the spot with his head lowered. He neither fled nor made any preparations for defense.
*Whoosh!!!*
The lightning was unleashed. In an instant, it pierced through Ōtsutsuki Ginshiki's skull and shredded his brain.
Ōtsutsuki Ginshiki twitched on the ground a few times, then soon lay still.
Ryun glanced at him and silently absorbed him into the Kamui dimension.
The reason he killed Ōtsutsuki Ginshiki was because he was about to leave this planet.
Enemies were about to arrive here. If a major battle erupted here, none of the billions of lives inhabiting this planet would survive.
He intended to intercept the Ōtsutsuki clan along their route here, to avoid implicating this life-bearing planet.
"I just don't know how many Deity Realm powerhouses that guy will send..." Ryun murmured softly.
The best-case scenario would be the Ōtsutsuki clan dispatching one or two Deity Realm individuals, plus several Six Paths level powerhouses. Against such a lineup, Ryun was confident he could devour them all in one bite, with little risk of 'things going wrong.'
The trap Ryun laid was precisely to lure out the Ōtsutsuki clan's true experts.
He planned to take on everything alone, attracting the main force of the Ōtsutsuki clan.
As for the expeditionary force from the Ninja World, their goal was the clan's extermination. As long as Ryun won here, the expeditionary force could completely consume the Ōtsutsuki clan's remaining forces.
Of course, if Ryun lost, then the Clone Body Technique clone on the cosmic vessel would die immediately. At that time, Orochimaru would decisively cancel the clan extermination mission. He would lead Ryun's old subordinates to search for a new home suitable for humanity.
These matters were all discussed in advance. They even formulated a 'defeat plan,' including how to resurrect Ryun if he fell in battle.
Both Orochimaru and Ryun were the type who liked to 'plan before acting.' Before considering victory, they first considered defeat...
Plan before acting, know when to stop to gain. Consider defeat before considering victory. These are basic qualities a commander should possess.
Ryun sat cross-legged atop a mountain peak on a barren giant planet, quietly waiting for the enemies' arrival.
This place was not far from the life-bearing planet Ryun had previously visited. If enemies came from the direction of the Ōtsutsuki clan, they could not hide from his Nine Tomoe Rinnegan. Similarly, his presence here could not hide from the Ōtsutsuki clan's Super Vision Byakugan.
Ryun sat on the ground, gazing up at the star-filled sky. His mind, however, connected to 'Tiannan' and 'Dibei.' Using the Clone Body Technique clones, he understood the situations in both places.
The situation of the expeditionary force group was very stable. Orochimaru had the Edo Tensei Ōtsutsuki Kaguya and Ōtsutsuki Isshiki pilot the cosmic vessel. With the two outputting limitless chakra at full power, the cosmic vessel's sailing speed reached an extreme.
Edo Tensei bodies had no human rights. Orochimaru directly used the two as beasts of burden, squeezing them hard... After all, the Edo Tensei form possessed the characteristic of infinite chakra recovery. Such perfect tools were not to be wasted...
Sailing through space was a very dull and tedious affair. Therefore, everyone chose to cultivate on the spot. Ryun's Clone Body Technique clone gathered the thin natural energy scattered in the cosmos for them, providing a relatively good cultivation environment.
The other Clone Body Technique clone in the Ninja World was comparatively leisurely and comfortable. Occasionally, he would leave the room to chat with family, or look after children. Most of the other time, he stayed in the room, drawing ultra-long-distance summoning arrays.
Under his orders, the Ninja World's Celestial Eye system monitored the extraterrestrial domain 24 hours a day. He would only leave the Shadow Mansion's sphere of influence if there was movement from the Village of Heaven. Otherwise, he was simply a complete homebody.
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