Chapter 183: Ōtsutsuki Kaguya
Still dazed, Franklin glanced at the sword in his hand and lightly slashed at his own wrist.
In an instant, the Guardian Sword sliced cleanly through—its sharpness and speed extreme. By the time his wrist severed, it had already fully healed.
His physical body… the density between his cells had already reached the femtometer level. For it to be cut so easily, Franklin still found it hard to believe.
He exhaled deeply to steady himself, then slashed his wrist again.
This time, the previously razor-sharp Guardian Sword didn't break the skin at all—not even a white mark appeared.
But in the next moment, Franklin's entire arm went limp. His hand swelled, stuffed full of a mixture of red and white flesh.
Above that area, his arm shriveled completely. Intense pain shot through him as Franklin wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead. Only the surface remained intact—everything inside, flesh and bone, had been pulverized.
These two attacks had been pure physical sword strikes—he hadn't mixed in any sword qi. Otherwise, his arm would already be destroyed beyond repair. After testing the Sword Dao realm he had just comprehended…
Franklin held his breath and focused, testing how quickly his body could regenerate. At a single thought—
In an instant, the ruined left arm shrank dry again, then rapidly refilled. Within only three seconds, Franklin completed the cycle—scrap turned to rebirth.
"What on earth did you just experience?"
Hearing You Wange's curious voice in his mind, Franklin scratched his head in confusion.
"I just watched you demonstrate the Sword Dao breakthrough. Then some mysterious voice started explaining the origins and evolution of the Sword Dao in my mind.
"It was fine at first, but once it reached the Sword Force Realm of the human path, I couldn't handle it. When it started talking about the Earth Realm, I blacked out completely."
You Wange fell silent for a long time before a look of envy finally appeared on her face.
"Enlightenment… it was enlightenment.
"That explains how you leapt across two Sword Dao realms. This kind of opportunity is something most people will never encounter in their entire lives. And you didn't even fully seize it.
"Though… it's not your fault. Your realm is simply too low to withstand it."
Her tone—lamenting and regretful—left Franklin baffled.
"It's just enlightenment, isn't it? And I broke through two minor realms at once.
"I'm only one step from the Sword Force Realm. That's pretty good. How is that 'not seizing it'?"
His indifferent attitude made You Wange completely deflate.
"Never mind… it's not bad. This compensation doesn't count. I didn't actually help you much. Once you think of something else you want, tell me."
She turned back into the Guardian Sword inside the sea of consciousness, leaving Franklin scratching his head again.
"Is enlightenment that rare? Breaking through so much at once is still considered a loss?"
Feeling satisfied enough, Franklin stood up. After carefully sensing the position of his Flying Thunder God mark, he layered a fire barrier over himself.
Then he added the Guardian Barrier on top, forming a humanoid armor. With everything set, Franklin teleported.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, who had escaped through a space portal to the Divine Tree, still hadn't recovered from the terror of almost dying. Only when Ōtsutsuki Kaguya drifted over with a puzzled look did he force himself to rise and regain his usual calm composure.
"What happened? Even you look shaken."
Isshiki didn't elaborate. His tone was ice-cold.
"Don't ask things you shouldn't. How far has the Divine Tree progressed? When does it reach the final stage?"
Connected to the Divine Tree, Kaguya floated silently for a long time before speaking slowly.
"Within today. The exact time is unclear."
Isshiki's brows furrowed even tighter. His heart was restless, as though a storm pressed down on him.
"Useless. Completely useless. You're barely worth feeding to the Ten Tails!"
Insulted so viciously, Kaguya only frowned slightly, showing no other reaction. She had originally thought to warn him he'd been marked, but after hearing this, the thought died completely.
Realizing he had lost control of his temper, Isshiki said nothing more. He descended, sat cross-legged, and quietly recovered his strength.
Five minutes passed. Ten. Half an hour. One hour. Gradually, Isshiki calmed and returned to peak condition—
And at that moment, he sensed something wrong with the back of his cloak.
His brows knit tightly, fear flickering deep in his eyes.
"He marked me… he marked me… and it's a teleportation mark. Kaguya, why didn't you say anything!?"
Seeing his eyes full of rage, Kaguya shook her head calmly.
"I thought you deliberately left it there, so I didn't mention it."
Her explanation pushed Isshiki into fury. His black pupil snapped open wide, and Daikokuten manifested above Kaguya's head, slamming down.
Barely dodging it, Kaguya's expression also darkened.
"You're insane. You've been off ever since you returned. What did you encounter?"
Mentioning it again made terror flash across Isshiki's face. He tore off the marked cloak behind him, activated the black eye's ability, and summoned two merged black bowls. Enlarging them, he threw the cloak inside.
Leaving only a narrow gap to observe, he prepared to seal the bowls away at the slightest danger.
Placing the bowl before him, Isshiki stared intensely, readying his techniques. Time passed. Eventually, Kaguya drifted to his side and peered into the bowl.
"What are you waiting for? Could there truly be something on this backward little planet that threatens you?"
Remembering the four colossal Buddhas, Isshiki shuddered. Fully calm now, he no longer intended to hide anything.
"I encountered a god… a true god…"
Kaguya looked confused.
"A god? And then you used a sealing vessel on the same level as yourself against him?"
As she finished speaking, spatial power leaked from within the bowl. Isshiki instantly closed it, invoked Daikokuten—
But a single flash of sword light shattered the bowl into fragments. A burst of flame followed. Before either of them could react—
Franklin appeared behind Isshiki.
The Guardian Sword, glowing with Sword Light, sliced him cleanly in half at the waist.
To prevent him from activating techniques, Franklin severed both arms as well. The body dropped to the ground, and Franklin slammed his face into the dirt with a stomp, stopping any chance of eye-based abilities.
"Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. Up close, you're actually pretty nice-looking."
Kaguya, who had been about to act, felt an overwhelming pressure crash down on her. Franklin, transformed into a Super Saiyan, radiated pure divinity. The All-Killing Ash Bones in her hand dissolved into nothing.
"Who… exactly are you?"
Franklin didn't answer. His eyes shifted to the text floating before him.
[Sub-quest 1: Find the two Ōtsutsuki who descended on Blue Star (Completed)]
[Sub-quest 2: Implant Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's Kāma into your body]