In the following days, Gen'yūmaru, with the assistance of Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto, worked hard to adapt to the power gained after the ritual.
However, since there was no public evaluation system like the Research Institute's, Gen'yūmaru knew he had become very strong, but he didn't have an accurate positioning of how strong he was and where he stood in the Shinobi World.
And just at this time, the Research Institute also began the fourth ritual.
The experimental subject selected this time was still a heinous wanted criminal who committed arson, murder, and looting, stopping at nothing, bearing numerous blood debts.
Regarding this, Tsunade raised objections several times.
In her view, even if the experimental subject conducting the ritual wasn't a person of high moral character, they shouldn't choose such vicious criminals with no moral bottom line.
Because once such a person gained power and authority, it would inevitably bring uncertain factors to the Research Institute and the Shinobi World.
But Tsunade's questioning didn't receive support from other high-level members of the Research Institute.
Amado was in the know; the Research Institute's current research on Shinjutsu was actually just a disguise, or rather just one of the objectives. The real objective was Shinji's 'Artificial Otsutsuki Plan'. Since the experimental subject was bound to die in the end, naturally, a person deserving of death should be chosen.
Orochimaru's intention was even simpler: only ruthless and arrogant people would be easy for him to sow discord among in secret.
Sasori didn't care about the good or evil of the experimental subject; he felt morality was meaningless.
As for the leaders of other groups, they also felt that placing too much emphasis on morality would limit scientific thinking and slow down research progress.
After everything was ready, the fourth ritual began in the deep mountains of the Land of Snow.
Having had two successful cases, everyone seemed much more relaxed this time. Even the researchers setting up the ritual site were chatting and laughing, with less trepidation.
Soon, the ritual began.
At first, everything went smoothly. But when it came to the most important 'cocooning' stage, the experimental subject conducting the ritual suddenly went berserk for some reason, venting chakra all over his body, causing the cocoon shell to burst open by the violent chakra before it could solidify.
Subsequently, the experimental subject went completely rampant, turning into a twisted monster.
"Damn it, how could this happen!"
"Where is the Sealing Team?"
"Stop him quickly!"
The researchers were thrown into disarray, plunging the entire observation area into chaos.
The guards at the ritual site rushed up first, trying to stop the rampaging experimental subject. However, these guards with only Chunin or Jonin strength were far from a match for the rampant subject and were torn apart easily.
Seeing this, Tsunade hurriedly shouted, "Everyone don't go over there, retreat quickly!"
Amado's face was solemn.
This ritual was a complete failure. Not only did the experimental subject fail to survive the ritual and become an artificial Otsutsuki, but he also twisted and degenerated into a terrifying monster.
What troubled him even more was that the siblings Eida and Daemon were guarding the Research Institute and didn't come to the scene, so how to deal with this monster now became a big problem.
The Research Institute's elite squad replaced the ordinary guards at this time and fought fiercely with the rampant experimental subject.
Delta, Ranmaru, Kabuto, Deidara, and Zabuza joined forces, yet could only barely fight to a draw with the opponent. The situation became deadlocked for a moment.
Swish...
Just then, a sword shadow flashed by. The rampant experimental subject was stunned for a moment, then his head slowly slid to the ground.
"'C'!?"
Only then did everyone discover that the one who acted just now was 'C' of the Akatsuki organization, responsible for guarding the Research Institute.
Undoubtedly, since it involved Shinji's 'Artificial Otsutsuki Plan', both Haku and Yakumo attached great importance to it. So for this ritual, Haku monitored the whole process in secret. After confirming the ritual failed completely, he acted decisively. With the cover of the elite squad and the sharpness of the Kusanagi Sword, he killed with one hit, disposing of the rampant experimental subject.
After disposing of the rampant subject, Haku came to Amado, "Regarding this failure, please report to the Lord in writing."
Amado nodded, "I understand!"
Having given his instructions, Haku said no more and disappeared from the scene with a whoosh.
Looking at the mess of the ritual site, Amado rubbed his forehead and sighed helplessly.
Other researchers also felt apprehensive. A ritual thought to be a sure thing ended up like this, making everyone realize that even if the ritual procedure had been optimized again and again, it still couldn't guarantee one hundred percent success.
Amado glanced at each group leader, "Each group conduct a self-check. I want to figure out exactly where the problem lies!"
"Yes!"
The leaders of each group nodded one after another.
Pondering for a moment, Amado then instructed, "Preparations for the fifth ritual can start now."
Tsunade frowned, "So urgent?"
Amado also knew that rushing the fifth ritual before figuring out why the fourth failed carried a significant risk of failure. But Shinji really couldn't wait, so he could only bite the bullet and explain, "Start preparing first, better safe than sorry."
Not long after, all the researchers who finished dealing with the ritual site returned to the Research Institute with solemn faces.
This failure made them understand that Shibai Otsutsuki's power wasn't so easy to steal, and the previous successes might have just been luck!
Six Rings World.
Shinji, having swallowed the third 'Chakra Fruit', first inspected World No. 3, World No. 5, and World No. 6, the remaining three worlds of the 'World Annihilation Society'. After confirming that the Hegemon hadn't launched an erosion against them for the time being, he took advantage of this rare free time to come to the Six Rings World.
Several months had passed, and significant changes had occurred in the Six Rings World.
The most eye-catching was that the pollution zones had become more numerous and larger. From the images taken by near-earth satellites, it could be seen that almost thirty percent of the Six Rings World was polluted. Personnel, materials, and even living space were continuously compressed by the Plague Hegemon.
Facing this situation, whether it was the remaining five Supreme Mages of the Six Rings World, or 'Lampbearers' like 'Radiance' Alice and 'Greedy Wolf' Hengo, all were affected by pessimism.
Shinji was also clear that time was running out for the Six Rings World. If the problem couldn't be solved within a year while the spatial barrier could still hold on, and the Plague Hegemon expelled, then the subsequent months would just be a lingering death.
'Arcane' led Shinji to the Mage Tower specially built for Shion in the Six Rings World and said, "Captain, look!"
Shinji followed the voice and saw a towering tower.
To build such a Mage Tower, not inferior to the previous Tower of Knowledge, within just a few months, especially under circumstances of severe losses in personnel and materials, was undoubtedly not easy for the Six Rings World.