Chapter 323: How Is That Impossible?
Uchiha Dali hadn't kept Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki's body out of mercy.
Everyone knew that once a member of the Ōtsutsuki clan evolved to the Six Paths level or beyond, in the eyes of mortals they were essentially gods.
That alone showed how overwhelming their power was.
And an existence like that—even just its flesh—wasn't something ordinary people could compare to.
Uchiha Dali kept Momoshiki's body as a precaution.
Who knew? The toughness of that body might prove useful in ways he couldn't predict. To destroy it outright would be far too wasteful.
Perhaps he could refine it into a true super battle puppet.
If successful, he would gain a subordinate of absolute, unwavering loyalty with immense power.
Wouldn't that be far more valuable than simply killing Momoshiki outright?
And it was precisely because of that thought that Momoshiki got lucky.
At this moment, fortune favored him as he stumbled upon another planet teeming with life.
His Kāma state couldn't be maintained indefinitely.
When he left his original body, he carried away half his chakra, but because the Kāma state couldn't refine chakra on its own—that was something only a living body could do—once his chakra was depleted, even if his true body still existed, he would still die.
In such circumstances, Momoshiki had to quickly find a vessel his Kāma could inhabit.
Even if he couldn't complete a full rebirth, he still needed a body to survive.
With that thought, he plunged down toward the planet.
...
Uchiha Dali's Yomotsu Hirasaka covered distances far greater than the Super Flying Thunder God Technique—far beyond the effect of an ordinary Rinnegan as well.
At full speed, he soon encountered Ōtsutsuki Isshiki again.
Isshiki was standing in the void, gazing calmly at the Divine Tree before him.
Just a little more.
The chakra fruit was about to ripen.
Once harvested, he could evolve into an even higher-level existence.
And it was at that very moment that Uchiha Dali arrived.
"Damn you…" Isshiki cursed inwardly.
Outwardly, though, he wore an air of composure. "You really are relentless, Uchiha Dali."
"Your confidence in waiting here instead of running—does that come from your newfound strength?"
Dali, smiling faintly, looked at Isshiki's back.
This time, he could clearly sense Isshiki's chakra. It was far, far stronger than the last time they met—completely different in scale.
He had already eaten chakra fruits.
And more than one.
Otherwise, there was no way his power could have grown to this level.
Isshiki didn't answer Dali's question directly. Instead, he countered calmly: "Aren't you the same? Compared to before, your aura has grown much stronger too."
"So that's the confidence that brought you here to face me alone?"
After speaking, he slowly turned.
In truth, he didn't want to fight—especially not now.
The Divine Tree behind him was on the verge of producing a chakra fruit.
Before that moment, Isshiki couldn't allow any accidents.
So for now, his plan was to stall as much as possible with words.
"I'm not like you," Dali said coldly. "Don't compare me to yourself."
"Not necessarily."
"Then why don't we test it?"
Dali wasn't about to let Isshiki buy time.
Even though he didn't believe Isshiki could possibly harvest and take away the chakra fruit while he was here, he still chose to strike decisively.
In an instant, he appeared in front of Isshiki, throwing a seemingly ordinary punch.
Isshiki immediately vanished.
"Not so fast!"
Dali exploded with chakra.
From his body, a crushing wall of chakra surged outward in every direction, leaving no blind spots.
Isshiki, who had just used Sukunahikona to shrink himself, was instantly forced back into full size by the overwhelming force.
Still, his attack had already reached Dali.
The same move as before—shrinking the black chakra rods, then stealthily embedding them into his opponent's body.
But Dali was no longer the same as before.
Even Isshiki's attack couldn't pierce his defenses.
Seeing the rods strike home, Isshiki sneered.
"This time it may look the same, but the truth is different. The power is tenfold what it was before. You're finished, Uchiha Dali."
"This is the result of your own foolishness—no one else to blame… Wh-what?!"
Before he could finish, his face twisted in shock.
The black rods hadn't pierced Dali at all.
They were as if blocked by steel bones, unable to sink in even a fraction, not harming Dali in the slightest.
And Dali was staring at him with the amused look of someone watching a clown perform.
Isshiki's mind went blank.
"How is that possible?!"
His voice broke into near-hysteria.
He couldn't believe it. With the power he now possessed, how could he not even scratch Uchiha Dali's defenses?
This was absurd!
He was several times stronger than before!
"How is it not possible?" Dali replied with a faint smile.
The words snapped Isshiki back to his senses.
He glared with forced bravado, gritting his teeth. "Don't get cocky, Uchiha Dali! This is only the beginning!"
Deep down, he already realized the gap between them remained large.
And it seemed wider than ever.
But Isshiki refused to give up the last shred of bluster.
"Is that so? I think this is already over."
Dali spread his hands.
Then, seizing the moment while Isshiki was off guard, he suddenly attacked.
Isshiki never expected someone of Dali's caliber to resort to a "cheap" trick like a sneak attack.
Completely unprepared, he was struck with a loud crash.
Blood sprayed from his mouth as his body was sent flying.