Chapter 181: Ōtsutsuki Isshiki
After reading through the basic data, Franklin let out a slow breath. Aside from some changes in his cultivation, his [Basic Five Elements Arts] had also advanced into [Intermediate Five Elements Arts].
If he remembered correctly, this technique was something he had comprehended when he first stepped into the Foundation Establishment stage, inspired by his understanding of the Five Elements' applications in spiritual energy.
Recently, he hadn't gained any new insights into it at all—so why had it changed? Franklin casually waved his hand, and his control over the surrounding spiritual energy flowed as smoothly as water.
The transformations of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth came effortlessly. It seemed this was simply a matter of mastery. Rubbing his chin, Franklin pondered what had triggered the evolution of his Five Elements Arts.
Spiritual energy rapidly gathered around him. Metal-attribute spiritual energy fused with water-attribute energy, and the next moment a wave of cold spread outward as a razor-sharp ice spike instantly formed.
Metal fused with wood, producing a strange transformation: a transparent wind blade appeared in an instant.
Metal fused with fire formed a blazing flame blade, and metal fused with earth also took on a conical shape.
After trying various combinations, only metal had the highest compatibility; fire came second.
[Talent Awakened: Comprehended Advanced Five Elements Arts]
Seeing the text float before him, Franklin exhaled softly. It looked like he had plenty to explore in the future.
After all, yin, yang, and lightning all counted as elemental variations. He could experiment with many other combinations later.
Setting the advanced Five Elements Arts aside for now, Franklin checked the changes to Yang Thunder.
[Yang Thunder](Growth-Type)
Rank: Purple · Rule (A creation of heaven and earth)
Growth: 30%
Usage Rule: Activated through spiritual energy; can freely unleash destructive, masculine lightning-attribute attacks
Attack Boost: Converts lightning into fifty times the user's base combat strength. Targets struck are afflicted with paralysis and stiffness (effects depend on cultivation level).
Description: A tangible manifestation of destructive yang properties fused with masculine thunder.
The more detailed description made Franklin's eyes light up. Yang Thunder in its current form was a perfect weapon for ambushes. With his present combat strength of sixty-six thousand…
If he struck, anyone below three million combat strength was guaranteed to fall in one blow. Even those above three million could be forced into stiffness or paralysis.
"Master! I'm so glad you're okay—I really thought you were going to die!"
Her loud, head-flicking voice could be heard from far away. Seeing Astraea's eyes welling with tears, Franklin couldn't help finding it both funny and exasperating.
"Astraea's right. I also thought I was going to die. This time was pure luck—next time I might not be so fortunate."
Hearing Franklin speak to her as well, Astraea darted behind him in an instant.
"See, senior? I wasn't wrong—Master said so too!"
When she saw Nymph's tiny fist light up, Astraea shrank her neck and hid even further behind Franklin.
Witnessing this, Nymph sighed helplessly, then turned to Franklin.
"Master, don't say such unlucky things. It's bad luck. You've already survived the lightning tribulation—what are you planning to do now?"
Looking at the wings on the three girls' backs, Franklin rubbed his chin, considering his options. Should the four of them split up to search for the Divine Tree? That would definitely speed things up.
Just as Franklin had that thought, his expanded spiritual sense suddenly locked onto a strange figure flying curiously toward the remains of the massive spiritual-energy tree.
The newcomer had pale skin and gray-white hair. A long curved horn jutted from his head. He had only one eyebrow, and his hair and beard were divided into segmented strands.
His left eye was a Byakugan; his right eye was golden with eight black, star-shaped spokes. His chest, back, and clothing were all decorated with tomoe patterns.
Judging from his strange appearance within Franklin's spiritual sense, Franklin was one hundred percent certain—this was another member of the Ōtsutsuki clan, aside from Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
Since he was a target, Franklin had no intention of showing mercy. The Ōtsutsuki clan were far from benevolent—growing their power by draining the life force of other worlds. Who knew how many races had suffered because of them?
With that thought, Franklin signaled the three girls to wait, then directly sat down cross-legged and pressed his palms together.
Spiritual energy within a fifty-kilometer radius surged toward him for his use, and even the spiritual energy from farther regions rapidly replenished what he drew in. At this moment, Franklin's spiritual energy was essentially infinite.
At the same time, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's face was filled with shock. The colossal pupil in the sky could only be described as the Eye of a God.
Such world-ending lightning could only be produced by a divine being. Seeing the towering tree reduced to a tattered shell under the terrifying thunder, Isshiki was utterly stunned—he had to get closer and examine what that tree actually was.
Traveling at high speed, he was only a few dozen kilometers away when a chill washed over him.
In the sky, countless ice spikes materialized out of nowhere and shot toward him with lightning speed. The terrifying force behind them made Isshiki's expression drastically change.
In the split second he had to react, the golden pupil with the cross-shaped pattern in his right eye widened as he stared at the incoming barrage.
"Daikokuten."
Instantly, the ice spikes nearest him vanished into nothing. Observing this from afar, Franklin frowned slightly.
Carefully sensing the situation, he spotted the ice spikes—reduced to the picometer scale—completely ignored by the Ōtsutsuki clansman.
"Daikokuten. A dōjutsu that shrinks objects to the extreme. Interesting."
Since the ice spikes had no effect, Franklin tried wind blades and fire blades next, but all were neutralized by Isshiki's eye technique. Watching this from a distance, Franklin's brows furrowed again.
"He can't shrink everything. If he could, there's no way someone with this strength would've been caught off-guard and suppressed by Ōtsutsuki Kaguya."
Muttering to himself, Franklin closed his eyes again. He didn't plan to drag things out anymore. If needed, he would exhaust this man until he collapsed.
Pressing his palms together once more, Franklin's tone turned cold: "Sage Art: True Thousand Hands – Top Transcendent Buddha."
In an instant, four massive Buddhas with a thousand hands each rose from the earth around Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
Seeing this, Isshiki was completely dumbfounded. "The god from before is still here—he never left."
At that moment, everything clicked for Isshiki. Only a god could perform feats like this. Only a god could unleash such a technique instantly.
While he was frozen in shock, countless giant hands crashed toward him. Using his Byakugan to the fullest, he tried to dodge, but every hand was like a small mountain—there was no room to escape.
"Daikokuten."
This time, Isshiki shrank himself to the absolute limit. The enormous palms fell rhythmically, pressing him onto the ground beneath them.
Even with a shrunken body, the sheer force behind the impacts still transmitted vibrations capable of injuring him.
Watching through his spiritual sense, Franklin marked Isshiki with the Flying Thunder God seal during the strikes.
Franklin didn't believe an Ōtsutsuki could be taken out so easily. In the ninja world, there were still plenty of spatial techniques to consider.