Just as the Shinobi World was preparing for war, a suppressed rage was spreading in the 430520223rd God Tree City on the distant Ōtsutsuki Planet.
Inside the central hall of the God Tree City, the roots of a massive God Tree coiled around the walls, its canopy piercing through the planet's atmosphere, its golden branches stretching out into space. On the throne in the very center of the hall sat the Ōtsutsuki Castle Lord, his face expressionless. His skin was pale purple, and a rhombus-shaped red crystal was embedded in his forehead, radiating a suffocating pressure.
Inside the main hall, a dozen or so Domain Level warriors stood in two rows, each exuding the aura of a seasoned veteran. The relatives of the captains of the three squadrons —Ōtsutsuki Retsu, Ōtsutsuki Sō, and Ōtsutsuki Shō— stood at the front, their faces filled with grief and indignation, yet they dared not cry out loud—in the Ōtsutsuki Clan, the tears of the weak only invite contempt.
"Speak," the city lord's voice was like ice, "Three squadrons, nearly a hundred Star Level Clan members, wiped out on an unnamed wild star? Can any of you tell me what exactly happened?"
Silence fell over the hall. After a long while, a tall, thin general stepped forward. He was Ōtsutsuki Taku, in charge of intelligence, holding a yellowed report, "Lord, according to the last report, that wild star is called Shinobi Planet. It used to be a mid-sized planet that survived through barbaric warfare, without even the ability to travel between stars. Captains Retsu, Sō, and Shō led their mercenary squadrons to rescue the Ōshiki's team, thinking it would be a piece of cake, but unexpectedly..."
"Didn't expect anything?" The city lord's eyes turned cold.
"I never expected that the cultivators and technology of that wild star would suddenly explode!" Ōtsutsuki Taku's voice trembled slightly. "In the last images transmitted back, they had cultivators capable of blocking and ultimately sealing the Divine Tree spaceship, as well as fighter jets capable of traversing interstellar space, and even... they seemed to be studying the genes of our God Tree people!"
Upon hearing this, His Highness immediately erupted in anger.
"What? A bunch of wild monkeys dare to study the great children of the God Tree?" A burly warrior couldn't help but shout. He was Ōtsutsuki Gō, Domain Level Middle Stage expert known for his close combat skills. "Taku, you must be mistaken! What strength could that crappy planet possibly have? Maybe Retsu and the others were careless and got ambushed by those wild monkeys!"
"Exactly!" another warrior in a white robe chimed in. He was Ōtsutsuki Gen, a master of Genjutsu. "Three squadrons! They could hold their own even against Domain Level Early Stage opponents. How could they possibly be defeated on a random star? I think they're just trash!"
"Shut up!" Ōtsutsuki Taku snapped. "I've checked the intelligence repeatedly! The energy fluctuations on that Shinobi Planet are strange; they contain the Chakra of cultivators, the energy of technology, and the aura of the God Tree —they're definitely up to something! Otherwise, they couldn't have risen to power so quickly."
"Enough." The city lord's voice rang out again, and the hall fell silent instantly. He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his throne, his eyes as deep as a black hole. "Regardless of whether they were useless or not, the fact remains that all three squadrons were wiped out. Moreover, the fact that Ye Xing could study the genes of our great descendants of the God Tree means they pose a threat—anything that could potentially threaten the Ōtsutsuki Clan must be destroyed."
He paused, then looked at the prince's generals. "Who is willing to lead troops to wipe out that wild star?"
The prince's generals exchanged glances, their faces filled with disdain. In their eyes, the Shinobi Planet was nothing more than an ant that could be crushed at will; sending troops there would be a waste of time.
Ōtsutsuki Gō curled his lip. "Lord Castle Lord, is such a trivial matter really worth our time? Sending a single squad would be enough to raze that Wild Star to the ground!"
Ōtsutsuki Gen nodded in agreement. "Exactly, I think even sending a whole battalion would be too much. No matter how powerful those people from Noboru are, can they withstand our Genjutsu? A single Genjutsu could make them fight amongst themselves."
The city lord's face darkened. He knew the arrogance of these generals, but this matter could not be taken lightly. His gaze swept over the crowd and finally landed on the general standing at the very end— Ōtsutsuki Ran.
Ōtsutsuki Ran was the weakest among the Domain Level warriors, only at the Domain Level Early Stage. He was often ridiculed by other warriors in his clan. When the city lord specifically called his name, he hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and knelt on one knee. "This subordinate is willing to go!"
"Oh?" The city lord raised an eyebrow. "Lan, you know about Ye Xing's situation and what happened to Lie and the others. Are you sure you want to go?"
"Confirmed!" Ōtsutsuki Ran's voice was firm. "Although my strength is inferior to yours, I am willing to prove myself through action. Moreover, I believe that the weaker the opponent, the less we should underestimate them— Ōtsutsuki Retsu and his group failed precisely because they were too arrogant."
These words made Ōtsutsuki Gō and Ōtsutsuki Gen, who had been shouting earlier, look rather unpleasant, but they didn't refute them—after all, the facts were undeniable.
The city lord nodded, a hint of satisfaction on his face. "Good, then you will lead the team. You will be given a division of troops; make sure that wild star is completely destroyed, leaving no survivors!"
"Yes, sir!" Ōtsutsuki Ran suddenly looked up, a glint of excitement in his eyes—this was his best chance to prove himself.
Ōtsutsuki Gō nearby, couldn't help but sneer, "One division? Lord Castle Lord, do you really need so many troops to deal with a mere wild star? I think a regiment would suffice!"
"Gang, shut up!" The city lord glared at him. "Lan is right, we can't underestimate any opponent. Moreover, this time we not only need to destroy Shinobi Planet, but also bring back their research data on the God Tree's genes—the First Division's forces are not many."
Ōtsutsuki Gō dared not speak again and could only shut his mouth in embarrassment.
For the next three days, the interstellar port of God Tree City was bustling with activity. The Ōtsutsuki Ran began to assemble their army, following the Ōtsutsuki Clan's organizational structure: ten men formed a squad, ten squads formed a battalion, ten battalions formed a regiment, ten regiments formed a division, ten divisions formed an army, and ten armies formed an army group—a division with a force of exactly ten thousand men.
These 10,000 people included various types of soldiers, each with its own strengths.
Defensive units stood at the forefront, clad in heavy black armor and wielding massive shields capable of absorbing energy attacks. Their specialty was defense; even a full-force strike from Star Level Third Stage expert would only leave a white mark on their shields. Their mission was to hold the line, shielding their comrades behind them from attacks.
Melee units followed closely behind, mostly dressed in light red armor, wielding long swords or short blades, incredibly fast, and adept at close combat.
Ranged infantry stood in the center, dressed in blue robes and wielding bow-like weapons with energy-infused arrowheads capable of piercing enemy defenses and reaching ranges of tens of thousands of meters. Some ranged soldiers also carried energy cannons, capable of blasting down a small mountain with a single shot—a truly astonishing feat.
The medical support troops wore white armor and carried bottles containing a green liquid—a potion extracted from the sap of the God Tree. Whether it was an external or internal injury, any Ōtsutsuki Clan still alive could recover quickly after being injected with it. Their mission was to follow the army, promptly treating wounded clansmen. Even if their comrades died, they could use their resurrection techniques to bring them back to life on the spot.
The perception-type soldiers are the most unique. They wear light purple clothes and each has a small piece of God Tree crystal embedded in their forehead. They can sense energy fluctuations within a radius of a thousand miles. Even enemies hidden in spatial rifts cannot escape their senses. In this expedition, the perception-type soldiers were assigned to the outermost edge of the team, responsible for guarding and reconnaissance.
Besides these common troop types, there are also many special troop types, each of which is difficult to defend against.
The Shadowless Assassins, special forces soldiers, wear black bodysuits and face masks, allowing them to blend into the Yin Shadow and silently approach their enemies before delivering a fatal blow with a short blade coated in deadly poison. Their poison is extracted from the poisonous roots of the God Tree; once poisoned, even a Domain Level expert cannot survive for more than ten minutes.
The self-destruct type soldiers carry a black backpack containing fragments of the God Tree's energy core. If they encounter an invincible enemy, they will detonate the backpack, creating an explosion powerful enough to destroy half a planet—of course, they themselves will also be reduced to dust.
The mind control type unit wears a gray robe and holds a staff with a flower from a God Tree embedded at the top. It can emit mental shockwaves to control the enemy's consciousness and turn them into its puppet.
Spatial teleportation assault units are the most troublesome. They excel at spatial teleportation raids, able to open small spatial tunnels in a short time and suddenly appear behind the enemy, catching them off guard. Moreover, their teleportation is unpredictable and impossible to anticipate; they can even hide in spatial crevices and become immune to all attacks.
Genjutsu -type units and illusion-type units are two types of units that can deceive people. Genjutsu- type units are good at creating illusions, making the enemy fall into their own fear and unable to extricate themselves; illusion-type units can transform into the appearance of the enemy, infiltrate the enemy camp, spread false information, or launch a surprise attack at a critical moment.
Looking at the neatly arrayed army before him, Ōtsutsuki Ran's face broke into a confident smile. He turned to his adjutant beside him. "Is everything ready? Weapons, potions, spatial scrolls, and the energy cores of the warships—have they all been checked?"
The adjutant nodded hurriedly, "Sir, everything is ready! The warships are already docked in port and can depart at any time. Moreover, we've brought twenty God Tree saplings. Once we capture Shinobi Planet, we can plant the God Tree there and absorb the planet's energy."
"Very good." Ōtsutsuki Ran in satisfaction. "Pass the word: depart promptly in one hour! Target— Shinobi Planet!"
"Yes, sir!" The adjutant turned and ran off to relay the order.
Ōtsutsuki Ran looked up at the distant universe, a fierce glint in his eyes. "You wild monkeys of the Shinobi Planet, are you ready to face the wrath of the Ōtsutsuki Clan? This time, I will show you the consequences of offending the Ōtsutsuki Clan!"