On the side of Mars, from the fighter jets in the void above, a group of Flying Zombie. They let out silent roars, moved as fast as lightning, and carried a dense aura of corpses, swarming towards the Ōtsutsuki Legion's shield formation like locusts.
Immediately following, a swirling, eerie ghostly mist tore through the void, from which countless Hell Oni Clan of various forms materialized. The Ten Great Ghost Emperors at the forefront were all different in appearance; some were hundreds of feet tall with blue faces and fangs, while others were ethereal, existing only as souls. They emitted piercing ghostly howls, carrying a chilling aura that could freeze souls, and followed closely behind the Flying Zombie.
The Flying Zombie Corps was the first to crash into the shield wall!
"Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!"
The dull thuds of impact were like the beating of drums. The Flying Zombie possessed immense strength, their sharp claws and teeth carrying corrosive corpse poison, fiercely scratching at the massive black shield, sending up a series of Mars and hissing black smoke. However, the shield was unbelievably sturdy; the Flying Zombie ' attacks could only leave shallow scratches, utterly unable to penetrate its defenses. The defensive units were like rocks rooted in the void, their formation remaining unmoved no matter how the Flying Zombie charged.
"Physical attacks and energy corrosion are both quite limited in their effects..." Orochimaru murmured from the shadows, his golden snake eyes gleaming with analytical light.
At that moment, the Oni Clan army arrived. Some ghostly Oni Clan, devoid of physical form and composed purely of soul energy, let out triumphant shrieks. They passed directly through the seemingly impenetrable shield wall and gravitational barrier!
"It worked!" someone cheered in the command post.
However, this joy lasted only a few seconds. Before the ghost Oni Clan who had penetrated the defenses could launch an attack on the Ōtsutsuki soldiers behind them, they were locked onto by the ranged troops who had been waiting for a long time. One after another, specially made black arrows wrapped with energy that targeted the fluctuations of souls, like the Death God Reaper calling their names, pierced the core of each ghost Oni Clan with unparalleled precision.
"Puff puff puff puff--!"
Before the ghostly Oni Clan could even scream, they vanished like bubbles in the light of the black arrow, dissipating into pure energy.
The Ghost Emperor roared and took action themselves! The Crimson Hell Ghost Emperor spewed out Netherworld Ghost Fire that could incinerate everything, the Ice Hell Ghost Emperor released an absolute zero cold wave that could freeze space, Thunder Hell Ghost Emperor summoned destructive Nine Netherworld Thunder... The Ten Great Ghost Emperors each displayed their supernatural powers, and various terrifying moves that could easily destroy a continent were smashed into the Ōtsutsuki Legion's defensive line like a storm.
In an instant, the airspace in front of the Ōtsutsuki Legion was submerged by various dark and destructive energies. The light was dazzling, and the energy turbulence was rampant, as if the end of the world had arrived.
Everyone watched with bated breath.
As the energy storm gradually subsided and visibility returned, everyone was stunned.
The Ōtsutsuki Legion's defensive formation remained perfectly aligned! Their seemingly weak defensive line stood firm like an ancient, ever-present Wailing Wall. Aside from the faint, rapidly fading glow left by the energy impact, the shields of the defensive units showed no other trace. Even the other units behind them hadn't retreated a single step.
The combined attack of the Ghost Emperor, though powerful, resulted in zero damage!
The Ōtsutsuki Legion only deployed defensive and ranged units was enough to instill an unprecedented sense of powerlessness and suffocation in the entire Allied Shinobi Forces. A direct frontal assault seemed to offer no chance of victory.
"Damn it..." Tenmei slammed his fist on the control panel. "This can't go on! Order the Azure Dragon Corps's Third and Fifth Fighter Wings, and the First and Third Mech Battalions, to deploy immediately! Abandon the frontal assault and launch harassing attacks from the enemy's flanks and rear, diverting their lines and relieving pressure on the front!"
"Yes!"
The hangar doors on Mars roared open, and thousands of rune fighters and hundreds of Rune Vajra Mecha poured out like a swarm of bees, splitting into several torrents that drew graceful arcs as they attempted to bypass the impregnable frontal defenses.
Ōtsutsuki Ran watched the Wild Star People's attempt to encircle them, his cold smile deepened.
"Change formation, all-around defense."
At the command, the shield wall and gravity barrier, which were originally only facing directly forward, began to flow and deform as if they were alive. In just over ten seconds, the entire Ōtsutsuki Legion transformed into a spherical defensive array with no blind spots! No matter which direction the enemy attacked from, they would face that despairing black shield wall and invisible force field.
Tenmei's eyes narrowed. "Trying to hide like a coward? Not so easy! Mech units, close in and attack! Fighter squadrons, long-range harassment! Pry open their shells!"
On the space battlefield, the situation suddenly changed.
The Ōtsutsuki Legion, in the form of a giant metal sphere, hovered in the void, as steady as a mountain. Meanwhile, the Allied Shinobi Forces ' fighter jets and mechs, like gnats swarming around the behemoth, launched a fierce attack from all directions.
Rune-infused fighter jets circled in the distance, their missile launchers spewing flames from beneath their wings. Energy projectiles, infused with Senjutsu Chakra, rained down on the outer shell of the spherical defensive array, exploding into dazzling but futile bursts of light and fire. Although they couldn't break through the defenses, the continuous explosions and energy shocks clearly caused some disruption and energy depletion for the Ōtsutsuki soldiers maintaining the defensive formation.
At the same time, hundreds of Rune Vajra Mecha had already closed in! These steel giants, averaging over ten meters tall, were forged from special alloys inscribed with defensive runes, with Chakra flames erupting from their joints, providing them with powerful mobility. They either wielded high-frequency vibrating particle sabers or raised heavy machine guns on their arms, launching a fierce close-range attack on the black shield wall.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The deafening clang of metal clashing reverberated through the vacuum in the form of energy waves. The mechs' power far surpassed that of the Flying Zombie; each slash and impact caused the shield-bearing defensive units to tremble slightly, and clearer scratches and white marks began to appear on their shields, with occasional small fragments flying off. The all-around saturation attack finally began to shake this perfect defensive formation!
Under the relentless onslaught of the mech forces and the long-range harassment of the fighter jets, some areas of the spherical defense array showed slight loosening and deformation.
"It's working! Increase the firepower!" the mech commander at the front line roared excitedly.
Ōtsutsuki Ran sneered from inside the God Tree Battleship: "Range units, lock onto those iron turtles! Fire a volley of black arrows and turn them into sieves!"
As the order was given, countless "windows" suddenly opened on the surface of the spherical defensive array. Ranged units, who were already prepared, emerged from them, their energy longbows fully drawn. The next moment, a dense swarm of black arrows, like a deadly rain, poured down on the rune mechs that were frantically attacking the shield wall!
"Watch out for arrows!" A piercing warning rang out over the communication channel.
Leading the charge were fifty newly delivered Super Rune Vajra Mecha, gleaming with a dark golden luster, even larger and more ferocious in appearance! Piloted by elite Golden Core Immortal Venerable Level experts from the allied forces!