Within the star system, the scars of war remain clearly visible. The shattered remnants of Xingchen, like scars on the universe, silently recount the brutality of the battle ten years ago. But amidst these ruins, seeds of hope have already been sown.
The Forbidden Grounds of Shikkotsu Forest have now become the most sacred place in the entire Shinobi World. Here, verdant and vibrant life abounds, the dense, almost liquid mist of Natural Energy almost forming solid mist. At the very core of the forbidden grounds, a vast and exquisite composite array—the " All Things Life-Breathing Spirit-Warming Grand Formation "—is slowly operating, radiating a gentle yet powerful life force. At the array's eye, a miniature but even more profound Life God Tree sways gracefully, beneath which floats a Jūni-Grade Golden Lotus, about the size of a millstone, covered in intricate golden runes. In the center of the lotus, a hazy, faintly discernible outline of Tsubasa -like soul light slumbers peacefully like an infant, shimmering with a faint light like breath.
Tian Yu, the newly crowned Immortal King, showed no signs of aging over the past ten years. Instead, she had shed some of her youthful naiveté and gained a sense of composure and majesty. Every day, she would come to the front of the formation, sit cross-legged, and slowly pour her pure Immortal King Level life Immortal Power, mixed with her endless longing and faith in her father, into the formation to nurture the golden lotus and the soul within it.
"Father," Tian Yu whispered, his voice trembling slightly, but filled with unwavering strength, "Today, the council approved the budget for the 'Deep Space Early Warning Network Phase III Project.' My eldest brother, Tenchu, personally led a team to install the latest space oscillation detector in the outer asteroid belt of Mars. He said, 'We must never allow the enemy to approach our homeland silently again.'"
The cluster of soul light within the lotus platform flickered slightly, as if in response.
At this moment, several figures quietly appeared behind Tian Yu. They were Tian Mai, Tian Muyan, Tian Yueqing, and their mothers. The heart-wrenching grief on their faces was gone ten years ago, replaced by a deep resilience and expectation. They took turns stepping forward and, as always, chatted with the sleeping Tsubasa about everyday things.
"Husband, that little devil from the Fei family, Tenshō, finally succeeded in condensing the Immortal Venerable Dao Fruit a few days ago! The commotion he caused was even bigger than his father's back then; he almost demolished the newly built martial arts arena." Tian Mai said, a smile involuntarily appearing on her lips, tears welling in her eyes, but even more so, pride. "That brat, just like you, is a Immortal Cultivation genius."
Tian Muyan gently replied, "Yes, the children have all grown up and are working very hard. The 'Fifth Generation Xingchen Rune Mech' that Tenchu and Tenpi are leading the research and development of has entered the final testing phase. I heard that after Tenmei and Tenbutsu test-drove it, they said that its combat power has probably increased by more than ten times, and it has the power to threaten even Peak Golden Core Immortal Venerable."
Tian Yueqing gently stroked the petals of the golden lotus, as if caressing her husband's face. "Everything is alright in the Shinobi World. Everyone is striving to become stronger, and we are all waiting for you to recover."
The warmth of family affection, accompanied by pure energy, seeped into the great formation, nourishing the severely damaged soul. It could be seen that the aura on the golden lotus was much stronger than it had been a few years ago, and the illusory soul of the Tsubasa at the center of the lotus platform had also become much more solid. Although it was still asleep, its face was clear, as if it had simply fallen into a deep dream.
Leaving the forbidden Shikkotsu Forest, a bustling scene unfolds across the entire Shinobi World and even the Solar System. Enormous space docks, like steel behemoths, lie prostrate in lunar orbit and the Mars star system. Countless engineering puppets and ninjas clad in various runic armors move about, constructing new starships far larger than those of ten years ago, their armor engraved with complex energy circuits.
On the ground, the former ninja cities have long since evolved into massive metropolises that combine modern urban areas with sacred training grounds. Towering buildings are covered with flowing runic light, and the city is connected by high-speed maglev trains. In the dedicated training areas, thousands of ninjas are diligently training.
Thanks to the pressure and insights gained from the battle in the Starfield, and the comprehensive promotion and demystification of top-tier techniques such as the Xingchen Body-Tempering Art and Senjutsu Chakra after the war, the overall strength of the Shinobi World experienced an explosive growth. Peak Immortal Venerable experts emerged like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
As the core of the Ten Family, it naturally boasts a gathering of powerful individuals. Tian Flying Swallow, Tian Mai, Tian Muyan, Tian Uguisu, Tian Yueqing, Tian Zhiyun, Tian Yukihime... these wives of Tsubasa were already exceptionally talented. Coupled with Tsubasa's resources as a Celestial Immortal King and the motivation brought by the grief of losing their husbands, they had already all reached the Peak Immortal Venerable. As for Tsubasa's family members, such as his father Senju Tenpuku, his younger brother Tenmei, and his children, such as Tenchu, Tenpi, Tenbutsu, Tenka, they have surpassed their fathers, relying on their bloodline advantages and their own efforts to firmly stand at the Peak Immortal Venerable level. Roughly speaking, there are hundreds of people at the Peak Immortal Venerable within the Ten Family alone!
That's not all. The original elites of the Shinobi World also made leaps and bounds in the past decade. Tsunade's strength was Jiraiya, Jiraiya's Senjutsu Techniques were unpredictable, Kakashi Hatake's Lightning Technique improved, A Yotsuki's Nagato Uzumaki Immortal Power deepened, A Yotsuki's Taijutsu Killer B was the master of an interstellar carrier who Perfect Jinchuriki and Sage Mode. The destined partners Naruto Uzumaki Sasuke Uchiha, the children of the Shinobi World, were also on par with each other. Uchiha Itachi Uchiha's Genjutsu reached godlike levels, Hinata Hyuga and Neji Hyuga Shisui Uchiha's Byakugan evolved, Konohamaru Sarutobi and Hiruzen Sarutobi's Hokage legacy remained unbroken, Might Guy's Taijutsu burned with youthful vigor, and Shikamaru Nara's wisdom shone brightly... In short, the number of Peak Immortal Venerable experts in the entire Shinobi World reached an astonishing several thousand!
This is an unprecedented golden age! However, an invisible bottleneck has also blocked all the geniuses— the Realm of the Immortal King.
Becoming Immortal King is not merely about accumulating energy, but also about a profound understanding of the laws and a complete clarity of one's own "Dao," requiring a mysterious and profound opportunity. Tsubasa achieved this breakthrough through the gift of the planet's will and a series of fortuitous encounters. Tian Yu, on the other hand, succeeded by chance after being greatly stimulated by her father's willingness to sacrifice his life, merging with the source of life force and resonating with her father Tsubasa's Golden Lotus Dao Domain.
Currently, among the thousands of Peak Immortal Venerable, not a single one has been able to glimpse the path to the Immortal King Realm. They can sense the existence of that barrier, which is indestructible and seems to be related to some kind of heaven and earth rule in this star field.
However, the Shinobi World was not discouraged. Since a breakthrough was temporarily impossible, they would develop their existing power to its fullest potential! The Xingchen Body-Tempering Art, a profound art created by Tsubasa, became the key to fighting against the Ōtsutsuki Clan. When this technique was cultivated to its highest level, it could open up "apertures" in the body corresponding to the Xingchen in the celestial sphere. By nurturing these acupoints in daily life and unleashing them in battle, it could instantly generate terrifying combat power tens or hundreds of times greater than the user's own!
Although this kind of eruption comes at the cost of burning the very essence of life and soul, overdrawing potential, and is short-lived with severe aftereffects, potentially even leading to immediate death, there is no doubt that it is a trump card capable of turning the tide of battle! Imagine thousands of Peak Immortal Venerable who are willing to die, unleashing the spontaneous combustion of their Xingchen Acupoints, gaining Immortal King Level power, or even approaching the Peak Immortal King, in a short period of time... That would be a terrifying power capable of annihilating a torrent of Xingchen!
All the powerful cultivators who practiced the Xingchen Body-Tempering Art regarded it as their ultimate trump card to demonstrate their Will of Fire. They honed their physical bodies day and night, refined their acupoints, and transformed this resolute will into an unwavering belief in protecting their homeland and living up to the sacrifice of the Immortal King.