Forbidden Zone of Shikkotsu Forest.
As she had for thousands of days and nights, the Tian Yu quietly stood guard beside the All Things Life-Breathing Spirit-Warming Grand Formation. Her life Immortal Power, like a gentle stream, continuously nourished the golden lotus.
Suddenly, her slender fingers twitched slightly, and her closed eyes snapped open, a hint of surprise flashing across them.
Just Setsuna, she clearly sensed that at the center of the lotus platform, the sleeping phantom of her father's soul twitched the fingers of his right hand extremely slightly!
This wasn't the unconscious energy fluctuation of the past, but a movement with a clear direction! It was as if, while asleep, one heard the call of a loved one and instinctively wanted to grasp something.
"Father..." Tian Yu's voice trembled. She immediately increased the energy input into the great formation, while gently calling out in her soul voice, "Father, can you hear me? It's us, it's Yu'er..."
The ball of soul light within the lotus platform seemed to have brightened slightly, and the blurry facial features appeared to have become a little clearer. Although there was still no sign of awakening, this was undoubtedly an unprecedented and positive sign!
Suppressing his excitement, Tian Yu immediately used telepathy to convey this good news to all his mothers and siblings.
A moment later, Tian Mai, Tian Muyan, Tian Yueqing, and the others arrived one after another. Feeling that faint but real soul response, they were all overjoyed and wept tears of joy. Ten years of perseverance had finally brought them a glimmer of hope!
City of Hope, Top Secret Laboratory.
Tenpi and a group of scientists and rune masters are having a heated discussion about a miniature mecha model.
"No, the energy circuits here are still too complex; they're easily damaged and paralyzed in wartime!"
"But if it's simplified, the energy output efficiency will decrease by 15 percent!"
"Perhaps we could try combining bio-nanotechnology with runes to create energy meridians with self-healing capabilities..."
They are working on the core technologies of fourth-generation mechs, aiming to achieve "semi-biological" and "intelligent" mechs, enabling them to better connect with the pilot's nervous system and even possess a certain degree of autonomous combat and evolution capabilities.
On the other hand, the " Artificial Immortal King " project (which attempts to simulate the energy field and law application of Immortal King Level through technological means) has repeatedly suffered setbacks, but it has also accumulated a large amount of valuable data, indirectly promoting the development of other technological fields.
The Star Defense Line, the Edge of the Mars Domain.
Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy, each piloting their own exclusive Sage Mecha ( Kakashi's is a high-speed reconnaissance type called " Lightning Dog," while Guy's is a " Crimson Dragon " type that emphasizes power and explosiveness), are conducting their daily patrol.
"Kai, don't rush too fast, keep in formation." Kakashi looked helplessly at the red dot that was far ahead of the others on the screen.
"Haha, Kakashi! Youth is about striving forward! Let's have a race and see who gets to the next patrol point first!" Kai's energetic voice rang out.
Kakashi sighed, but a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips. This peace was truly wonderful. Yet, his sharp gaze remained vigilantly scanning the deep starry sky, not daring to relax for a moment.
Decades have passed again. Outside the Deathly Silence Seal barrier, three "Domain"-class God Tree reconnaissance ships, their bodies sculpted from crystal, are cautiously approaching the churning gray-black barrier. They release invisible scanning waves, attempting to penetrate the thick corpse aura and probe the situation inside.
Ōtsutsuki Arashi sat in the command seat of the main ship, staring intently at the constantly refreshing data stream on the screen, his expression growing increasingly grave.
"The energy concentration is still rising... The life processes in the core area (if those zombies count as life) are abnormally active... Wait! What is this?!" she suddenly exclaimed.
On the screen, a set of extremely bizarre signals, completely inconsistent with any known energy model, was captured. The signals were intermittent, filled with chaos and distortion, yet they also faintly contained some... ineffable fragments of high-level information.
"Analyze the signal structure! Try to decipher it!" Ōtsutsuki Arashi commanded, a strong sense of unease rising within him.
The technicians worked frantically. A few minutes later, a fragmented message, seemingly from the depths of Hell, was barely translated:
[... Saint... Path... Coordinates... Shinobi World... Key... Devouring... Evolution...]
The information was fragmented, but a few keywords exploded in Ōtsutsuki Arashi's mind like thunderclaps!
"The Holy Road?! Coordinates?! The Shinobi World?! The Key?!" She stood up abruptly, her face deathly pale.
The Shinobi World! Is it some peripheral star system world? How did it appear in the signals within this restricted area? And "Sacred Path," "Key"... Could this refer to the Ōtsutsuki Clan's ultimate pursuit of the Saint Level Path and some of its key elements?
A terrifying hypothesis formed in her mind: the source of this zombie disaster might very well be related to this Shinobi World! Or perhaps, it was even sent by the Shinobi World! They possess some kind of secret or "key" related to " Saint Level " beings, and this secret has now fallen into the hands of a terrifying being within this forbidden zone!
If this conjecture is true, then the situation is serious! It's not just an internal disaster, but could escalate to a level concerning the ultimate goal of the entire Ōtsutsuki civilization!
"Immediately! Cease all scanning! All reconnaissance ships, maintain high alert, retreat to a safe distance!" Ōtsutsuki Arashi decisively declared. "I need to see the Saint immediately!"
She had to report this news. Whether it was true or false, it was not something a domain lord could decide on her own.
Ōtsutsuki Planet, the core sacred site, the " Hall of Divine Deliberation ".
Thirteen figures, their auras as vast as the abyss of the universe, sat enthroned on thrones carved from the cores of Xingchen. They were the members of the highest authority of the Ōtsutsuki Clan — the Saint. Each of them was an ancient being who had lived for countless epochs and whose strength was unfathomable, far surpassing even a veteran domain lord like Genshō.
Ōtsutsuki Arashi knelt in the center of the hall, respectfully but with a hint of fear, reporting her findings and speculations.
A long silence fell over the council chamber. The invisible pressure made it almost impossible for Ōtsutsuki Arashi to breathe.
After a long silence, the Saint seated at the head of the table, his figure shrouded in a hazy starlight, slowly spoke, his voice ancient and weathered. "The path to Saint Level... is elusive and unpredictable. The talk of the key is even more ethereal. A single fragmented signal is insufficient to draw any conclusions."
Another Saint spoke in a voice like the scraping of metal, "But the reappearance of the ' Shinobi World ' coordinates, and its connection to the anomalies in the forbidden zone, is no coincidence. The corpse resurrection in Genshō City was already suspicious. That star field world may truly hold secrets unknown to us."
"The existence within the forbidden zone has become a major threat. Its immortal nature makes it difficult to eradicate. If it is truly related to Saint Level mystery, it cannot be ignored."
"If it forcibly breaks the seal, the risk is enormous. If it escapes, it could trigger an even greater disaster."
The Saint had differing opinions and began to discuss it.
Ultimately, the First Saint made a decision. " Ōtsutsuki Arashi, your discovery is important. But this matter is of utmost importance, and we cannot act rashly. We will dispatch elite forces to search that Shinobi World, confirm the authenticity of the 'key' and the Saint Level secret, and assess the true strength of that world. At the same time, we will strengthen monitoring of the ' Deathly Silence Seal ' and ensure that the being inside is not allowed to escape."
"As for the beings within the forbidden zone..." A cold glint flashed in the First Sage Eye, "If they are truly related to the Saint Level, after confirming the situation in the Shinobi World, we might consider... making 'limited contact' with them."
This decision signifies that the Ōtsutsuki Clan's strategy towards the Shinobi World will shift from previous neglect to more cautious and purposeful infiltration and investigation. The sealed Zombie Monarch Orochimaru has also officially entered the Saint's purview, transforming from a "disaster" to be eliminated into a "dangerous factor" that requires vigilance and potential exploitation.
A war spanning countless light-years and revolving around the mysteries of the " Saint Level " realm has quietly begun. The Shinobi World, completely unaware of this, is about to face an even more secretive and dangerous spying from the depths of space.