Sarutahiko didn't speak, but simply stood beside her. The two of them were even more imposing than before, clearly intending to fight to the death.
Shinsei sighed. He had only intended to discourage them, but he hadn't expected these so-called gods to actually have some backbone.
He stopped joking and clasped his hands together in front of his chest. The next moment, an extremely pure Senjutsu Chakra surged out from his body.
White light enveloped his body like flowing water, emitting a soft glow.
The wind has stopped.
Ame no Uzume no Mikoto's steps froze. Sarutahiko raised his head, his single eye beneath the wooden mask fixed on Shinsei. The Natural Energy within them began to dissipate uncontrollably, as if forced out of their bodies by something more powerful.
Shinsei didn't move, he just stood there, but the aura of Senjutsu was like an invisible mountain, making the two of them feel weak in the knees.
"What... what is this?" Ame no Uzume no Mikoto's voice trembled for the first time. Her sword fell to the ground, and she could no longer muster any fighting spirit.
Sarutahiko was even more disheveled than her, his whole body trembling slightly.
They had cultivated Natural Energy their entire lives, yet they had never seen such vast and powerful Senjutsu energy.
Compared to the gods in Takamagahara, the boy before him was far more terrifying. No, he was on a completely different level.
"Shall we continue?" Shinsei asked.
Ame no Uzume no Mikoto sword. Sarutahiko also slowly straightened up. The two exchanged a glance, then simultaneously bowed their heads to Shinsei.
"We were blind," Sarutahiko said. "You possess divine Senjutsu that even Takamagahara has never seen. Please come with us to Takamagahara. This God Tree is almost draining our world dry. Perhaps you can find a way."
Shinsei didn't agree immediately. He turned to look at Kaguya. Kaguya stood not far away, her pale blue Chakra dissipated, staring at him intently.
Her eyes were bright, as if the scene from just now had left a deep impression on her.
"Let's go take a look," Kaguya suddenly said.
Shinsei was somewhat surprised. Kaguya took a step forward and whispered, "Perhaps there are clues to getting back in Takamagahara."
Shinsei thought for a moment and then withdrew from Sage Mode. The white Senjutsu Chakra around him receded like a tide, and the wind began to blow again.
He looked at Sarutahiko and Ame no Uzume no Mikoto: "Lead the way."
The two breathed a sigh of relief. Ame no Uzume no Mikoto pulled the knife out of the ground and turned to walk in the opposite direction from the God Tree.
Sarutahiko walked at the front, his pace slow, as if giving Kaguya and Shinsei time to catch up.
Shinsei and Kaguya walked side by side behind him. Kaguya glanced at Shinsei and said in a low voice.
"You were really amazing just now."
Shinsei smiled and said, "It's alright."
Kaguya shook her head. "Not just okay. You're much, much better than them."
Shinsei didn't reply. Kaguya continued, "But you didn't kill them just now."
Shinsei said, "They're not bad people either."
Kaguya hummed in agreement and fell silent. Her gaze towards Shinsei grew increasingly dependent.
The four of them walked north along the edge of the wasteland outside the God Tree, and the air grew colder and colder as they went.
Shinsei noticed that on the horizon ahead, there was a faint layer of white light, like clouds or snow.
Takamagahara, right behind that light.
That layer of white light looked close, but it was actually extremely far to walk over.
The four of them walked north along the edge of the wasteland for nearly two hours before finally reaching the light.
The light shone through an unseen wall of fog ahead. The fog wasn't thick, but it was extremely dense, like a frozen river stretching across the edge of the wasteland.
Shinsei followed Sarutahiko into the fog, and suddenly a path appeared beneath their feet. A path paved with gray-white stone slabs meandered upwards and disappeared into the deeper fog.
"Arrive."
The fog above everyone's heads suddenly dispersed. Shinsei looked up, his pupils contracting slightly.
Takamagahara.
This is a piece of land suspended above a sea of clouds.
The earth was pure white, as if covered with a layer of fine snow that never melts.
The stone-paved paths led in all directions, with low stone lanterns standing on both sides, each lantern burning with a pale blue flame. Those flames produced no smoke and no heat, yet they illuminated the entire Takamagahara.
The buildings in the distance undulate with the terrain, their eaves soaring like wings, their pillars towering high, their entire bodies gleaming with a jade-like luster. Tiny specks of light float in the air, like petals scattered by the wind, or Fire Fly rising in the night.
There were pedestrians on the road. They were dressed in long robes and walked silently. When they saw Sarutahiko and Ame no Uzume no Mikoto, they all stopped and bowed.
Shinsei noticed that the Chakra —no, Natural Energy —of these "sages" was very thin.
Even the strongest one can't compare to Ame no Uzume no Mikoto. Takamagahara wasn't as powerful as he had imagined.
"Is this the Kingdom of Gods?" Kaguya asked softly.
"It's a land of immortals," Shinsei said. "However, their Senjutsu are not the same as your Ōtsutsuki Chakra."
Kaguya nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite. She looked around, her eyes shining with curiosity.
Shinsei understands her. A person who falls from the sky and knows nothing will always find this world novel and exciting when they see it for the first time.
They walked along the main road toward the center of Takamagahara. Along the way, they passed several markets. These markets were more like open spaces after some kind of ceremony, where several immortals sat cross-legged on stone platforms, with strangely shaped objects in front of them.
Some people were selling stones, some were selling grass, and some were selling "cloud dew" gathered from the sea of clouds not far away.
Kaguya stopped in front of a stall. The stall owner was an extremely old woman with a face deeply lined like tree bark. She tremblingly picked up a cup of cloud dew and handed it to Kaguya.
"Young lady, you're not from around here, are you? Try this; it will calm your mind," the old immortal said.
Kaguya glanced at Shinsei. Shinsei shook his head. Kaguya still reached out her hand, took the drink, and took a small sip.
Her eyes lit up. The old sage smiled. Kaguya whispered, "Very sweet."
Shinsei sighed helplessly. Ame no Uzume no Mikoto sword, and clicked her tongue impatiently. Sarutahiko didn't urge her on, but just stood there and waited.
Just as the group was about to leave the market, a commotion suddenly broke out ahead. Several immortals hurriedly ran past in the distance, their expressions panicked.
A figure stumbled from the center of Takamagahara. He walked quickly, but his steps became increasingly unsteady, until finally he collapsed onto the stone pavement, his right hand empty except for half of his blood-stained sleeve.
The blood had congealed into a dark red color, sticking to the white robe like a festering old scar.
"It's Izumo! Izumo's back!" someone shouted.
Several immortals rushed to help him. The man Izumo was frighteningly pale, his lips ashen. He barely managed to raise his left hand, pointed behind him, and managed to squeeze out a hoarse word. "Demon... monster..."
Shinsei stood in the crowd, his brow furrowed. In this era of Takamagahara, there were still enemies capable of severing the arms of immortals.
He looked at Sarutahiko. Sarutahiko didn't speak, his face even more grim than before. Ame no Uzume no Mikoto gripped her sword tightly, her knuckles turning white.
The surrounding immortals were in an uproar; some were terrified, some were angry, and some had already begun to mutter curses.
"Those monsters again."
Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts.
They should have been wiped out long ago.
Shinsei ignored the insults. He called Sarutahiko and Ame no Uzume no Mikoto aside and asked them a question.
"What on earth happened? What kind of monster could have injured a hermit from Takamagahara like this?"
Sarutahiko remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"You come from outside, so naturally you don't know. The immortals of Takamagahara are revered as gods in the human world."
But in our eyes, we are just a group of people who practice Senjutsu. But in this world, there are never only humans who know immortal Senjutsu.
Those creatures and demons born from the essence of heaven and earth can also absorb and exhale Natural Energy, and can also perform Senjutsu.
Most of them are not yet intelligent, but some of them have lived long enough to become quite intelligent and can even harm people.