Shun's Space-Time Barrier could redirect attacks.
The terrifying torrent of energy from earlier spread wildly in all directions like a shockwave.
The surrounding Otsutsuki were instantly caught in it, their shrill screams piercing the sky.
Crack... Squelch...
The crisp sound of bones shattering and the spray of fresh blood rose one after another. Many Otsutsuki died instantly or were sent flying.
The chaotic sounds of corpses, weapons, and metal clashing scattered around, mixed with the raspy groans of the dying clan members, rendered the battlefield's tragedy to the extreme.
The six members of the Otsutsuki Upper Echelon looked at the pathetic state of their clansmen with displeasure, secretly cursing, "Useless!"
"Phew..."
Shun lowered his eyes slightly, his Adam's apple bobbing as he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.
This golden Space-Time Barrier seemed to take the attack easily, but in reality, it dismantled the energy of the six high-level members' attacks into countless strands and forcibly redirected them through space-time techniques. This consumed a massive amount of Chakra and Mental Energy.
His gentle gaze fell on Kaguya's face, as if he were saying something very ordinary. "The peripheral fodder has been mostly cleared out. Next, it's time for me to deal with those six old monsters."
Kaguya's silvery-white pupils stared intently at the purgatory-like scene outside the palace, even her arms tensing slightly.
The combined attack of the six high-level members just now had created a world-destroying pressure, leaving her with lingering fears. Earlier, she had even prepared to die together.
Seeing Shun kill a large number of Otsutsuki with just one Space-Time Barrier, she was also deeply shocked.
"Shun, your Chakra..."
"It's fine. For the upcoming battle, using this will be enough."
Shun shook his head gently, and the Space-Time Barrier dissipated, revealing the dark faces of the six high-level members outside the palace.
He clapped his hands together.
Six Paths: Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Poof! Poof! Poof...
Countless clouds of thick white smoke exploded, and thousands of Shuns dressed in black appeared in the surrounding air.
These weren't ordinary Shadow Clones, they inherited a portion of Shun's core abilities.
Before the six Otsutsuki could react, some of the Shadow Clones soared into the sky, hovering in mid-air and quickly condensing black Truth-Seeking Orbs one by one.
The remaining Shadow Clones formed a uniform charging formation, like a well-trained army, ready to perform thousands of different Ninjutsu at any time.
The hovering Shadow Clones attacked first, with thousands of Truth-Seeking Orbs whistling out like cannonballs.
Shun's main body stood by Kaguya's side, condensing a light shield to firmly protect her behind him.
"We'll just watch. These Shadow Clones will first exhaust their stamina and Chakra while looking for flaws. We'll wait for our chance."
Kaguya watched as the thousands of Shadow Clones fought with the Otsutsuki Upper Echelon, her heart racing uncontrollably.
She nodded vigorously, stabilizing her mind. "I understand. If there's a chance, I want to join the fight too."
She didn't want to be the one being protected. As an Ōtsutsuki, she had the power to fight alongside him. Moreover, this battle was inherently linked to her, so she had no reason to hide.
"Not for now."
Shun's gaze remained locked on the six high-level members outside the palace, his golden Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan taking in every tiny movement of the opponents.
"These Shadow Clones are enough to exhaust their stamina and Chakra. Moreover, I have already seen the future through Ten Directions. I know their abilities and weaknesses perfectly. It's just that they've lived for thousands of years and are extremely cunning. It won't be easy to make them expose a flaw."
Ten Directions granted him the ability to peer into fragments of the future. Long before stepping into the Karma Shrine, he had already anticipated every key moment of this battle, which was why he appeared so calm now.
He paused and added, "Your space technique is the key, save it for the most appropriate moment."
"A bunch of ants dare to be so insolent!" Kugen roared, veins bulging on his temples as he activated his Byakugan's combat form.
He fully activated his Space Shinjutsu, and the space in front of him immediately rippled.
His eyes stared fixedly at the Shadow Clones charging at the front, his gaze filled with killing intent and disdain. He raised his hand and clenched it toward that row of Shadow Clones, roaring, "Space Imprisonment!"
Instantly, countless invisible shackles bound the bodies of the Shadow Clones, wrapping around their limbs and necks. Those Shadow Clones were instantly locked by the invisible force of space, their bodies as if cast in high-density cement, unable to move.
"Is this all you've got?"
A look of disdain appeared on Kugen's face, carrying the arrogance of the Otsutsuki Upper Echelon. He swung his arm down forcefully.
Space Rupture!
Pale blue spatial energy erupted instantly, like countless invisible blades exploding from within the imprisoned Shadow Clones, precisely destroying their Chakra cores.
Poof... Poof... Poof...
A series of muffled sounds exploded, and the imprisoned Shadow Clones instantly turned into smoke and dissipated.
But more Shadow Clones had already bypassed the imprisoned area, while the Shadow Clones in the sky continuously bombarded with Truth-Seeking Orbs.
The Shadow Clones on the ground successively performed dozens of jutsu, such as Sage Art: Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation, Sage Art: Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet, and Sage Art: Lightning Release: Raikiri.
Various colors of Ninjutsu light wove into a net, pouring down toward the six high-level members.
Kugen's gaze darkened, and his expression grew even more somber. He hadn't expected these Shadow Clones to not only be massive in number and perfectly coordinated but also possess such formidable abilities.
He frantically gathered pale blue Chakra, forming a rotating energy ball.
Space Storm!
He slammed the energy ball toward the group of Shadow Clones. The energy ball exploded instantly, and the surrounding space shattered inch by inch like glass, making a crisp "crack" sound.
Countless pitch-black spatial fragments flew forward, converging into a spatial storm thousands of meters in diameter.
Wherever the storm passed, space vibrated violently, carrying a world-destroying aura as it swept toward the Shadow Clones.
Many Shadow Clones couldn't dodge in time and were sucked into the storm, torn into smoke along with the Truth-Seeking Orbs they controlled, without any chance to struggle.
Seeing this, the Shadow Clones hovering high in the air immediately adjusted their formation, using Truth-Seeking Orbs to form a defensive barrier.
"Trying to flank us? How naive."
Kugen sensed Shadow Clones on the right and sneered, tapping the void.
Space Interference!
Pale blue Chakra instantly spread into a massive energy net, covering an area of dozens of meters. Within this region, spatial fluctuations became chaotic.
Those Shadow Clones preparing to teleport felt as if they had hit an invisible wall. Their teleportation was forcibly interrupted, and their bodies froze in place.
Before they could adjust, Migaki's gravity field spread over, pinning them down firmly, and then he smashed them into smoke one by one with his fists.
Although the Shadow Clones possessed flight, Truth-Seeking Orbs, and a massive array of Ninjutsu, the strength of the six Otsutsuki Upper Echelon members was ultimately peerless. The loss rate of the Shadow Clones far exceeded expectations. In just a short moment, more than half of the thousands of Shadow Clones were destroyed.
On the other side, a brilliant black halo rose around Migaki as Gravity Field unfolded. Wherever the halo reached, the ground began to crack with a "crunching" sound.
He slammed his feet onto the ground with a loud "boom," creating two pits dozens of meters deep. He shot into the group of Shadow Clones like a cannonball, with a sharp whistling sound, and the range of the gravity field suddenly expanded to over a hundred meters.
The Shadow Clones within range instantly felt a terrifying pressure, their bodies becoming incredibly heavy. Their movements became incredibly sluggish, and their originally fluid attacks became jerky and difficult.
"Idiots! You think numbers can win?"
Migaki grinned ferociously, revealing sharp teeth with saliva dripping through the gaps, looking exceptionally hideous.
He swung his fists seemingly recklessly, but every punch carried enormous power. The pale golden Chakra on his fists was as solid as steel. Hitting a Shadow Clone made a dull "thud," and the struck clone instantly vanished into smoke.
His attacks seemed chaotic, but in reality, every punch was precisely calculated, firmly locking down the Shadow Clones' escape routes. He also deliberately drove the Shadow Clones toward Kugen's Space Storm, using his companion's attacks to clear them out and save his own stamina.
Some Shadow Clones tried to use condensed Truth-Seeking Orb black blades to slash his golden shield, but only a crisp "clang" was heard. The black blades were bounced back several meters, and the halo on the shield didn't even weaken. Instead, it rippled with a layer of golden counter-attack light, shaking that Shadow Clone back several steps.
"Your shield is sturdy, but how long can it last?"
One Shadow Clone dodged Migaki's fist and asked coldly, while simultaneously throwing a Truth-Seeking Orb black rod.
"Until you're all dead!"
Migaki snorted in disdain, blocked the black rod with his hand, and continued to rampage through the group of Shadow Clones.
Murata appeared to be handling things with ease. A pale gray halo rose around him, and his body seemed to have its physical form drained away, suddenly becoming transparent. Even the color of his clothes gradually faded as he completely entered a state of void.
The fists of the charging Shadow Clones passed through his body without a hint of resistance. Even Sage Art was like a stone sinking into the ocean, passing right through him to hit the ground behind, exploding into deep pits without causing any damage.
"In the void, any attack is useless."
Murata's voice carried a hint of laziness, as if he were toying with prey.
He lightly waved his hand at a group of Shadow Clones using Ninjutsu.
Void Devour!
The pale gray halo instantly spread out, forming a distorted vortex three meters in diameter. The center of the vortex was pitch black, emitting a suction force that devoured everything.
Those Shadow Clones were instantly forced into the vortex and devoured without a trace.