Uchiha Yuzuru unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks on Otsutsuki Shibai, with absolutely no intention of holding back.
He intended to strike while his enemy was vulnerable.
The reason he could firmly suppress Otsutsuki Shibai right now was because he had connected with the Heart of the Universe in this realm.
With every movement, he could draw upon the most powerful forces of this universe.
If he allowed Otsutsuki Shibai to continue growing, the moment the other party also gained the ability to commune with the Heart of the Universe, his current advantage would vanish completely.
"Uchiha Yuzuru, it wasn't easy for me to cultivate to this level. Please, don't drive me to extinction..."
"Spare me, and I am willing to be your loyal hound..."
"You damn bastard! I have no grudge against you, so why are you doing this to me?!"
Otsutsuki Shibai's exasperated and desperate voice echoed continuously through space, but Uchiha Yuzuru remained completely unmoved.
One fleeing and the other pursuing, the two of them shuttled through the cosmos at blinding speeds.
Wherever they passed, everything was reduced to nothingness.
As time went on, Otsutsuki Shibai's aura grew weaker and weaker.
Finally...
After being struck by yet another of Uchiha Yuzuru's attacks, Otsutsuki Shibai came to a halt.
By now, he had long lost that initial sense of absolute indifference. The expression on his sole remaining head was twisted in sheer ferocity.
He roared in indignant fury, "Uchiha Yuzuru, I curse you! Sooner or later, you will meet the exact same fate as me!"
Uchiha Yuzuru scoffed lightly. "You pose no threat to me alive, yet you expect a mere sentence to drag me down to your level?"
"Who do you think you are!"
With those words, Uchiha Yuzuru reached out, grabbed Otsutsuki Shibai's head, and instantly refined it!
Accompanied by a miserable, agonizing wail, Otsutsuki Shibai perished completely.
At the same time, the aura radiating from Uchiha Yuzuru surged once more.
His power grew continuously, reaching an entirely new realm in the blink of an eye!
"This, this, this..."
Feeling the changes within his body, Uchiha Yuzuru's eyes widened in disbelief.
After killing Otsutsuki Shibai, he could actually feel the clear pulsation of the Heart of the Universe, and he had gained its complete and absolute recognition.
"So that's how it is. That's how it is!"
Uchiha Yuzuru suddenly understood everything.
Originally, he thought that the reason he could connect with the Heart of the Universe the moment he surpassed Kekkei Mora and ascended to godhood was all thanks to the system.
But to his surprise, it was the Heart of the Universe that had actively sought him out.
Its purpose...
Was naturally to borrow his hands to eliminate Otsutsuki Shibai!
As for the reason...
Otsutsuki Shibai, along with the entire Otsutsuki clan, were like parasites within the cosmos.
They endlessly plundered the universe, forcibly draining the power from any planet that possessed life energy.
If this continued, sooner or later, the entire universe would turn into a stagnant, lifeless pool.
'Fortunately, I walked a completely different path from Otsutsuki Shibai. Otherwise, my strength would probably have been evenly matched with his at best.'
'Moreover, failing to gain the recognition of this universe would be equivalent to receiving an early death sentence.'
'Unless one could obtain power that transcends the universe itself, they would eventually be killed by those who came after...'
Uchiha Yuzuru patted his chest, lingering fear gripping his heart.
With great power comes great responsibility.
While taking control of this universe, he naturally had to become its guardian as well.
Having figured this out, Uchiha Yuzuru began to retrace the path of his previous battle with Otsutsuki Shibai.
Just like when the Sage of Six Paths traveled the Ninja World, repairing the landscapes that had been damaged beyond recognition during their three-way battle.
Under Uchiha Yuzuru's power, the star systems that had been reduced to nothingness and the spaces that had been torn apart along the way were all completely restored.
By the time he returned to the Otsutsuki clan's home planet, everything had been restored to its original state by Uchiha Yuzuru.
Immediately after, Uchiha Yuzuru simply closed his eyes right where he stood and began to refine the Heart of the Universe.
The Heart of the Universe had its own instincts, but it was more like a stably running program.
Now that he had gained its complete recognition, it was the perfect opportunity to refine it.
Once he refined the Heart of the Universe, he would no longer have to worry about his future actions being hindered by it.
He would also become the true sovereign of this universe!
The Otsutsuki clan's home planet.
The temple.
The ninja army of the Divine Kingdom continued to besiege all the Otsutsuki clansmen within the temple, just as before.
Meanwhile, the members of the Otsutsuki clan glared at the Divine Kingdom's ninja army outside the temple, their eyes brimming with hatred.
Both sides wished nothing more than to tear each other apart, yet neither had any intention of making a move.
After all...
Everyone knew perfectly well that the outcome of this war depended entirely on Uchiha Yuzuru and Otsutsuki Shibai.
Whichever side won, that side would survive.
Whichever side lost, that side would be completely annihilated!
In mid-air, Tsunade let out a faint sigh. "Another year has passed. Yuzuru... where exactly did you go?"
"If you don't come back soon, I won't be able to stop myself from placing a bet!"
Tsunade's tone was filled with hidden bitterness.
Decades had already passed since Uchiha Yuzuru and Otsutsuki Shibai departed.
Although they had long anticipated that the battle between the two would not end so easily, this massive span of time still left everyone anxious.
Throughout these decades, every single day had been a form of torture for everyone.
Yet, no one had any way of knowing just how long this battle—which would decide all their fates—would last...
The Divine Kingdom's ninja army was faring relatively well, but many of the Otsutsuki clansmen had already buckled under the pressure, losing their minds entirely.
"Hey! How much longer are you going to keep us trapped here? Since we can't decide our own fates, we might as well let each other go."
"You go back to your Ninja World, and we'll continue living our lives."
"No matter what we do, everything ultimately depends on the victor between Lord Shibai and Uchiha Yuzuru anyway."
Hearing the shouts of the Otsutsuki clansmen, the ninjas of the Divine Kingdom remained completely indifferent.
Even though the enemy made a valid point, they refused to just leave like this.
Even if they had to stand guard in this godforsaken place for another few decades, they firmly believed that the man who always had the last laugh would return in triumph!
Seeing no reaction from the Divine Kingdom's ninjas, the shouting Otsutsuki clansman immediately began cursing.
It sounded like a complaint, but also like a desperate attempt at self-comfort.
"What rotten luck, running into a bunch of stubborn blockheads like you."
"Any idiot could figure out that Uchiha Yuzuru is probably dead by now."
"He's just a guy with lowly blood flowing through his veins. How could he possibly defeat Lord Shibai, who became a god ages ago?"
"Emperor? Bah!"
After venting his frustrations, the Otsutsuki clansman turned to head back inside the temple, just as he always did.
However, before he could even sit down, he felt an overwhelming, absolute pressure.
In the next second, with a sickening bang, his entire body exploded into a mist of blood!