Chapter 531: Madara's Tragic Defeat
Whoosh!
Watching the Lion Majesty take the initiative to retreat, the three sisters of Sun, Moon, and Star, along with Nozomi, did not pursue it. Instead, they turned their gazes toward the distance with solemn expressions.
Hot shockwaves rolled in layer after layer from that direction. There, a sun seemed to rise slowly.
"What a terrifying high temperature..." Nozomi said, her face filled with worry as she looked at the figure of the Sun Golden Crow not far away.
The female knight's identity was extraordinary. She was Hikari, the daughter of the King of Miracles and princess of the Kingdom of Miracles. Though her status wasn't publicly known in the Miracle Land, the Twelve Holy Knights and some high-ranking officials were aware of it.
Without the King's approval, Nozomi would never have brought her here. Now, facing such a fearsome Mythical beast, Nozomi, as her protector, felt an urgent need to intervene.
On the other side, in the central area, the battle between Aizen and Uchiha Madara came to a halt. Though it was influenced by the Sun Golden Crow's transformation, the real reason was that Madara had exhausted his final trump card.
He had struck Aizen with a powerful blow, but it only triggered Aizen's further evolution, advancing him from Hogyoku Stage 4 to Stage 5. At this level, Aizen's spiritual power skyrocketed.
In terms of the Shinigami system's primary attribute, spiritual pressure, this was equivalent to moving from SS-level to the upper limits of SS-level. The SS tier had a wide range, and Aizen's spiritual pressure now reached its peak, rivaling the senior researchers in the central experimental area of Mythical Beast Island.
Yet Aizen wasn't pleased. The Sun Golden Crow posed a significant threat. Despite his superior power scale, the beast's extreme heat was daunting even for him. This hinted at the formidable abilities of Orochimaru, its creator.
"Damn it, Madara, get ready to retreat! That Golden Crow is using Original Root Mode here!" Nine-Tails said, eyeing Aizen warily as he stared at the distant Golden Crow. "If we stay any longer, we'll get burned to a crisp!"
Nine-Tails was ready to flee. If Madara refused, it would leave on its own. It had given its all in the fight, but Aizen was too terrifying. After being hit, he only grew stronger. What kind of monster was he?
During the battle, Nine-Tails had coordinated with Madara's relentless attacks. Its Mythical beast power seeped into the massive flame tornado created by their clash. When Madara struck again, countless flame chains erupted from the tornado, restraining Aizen's movements. This set the stage for the reverse version of the Original Root Mode: the Original Source of Jade.
The Original Root Mode had three steps: condensing Mythical beast particles, channeling them into the body, and directing their flow in a specific pattern. Most Mythical beasts struggled with the second step. The condensed particles were volatile and highly aggressive, requiring immense control to tame and a robust physique to withstand. Only high-tier Mythical Kings could achieve this.
However, the Mythical beast jade had another use. What if an enemy was placed at the center of the condensing jade? This led to the creation of the Original Source of Jade. By allowing the particles' violent nature to run unchecked, the enemy trapped at the core would face a devastating attack.
Nine-Tails had once tried this on Madara, but the move had two flaws: the enemy had to be immobilized, and their power fluctuations couldn't be too intense, or the jade's condensation would fail. These limitations made it impractical. Madara had easily avoided being restrained, rendering the move useless. But he took note of it during their discussions and decided to use it against Aizen.
This time, it worked flawlessly. Aizen was restrained, and his power didn't disrupt the process, as if he had deliberately allowed the attack. Under the Original Source of Jade's million-degree heat, Aizen's spiritual defenses collapsed. Even he risked death in such temperatures. The survival pressure triggered his evolution, securing his victory.
"Hm?" Nine-Tails said, startled by Madara's curt agreement to retreat. It had expected resistance, given his stubbornness. For once, he was reasonable.
As Nine-Tails prepared to leave, Aizen glanced over. Madara stood atop Nine-Tails, looking down with an air of defiance. Their eyes met, time seeming to stretch.
One was calm and composed, the other proud yet defeated. Madara's loss was undeniable, a crushing defeat. He felt Aizen's effortless control and nonchalance, a humiliation that burned in his chest.
The Mythical Beast Conference no longer mattered to Madara. His journey had ended with this loss. But next time, he vowed, he wouldn't be so weak. He would defeat this man. With that obsession burning in his heart, Madara vanished from Aizen's sight alongside Nine-Tails.
Aizen turned his attention back to the Sun Golden Crow. His reflective glasses hid his eyes, but the slight upward curve of his lips revealed his good mood.
(End of this chapter)