Chapter 125: Otsutsuki Mountain

The Golden Rinnegan is a supreme evolution of the Rinnegan, possessing immense power. This member of the Otsutsuki clan was none other than Otsutsuki Sangaku, one of the ten high-ranking officials of the Otsutsuki race.

"Report!"

A trembling Otsutsuki subordinate approached Sangaku, his face etched with terror. He himself was a wielder of the Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan, far stronger than the average user, yet he broke into a cold sweat in the presence of Sangaku.

A man’s reputation is like the shadow of a tree; as one of the top ten officials, Sangaku had a blood-soaked history of growth. This was tied to the way the Otsutsuki clan inherited their power.

"What is it?" Sangaku asked, his golden Rinnegan glowing faintly.

The subordinate stammered, "M-my lord! The Thirty-Seventh Division has been... completely wiped out..."

"Hmm?"

Sangaku let out a soft, dissatisfied sound. The Thirty-Seventh Division was a force of ten thousand soldiers under his command. Total annihilation? This was a significant loss. Even without him releasing any aura, just the sound of his dissatisfaction caused the subordinate to collapse to his knees, his face turning deathly pale. "This servant deserves to die, this servant deserves to die..."

Sangaku stood up, walked over to the subordinate, leaned down, and sniffed the air around him. He whispered into his ear, "Tell me exactly what has happened recently."

He straightened his back and returned to his seat. The subordinate shivered, cold sweat pouring down his face. He had been sniffed! It was a precursor to death; while not a guarantee, it meant he was in mortal danger.

Not daring to delay, he recounted the events of the recent days. "A life-bearing planet has appeared. It is suspected to be the planet where the father of Kaguya—the former Otsutsuki—was hidden..." He dared not utter the name of Kaguya’s father, as it involved a bloody chapter of their history, so he referred to him only by his relation to her.

"That planet is now filled with beings possessing imitation Otsutsuki bloodlines. They have the strength to threaten us and have shown open hostility. After a guard unit was wiped out, I dispatched the ten-thousand-strong Thirty-Seventh Division, assuming they would flatten the place. I never expected them to be entirely destroyed..."

The subordinate’s eyes narrowed, nine tomoe spinning rapidly within his Rinnegan, projecting an image. It began with the scene on Earth: people going about their daily lives in a city, yet every one of them possessed Sharingan, Rinnegan, and even trained Ten-Tails! The face and body of Orochimaru were clearly visible among them.

The image shifted to outer space, recording the great battle of the ten-thousand-strong army. At this moment, the projection focused on a figure wielding a green Rinnegan. This person possessed immense combat power, surpassing even the elites of the Otsutsuki clan!

"That planet, then?" Sangaku murmured, falling into deep thought.

He stood up and said calmly, "Indeed, I cannot blame you. Losing a ten-man guard unit and then sending an army of ten thousand was a safe enough plan."

He walked toward the subordinate, who smiled obsequiously, breathing a sigh of relief, thinking he had survived. "I suggest we unite with the other high-ranking officials and dispatch a million-strong army to raze Earth," the subordinate said.

Sangaku looked down at the kneeling subordinate and nodded. "You are quite right. That is exactly what I intended to do."

He reached out his hand, appearing to help the subordinate up. The man, filled with flattery, reached out to take it. Instead of lifting him, Sangaku placed his hand on the man's head and killed him.

"You were not wrong," Sangaku murmured, "but you must take responsibility for the loss of the ten-thousand-man army."

As the subordinate died, Sangaku absorbed the power from his body. After finishing, he exhaled contentedly. "I shall 'feed' first, and then seek out the other high-ranking officials."

He took flight, arriving at the prison mountains built specifically for the Otsutsuki clan. Inside were rows of cells housing those imprisoned for various reasons. The prisoners, seeing Sangaku enter, fell deathly silent, not daring to breathe.

A faint smirk played on Sangaku's lips. His golden Rinnegan flared, and a surging golden light erupted, bathing the entire mountain in a brilliant, golden hue. He slaughtered everyone inside and absorbed their power.

He repeated this process, draining more than a dozen prison mountains before he was finally intercepted.

"Sangaku, do not go too far. Some of these people did not deserve to die," the man said. He wore white robes adorned with six tomoe, held a staff, and possessed blue Rinnegan. This was Otsutsuki Tan'asa, another of the ten high-ranking officials.

Sangaku smiled faintly, unafraid. "It is their fault for ending up in the prison mountains."

"But their crimes were not worthy of death," Tan'asa retorted coldly.

Sangaku shrugged. "Then it is the fault of the Otsutsuki progenitor for inventing the Divine Covenant of power inheritance."

Every race has its own method of succession; for the Otsutsuki, it is the inheritance of power. When a member dies, their power does not vanish; it is fully inherited by another through the "Divine Covenant." This was why, the longer the history of the Otsutsuki clan, the stronger they became—the fundamental reason they ruled the universe.

"You!" Tan'asa was furious. He dared not speak further regarding the progenitor. He snorted, "I will not waste words with you. Let us go to the meeting. The Patriarch has already been informed of the incident on that life-bearing planet called Earth, where Kaguya is hiding."

Sangaku sighed. "Alas, I suppose I must end my feeding." He cast a lingering glance at the prison mountain he had been about to enter. The guards stood frozen in terror, relieved only when Sangaku finally departed.

In the Great Hall of the Otsutsuki clan, seven of the ten high-ranking officials stood below, gazing at a mask resting on the main throne. The mask was pitch black, but its eye sockets contained a pair of blue Tenseigan. The Patriarch of the Otsutsuki clan spoke through the mask.

Arriving at the hall, Sangaku’s arrogant demeanor softened slightly as he looked at the mask. "Patriarch, I suggest we send an army of one million to raze Earth, and I wish to go personally."

The voice of the Patriarch emanated from the mask, androgynous and cold. "Oh? You wish to go yourself? That would be for the best."

Sangaku licked his lips. "There are many mortals on Earth who imitate our clan. I imagine they carry the capacity for the Divine Covenant as well. If I go, I shall surely feast well." He turned to look at Tan'asa and the other officials, smugly adding, "And no one will bother to stop me again."

The Patriarch remained silent for a moment, as if contemplating, before finally saying, "Then go. But Tan'asa, you shall accompany him."

A million-strong army and two high-ranking officials—this was a level of force that showed great respect for Earth. In reality, Earth’s strength was only equivalent to about two hundred thousand troops. They were using five times the necessary force, along with two high-ranking officials, to ensure there would be no mistakes. The Otsutsuki clan never underestimated their opponents, which was another reason they had remained the masters of the universe for so long.

Sangaku looked displeased. "Tan'asa is coming too? Sigh, very well." His tone was clearly reluctant.

Tan'asa snorted; he had no desire to go either.