"A formidable ninjutsu, its power comparable to a Tailed Beast Bomb," Madara observed Li Xing with a cold gaze, his words dripping with praise.
Li Xing stretched his limbs. "Finally, you're using the Rinnegan. You should know by now that this level isn't enough to satisfy me."
"Indeed, this level is nothing," Madara replied. He leaped onto a rock, formed hand seals, and his Susanoo manifested once more. Upon closer inspection, Madara's Susanoo was two-faced, meaning it could form two seals simultaneously.
"Chibaku Tensei!"
Suddenly, the entire battlefield lost sunlight, as if it were being obscured by clouds. However, everyone looked up to see a colossal meteor, so massive it blotted out the sky.
Deidara and Sasori, who were engaged in combat in the sky, quickly dodged the falling meteor. Deidara was astounded, wondering if such a ninjutsu existed in the world.
Below, the Ninja Alliance was engulfed in despair. Countless individuals dropped their weapons, abandoning all will to survive.
Nagato, seeing the meteor in the sky, was not overly surprised. After all, the Sage of Six Paths could create the moon; this size was nothing. However, Nagato knew that other ninjas lacked means of survival, and he could only do his best to protect as many people as possible.
"Is this… the power of a god?" Gaara swallowed, unsure how to defend himself.
Tsunade, seeing this, immediately disregarded everything else and rushed to Li Xing's side, embracing him. "I'm sorry, I can't just watch you die. Don't worry, I have the Strength of a Hundred Seals, and I can protect you."
Li Xing looked at her speechlessly. "Tsunade, are you insane? Have you forgotten my regenerative abilities? Besides, I also have the Strength of a Hundred Seals. How could I possibly die here?"
Karin and Yugito, pulling Fu along, arrived beside Li Xing and urged him to open a portal to escape, promising to return after the meteor fell.
"It's alright. It's just a meteor. Karin, stay by their side and protect Yugito and Fu. If anything goes wrong, you can retreat into the Kamui dimension."
With that, Li Xing pushed Tsunade away, subtly signaling Karin to pull Tsunade aside. He then leaped into the air, a swirling vortex of chakra appearing in his hand.
Hovering in the sky, Li Xing propelled the chakra vortex forward, aiming it at the Chibaku Tensei, and shouted, "Shooting a beam from your hands is a man's romance!"
As Li Xing's voice faded, a rainbow-colored beam shot from the vortex, piercing the sky. Madara's Chibaku Tensei was pulverized into dust by this blast.
Everyone present was stunned, never imagining that Li Xing could save them all. Especially those who knew Li Xing; this was the first time they had witnessed even a fraction of his power, and they wondered if this was his full strength.
"So beautiful… This is… true art, the ultimate art I've been pursuing! I finally understand! Hmm!" Deidara's mind short-circuited upon seeing the rainbow cannon. He felt that Li Xing's creation was the true definition of art, while his own work was merely explosive, lacking the artistic beauty of Li Xing's rainbow cannon.
"I see now. All things in the world are illusions in the face of absolute power. My pursuit of eternity was merely transient. Deidara, you have won." Sasori's heart sank upon witnessing this, his worldly attachments gone. The art of puppetry he had dedicated his life to was utterly annihilated by this attack. It could be said that Li Xing and Madara had severely wounded Sasori's fragile spirit.
Li Xing, sensing Sasori's call in the air, released the Edo Tensei. "Puppetry is ultimately a clown's trick." Li Xing sighed softly. "Alas, if you hadn't come to this battlefield, you might not have fallen into despair. Farewell, Sasori."
Finally, Sasori's body emitted a white light, and his soul detached, slowly ascending into the sky. Sasori cast one last glance in the direction of Sunagakure, then vanished completely.
"I didn't expect you to have such ninjutsu, destroying even the second one directly. However, the extraterrestrial meteor you placed within my body has made me feel a new kind of power!"
Madara spread his arms, his face alight with excitement. Another meteor appeared in the sky, though not as large as the Chibaku Tensei. Instead, it was a multitude of burning meteors.
"Star Flame Meteor Shower! This is the power of the stars. Enjoy a continuous meteor shower, Li Xing…"
Li Xing looked up at the sky, which had transformed into a sea of fire. The sheer number of burning meteors created the illusion of being covered in flames.
"Shinra Tensei!"
"Dust Release: Primal Particle Style Jutsu!"
"Desert Imperial Defense!"
Nagato, Ohnoki, and Gaara were all working tirelessly to protect the members of the Ninja Alliance. Karin had also activated her Susanoo, firmly shielding Tsunade, Yugito, and Fu beside her.
Madara observed this scene and found it strange. When did Susanoo become so commonplace? Li Xing had it, and so did his wife.
"A man's romance isn't limited to just one kind, Madara!" Li Xing spoke softly, clenching his fists, white steam radiating from his body.
"Boil Release: Unrivaled Strength!"
Li Xing punched upwards, a powerful gust of wind surging towards the heavens, clearing half of the meteor shower in one go. Then, Li Xing unleashed punch after punch, and the continuous meteor shower was finally dealt with. After all, the number of small meteorites in outer space was finite.
"You can fly, and you can use the power of the Five-Tails. That rainbow-like attack is quite mysterious, Li Xing!"
"The same to you. Aren't you going to capture the Tailed Beasts? I can hold these people off for you." Li Xing approached Madara, gesturing to the ninjas below.
"I won't fight anymore. This Edo Tensei isn't your match. I'll fight you again once I become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki. However, there's one more jutsu I want to try."
Madara had a good understanding of Li Xing's strength. Compared to his current self, Li Xing was definitely the stronger party. Madara didn't want to lose to a mere kid, and his priority now was to collect the Tailed Beasts.
However, Madara intended to try one more thing. He clapped his hands together, then formed his fingers into claws. "Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Countless trees spread across the desert. Those touched by them had their chakra suppressed, rendering them immobile. Nagato rushed to the forefront, using Shinra Tensei with all his might to resist.
The Nine-Tails within Naruto sensed Madara's presence and the presence of Wood Style. Feeling agitated, as they were both individuals it detested, the Nine-Tails, Kurama, chose to temporarily assist Naruto, lending him some of its chakra.
Naruto also moved to the front, summoning countless shadow clones. Two clones each formed a Rasengan, and together they charged forward.
"Super Tailed Beast Rasengan Barrage!"
Under Naruto's direct confrontation, Madara's Wood Style was forcefully neutralized. Naruto, exhausted, slumped to the ground. Madara smirked triumphantly. "Is this the power of a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki? The Uzumaki clan members are indeed troublesome!"
Li Xing shook his head. "The one before you is a shadow clone. The real body is with the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. You'll likely encounter Obito soon. If you want to go, you should hurry."