Chapter 1248 Spring
Might Guy arrived with a group of Konoha taijutsu ninjas, golden chakra pulsating around him. "Shangguan Mo, can we taijutsu ninjas practice spirit refining techniques? I want to make the power of youth even stronger!" Shangguan Mo smiled and nodded, handing Guy a spirit refining crystal fused with tailed beast chakra. "Combining taijutsu with spirit refining techniques will produce unexpected results. You can try injecting spirit refining energy into your fists and feet to enhance the destructive power of your taijutsu."
Kai immediately tried Shangguan Mo's method, channeling his refined spiritual energy into his fist through his arm. The golden light of the refined spiritual energy fused with the chakra of the Eight Gates, and he punched the training rock, instantly shattering it into powder, even causing the surrounding air to tremble. "Amazing! Is this the power of the Refining Spirit Technique?" Kai's eyes were filled with excitement. "With this, I can play a much greater role on the battlefield of youth!"
Just then, a spirit refiner rushed over, the spirit refinement crystal in his hand glowing a rapid red light—an emergency warning signal for the spirit refinement technique. "Lord Shangguan, something terrible has happened! Obito and Zetsu of the Akatsuki have released the 'Spirit Refinement Plague' in the Iwagakure caves of the Land of Earth. The ninjas there have been infected by the dark spirit refinement energy and turned into mindless monsters!"
Shangguan Mo's expression changed drastically. The Iwagakure Grottoes were a strategic location in the Land of Earth, and they also housed the village's secret weapons arsenal. He immediately summoned the core members of the Spirit Refiner Legion: "Naruto, Killer Bee, you lead the Tailed Beast Squad to contain the infected ninjas; Itachi, Kakashi, you are responsible for protecting the villagers of Iwagakure; I and Starfall Scorpion will go to destroy the source of the Spirit Refining Plague—the Spirit Refining Black Crystal Array."
When they arrived at the Iwagakure cave, the scene before them was horrifying—on the plain outside the cave, thousands of infected ninjas were frantically attacking the villagers. Their bodies were covered in black spirit-refining runes, their eyes flashed with an eerie red light, and their ninja tools were corroded by dark energy, becoming incredibly sharp. Onoki led the Iwagakure Dust Release unit in a fierce resistance, but he was hesitant to act for fear of harming his own people, and was forced into a retreat.
"Naruto, Killer Bee, attack!" At Shangguan Mo's command, Naruto's Nine-Tails chakra and Killer Bee's Eight-Tails chakra formed a colorful energy barrier, separating the infected ninja from the villagers. The purifying power of the tailed beast chakra slowed the infected ninja's movements, and the red light in their eyes gradually dimmed. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Shangguan Mo led his team of spirit refiners into the cave, searching for the location of the spirit refinement black crystal array.
Deep within the grotto, black spirit-refining runes covered the rock walls. On the central stone platform, ten black spirit-refining crystals formed a circular array, from which black plague energy continuously surged, spreading along the grotto's passageways. Obito stood beside the array, holding a spirit-refining staff fused with Hashirama's cells, and coldly smiled at Shangguan Mo: "You really came, Shangguan Mo. These infected ninjas are all 'spirit-refining nutrients' I prepared for you."
Zetsu's upper body emerged from the formation, black spores spreading around him: "As long as all these infected ninjas are refined into energy and injected into the Ten-Tails' Origin Pearl, Lord Obito can become the new Sage of Six Paths and control the fate of the ninja world."
"Your conspiracy will not succeed!" Shangguan Mo activated his Spirit Refining Tailed Beast form, and the Starfall Scorpion's scorpion tail energy cannon aimed at the Spirit Refining Black Crystal Array. "Spirit Refining: Purification Cannon!" The golden and green energy cannon shot towards the array, but was blocked by Obito's Kamui. Obito's Sharingan glowed crimson, and the power of "Kamui: Space Distortion" sucked the energy cannon into another dimension. At the same time, he activated "Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees," and countless trees wrapped in dark spirit refining energy sprouted from the ground, wrapping around Shangguan Mo and the others.
The spirit refiners immediately activated their spirit refinement techniques, forming golden spirit refinement energy into light blades that sliced through the attacking trees. The Starfall Scorpion spewed meteor fire, purifying the dark energy on the trees. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shangguan Mo teleported behind Obito, thrusting his spirit refinement light sword at Obito's spirit refinement staff, but it was blocked by Jue's spore barrier.
