Chapter 1249 What to Fight For?

"Shangguan Mo, do you think you can stop us with your meager strength?" Obito plunged the Spirit Refining Staff into the Spirit Refining Black Crystal Array, causing the array's energy to surge instantly. The infected ninjas outside the cave went berserk again, breaking through Naruto and Killer Bee's energy barriers. Seeing this, Onoki immediately ordered, "Dust Release Unit, prepare to activate Dust Release: Particle Style! Even if it means sacrificing ourselves, we must defend Iwagakure!"

"No! We can't hurt them!" Shangguan Mo shouted, taking the Ten-Tailed Origin Pearl from his robes. The pearl's soft light resonated strongly with the dark energy of the Spirit Refining Black Crystal Array. "Spirit Refiners, infuse your spirit refining energy into my body. We will use the power of the Ten-Tailed Origin Pearl to purify all the plague energy!"

The spirit refiners immediately sprang into action. Golden spirit-refining energy flowed through Shangguan Mo's body into the Origin Pearl, causing its light to grow brighter and brighter until it formed a gigantic pillar of light that shot into the sky from the grotto, enveloping the entire Rock Hidden Grotto Plain. The purifying power within the pillar of light spread along the bodies of the infected ninjas, gradually fading the black spirit-refining runes. The red light in their eyes returned to their normal pupil color, and their reason gradually returned.

Obito stared at the scene before him, his eyes filled with disbelief: "Impossible! How could you control the power of the Ten-Tails' Origin Pearl?" Shangguan Mo's voice echoed throughout the area through the pillar of light: "The essence of the Spirit Refining Technique is protection, not destruction. You used it to create war, and you are destined to be devoured by it."

After the pillar of light disappeared, the infected ninjas returned to normal. Looking at the mess around them, their eyes were filled with remorse. Onoki walked up to Shangguan Mo and bowed deeply: "Lord Shangguan, thank you for saving Iwagakure. From now on, Iwagakure is willing to fully support the Spirit Refiner Legion and fight against the Akatsuki together."

Shangguan Mo helped Onoki up, his gaze fixed on the depths of the cave—Obito and Zetsu had escaped again, but this time they left behind a black spirit-refining crystal. The crystal contained the Akatsuki's ultimate plan: "Three months later, at the 'Six Paths Altar' in the center of the ninja world, use the spirit-refining energy of the nine tailed beasts and the Ten-Tails' Origin Pearl to initiate the 'Spirit Refining Cycle,' refining the souls of everyone in the ninja world into eternal energy bodies."

“It seems the final battle is not far off.” Shangguan Mo gripped the Spirit Refining Hammer in his hand, his eyes flashing with determination. “We must gather all the power in the ninja world within three months and cultivate a sufficiently powerful army of Spirit Refiners in order to stop the Akatsuki’s conspiracy at the Six Paths Altar.”

For the next three months, the ninja world was in a tense state of preparation for war. The size of the Spirit Refiner Legion continued to expand, growing from the initial hundreds to tens of thousands. Ninjas from various ninja villages began to learn Spirit Refining Techniques. The combination of Spirit Refining Energy with ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu gave birth to countless new fighting styles—Uchiha ninjas used Spirit Refining Energy to enhance the purifying power of genjutsu, Sunagakure ninjas used Spirit Refining Energy to improve the flexibility of their puppets, and Kumogakure ninjas used Spirit Refining Energy to enhance the destructive power of their lightning release.

Shangguan Mo, along with Xingyun Xuanxie and the Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, cultivated near the Sage Art Vein in the Feather Robe Secret Realm, fusing Spirit Refining Technique with Sage Art and Tailed Beast Chakra to unlock a new form, "Spirit Refining·Sage Beast Symbiosis." In this form, his Spirit Refining Energy can not only purify darkness but also provide energy support for his companions, becoming a mobile "energy core" on the battlefield.