The desert battlefield.
The ninja allied forces had largely departed, leaving only a few Kage-level ninja and a shadow clone of Naruto.
Other battlefronts were also in their final mopping-up stages. The White Zetsu were almost gone, and it was the resurrected ninja who proved difficult to deal with.
Kankuro, in particular, had ventured deep into enemy territory and encountered powerful figures like Granny Chiyo, Hanzo of the Salamander, and Kimimaro. It was only with the intervention of Mifune, the leader of the Fifth Division, that Kankuro avoided death, though the fight remained challenging.
...
Lixing clapped his hands together, a dark blue light emanating from his palms – a medical ninja's signature chakra scalpel.
A mark appeared on Lixing's forehead, identical to Tsunade's, and the lines of the Hundred Healings Jutsu began to spread across his body.
"Come on! Mei Terumi, we can begin!"
"Rage Style: Violent Water Release!"
As Lixing assumed a combat stance, the Raikage appeared at his side, striking at Lixing's neck with a hand chop.
Lixing didn't even look. He merely shifted his hand, severing the Raikage's right arm. He then kicked the Raikage and his detached arm backward.
"So strong! In just one exchange, the Raikage lost an arm." Nagato was already drenched in sweat. Even at the peak of his Edo Tensei power, he couldn't guarantee he could injure Lixing.
"Tsunade, go heal the Raikage. We'll attack together!" Ohnoki, seeing the Raikage's severed arm, immediately directed the others, while simultaneously reducing the weight of his sand, making Gaara's movements even faster.
Tsunade glanced at Lixing before heading towards the Raikage to treat his injuries. Tsunade knew well that this was not the time for sentiment; her battle with Lixing was inevitable.
"Universal Pull!"
"Sand Burial!"
"Rasenshuriken!"
"Lava Style: Lava Globs Jutsu!"
Nagato used Universal Pull to draw Lixing towards him, Gaara encased Mei Terumi's Lava Style in sand, and Naruto charged with a Rasenshuriken, preparing a fatal blow.
"Almighty Push!"
Lixing unleashed Almighty Push, repelling all attacks and canceling Nagato's Universal Pull, simultaneously sending Nagato flying back dozens of meters.
"This... impossible!" Nagato recognized the Rinnegan's ability. Lixing could use it, yet he didn't possess the Rinnegan.
Lixing suddenly appeared behind Naruto with a swift movement, his hand chop dissipating Naruto's shadow clone. He then moved behind Gaara and kicked the gourd, shattering it.
However, Gaara seized the opportunity, using the sand within his gourd to bind Lixing's feet, immobilizing him.
"Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"
Seeing Lixing trapped, Ohnoki, positioned above, unleashed a Particle Style attack. Lixing, however, completely ignored it, showing no intention of dodging.
"No!" Tsunade cried out in alarm, but Ohnoki paid no heed, his movements unwavering.
As Ohnoki's Particle Style hit Lixing, Tsunade abandoned treating the Raikage, falling to her knees in grief.
But as the dust settled, everyone present was shocked. Lixing stood unharmed, his clothes undamaged, while Gaara's sand had been disintegrated by the Particle Style.
"Jiraiya told you, didn't he! My regenerative ability, though a ninjutsu, functions like a physical attack. The speed at which it disintegrates matter cannot match my regeneration. Kekkei Tōta is nothing special."
Lixing had simply endured the Particle Style through rapid regeneration. Even without it, if his soul couldn't be attacked, Lixing would instantly revive. Since his evolution, Lixing had become true Heavenly Dao. How could Particle Style disintegrate heaven?
Seeing Lixing alive, Tsunade stopped crying, relieved. She turned back to continue treating the Raikage. The cut was remarkably clean, allowing Tsunade to reattach the Raikage's arm.
Lixing also noticed Tsunade attempting to reattach the arm. He saw her administer a bottle of white liquid to the Raikage, after which the arm began to heal.
"A healing medicine developed from Hashirama's cells. No, it should be a regenerative medicine, preventing adverse reactions and healing wounds. It seems Tsunade obtained Danzo's Hashirama cells for research."
Lixing recognized the substance immediately. However, he was too lazy to dwell on it; even if the arm were reattached, it wouldn't matter.
"Sage Art: Goemon!"
Jiraiya had successfully entered Sage Mode, with two toads, Shima and Fukasaku, back on his shoulders. They had witnessed the ineffectiveness of the Particle Style and decided to test if Lixing was truly immortal with Sage Jutsu.
"Susano'o!"
Lixing immediately activated Susano'o, completely blocking Jiraiya's Sage Art. It wasn't that Lixing was afraid, but it was simply too hot, and there was oil involved.
"Boil Style: Skilled Mist Technique!"
Gaara surrounded everyone with sand, preventing them from being affected by Mei Terumi's mist. Lixing's Susano'o began to dissolve under Mei Terumi's Boil Style.
"Sage Art: Wind Style, Gale's Back!"
Lixing waved his hand gently, and a strong gust of wind swept away Mei Terumi's mist. Mei Terumi was immediately surprised.
"This is... the Fourth Mizukage's ninjutsu!"
"Is it strange? I am omnipotent!" Lixing clapped his hands together, and a sandstorm raged behind him.
"Sandstorm Burial!"
"Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"
Lixing raised one hand, unleashing a Particle Style attack directly at Ohnoki. Ohnoki reacted quickly, countering with his own Particle Style almost simultaneously.
"Lava Style: Lava Globs Jutsu!"
Lixing glanced at the ground. The sand beneath them instantly turned into Lava Style acid, forcing everyone to retreat rapidly.
"Sage Art: Rasenshuriken!"
Lixing flicked his finger, launching a Rasenshuriken directly at Jiraiya.
"Universal Pull! Almighty Push!"
Lixing again employed the Rinnegan's abilities, instantly crushing Nagato's body into fragments.
"Lightning Scythe!"
Finally, Lixing appeared before the Raikage, delivering a powerful blow that sent him flying over a hundred meters, carving a bloody trail across the desert. The Raikage was instantly incapacitated and lay unconscious on the ground.
"I don't like you. You're the one with all those bull-headed hentai, aren't you!" Lixing couldn't help but curse. He hadn't used profanity since getting married; this time, he broke his vow.
"How is this possible! This is astonishing. He knows all our abilities, even my Kekkei Tōta!" Ohnoki, having lived so long, had never encountered anyone like this.
"I understand! Lixing, your ability is to copy, right? You can copy all abilities, even those of the Rinnegan." Jiraiya, combining the information he had gathered with Lixing's previous combat, quickly grasped Lixing's power.
Tsunade was even more astonished. She then thought carefully and realized something was amiss. Lixing's study of medical ninjutsu and the Hundred Healings Jutsu under her tutelage was genuine. Initially, she could tell Lixing was a beginner; it was impossible for him to have copied the Hundred Healings Jutsu.
"Lixing, you..."
Lixing placed a finger on Tsunade's lips, interrupting her. "Teacher Jiraiya, as expected of one of the Sannin, you have indeed correctly identified my ability. These powers are all copied. I have copied all the abilities that exist in the world. It's despairing, isn't it? That's why I said you cannot defeat me, unless you can defeat me with taijutsu, or a sealing jutsu."
"Tsunade, don't overthink it. Since I met you, I've wanted to be your family. That feeling will never change."
Lixing's words truly stunned everyone. To possess all the ninjutsu in the world – this was something only a god could do. And they had intended to fight Lixing, truly like a moth to a flame.