Unmatched Violence, Unprovoked Benevolence (3K)

The weak reincarnators obeyed the world;

The outstanding reincarnators ruled the world;

The top-tier reincarnators overturned the world.

This was a common view within the Infinite Dimensional Space.

When one was weak, the best survival strategy was to follow the plot’s development and rely on Plot Characters to carry out missions. If one’s strength was already enough to stir up trouble in that world, then one had to pursue greater changes, disrupt the plotline, and chase Singularities.

But there was another kind of reincarnator who completely overturned the mission world, turning it into something utterly unfamiliar. Such reincarnators often seized the greatest benefits. In the end, they either fell to the World Will’s punishment, or… rose to become new top-tier reincarnators.

Bai Cangshu had heard this view before, but he dismissed it with contempt. They had already entered the Infinite Space, yet they were still trying to summarize rules? Infinity meant doing whatever you wanted and living however you wanted!

His expression was grim because he felt as though someone had put a dog leash around his neck.

Through the machinations of that woman and the space, he had to ensure that this fool named Hiranaka Minoru survived for more than twenty days.

Although Hiranaka Minoru still retained the enhancement prayer of Erdtree Vow, faced with a terrifying power that had completely overturned everything he knew, he could barely even struggle.

"Mercenary Tao… you… you can’t kill me… I still have a mission I haven’t completed…"

At that moment, Hiranaka Minoru began struggling to breathe. Less and less oxygen flowed into his lungs, and his vision started to darken. Yet what he thought of was not his wife, whom he had not seen for so long, but that the Erdtree Era had yet to arrive, that the era of Utmost Benevolence and Goodness had yet to come.

Bai Cangshu lowered his eyelids. Though he had mocked weaklings like Hiranaka Hana, who could not even match one of his fingers, for doing nothing but prattling on about love and affection—

This Hiranaka Minoru, who might have gained a little power, disgusted him even more.

Those without power who placed their hopes in love and their family’s concern might be weak, might be mediocre.

But those who gained the slightest bit of power, dreamed of changing the world, and forcibly treated burdens they could never bear as a sense of mission were foolish beyond saving.

The force in Bai Cangshu’s right hand gradually increased. He could feel the fragile cartilage in the other man’s throat constantly deforming and compressing in his palm. Perhaps it would shatter the next instant.

A purple glint surfaced in his eyes. It was obvious that he truly intended to kill.

"Are you Mercenary Tao?!"

Crack!

A bolt of lightning appeared twenty meters in front of Bai Cangshu, carrying the Fourth Raikage’s figure with it. Though his tone was questioning, his body had already entered a complete combat stance.

At the same time, Uchiha Obito landed on a tree on the other side. He showed no intention of attacking, merely smiling as he said,

"See, Mercenary Tao? I told you that woman would only cause greater trouble. But before you kill this guy, could you lend him to me for a while?"

Obito was still thinking of using Hiranaka Minoru to trade Heaven’s Will for Kakashi.

Ever since Mercenary Tao had appeared, Obito had begun to realize that without both Kamui, his strength was insufficient. He had started to regret not taking his eye back from Kakashi all those years ago.

Besides… that guy had already betrayed their promise. He had failed to protect Rin and had even killed her…

That scene resurfaced before his eyes. The pupil power in Obito’s eyes grew stronger along with the twisted, stabbing pain in his heart.

Bai Cangshu could not be bothered with this childish fool who seemed ready to destroy the world just because he had lost the object of his unrequited love. In Bai Cangshu’s eyes, Uchiha Obito’s temperament was utterly worthless. If he had not happened to possess the Uchiha bloodline, whose power grew stronger the more turbulent one’s emotions became, he probably would have accomplished nothing.

He watched the light in Hiranaka Minoru’s eyes gradually dim and considered whether he should abandon the Special Trial in this world and restart it next time.

There were currently two "tree-planting" missions in this world, but neither offered much benefit to Bai Cangshu.

Uchiha Obito wanted to gather the tailed beasts, grow the God Tree, then cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Moreover, that act would resurrect Otsutsuki Kaguya, the true ceiling of this world.

At that point, with Bai Cangshu’s current strength and means, he would no longer be able to control the world’s development. And aside from receiving some mission rewards from the space, this mission line would hardly bring him anything useful.

On the other side, Heaven’s Will and Hiranaka Minoru wanted to nurture the Erdtree’s growth and bring this world into the Erdtree Era. Such an act, directly altering the world’s laws and ecology, would draw the World Will’s attention. Once exposed, they would become enemies of ten thousand people in the truest sense.

The risks were enormous, yet nearly all the benefits would be seized by Heaven’s Will.

At this moment, the Special Trial had practically forced Bai Cangshu into binding himself to the Erdtree’s side, causing killing intent to surge within him.

The difference in the trial mission’s wording also meant that Bai Cangshu could not complete this mission the way he had completed the one involving killing Mercenary Tao. The only solution he could think of was to make Hiranaka Minoru kill himself.

And he could not play any role in that suicide. Genjutsu, hypnosis, and coercion through force could not circumvent the condition that ensured he would not be killed.

Neither the Fourth Raikage nor Uchiha Obito received a response from Bai Cangshu. A had a violent temper and stepped forward directly. Lightning surged across his entire body as intense Chakra transformed into thunderbolts that coursed over his skin.

"Looks like even if I wanted to ask you about the royal capital, you wouldn’t answer…"

The Fourth Raikage’s voice was indifferent. He walked toward Bai Cangshu. As he took a step, his hair suddenly stood on end strand by strand. From the intelligence he had received, the person who had invaded Konoha and brazenly killed the Third Hokage was most likely this man.

Therefore, he showed no restraint at all, immediately activating the Lightning Release Chakra Mode at maximum output—the Strongest Lightning Release Armor.

Under normal circumstances, Bai Cangshu would probably have been delighted to fight the Raikage in such a state. But now, he was in a foul mood. His head remained lowered, watching Hiranaka Minoru as he neared death, and he merely shifted his pupils to glance at the Fourth Raikage from the corner of his eye.

"Huh?"

He uttered a single sound. White, mist-like steam poured from his mouth and engulfed Hiranaka Minoru in an instant.

Crack—

The ground beneath the Fourth Raikage’s left foot split apart with a sharp sound. The next moment—

Boom!

The ground exploded. At the same time, the Fourth Raikage almost seemed to tear apart all the air within the twenty meters between them, appearing before Bai Cangshu amid overwhelming pressure.

Lightning Release Chakra pushed to its limit wrapped around his right hand like lightning. His battle-hardened hand blade carried a current that instantly ionized the air completely as it came down in a flash.

Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop!

Pfft!

It was as though he had cleaved apart an incomparably hard mountain rock. The Fourth Raikage was shocked by the physical strength of the man before him. Such bodily defense was almost no different from that of a tailed beast.

His hand blade, crackling with lightning like a treasured sword, hacked fiercely into the massive man’s shoulder, severed steel-like bones, and cut into his chest.

Scalding blood sprayed everywhere. The Fourth Raikage felt intense burning pain erupt across his body. The next moment, the Chakra of the Strongest Lightning Release Armor dispersed the flames on his skin.

Seeing that he had nearly cut this powerful enemy open from chest to abdomen with a single blow, he relaxed slightly.

Amid the spreading white mist, he snorted coldly.

"Whether the royal capital incident was your doing or not, Mercenary Tao, your life… is mine."

On a tree a hundred meters away, Uchiha Obito’s Sharingan turned slightly. He could clearly see that the Fourth Raikage had indeed broken through Mercenary Tao’s defense in one strike. That speed, that destructive force—it was terrifying beyond imagination.

Even his Mangekyō Sharingan found it difficult to follow.

For a moment, he even felt a trace of fear at the Fourth Raikage’s overwhelming strength.

The terror of Nintaijutsu unleashed at full force was something no other ninjutsu could rival. It was unmatched frontal combat power. Even a monster like Mercenary Tao had been killed with one blow…

He silently drifted forward, preparing to take Hiranaka Minoru away. But suddenly, his pupils contracted and his heart began pounding violently. The terror of that instant made him activate Kamui on instinct.

The Fourth Raikage, who was about to turn around, also shuddered. A wave of scorching mist burst from the mouth and nose of Mercenary Tao, whom he had slashed from shoulder to waist in a single strike.

How is that possible?!

No one in this world could survive such injuries!

A powerful force suddenly came from his right hand, which had cut into the other man’s body. It felt as if countless muscles had clamped down tightly around his arm.

The muscles in the other man’s waist and abdomen had trapped his hand blade!

Crack!

Lightning Release Chakra erupted. The Fourth Raikage’s ferocity in battle completely surpassed aged men like Sarutobi Hiruzen. At that moment, instead of retreating, he advanced. His right foot stepped between Mercenary Tao’s legs, and he lunged forward violently.

As his center of gravity shifted, powerful currents gathered at his left elbow. Combining his full bodily strength with the eruption of the Strongest Lightning Release Armor, he smashed it fiercely toward Mercenary Tao’s shattered chest.

Heavy Lightning!

Mountain-splitting force erupted completely within that tiny space, and electric currents exploded in an instant.

He watched as Mercenary Tao still seemed unable to react, allowing his elbow to smash toward his chest.

But the next moment—

A black left hand silently appeared before his elbow. Then his tremendous force vanished like a mud ox entering the sea, while the raging lightning disappeared in an instant.

Bai Cangshu lowered his head and looked down at the Fourth Raikage. His left hand calmly caught the Fourth Raikage’s elbow as though he had received nothing more than a light object.

Bai Cangshu’s eyelids hung low as he met the Fourth Raikage’s disbelieving gaze.

"You came at a bad time. Right now… I’m not in the mood."

The Fourth Raikage suddenly felt overwhelming force seize him. It was a terrifying strength that no human could possibly attain, lifting his body as easily as a human picked up a pebble. He could not resist that monstrous power at all.

His feet left the ground in an instant.

The world flipped upside down.

Boom!

Bai Cangshu grabbed the Fourth Raikage and smashed him into the ground, then lifted him again and slammed him down once more.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ground shook ceaselessly, as though a massive drum were being struck again and again.

Obito’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He had to admit that at this moment, fear had arisen in his heart.

Golden light suddenly lit up in Bai Cangshu’s right hand.

A huge golden magic circle abruptly spread outward. The wound on Bai Cangshu’s chest, which had been healing, vanished in an instant as an enormous amount of life force flowed into his body.

The prayer called Erdtree Heal had been cast by the dying Hiranaka Minoru, and its target… was actually Bai Cangshu.

This change interrupted even Bai Cangshu’s continued attempt to beat the Fourth Raikage to death.

He looked at the man who had regained the chance to breathe because of the Fourth Raikage’s battle with him. The heavy armor around the man’s neck had been crushed out of shape by Bai Cangshu’s grip, and his face was pale as paper, yet he still looked at Bai Cangshu with those eyes carrying a golden sheen.

"Mercenary Tao… to reach that ending of Utmost Benevolence and Goodness… I need your strength…"

"Only you can fight the Sage…"

Hiranaka Minoru sounded as though he were delirious on his deathbed. The golden gleam in his eyes was on the verge of condensing into a complete ring.