Chapter 248

Senju Yukika's words sounded like a threat, but in the ears of Ōtsutsuki Tetsujō, they were more like divine music from the heavens.

At this moment, all he cared about was survival—he was willing to do anything. Answering a few questions? That was the least of his concerns.

The light orb that Tetsujō had transformed into trembled in the air and replied rapidly, "My lord, I will tell you everything. Nothing shall be hidden!"

In this moment of absolute defeat, Tetsujō finally gave up the last shred of his pride and respectfully addressed Yukika as "my lord."

This title—"lord"—was commonly used in the vast expanse of the cosmos. It was how the weak addressed the strong.

Strength and weakness were never absolute, only relative. Within his own clan, Ōtsutsuki Tetsujō was among the top-tier elites. But now, before Senju Yukika, he had been reduced to nothing more than a subordinate.

Still, even though Yukika was this powerful, could there really be no greater existence than him within the boundless universe?

The answer was obviously no. The universe contained countless races—possibly over ten thousand. No one had even reached its edge. Who could say what terrifying unknown entities might be hidden in its dark corners?

Facing Tetsujō, Yukika asked, "What is your current state?"

The question surprised Tetsujō. He had assumed someone as powerful as Yukika would know what form he had taken. He hadn't expected the other party to be so unaware.

It was only then that it occurred to him—Senju Yukika, powerful as he was, had been born on a native planet. It made sense that he might not understand the cultivation systems of cosmic warriors.

Tetsujō began to explain, "This is a life-preservation technique unique to our clan. It's called a yuan dan. Only those who've reached the False God realm and beyond are capable of forming it."

Senju Yukika nodded thoughtfully. "I see. So if the yuan dan is destroyed… does that mean death is certain?"

That question sent a chill through Tetsujō's soul. He quickly nodded. "Yes, my lord. You are merciful. Please don't kill me. I swear, I'll never return to this primitive planet again!"

As he spoke, the orb of light shimmered slightly, as if trembling in fear. He gazed pleadingly at Yukika with a look of desperation on his face.

Yukika made no promises. He neither said he would spare him nor that he wouldn't. Instead, he asked another question: "Within your clan, is there anyone stronger than a True God?"

Since Yukika intended to seek out the ancestral star of the Ōtsutsuki clan in the universe, he needed to understand their full power.

Tetsujō hesitated for a moment before replying, "As far as I know, there are three patriarchs in our clan who've reached the realm of True God—but… they have surpassed even that level."

He paused, glancing at Yukika's increasingly cold gaze. Fear jolted him back to clarity.

He quickly continued, "In the universe, there definitely exist beings beyond the level of a True God, but within the Ōtsutsuki clan, our patriarchs are the strongest we've ever known."

He let out a long sigh.

He wasn't lying. In their clan, the so-called realm of True God was known as the Ancestor Realm.

While Tetsujō sensed that greater powers must exist in the vast cosmos, such beings lived only in myth. They weren't part of known reality.

Only now did Senju Yukika begin to understand that the level he had reached might qualify him to be considered an ancestral-level figure within the Ōtsutsuki clan itself.

This realization meant the immediate threat to Earth had, for now, been neutralized. Even if one of the Ōtsutsuki patriarchs arrived, Yukika would likely have the power to confront them.

However, Yukika had never been one to sit back and passively accept danger. He preferred to face it head-on.

Now that he had obtained the information he wanted from Tetsujō, he was sure the man didn't know much more. After all, even a False God-level entity like Tetsujō had limited knowledge of the universe. He didn't even know what realm came after True God.

Tetsujō stood paralyzed in front of Yukika, not knowing whether to stay or flee.

He prided himself on his speed—but earlier he had already confirmed that Yukika was far faster.

Before someone like Senju Yukika, a full-fledged True God in all but name, even the idea of escape was laughable.

Finally, Tetsujō couldn't hold back anymore. His voice trembled as he asked, "My lord… may I go now?"

Yukika lifted his gaze slightly, smiling. "Go? And where would you go?"

"What—what are you—"

Tetsujō's expression changed dramatically. Without hesitation, he transformed into a stream of light and shot off into the cosmos.

He could sense it—Yukika was preparing to kill him. The murderous aura had already begun to take shape around his body.

The cosmic landscape blurred past Tetsujō as he fled. Stars flew by like dust behind him.

But Yukika was faster—infinitely faster. In an instant, he became a streak of golden light that tore through entire star systems.

Anything that stood in his way collapsed instantly—disintegrated into cosmic dust.

This was the power Yukika had gained over the past century: through unlocking divine templates and absorbing immense faith energy, he had surpassed even his previous limits.

CRACK!

It was like a sheet of glass shattering.

Tetsujō looked around in horror—space itself had frozen. Everything around him became sealed and unmoving.

Cracks spread rapidly across the sky above his head. Then, as if the heavens themselves had shattered, the world broke apart.

His body was pulled into the ruptured space and completely engulfed.

As the fragmented shards of that sealed space vanished into the void, Ōtsutsuki Tetsujō's physical body and soul were obliterated—never to return.

With Tetsujō destroyed, Senju Yukika turned and headed back toward Earth.

Along the way, he passed many planets, most of them barren. Some were engulfed in never-ending flames, while others were covered in thick layers of eternal ice.

Clearly, life could not exist on such extreme worlds.

But in a universe this vast, filled with countless stars and planets, there had to be millions capable of supporting life.

And with that in mind, it was undeniable—somewhere out there, beings stronger than even a True God must exist.

Yukika didn't know why, but he suddenly felt a sense of urgency.

As his strength grew, so did his awareness of how complex and dangerous the universe truly was.

Still, no matter what, the next step was clear: he had to completely eliminate the threat from the distant Ōtsutsuki homeworld.