"Reborn from the ground up—that's exactly what this is!"
A gene-deep euphoria surged through Fang Xiu. He could clearly feel every cell in his body rejoicing, while his mind began to tremble with intense fluctuations.
Still seated cross-legged where he was, he raised a hand to his forehead. His shoulders started shaking as if of their own accord. "Ahahahaha! Hahaha!"
At that moment, if anyone had entered this private space and come closer, they would have seen through the gaps between Fang Xiu's fingers that three Tomoe in each of his eyes were spinning rapidly. Then they settled into a many-sided, windmill-like pattern.
The Mangekyō Sharingan had awakened! In the very next instant, two enormous skeletal arms wreathed in pale golden flames appeared! They casually parted the Forest of Death's dense canopy, so thick it seemed like a blanket of clouds, as if some gigantic humanoid beast were announcing its arrival.
And this was only the beginning. A more complete skeletal body slowly rose from the brilliant radiance, towering over the land like a majestic mountain!
Even then, it wasn't over.
When ordinary Uchiha first awakened the Mangekyō, they could usually only manifest its initial form—arms and ribs, without Susanoo completely enveloping the body, leaving a considerable gap between them.
Only after adapting to this power could they smoothly unlock the first form: a skeletal shape, completely encased in Yin Release Chakra, with its defenses improved in every respect.
At this stage, Susanoo grew to the waist, revealing half a complete body, and could already wield simple weapons.
But the Susanoo Fang Xiu had summoned was already sprouting a few tendons and patches of flesh over its bones, growing slowly but steadily...
The second form of Susanoo! The skeleton gradually grew fuller, becoming wrapped in a cloak of its own Chakra. It could also wield its own weapons and use its own techniques, such as the Yata Mirror and a bow and arrows.
Yet just as the golden radiance formed from immense Chakra had woven a thin layer of pale golden flesh, everything came to an abrupt halt.
In the blink of an eye, the giant's vast shadow disappeared from the forest below. Fang Xiu hurriedly deactivated his Mangekyō Sharingan, and his scarlet eyes quietly returned to their Three-Tomoe state.
He exhaled a breath of stale air.
Of course, his expression wasn't one of disappointment.
As everyone knew, Chakra was formed from physical and mental energy. Shinobi could gradually refine it and store it in their bodies.
Likewise, it could be replenished through rest.
It was a renewable resource! By comparison, the ocular power of the Mangekyō Sharingan was far more precious. It was a high-grade Yin Release, and its total amount was essentially fixed the moment the Mangekyō Sharingan awakened.
Simply put—
Until Fang Xiu learned how to convert ordinary Chakra into high-grade Yin Release Chakra, his ocular power would only take him this far.
Unless, as he had this time, he spent a large amount of resources to redeem more from the Main God, drawing closer to Indra's true form and progressing toward the Six Paths level.
"Good thing I fused with Hashirama Cells ahead of time and perfectly assimilated the Intermediate Indra's Power I redeemed. That set my total reserves very high, while keeping the cost low."
The wild laughter brought on by his surging emotions subsided. Fang Xiu regained his composure and thought in silence. "My current state is about the same as Obito Uchiha's: high reserves, low consumption. The rudimentary Sage Body also gives me powerful regenerative abilities. That's enough to sustain an intense battle and bring my performance close to that of the Eternal Mangekyō."
That was why he hadn't looked dejected. For the Intermediate Indra's Power he'd gotten in exchange for a B-rank side-story mission, this was more than enough!
Besides, Susanoo's Gundam form was undeniably powerful, but the unique ocular techniques of each Mangekyō Sharingan were just as formidable. Their abilities varied wildly, making them hard for outsiders to predict—
At most, they could be forcibly classified into four categories: Genjutsu-type ocular techniques, such as Shisui's Kotoamatsukami, which altered the target's will, and Itachi's Tsukuyomi; ninjutsu-type ocular techniques, such as Amaterasu, shared by the brothers Itachi and Sasuke; enhancement-type ocular techniques, such as Sasuke's Kagutsuchi; and the space-time ocular techniques, which were like hitting the jackpot!
Such as the twin Kamui.
The Book of Formations described it as: "Eyes in the divine realm, transcending causality and the horizon!"
The Book of People described it as: "Another dimension within one's field of vision, a chaotic and unfathomable space-time ocular technique!"
Fang Xiu considered himself fairly lucky. Without any negative emotions to provoke the awakening, he had used his own conviction as a guide and randomly obtained two ocular techniques that increased his combat power.
One was a ninjutsu type, the other an enhancement type.
Left eye: Takemikazuchi. It condensed the power of thunder into a Sky-Piercing Spear.
Perhaps his fear of the next supernatural instance had played a part. Right eye: Amenotokotachi.
The character "constant" represented something eternal and unchanging.
The character "stand" meant to appear or exist.
Taken literally, it referred to the sky's permanence and stability. For Fang Xiu, this ocular technique could stabilize his own state, protecting him from the erosion of negative forces.
What conviction had guided him to these powers?
Was it a longing for the peaceful daily life he'd once known, or a desire to go far in the Main God Space and remain alive?
There was no way to know.
But he couldn't stop cultivating. A rudimentary Sage Body and Mangekyō Sharingan made for an impressive setup, but only the power he mastered himself could actually be put to use!...
At last, the final day had arrived. There were three minutes left before the Main God assigned their mission. The newcomers were nervous and had come to the platform early, trying to ease their anxiety by talking and staying together.
It was worth mentioning that no one had chosen to create a companion: a beautiful woman or handsome man to keep them company, or a copy of their unrequited love, family, or beloved.
Thus, the melodramatic scene of tearful embraces and vows to return alive would never take place in the Shazhou Team.
The reason?
It wasn't free.
The floating Great Light Sphere had also put a stop to the loophole in the companion-creation system.
"Long time no see." Wearing crimson armor and carrying a longsword on his back, Fang Xiu arrived at a leisurely pace.
"Boss, it hasn't been long at all! It's only been nine days. I wish I could break the time into pieces and use every second." Tang Tian, dressed in a red spider suit, sighed and came over to greet him.
Reincarnators couldn't be judged by ordinary standards of growth, sure, but the next world's difficulty was simply too high: it involved manipulating time and space, the fate of the imperial court, True Immortals on land, and Ghost Kings...
How could any of that be considered suitable for beginners? The entire team had only one person carrying the load.
Some had even privately wondered if the team leader's arrival was what had raised the trial's difficulty.
"The Reincarnation Space isn't a place where one person can set up a stage and put on a show. The Main God chose you for a reason."
"I'll handle the Fusang Ghost King. Take care of yourselves, work on your side missions, and if nothing else, take out those lesser ghosts."
As he spoke, the Main God began counting down.
—Commencing transmission.
Destination: the world of An Eternal Combat, the Hong Kong Ghost World setting.
Five, four, three...
No power restrictions.
Apart from the first, beginner-friendly bonus instance, the worlds that followed would always be high-difficulty ones, such as Cloverfield, The Mist, and Warhammer. Of course, there would also be stories with an Eastern setting.
As the story progressed, the teammates who survived would grow as well and contribute in the middle and later stages, but they wouldn't overshadow the protagonist.
I've been busy with work, and I spent a few hundred yuan on a little game at noon to protect the Arad Continent, so this update is a bit late. Thanks for your understanding and support~
Before you continue