Chunin... Exam?

The first thing Ling Xuan did upon returning was to dispel all the Shadow Clones he had left behind in the village.

In an instant, a massive torrent of information flooded his mind. Over the past period, the deductions made by the clones regarding various fundamental theories, the deep analysis of chakra properties, and the practice of sealing techniques...

All of this data merged perfectly with his original memory at this very moment.

Ling Xuan's brain felt as if it had undergone a system upgrade, becoming more powerful and efficient.

The mission in the Land of Waves was a massive harvest, Ling Xuan silently tallied in his heart.

First, he had acquired combat data on Zabuza Momochi and Haku, especially Haku's Ice Release Kekkei Genkai, which provided invaluable examples for analyzing the fusion of different chakra attributes.

Second, through actual combat, he had verified the effectiveness of his self-created ninjutsu, Wind-Flame Spiral and Miniature Wind Blade, and collected data for their improvement.

Third, he had successfully recruited Zabuza and Haku; they would become a pair of eyes outside the village, a secret base for gathering resources and intelligence, and this dark line would play a crucial role in the future.

Finally, and most importantly, through fighting ninjas of the caliber of Hatake Kakashi and Zabuza, Ling Xuan had gained a clear understanding of his current strength and the gap between himself and the world's top powerhouses.

He spread his hands and looked at his still-youthful palms; he was still too weak and had to become stronger faster.

Ling Xuan split off five Shadow Clones again, and this time, the tasks for the clones became more specific and advanced.

Clone No. 1 began to tackle a brand-new subject: how to create a technique capable of long-distance, one-way, encrypted transmission of chakra signals.

This was a hurdle he had to overcome in order to establish a stable communication channel with Zabuza, who was far away in the Land of Waves.

Clone No. 2 combined all the combat data regarding Ice Release with the theories in the library concerning the nature transformations of wind and water chakra, beginning a bold attempt to reverse-engineer the principles behind the composition of a Kekkei Genkai.

Ling Xuan wanted to know whether a so-called Kekkei Genkai was truly derived from bloodline inheritance, or if it was merely an extremely exquisite technique for fusing chakra at a specific frequency.

Clone No. 3, while continuing to perfect the Domain of Silence sealing technique, began designing a brand-new auxiliary training seal for himself.

This seal could impose a weak, continuous chakra load on Ling Xuan's body during daily activities, thereby achieving the effect of training his chakra control and physical endurance around the clock.

Clone No. 4 and Clone No. 5 were conducting higher-intensity taijutsu and ninjutsu sparring, incorporating the combat styles of Hatake Kakashi and Zabuza into their simulated battles.

After returning from this mission, Ling Xuan's cultivation factory officially entered the 2.0 era.

Time slipped away quietly for several weeks amidst these calm yet turbulent days.

Team 7 continued to execute various boring D-rank missions, but everyone felt that the atmosphere within the team was completely different from before.

The rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke became more pure, Sakura began to take the initiative to study, and all three of them treated Ling Xuan with a subconscious sense of conviction and awe.

On this day, after the group finished another D-rank mission of "distributing flyers to merchants on the commercial street," Hatake Kakashi summoned the four of them to Training Ground 7.

"Alright, brats," Hatake Kakashi said lazily, taking four application forms out of his pocket. "The boring days end here."

"In the name of your jounin instructor, Hatake Kakashi, I recommend you all to participate in the upcoming Chunin Selection Exams."

"Chunin... exams?!" Naruto's eyes lit up instantly. "Awesome! I can finally show what I'm made of!"

Sasuke's gaze also turned sharp instantly; the Chunin Exams meant being able to cross blades with powerhouses from other villages. This was the perfect opportunity for him to test the results of his training and take another step closer to that man.

Sakura appeared somewhat nervous and worried.

Ling Xuan took the application form calmly. There was no expression on his face, but his Eye of Truth had already begun to operate at high speed.

Chunin Selection Exams...

The elite genin of the Five Great Shinobi Villages gathered in one place; this was an excellent opportunity to collect combat data on the ninjutsu, Kekkei Genkai, and genius ninjas of various villages.

Several names surfaced in Ling Xuan's mind.

The jinchuriki of Sunagakure, Gaara. The genius of the Hyuga clan, Neji Hyuga. And the one who would inevitably appear, lurking in the shadows, the S-rank missing-nin of Konoha...

Orochimaru.

Ling Xuan looked at the application form in his hand, picked up a pen, and wrote his name in the participant column.

Ever since Hatake Kakashi announced his recommendation for them to participate in the Chunin Exams, several weeks flew by in a near-blazing, high-intensity training regimen.

Everyone in Team 7 was doing their best in their own way to make a final sprint for this upcoming gala that would gather the elites of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

Naruto was the loudest and most tireless one.

Under Hatake Kakashi's guidance, he no longer pursued the quantity of Shadow Clones blindly, but began to learn how to effectively utilize these clones in tactical coordination.

Luring the enemy, feinting, creating chaos...

Naruto's combat style was shifting from reckless brute force toward the prototype of coordination, and his chakra control had also made significant progress during the endless water-walking competitions with Sasuke.

Sasuke was like fine steel thrown into a forge, tempered under immense pressure.

The battle in the Land of Waves made him deeply realize the gap between himself and true powerhouses, especially Ling Xuan's wisdom in strategizing and seeing through everything, which made him feel an unprecedented sense of urgency.

He squeezed every bit of his potential, taijutsu, shurikenjutsu, Fire Release...

Every item was honed to the limit his current body could reach, and he even requested multiple times that Hatake Kakashi teach him a stronger ninjutsu—that Lightning Release technique capable of emitting the cry of a thousand birds.

Sakura had changed too. She no longer put all her thoughts on Sasuke, but instead poured a massive amount of energy into theoretical study and basic training in medical ninjutsu.

During the battle in the Land of Waves, her feeling of powerlessness and being a burden as the only "non-combatant" stung her deeply, making her yearn to make a real contribution to the team, even if it was just bandaging a wound.

As for Ling Xuan, on the surface, he was just participating in the joint training of Team 7 step by step, appearing impeccable. But in reality, his cultivation was already proceeding around the clock in another dimension with terrifying efficiency.

He had completed the final debugging of the auxiliary training seal he had created for himself. This miniature sealing array, inscribed on his body, could continuously impose a weak resistance on the flow of chakra throughout his entire body, like rowing a boat against the current.