Could This Kid Be a Super Genius?

Training Ground 7.

This place had witnessed the sweat of countless legendary ninja in their youth. The training posts were covered in marks from blades and swords, as well as impacts from ninjutsu.

When Ling Xuan arrived right on time, Chunin Toma was already standing with his back to him in an open space at the center of the training ground.

He didn't turn around, as if he had sensed Ling Xuan's arrival long ago.

"You're here." Toma's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to Ling Xuan's ears.

"Teacher Toma." Ling Xuan bowed slightly, neither servile nor arrogant.

Toma turned around. His sharp gaze lingered on Ling Xuan for a moment, as if trying to spot something unusual about the child, who was only six or seven years old.

But Ling Xuan's expression was as calm as still water, and his dark eyes were so deep that no one could see through them.

"Yesterday, I said I'd teach you some more practical things," Toma began.

"Even though you're a student, the path of a ninja is filled with the unknown and danger from the very first day you set foot on it. The sooner you master your power, the better you can protect yourself and the village."

His tone was solemn, as if he had recalled something from the past.

Ling Xuan listened quietly, understanding full well. For a ninja, power truly was the foundation of everything.

"Let's start with Fire Style." Toma skipped the small talk and got straight to the point.

"You've already mastered the fundamentals of Chakra Nature Transformation, which is good. But theory and practice are two different things. Watch closely. Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Toma's hands moved rapidly through a series of seals, his fluid movements a dazzling blur.

As he completed the final Tiger Seal, he took a deep breath, his chest rising slightly, then suddenly opened his mouth!

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Five fist-sized fireballs shot from his mouth, trailing waves of scorching heat as they struck the bullseyes of five separate wooden targets thirty meters away with pinpoint accuracy.

The flames burned on the targets, filling the air with a charred smell.

Through Ling Xuan's Eye of Truth, Toma's chakra pathways, the minute control of the muscles in his throat, and the way he regulated his breathing as he expelled the fireballs—

even the compression of the chakra within each flame and the construction of its shape—were all perfectly captured, recorded, and analyzed in slow motion at an extremely high frame rate.

[Target: Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique (Toma Version)]

[Chakra Consumption: C-rank standard.]

[Core Technique: Instantly activate multiple points of chakra in the throat, split and compress the flames, then expel them with precision...]

[Comparative Analysis: 92% match with basic theory; 7% optimization based on personal habits; 1% redundant movement...]

[Possible Further Improvements: Increase flame temperature and piercing power; reduce chakra warm-up time; increase the number of fireballs or add tracking capability...]

"The key to the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique is splitting your chakra into several streams, activating them instantly in your throat, and giving them the shape of flames, all while precisely controlling the direction each fireball is fired."

Toma explained the key points in detail. "Beginners can easily hurt themselves if they lose control, or their fireballs might be too weak or fail to take shape. Give it a try."

Ling Xuan nodded and stepped into the spot where Toma had just stood.

He recalled the information he'd just analyzed, deliberately ignoring the "optimization suggestions" and merely imitating Toma's chakra flow and the sequence of hand seals.

He took a deep breath and formed the seals just like Toma had, but deliberately made his transitions between a few of them seem clumsy.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Pfft... pfft... pfft.

Three fireballs of varying sizes, their flames rather dim, wobbled through the air.

Two barely struck the edges of their targets, while the last went out midway, turning into a wisp of black smoke.

"Hmm." Seeing the result, Toma's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, then relaxed again.

"For your first try, managing to produce three properly formed flames is already quite good. The problem is that the chakra isn't being divided evenly, leaving some of the flames without enough energy. You're also a bit too hasty with your throat control."

He patiently pointed out the problems.

Ling Xuan nodded earnestly, as if he were trying hard to absorb Toma's advice.

"Try again."

This time, Ling Xuan made slight adjustments to how he split his chakra and controlled his throat, and he formed the seals a little faster as well.

Four fireballs, much more solid than before, shot out. Their aim was still slightly off, but they all hit their targets.

A look of surprise flashed through Toma's eyes. "You've improved so quickly! Your ability to learn is... incredible. Remember how it felt just now, and keep practicing."

This learning speed couldn't be described as "talented" anymore. It was downright "monstrous"!

An ordinary student, even one with talent, would need days or even weeks of practice to reach this level.

Ling Xuan thought to himself:

"Using Fire Release chakra is definitely more interesting than studying theory alone. Activating it at multiple points and shaping it through the throat as a launch point really tests your control. Teacher Toma certainly has plenty of experience."

Next, Toma began teaching him Wind Style: Wind Cutter.

The process was the same. Toma demonstrated first, and his razor-sharp wind blade sliced through a wooden post.

[Target: Wind Style: Wind Cutter (Toma Version)]

[Chakra Nature: Wind chakra honed to razor sharpness.]

[Core Technique: Form hand seals quickly with one hand, highly compress chakra and imbue it with cutting properties, then release it in an instant...]

[Comparative Analysis: Compared to Ling Xuan's self-created Miniature Wind Blade, it has greater burst power and a wider range, but lacks stealth and duration. Chakra efficiency: approximately 60%...]

On Ling Xuan's first try, the wind blade barely took shape and dissipated before it had gone far.

On his second try, it flew more than ten meters and left a faint white mark on a wooden target.

On his third try, just as Ling Xuan released the wind blade, a breeze happened to blow across from the side.

Almost instinctively, the instant he released the blade, he turned his wrist by the slightest degree, while the chakra within the wind blade shifted in a subtle way.

Sshk!

The wind blade seemed to come alive. It traced a tiny arc through the air and struck the bullseye with pinpoint accuracy!

"Hm?" Toma's pupils suddenly contracted.

He had clearly sensed that, at the instant Ling Xuan released his wind blade, it seemed to resonate with the natural wind, correcting its trajectory and increasing its power.

"Did you... feel the wind just now?" Toma asked uncertainly.

Ling Xuan blinked, wearing just the right expression of "confusion" and "delight."

"Teacher Toma, I think I... could feel how the wind was blowing just now, and then my hand moved on its own..."

"His affinity for wind is this high, too?" Toma was even more shocked.

It was one thing for him to learn Fire Style quickly, but he was showing such astonishing talent with Wind Style, which was even harder to control!

Could this kid be a super genius with an affinity for two chakra natures?

For the next half hour, Toma taught Ling Xuan some advanced shuriken-throwing techniques.

For example, using Chakra Threads to change the direction of a shuriken, or coating a shuriken with a small amount of chakra to increase its power or alter its flight characteristics.