Beneath the Sky Screen, gasps of amazement and heated discussions rose one after another across the Douluo Continent.
"Are all those Kage at least level ninety-something?"
"No, even higher. They should be above level 95, apart from the Fourth Kazekage!"
"They actually built a nation in that boundless desert. That's simply unbelievable!"
"Is that sand gold martial soul really not a joke? With that much gold, why bother fighting at all?"
"So this is the strength another shinobi village has at its disposal? Isn't that far too powerful? Especially the Fifth Kazekage—he's already level 97 at such a young age! And his ability to control sand blots out the sky and blankets the earth. An ordinary soul master wouldn't have the slightest chance of surviving!"
Someone asked, full of confusion, "Why are they only introducing the faction this time, instead of showing Sunagakure in actual combat?"
Someone immediately explained, "You must not have understood the groundwork they laid earlier."
"They showed the Fourth Hokage's battle so we could get a grasp of the Naruto Continent's power levels. Now that we've seen the baseline, there's naturally no need to show every village fighting one by one."
"Ah, it really is a bit of a shame, though."
"Then which is stronger, Sunagakure or the Konoha we saw earlier?"
"Do you even need to ask? Konoha, of course. Konoha sits on fertile, bountiful land with abundant resources. If Sunagakure had a choice, who would want to spend year after year struggling in a barren desert?"
The conversation soon returned to the tailed beasts, leaving everyone astonished:
"So there's more than one of those terrifying ferocious beasts. There's even something called the One-Tail. Are their strength rankings determined by the number of tails? Isn't that far too arbitrary?"
Shrek Academy
Dai Mubai's eyes shone as he stared in amazement at the endless array of mechanical hidden weapons. Turning toward Tang San, he could not help asking:
"San, look! The hidden weapons those puppets use on the Sky Screen are pretty similar to yours! Could your Tang Sect legacy have some connection to the Naruto Continent?"
His words instantly drew everyone's attention.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun both looked over, and even Xiao Wu's eyes brimmed with curiosity.
Ning Rongrong, standing nearby, quietly pricked up her ears and paid close attention.
She had committed those elusive hidden weapons to memory when Tang San fought Zhao Wuji.
However powerful the ninjutsu on the Sky Screen might be, it belonged to another continent and lay beyond their reach. Tang San's hidden weapons, however, were tangible treasures that could be learned, used, and turned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's advantage.
Tang San's expression darkened, and he spoke in a cool, steady voice. "My hidden weapons originated from the Tang Sect. They have absolutely no connection to the Naruto Continent."
"The Tang Sect?" Dai Mubai frowned slightly and muttered, "I've heard of practically every major sect and faction on the continent, but never one by that name."
He was not as ignorant as Oscar, Ma Hongjun, or Xiao Wu. His standing alone made that clear.
A sect possessing such a hidden weapon legacy could never be utterly unknown.
With Tang San's keen hearing, he naturally caught every word. A trace of pride appeared on his face as he said evenly:
"The Tang Sect is the sect I will personally establish in the future."
Understanding instantly dawned on everyone's faces.
"So that's it! You invented all these hidden weapons yourself. No wonder we've never heard of it!"
"San is incredible! He's created his own secret hidden weapon arts at such a young age!"
As their endless compliments and praise filled his ears, the corners of Tang San's mouth lifted slightly, and a measure of smug satisfaction welled up within him.
Beside him, Ning Rongrong inwardly rolled her eyes hard.
She completely abandoned the idea of recruiting Tang San into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. His ambition was to establish his own sect; he would never settle for serving under someone else.
As for his claim of inventing the Tang Sect Hidden Weapons' secret arts, she did not believe a word of it:
Does he really take me for an idiot?
The hidden weapons, perhaps, but those bizarre footwork techniques and exclusive combat arts? How could a poor boy in his teens possibly invent all that from nothing?
This guy must have stumbled upon the legacy of some ancient, reclusive sect. Yet he insists on putting on airs and claiming everything he inherited as his own invention. He really has skin thick enough to stop a blade.
Inside Dugu Manor in Heaven Dou City.
The Sky Screen displayed the Land of Wind's secret poison arts in vivid detail, filling Dugu Yan's eyes with wonder.
She blinked and looked curiously at Dugu Bo, who was sipping tea beside her.
"Grandpa, I never imagined the Naruto Continent had experts skilled with poison too! I wonder how powerful their poison techniques are, and whether they have snake martial souls like ours?"
Dugu Bo leisurely sipped his tea, his expression calm.
"What's so surprising about that? How could an entire continent not have a poison expert? It would be strange if nobody there used poison."
After a brief pause, he spoke as though casually bringing it up. "By the way, Yanyan, have you thought about that matter I mentioned last time?"
Dugu Yan looked utterly bewildered and tilted her head in confusion. "Grandpa, weren't you always dead set against me getting involved in romance? Why are you playing matchmaker now?"
"I opposed it before because everyone hanging around you had ulterior motives. Take Yu Tianheng, for instance. One look was enough to tell he wasn't sincere toward you."
Dugu Bo set down his teacup, looking rather enthusiastic as he explained earnestly, "But the young man I'm introducing this time is an unparalleled talent rarely seen in this world. Judging by the timing, he should have officially been invested as the Martial Soul Hall Saint by now."
The moment she heard the title Martial Soul Hall Saint, Dugu Yan became alert. Her expression turned serious, and she fixed her gaze on Dugu Bo as she began listing the suspicious points:
"No, something is definitely wrong here! Grandpa, you've been acting especially strangely since the year before last."
"Your hair somehow returned to its normal color, you keep forcing me to eat all sorts of herbs of unknown origin, and my martial soul inexplicably evolved!"
"Most importantly, didn't you hate Spirit Hall before? Now you're constantly drawing closer to Spirit Hall, and you even want to set me up with the Martial Soul Hall Saint. This is far too strange!"
Her eyes were full of scrutiny, and her questions left Dugu Bo momentarily speechless.
With his granddaughter seeing straight through him, Dugu Bo stopped concealing the truth and sighed frankly.
"All these changes happened because I met that Little Monster the year before last. Trust your grandfather's judgment. That young man is destined to stand at the pinnacle of the continent and become one of its greatest figures."
His tone was sincere as he added earnestly, "To tell you the truth, the abnormalities in my body were resolved, my hair returned to its original color, and even your martial soul gained the chance to evolve—all of it was thanks to him."
Dugu Yan's eyes widened, hurt and confusion mingling in her expression. "Then why did you keep hiding it from me, Grandpa?"
Dugu Bo's aged face reddened slightly, and he stroked his beard in embarrassment. "Wasn't I afraid you'd laugh at your grandfather for contradicting himself and changing sides so drastically? I've already joined Spirit Hall in secret and taken a position as an elder."
At that, Dugu Yan fell silent and considered it for a moment before finally nodding. "All right, then. I'll find an opportunity to meet him and see how we get along."
The images on the Sky Screen continued to shift, revealing the remaining Three Great Shinobi Villages in full, one after another.
[Kumogakure] [Located in the continent's northeastern territory, where extraordinary peaks tower high and mountain ranges stretch unbroken. Lightning crackles and thunder roars between heaven and earth throughout the year. Its coastline winds sinuously, and abundant geothermal heat feeds hot springs across the land.] [Its leader bears the title of Raikage.] [The village's signature top-tier martial souls: thunder, physical body, Lightning Release enhancement, and others. It favors fierce, domineering assault tactics and unparalleled physical strength.] [Two tailed beasts reside within its ranks: Two-Tails and Eight-Tails.]
Before you continue