Transformation and Cultivation

Just as Ueno Kei opened his eyes, the entire space began to tremble violently.

Ueno Kei watched the anomaly in the space with indifference, showing no signs of alarm. With a series of deafening roars, the entire space seemed to be collapsing.

As it gradually shattered into pieces, Ueno Kei's expression shifted slightly while he observed the changes within the space.

"The sword technique has been passed on to you. I hope you will cultivate it diligently and spread the prestige of my Wind Wing Sword Technique throughout the world. Furthermore, from this moment on, the old man's chakra within the Lingyu Blade will be completely extinguished. From now on, this blade is yours!"

Ueno Kei's eyes flickered. He immediately bowed his body slightly within the space, showing respect to his predecessor. Regardless of anything else, this predecessor could be considered Ueno Kei's benefactor and, in a practical sense, his first true master.

In a sudden flash, white light erupted within the space, and the entire dimension collapsed, Ueno Kei's figure gradually fading away within it.

In Konoha Village, inside Ueno Kei's residence, Ueno Kei slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the Lingyu Blade in his hand with a silent expression, a glimmer of gold flashing in his eyes.

At this moment, Ueno Kei clearly sensed the connection between himself and the Lingyu Blade. Previously, the Lingyu Blade had felt like a dead object to him—cold, icy, and completely unresponsive.

But now, the Lingyu Blade felt like a part of his own body; free, agile, and as if it possessed a true life of its own. Ueno Kei even had the illusion that he could know exactly what the Lingyu Blade wanted to express at any given moment.

Only now did Ueno Kei truly feel that the Lingyu Blade belonged to him. Moreover, the blade appeared to have its luster restrained, completely devoid of its previous dilapidated appearance. The edge was sharp, and in its reflection, Ueno Kei could clearly see his own image.

Ueno Kei closed his eyes slightly to sense the Lingyu Blade. The blade hummed softly and vibrated slightly, as if responding to him.

Hearts beating as one, the treasure had become sentient! Ueno Kei was certain that everything before had not been a dream. Furthermore, his mind now contained a clear record of the Wind Wing Sword Technique, from its foundations to its most advanced stages, including cultivation methods, precautions, and the personal insights of the Fengyi Clan Head.

Moreover, if Naruto or any of the Ninja Academy teachers were here, they would clearly sense a change in Ueno Kei—an indescribable change. His appearance remained the same, and his physique had not changed much, though his height had suddenly increased by over ten centimeters.

The greater change, however, lay in his temperament. While the Ueno Kei of the past had appeared relatively mature and steadier than his peers—due to his mental age already being in his thirties—the current Ueno Kei possessed a unique charm. He had become more restrained, and it was precisely this shift in temperament that made his entire presence and aura feel different.

Although Ueno Kei felt little of this change in temperament, he could fully perceive the changes within his body: the change in his chakra levels. No, rather than a change in quantity, it was a change in quality!

His chakra had become more refined, and the volume had increased to two or three times what it had been. He could even imagine that if he knew the hand seals for the Summoning Technique, he might be able to attempt to summon a beast.

Ueno Kei's guess about that circle of light had been partially correct; it contained the purest chakra of the Fengyi Clan Head from his lifetime. As it poured into Ueno Kei's body, it slowly transformed into his own chakra.

It was like a refinement process, purifying Ueno Kei's chakra. At this moment, in terms of chakra alone, combined with the Three Body Technique he had mastered, he could barely be considered a qualified Genin.

The Summoning Technique, the Lingyu Blade, the Wind Wing Sword Technique, the increase in chakra volume, the qualitative refinement, and the slight shift in his mindset—all these changes finally gave Ueno Kei the opportunity to become a powerhouse in the future.

"It seems I should change my training plan, whether it concerns the sword technique, the increase in weight-bearing, or other training exercises."

The partial memories left behind by the Fengyi Clan Head included not only sword cultivation but also various ninja training techniques that were not taught at the Ninja Academy. For example, the precise application of chakra and insights into Taijutsu were the reasons why Ueno Kei was so eager to revise his training plan.

With these in his possession, Ueno Kei was confident that he could quickly stand out and become the best of his generation! Of course, this did not mean he intended to show off; he had no such desire. It was necessary to perform well enough to make Konoha value him, but there was no need to expose everything.

For instance, the Summoning Technique or the advanced moves of the Wind Wing Sword Technique could be revealed slowly in the future. The current basics were enough for Ueno Kei to slowly absorb, transform, and establish a solid foundation.

"I can become stronger! Even stronger!" Ueno Kei clenched his fists tightly, whispering with a resolute tone.

From that day on, Ueno Kei's exclusive training ground in the mountains behind the western suburbs saw the addition of many new, specialized training devices. Most of these were made by Ueno Kei himself, using materials gathered on-site and modeled after his own designs.

He had originally planned to borrow equipment from the Ninja Academy, but he later abandoned the idea. He decided that once he became a ninja, he would take on missions to earn money and hire village craftsmen to build them for him.

For now, his training plan would focus on honing the basics of the Wind Wing Sword Technique.

To spend six years tempering one's foundation—the sword technique originated from the ancient profession of the samurai. It is said that in those days, the profession of ninja did not yet exist, and before the power of chakra appeared, samurai were the greatest symbol of martial power in the world. Various advanced sword techniques, martial arts, and combat skills were what people relied upon to traverse the world.

It was only after the Sage of Six Paths passed down ninjutsu and the method of refining chakra that ninjas gradually replaced samurai as the main theme of world warfare. Although samurai still existed in this era, they had become very weak.

Ueno Kei had heard that on this continent, only the Land of Iron remained a nation dominated by samurai.

Therefore, ninjas did not pioneer the school of sword techniques. The learning of sword techniques and the laying of foundations were still primarily based on the samurai style. However, because a ninja's source of combat power came from chakra, they would make changes when practicing their sword techniques, incorporating ninja elements like chakra. But that was only at the advanced levels and applications of the sword technique.

After all, the medium relied upon by samurai and ninjas when executing sword techniques was different.

However, the initial foundation of practicing sword techniques was inherited from the same source: adapting to the tempering of the blade, grasping the true essence of the sword, and possessing a body capable of executing sword techniques at will.

Understanding and mastering all the basic knowledge regarding the sword—ninjas basically copied the samurai's system. Since it had been perfected for hundreds, if not thousands of years, there was no need to deliberately modify it just to show off.

To put it plainly, the profession of a ninja emphasized high efficiency. When completing mission requests, they used the most concise methods possible. Efficiency was above all else.

That was the baseline requirement!