Highlander Bloodline

As the electronic voice faded, a familiar image immediately appeared before Ryōken.

The sharp edge of a blade condensed into something tangible. A lithe figure wore a hood adorned with multiple eyes, his expression peaceful, like a revered master rather than a swordsman who killed.

Master Yi, the Wuju Bladesman.

A tranquil voice echoed through Ryōken's mind.

"Blade and body!"

"Though the enemy is many, one strike cuts them all down!"

"A true master forever keeps the heart of an apprentice."

Memories of inheritance flooded his mind. Yi wielded his sword as he moved through the battlefield, swift and elegant as a phantom. No one could catch sight of him. His dazzling blade cut through anything.

This was speed and sharpness taken to their absolute limit!

A flash of understanding arose in Ryōken's heart.

Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the Wuju Bladesman's core—Highlander Bloodline!

As before, an inexplicable force surged from his mind and swiftly merged into every corner of his body before vanishing.

Ryōken froze. When he had fused with the Duelist Eye last time, it had hurt for quite a while. This was clearly a bloodline fusion, so why did he feel nothing?

Suddenly, Ryōken's entire body shook as though struck by lightning. His face, still carrying a trace of confusion, instantly turned deathly pale.

Enduring the waves of burning, tearing pain radiating from within, Ryōken slowly closed his eyes and immersed his mind in the changes happening inside his body.

That inexplicable energy merged with his blood and began transforming his body. It felt as though ants were gnawing at him, making Ryōken clench his teeth as he silently endured.

This much pain was nothing. In a world where the strong preyed upon the weak, strength alone was truth.

He was being remade from the inside out.

It was visible to the naked eye.

Ryōken's muscles, once swollen from training, immediately smoothed out, becoming sleek and balanced while still brimming with explosive power.

In the ninja world, muscles were an ordinary thing and did not represent great strength.

Only a body tempered day after day and ultimately molded into shape was the most perfect form, just like Rock Lee and Might Guy.

Now, with the help of the bloodline, Ryōken had completed the first stage of muscular training. His muscles gradually faded away.

Once he trained them again and molded them into shape, that would become his own most perfect form.

By then, the transformation was nearly complete. Ryōken stood and casually paced around the room a few times.

Unprecedented coordination. Unprecedented neural response speed!

Ryōken's physical strength remained the same as before. Neither his strength nor speed had increased.

However, his control over his body had improved by far more than just a little. It had reached a terrifying level.

As expected of the Highlander Bloodline. Though it could not immediately grant Ryōken overwhelming strength, it had laid a perfect physical foundation for him.

At this moment, Ryōken's talent in physical ability was inferior to no one.

If a comparison was needed, Ryōken's reaction speed was not much worse than Minato Namikaze's.

Minato Namikaze had the fastest reactions in the entire shinobi world.

Moreover, with further development and training, it would bring Ryōken even greater improvements. Surpassing Minato Namikaze would be no challenge at all.

By a simple estimate,

in future taijutsu training, one month of Ryōken's practice would equal two months or even more for others.

And this was merely one of the cores of the Wuju Bladesman's inheritance.

The other was naturally the swordsman's profound art of cutting all things.

The strongest sword aura, sword aura that seemed tangible, sword aura capable of cutting all things.

Although Ryōken did not yet possess Hatake Sakumo's profound chakra flow techniques, with the amplification of the Limitless Sword Aura, if he fought him again, his blade would never chip or break.

However, Ryōken would need to learn and develop these things himself.

Only then could he reach the heights he envisioned.

There was only one thing that still confused Ryōken.

Why was it called The Wuju Way instead of the Wuju Sword Way?

Still, although he found it strange,

it did not affect anything. After thinking about it briefly and failing to find an answer, he began resting.

The next morning.

In the small forest outside Konoha Prison.

Ryōken held a longsword, its blade gleaming with a faint cyan light that carried a tangible quality.

He casually swung it a few times, and tearing whistles immediately rang through the air. When he slashed at a tree trunk, it split in two with a single stroke.

Ryōken fell silent at the sight of that astonishing power.

It was so sharp. He would have to be careful when sparring with others in the future and make sure to hold back.

He did not want to accidentally kill a comrade and then have to flee Konoha as a rogue ninja. That would be far too ridiculous.

Ryōken thought bitterly, feeling rather helpless.

He could not yet control the Limitless Sword Aura at will, so accidents could easily happen.

Ryōken took out a kunai and held it before him. It was a standard-issue Konoha kunai.

Holding his sword in his right hand, he slashed casually. As though meeting no resistance whatsoever, the kunai snapped in two. The break was exceptionally smooth.

"Hmm, this is pretty good. If anyone dares fight me at close range in the future, one swing will cut through both their kunai and their head."

Ryōken smiled in satisfaction.

With sword aura this sharp, there should be very few things in this world that could block it aside from those special ninja blades.

Of course, people like White Fang, who had mastered chakra flow and were effectively using a form of sword aura, were exceptions.

Most ninjas only used kunai in close combat. Even specially made Flying Thunder God kunai could not be that durable, right?

"Kunai? Heh heh."

Ryōken chuckled, filled with anticipation.

Only one day had passed since Ryōken killed Asai Hane.

Yet Ryōken had no intention of slacking off. As soon as dawn broke, he left Konoha Prison to test his various abilities, and by now he had gained a fairly clear understanding of them.

As for his work as prison warden, he naturally handed it over to Morino Shingen. He had only come to go through the motions anyway. If not for Asai Hane, this mission would have been a complete joke.

Besides, those prisoners had all been cowed by Ryōken and now revered him like a god. There was no chance of any trouble, especially with Honda Tadakatsu, the chief informant, there.

No matter when, strength alone was what truly mattered.

Constantly pursuing greater strength was what a true powerhouse should do.

Ryōken understood that deeply.

The imminent Second Shinobi World War was still a difficult hurdle to overcome.

And Tsuki Uchiha!

A fierce glint flashed through Ryōken's eyes as he settled down and continued training.

Only after receiving the inheritance of The Wuju Way did Ryōken gradually realize just how crude his previous methods of physical training had been.

The Wuju inheritance, which placed greater emphasis on the body, naturally possessed more refined training methods.

Only by using these methods could Ryōken bring his body to the extreme speed he had seen in those memories.

With his physical body alone, he could traverse the battlefield at speeds no slower than the Flying Thunder God.

Nearly a month passed in a flash, and Ryōken spent all that time adjusting his training methods.

Progress was always faster in the early stages. By the end of the first week, Ryōken's physical speed had reached the level of an elite jonin.

However, as his speed increased, his progress gradually slowed and stabilized. Of course, that was only compared to his earlier rate of improvement.

An ordinary person's training progress was still incomparable to his.

After a month, faint muscle definition had begun to appear on Ryōken's body. Though he looked slender, he was filled with power.

Over the past month or so, Ryōken's physique had improved at a frightening rate.

His speed, in particular, was astonishing.

His raw physical speed alone had reached the Kage-level.

However, Kage-level was a threshold that would be difficult to cross for the time being.

Still, it would not take long. He could feel that the Highlander Bloodline was still at work, continuously strengthening his physique.

It could be said that even if Ryōken did nothing but sleep every day, he would continue growing stronger.

Although the improvement in his physical defense and strength was not as exaggerated as his speed, they had also increased considerably, reaching a level above elite jonin. The exact extent was unclear.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past, and an ANBU ninja wearing a mask abruptly appeared.

"Ryōken, the Hokage wishes to see you."

"Mm."

Ryōken nodded. It was about time. He wondered whether there were any requirements for joining the ANBU.