Chapter 8

Of course, Xuan knew this effect only came from his first cultivation session. It definitely would not be this intense later on.

After all, mental energy became harder and harder to improve. Once both its quality and quantity reached a certain level, advancing further would require enormous effort.

Still, this was enough for now.

After all, the Ninja World simply did not have any proper meditation methods for increasing mental energy.

Even clans like the Yamanaka Clan and Nara Clan, which specialized in Yin Release secret arts, could not produce such a comprehensive spirit-refining method.

After obtaining the Spirit-Refining Meditation Method, cultivating the quality and quantity of his mental energy became Xuan's daily mandatory lesson.

That night, the whole family was present. Xuan had specifically invited Mikoto over as well. He took a bamboo scroll from his robes and set it on the table. After glancing around at everyone, he said, "This is a Spirit-Refining Meditation Method I worked out recently. Practicing it every day can increase the quality and quantity of your mental energy. Memorize it quickly and start practicing."

"What? Increase mental energy?"

Xuan's family and Mikoto were all stunned.

Uchiha Senichi and Meixin immediately grabbed the scroll, spread it open, and began reading it carefully.

After finishing, Uchiha Senichi stared solemnly at his son and asked, "Who else knows about this?"

Xuan rolled his eyes. "I'm not stupid. How could I let outsiders get their hands on something of this level? You're the first people to know. For a long time to come, I don't intend to let anyone else find out."

"Unless one day, I have enough strength to protect myself."

He understood better than anyone that an innocent man could be condemned simply for possessing a treasure.

This thing was a devastating weapon.

The foundation of a ninja's strength was chakra. The amount of chakra one had directly determined a ninja's upper limit.

And chakra was formed by combining mental energy with the energy in one's cells in a certain proportion.

A spirit-refining method could increase mental energy, which was equivalent to indirectly increasing one's chakra reserves.

Of course, increasing chakra reserves required more than mental energy; it also required cellular energy. But cellular energy could be replenished by training the body, eating and drinking well, and taking medicinal baths. That was far easier than increasing and restoring mental energy.

"Whew, that's good, then."

After hearing this, Uchiha Senichi and Meixin finally breathed sighs of relief.

"Dad, Mom, is this thing really that incredible? It scared you that badly?" Uchiha Hao could not help leaning over to ask.

His answer was a synchronized glare from both his parents.

Uchiha Senichi directly scolded him, "Nonsense! Remember this, brat: you are not allowed to leak a single word of this. Otherwise, I'll deal with you myself! Hmph!"

Beside him, Meixin smiled with narrowed eyes as she stared at Uchiha Hao and nodded. "What your father means is what I mean."

Uchiha Hao: "..."

So love really did disappear, didn't it?

It had once been just his dad. Now even his mom was like this. Could he even stay in this family anymore?

"Fine, fine, I get it. Don't worry, my lips are sealed."

After being glared at by his parents, Uchiha Hao could only lower his head obediently and admit defeat, even miming the act of zipping his mouth shut.

Then Uchiha Senichi and Meixin both turned to look at Mikoto.

Mikoto: "..."

Mikoto immediately raised one hand and swore earnestly, "I promise I won't tell anyone a single word about this, or else let me...!"

After saying that, she turned toward Xuan. A gentle smile filled her eyes as she softly said, "You know that I've already decided on him for the rest of my life."

After spending several months together, many things had already changed.

"Hahaha, that's wonderful! You'll be family from now on! Here, Mikoto, don't stand on ceremony. Take a look at this spirit-refining method first!"

Uchiha Senichi and Meixin smilingly handed the scroll to her.

"Yes, yes, hurry and eat!"

Meixin even took the initiative to place some food in Mikoto's bowl.

The way she looked at Mikoto was exactly like she was looking at her future daughter-in-law.

Xuan could not help finding the whole scene a little amusing.

Uchiha Hao was even more dumbfounded. When had his parents learned to change faces so quickly?

Still, recalling the intense affection in Mikoto's eyes when she looked at Xuan just now, he secretly gave Xuan a thumbs-up, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "You're incredible, kid! I admire no one but you!"

He was only a little over a year old, yet he already had a girlfriend. Who would believe that?

Uchiha Hao was genuinely envious.

Mikoto was famously beautiful within the clan.

But he had no designs on Mikoto.

For one thing, Mikoto was gentle as water toward Xuan, but she had a completely different attitude toward everyone else.

Besides, Uchiha Hao had someone he liked too, another girl from the clan.

"This secret art is too precious. I can't accept it."

At this moment, Mikoto had roughly looked through the spirit-refining method. An astonished expression appeared on her face as she seriously looked at Xuan and Meixin.

She pushed the scroll back toward them.

Meixin and Uchiha Senichi both turned their eyes toward Xuan.

Xuan directly stuffed the scroll into Mikoto's hands and said firmly, "I'm giving it to you, so take it."

"Haven't you always wanted to change your fate with your own strength? Haven't you been training desperately for that very reason?"

"This cultivation method is the confidence I'm giving you. Keep it safe and practice well. I'm still waiting for you to grow strong enough to protect me—and to break your own fate while you're at it!"

"As long as you're strong enough, even if Elder Grandpa doesn't approve of us, he won't be able to stop you."

In truth, Xuan had created the spirit-refining method and given it to his family not only because he wanted to help them become stronger, but also because he wanted to verify some of his own ideas and conjectures about the Sharingan.

He wanted to know exactly what effect simply increasing mental energy would have on the Sharingan.

This concerned how he would awaken his Sharingan in the future and how he would create a cultivation method for it.

It would even affect the awakening and transformation of the Mangekyo Sharingan and Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan in the future.

"Ah..."

After hearing this, Mikoto's face flushed bright red. Under Uchiha Senichi and Meixin's watchful gazes, she shyly lowered her head.

The girl's cheeks burned as she spoke in an extremely soft voice, "I'll remember. I'll study it seriously. I won't let outsiders find out. I'll work hard to become stronger, take my own life into my hands, and protect you too."

This was not merely a promise. It was her determination at that very moment.

Ever since she had met Xuan, he had given her far too much.

At first, it had been the Uchiha medicinal bath formula. Later came the medicinal bath formula for tempering the body. Whenever she trained in taijutsu and ninjutsu, Xuan often offered her guidance as well.

Truthfully, Xuan had yet to practice these things himself.

But he had gone through the clan's taijutsu scrolls and secret arts, and he had read quite a few ninjutsu texts as well. Coupled with his monstrous comprehension, guiding Mikoto's cultivation was more than easy for him.

Mikoto even felt that Xuan explained things more thoroughly than her own grandfather—the Uchiha Clan's Great Elder. Every sentence struck right at the heart of the matter.

"Hehe..."

Uchiha Senichi, Meixin, and Uchiha Hao all burst out laughing, deliberately teasing her.

In the blink of an eye, several more months passed.

Xuan turned two years old.

Yet his body was as sturdy as that of a five- or six-year-old child, perhaps even stronger.

The toughness of his muscles and bones, the resilience of his meridians, and the vigor of his vitality were simply beyond comparison with children his age.

"I can finally begin body tempering. Now I need to create a body-tempering art for my own use."

Standing in the courtyard, Xuan stretched his arms and legs, then performed a set of Tai Chi movements like the old men from his previous life practiced. His whole body felt comfortable as he muttered to himself.

He had waited two full years for this day.

Even though his body was now sturdier than that of a five- or six-year-old child, he had no intention of touching chakra extraction techniques yet.

Extracting chakra ultimately consumed the energy in one's own cells. One careless mistake could ruin both one's foundation and potential.

He would not do something that foolish.

Until he developed a cultivation method entirely his own and made sure that extracting chakra would not harm his foundation, he did not intend to touch that stuff.