Everyone Wants a Challenge? Better Run

So he slipped away, but when Mu Chen had just returned to the dormitory, he found Kuzan in his room. Kuzan had vanished without a trace early on after their fight. Mu Chen had thought he had gone back to recover, so why had he appeared in his dormitory?

Kuzan looked calmly at Mu Chen and slowly said, "Just as I guessed, your eyes can make people fall into illusions."

Kuzan had always been curious about Mu Chen's eyes. Now, he had truly experienced the effects of Genjutsu.

Mu Chen had merely glanced at him, yet his entire mind had gone blank, as if he had become an idiot.

Once he entered the illusion, he clearly knew it was an illusion, yet he simply could not get out.

But when his thoughts returned to reality, he discovered that Mu Chen had already kicked him into the wall, and he was injured. This ability was terrifying. Though it only lasted a few seconds, Kuzan knew that in a battle between true powerhouses, it would definitely be fatal.

"Yes, I call it Genjutsu."

"You came here just to ask about that?"

Mu Chen asked in confusion.

"Your eye ability?"

"I was curious when you fought Jiaji. At first, I thought you were an ability user, but then I realized you weren't."

"When faced with such an ability, I always wanted to try it."

Hearing Kuzan say that, Mu Chen wondered whether these people really needed to go that far.

Every one of them wanted to test the power of Genjutsu.

Still, Mu Chen could understand. Perhaps this was the curiosity powerhouses had toward unknown abilities, as well as a form of probing.

"All right, if there's nothing else, I'm leaving."

As soon as he finished speaking, Kuzan left Mu Chen's dormitory without looking back.

Let him leave. Mu Chen did not dwell on it.

However, not long after Kuzan left, Zefa came looking for Mu Chen.

"Mu Chen, you're quite something, kid. I didn't expect you to actually beat Kuzan."

"It was all right. It was just a coincidence."

"What coincidence? You're putting on an act again, aren't you?"

"By the way, what exactly was that ability you displayed later?"

Facing Zefa's question, Mu Chen seemed to know what he was asking. It was difficult to explain Eight Gates, so he used the same excuse as he had for the Sharingan. "It's nothing much, just a special skill that increases my strength. It's also part of my family's inheritance."

"Explain it in detail."

Mu Chen had not expected Zefa to keep digging into it.

With no other choice, Mu Chen began explaining. "This skill of mine is called Eight Gates. There are eight gates in total, corresponding to eight places in the human body. Opening each gate is like activating an energy switch somewhere in the body."

"How should I explain it? A normal person's energy is like a faucet. Normally, it only lets out water slowly, but once I activate Eight Gates, that faucet gets turned all the way up."

"Hm?"

"Teacher Zefa, does that make sense?"

Even after Mu Chen's explanation, Zefa still seemed only half convinced.

"So you can bring out the body's greatest potential? The more gates you open, the stronger you become—is that what you mean?"

"Yes, exactly."

Mu Chen had not expected Zefa to understand so quickly.

After Mu Chen finished speaking, he added, "However, Eight Gates has side effects. Right now, I can only open the first three gates, which do not have much of a drawback. But from the fourth through the seventh gate, the side effects become greater with every gate opened. Although I can unleash terrifying combat power during battle, once it ends, I'll probably have to lie in bed for ten days or half a month. As for exactly how many days, I don't know. Probably around that long."

Hearing this, Zefa wore an expression of realization, but it seemed as though something was missing.

"Why didn't you mention the eighth gate, Mu Chen? Opening it should be the strongest, right? Would opening it cripple you?"

That was how Zefa understood it. Since the earlier gates caused injury, the last one would surely cripple him at worst. But clearly, Zefa was overthinking it.

Mu Chen had not wanted to talk about it, but since Zefa had asked this far, he might as well brag a little.

"Teacher Zefa, the eighth gate is incredible. If I could open it, my strength would directly surpass Emperor-class. I doubt even two of you would be my match. Do you believe that?"

Zefa looked shocked. "No way, kid. You're not joking? It's that strong?"

"I'm really not joking. It's the final gate. How could it not be powerful?"

"Can this Eight Gates be taught to others?"

Zefa was somewhat tempted. That final burst was far too powerful. If someone with a rear admiral's strength could surpass Emperor-class just by opening the eighth gate, then wouldn't he, a admiral, become invincible if he opened it? So what if he ended up crippled? At worst, he could just get a prosthetic limb. But clearly, Zefa was overthinking it. "Teacher Zefa, I can tell you're thinking too much. First of all, it truly can't be taught. And once the eighth gate is opened, it will kill you."

As soon as Mu Chen said that, Zefa's brief temptation instantly vanished. Zefa could hardly believe his ears. A skill with such severe side effects was simply too hard to accept.

"Of course. The eighth gate consumes too much. If it grants invincible strength, then naturally it will kill you." Zefa was a little frightened. "Mu Chen, promise me that you must never open the eighth gate in the future."

What Mu Chen had not expected was that Zefa actually cared about him, rather than feeling disappointed that he could not learn Eight Gates.

The final gate could kill someone—Zefa had not expected that either. It was indeed rather unimaginable, but upon careful thought, it was easy to explain. If one could gain nearly invincible power without dying, wouldn't that be absurd?

Touched by Zefa's concern, Mu Chen felt warmth in his heart. "Understood, Teacher Zefa. By the way, Mu Chen, it's best not to let anyone discover your Genjutsu before you become a vice admiral."

Zefa suddenly changed the subject, and it was to this matter.

Mu Chen frowned. Why did he have such a bad feeling?

"What's wrong?"

"Teacher Zefa?"

Facing Mu Chen's question, Zefa began to explain.