Visualization Method

"The foundation of Wet Bone Forest sage arts is called the Visualization Method. What you visualize is this Thousand-Armed Statue behind me." The Slug Sage's ethereal voice reached Neji's ears.

"Visualization Method—how is that different from meditation after entering a trance?" Neji asked.

"Meditation? What is that?" The Slug Sage was taken aback by Neji's question.

Seeing the Slug Sage's puzzled expression, Neji suddenly remembered that there was no such concept as meditation in the Naruto World. After thinking for a moment, he hurriedly gestured as he explained, "It's the kind of... um... trance method samurai often use, something like Blade Meditation. You empty your mind and vaguely sense heaven and earth..."

"See, that is precisely the difference. Meditation and visualization are different methods even by their names. The Visualization Method naturally requires you to enter a trance and then thoroughly depict the object you are visualizing within your consciousness. The more detailed it is, the greater the improvement. What the Visualization Method improves is what we normally call spiritual power."

Seemingly afraid that Neji would keep asking questions, the Slug Sage paused before hurriedly continuing, "In a moment, sit beneath the statue and memorize every detail you can. Then depict it in your mind. Once an image has formed in your mind, you will naturally know what to do next. All right, come over and begin!"

The somewhat socially anxious Slug Sage hurriedly urged him on.

Setting aside his doubts, Neji quickly stepped forward and sat down as instructed. He raised his head and carefully studied the statue. After a long while, once he was certain he had observed it correctly, he slowly closed his eyes, his consciousness gradually sinking into emptiness.

With his prior training in stillness, Neji entered a trance very quickly. At that moment, his consciousness was surrounded by boundless darkness. Suddenly, a speck of light appeared abruptly in the void, then slowly drifted under Neji's intent.

Yet the speck of light refused to obey him. When Neji told it to move left, it slid to the right the next second. When he told it to move right, it drifted upward instead. Neji exerted tremendous effort before barely managing to outline a crooked, twisted line.

Neji stared blankly at the line before him. Thinking of the Thousand-Armed Statue he had just observed, with its incomparably intricate design, he wondered how many years it would take if he had to rely on this visualization method. The thought left him somewhat dejected.

Can a person really cultivate this successfully? How did Hashirama Senju cultivate it? Did it require the pure heart of a child? By my understanding, shouldn't sage arts be something anyone with aptitude could cultivate successfully?

Questions continuously surfaced in Neji's mind, and even the line he had just finished drawing began to grow unstable, on the verge of collapsing at any moment.

?! I refuse to believe it. Again!

Neji recalled the hardships of his journey and the immense rewards awaiting him after success. Gritting his teeth, he continued outlining it.

If once did not work, then twice. Three times, ten times, a hundred times... Gradually, Neji began to grasp a little of the light speck's nature. It seemed to become somewhat of an extension of his consciousness. With no mind for anything else, Neji depicted the image over and over again.

Outside, beneath the statue, Neji's body suddenly began changing. Lumps periodically swelled across his body, and moments later, he became a huge fat man. His skin turned translucent, and he looked about to explode.

At the critical moment, the little slug beside Neji suddenly flicked out a tentacle. Smack! Neji was sent flying, yet the abnormalities on his body miraculously vanished. At the same time, the blow jolted Neji awake from his immersion in consciousness.

"Senior, what happened?"

Seeing himself sprawled flat on the ground, Neji asked in confusion.

The Slug Sage did not answer his question, instead turning to explain the drawbacks of cultivating sage arts.

"Cultivating sage arts is dangerous. Once you fail, there is no recovery. Failures at Dragon Cave become food for the snakes, while those at Mount Myoboku become stone statues. Failures at Wet Bone Forest are assimilated by this space. Therefore, you must not rush for quick results. Little Neji, you did very well today. In thousands of years, no one has ever been like you, drawing natural energy into their body on the very first day."

"Natural energy? I didn't feel anything," Neji said doubtfully.

"When visualizing, your mind sinks deep into your consciousness, so naturally you cannot perceive changes in your body. But there are signs within your consciousness. At some point, didn't you feel that drawing became increasingly easier?"

Neji thought about it and realized it was indeed as the Slug Sage had said. He had assumed that his proficiency was improving, but the Slug Sage's tone clearly suggested otherwise.

"Yes, Senior. Could it be that I absorbed natural energy, which sped up the drawing process?"

"Of course not! Natural energy is energy. It can only exist within your body and meridians. How could it possibly have anything to do with consciousness?"

"Then what was happening?" Neji was immediately confused.

"Wet Bone Forest's sage arts require both aptitude and the Visualization Method. With aptitude, natural energy automatically enters your body during visualization. The statue you visualize filters the dispersed, ownerless spiritual power from that natural energy, strengthening your spirit. In turn, you use it to control the natural energy and fuse it with your own chakra, forming Sage Chakra," the Slug Sage explained.

"Since you have not successfully completed the visualization, you cannot control the natural energy entering your body. It will gather within you, and eventually you will merge into this space. Therefore, until you truly complete the visualization, you must not cultivate for more than two hours a day."

"So that's how it is! Thank you, Senior Slug, for protecting me!" Having understood the entire process, Neji rose and solemnly bowed to the Slug Sage.

Neji had not expected cultivating sage arts to involve so many intricacies. Remembering how increasingly absorbed his consciousness had become just now, he felt a lingering chill. The thrill of rapidly increasing spiritual power had been too intense. If the Slug Sage had not struck him awake, he would already have been erased.

But is this ownerless spiritual power legitimate? Is it the power of the prayers of all living beings? Or the will of heaven and earth? Or perhaps Kaguya Otsutsuki's spirit?

Neji's thoughts raced as he considered the Slug Sage's words. It probably isn't Kaguya's. Her spirit is scattered throughout every ninja's chakra, which is why she needs the Infinite Tsukuyomi to restore her full power. Natural energy and chakra are inherently opposed, just as the Ninja World rejects Kaguya Otsutsuki. Therefore, the spiritual power within natural energy definitely does not belong to Kaguya.

Neji carefully analyzed these secrets buried deep in his heart, trying to find clues within them. Unfortunately, he still knew too little, and he knew even less about the connection between natural energy and the Ninja World.

I'll take it one step at a time. If there is any danger, the Primordial Bagua Diagram probably will not stand by and do nothing. Based on what I understand so far, its standing should be above even the Ninja World.

Neji comforted himself.

"Senior Slug, since today's cultivation has ended, this junior will take his leave. I will return tomorrow to trouble you again!"

"All right!" As the Slug Sage spoke, it released the Reverse Summoning Technique on Neji. Amid spinning skies and turning earth, Neji appeared with a smack at the spot where he had vanished yesterday.