First Exchange

For some worlds completely devoid of chakra, it might just be the key to unlocking an entirely new system.

"For the first exchange, I can't be too greedy, but I can't be too stingy either."

Fang Xu took a deep breath and pulled out some paper and a pen.

He did not start writing right away.

The original owner's memories had the Chakra Refinement Technique thoroughly memorized, but his understanding had been shallow in the past. He had merely followed the instructions for many of the details.

But after awakening the memories of his past life, Fang Xu could clearly feel that his mind had become sharper.

It was not that his intelligence had suddenly soared for no reason, but that his Mental Strength had grown stronger.

The fusion of two souls' memories had at least doubled his Mental Strength.

When refining chakra before, he could only vaguely sense his physical energy and spiritual energy blending together, and controlling them felt like trying to grasp a handful of loose sand.

But now, as he thought back on it, many things that had once been hazy became clear.

The benefits brought by stronger Mental Strength were immediate.

His chakra control would improve.

He would also learn ninjutsu faster.

At the very least, he would no longer be like before, failing to find the right feeling eight times out of ten.

"This is the first wave of benefits from awakening my past-life wisdom."

Fang Xu let out a breath, finally feeling more at ease.

He spread out the blank paper and began copying down the Chakra Refinement Technique.

He wrote every chant and every point of caution with great care.

He was not simply copying it word for word.

He also marked the mistakes the original owner had made during practice, explaining them more plainly in the margins.

For example, excessive spiritual energy could cause chakra to become unstable.

Forcibly refining chakra when physical energy was insufficient would only drain one's stamina.

Beginners should not blindly pursue quantity. They needed to prioritize stability first.

To Konoha ninja, these things were merely basic experience, but to people from another world, they might be more useful than the original text.

One page, two pages, three pages.

The only sound left in the room was the pen scratching across paper.

When he finished the final character, Fang Xu rubbed his sore wrist and organized the copied manuscript.

He did not hurry to exchange it.

Instead, he sat cross-legged on the bed and formed the basic cultivation hand seal.

Chakra was extracted from his body bit by bit.

The process was not fast.

His chakra reserves were already rather low. He could not squander chakra as casually as someone with the physique of the Uzumaki or Senju.

But this time, he could clearly feel that it was much smoother.

His spiritual energy was like a steadier hand, slowly kneading together his physical energy instead of letting it scatter at the slightest touch as it had before.

Soon, a faint yet stable ball of chakra condensed in his palm.

The pale blue glow was weak, like a tiny flame that could go out at any moment.

Fang Xu stared at it, his heartbeat accelerating.

"A copied manuscript of the Chakra Refinement Technique, plus a ball of chakra."

"Theory, sample, energy seed."

"I'll use this for the first try."

He placed the copied manuscript before him and maintained the chakra in his palm.

The Exchange Talent in his mind was like a switch that had been waiting for a long time.

Fang Xu did not hesitate. "Exchange!"

The instant the thought fell, the copied manuscript on the table vanished.

The ball of chakra in his palm also disappeared without a sound.

No light exploded, and no sound rang out.

But Fang Xu's consciousness was suddenly pulled upward, as if an invisible giant hand had dragged him into boundless darkness.

The next second, the darkness split apart.

An image appeared within his senses.

It was a battlefield high above the sky.

A massive Golden Bell hung among the clouds, its golden body so dazzling under the sunlight that it hurt the eyes.

A straw-hatted boy had one arm wrapped around an enormous golden sphere. Using the elasticity of his rubber body, he spun rapidly through the air like a fully drawn cannonball, ruthlessly blasting toward the enemy ahead.

"Rubber Golden Rotation Bullet!"

Luffy's roar tore through the sea of clouds.

The golden sphere carried terrifying weight and speed, crushing the surrounding air until it boomed.

Opposite him, Enel stood before the Golden Bell with the arrogance of a god still on his face.

In his mind, aside from that damned rubber brat, no one could truly hurt him.

The power granted by the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was proof that he was a god.

As long as he used Elementalization, he could turn into lightning and evade any attack.

No matter how heavy the punch was, it meant nothing if it could not hit him.

"Idiot."

Enel raised his chin, curling his lips as he lightly moved a finger.

He prepared to turn into a flash of lightning and evade.

But in the next instant, the arrogance on his face froze.

There was no lightning, no Elementalization.

His body remained flesh and blood.

The power within him that controlled lightning had been forcibly ripped away, leaving behind not even the slightest trace.

Enel's pupils contracted sharply.

"What's going on?"

For the first time, he panicked.

It was not anger, but fear.

The fear of being dragged down from a divine altar.

He frantically tried to summon his ability, wanting to turn into lightning, wanting to call down thunder, wanting to vanish from where he stood as effortlessly as he always had.

But nothing happened.

Everyone who saw this scene was stunned as well.

Nami covered her mouth, her voice trembling. "He... he didn't turn into lightning?"

Usopp's legs were shaking, but he still widened his eyes and shouted, "Hey, hey, hey! That monster's power malfunctioned?!"

The Shandian warriors stood there with their mouths open, their faces filled with disbelief.

This man who called himself a god had crushed Skypiea until it could barely breathe.

Lightning, judgment, untouchable.

Everyone had believed he was a being that could never be defeated.

But now, Luffy's fist had already reached him, and he had not turned into a flash of lightning.

Enel wanted to dodge, but it was too late.

The fist wrapped around the golden sphere slammed heavily into him.

Boom!

The power carried by the golden sphere erupted completely.

Enel's chest caved in. The arrogance on his face twisted into agony, and his body flew backward uncontrollably as if he had been struck by a colossal beast.

The sound of breaking bones mixed with the roar.

He opened his mouth to scream, but only spat out a mouthful of blood.

The next moment, he crashed viciously into the Golden Bell.

Dong—!

The Golden Bell's chime exploded across Skypiea, deep and resounding, like a heavy hammer striking everyone in the chest.

The sea of clouds churned as the sound spread layer after layer.

The White-White Sea trembled, and even the distant sky seemed to awaken at the sound of the bell.

The Shandians stood amid the ruins atop the clouds, each one frozen in place.

Some had hands trembling around their weapons.

Some looked up at the Golden Bell, their lips quivering for a long time without uttering a word.

"The bell..."

"This is our ancestors' bell!"

"We really heard it! Four hundred years... it really rang!"

A Shandian warrior's knees gave out, and he dropped straight to the ground, clutching the soil tightly with both hands as his eyes reddened.

The people beside him could not hold themselves together either.

They had bled for this land and fought the people of Skypiea for far too long, so long that many had nearly forgotten what they had been holding on for.

But this single bell chime struck loose every obsession buried beneath the blood.

Wyper stood high above them, the wounds on his body still bleeding, yet he seemed unable to feel the pain as he stared fixedly at the Golden Bell.

"It rang..."

His voice was terribly hoarse.

"It really rang."