In Konoha's Forest of Death, Qingyun stood with his eyes closed, sensing the rhythms of nature. At his current level, simple cultivation no longer did him any good. Only by breaking through to a higher level could he enter a new realm, but taking that step was extraordinarily difficult.
Fortunately, Qingyun had long been prepared for this and felt no impatience. After so many years of cultivation, he understood that cultivating martial arts meant cultivating the mind. An unstable state of mind could easily lead to cultivation deviation, wiping out years of hard work in a single day.
"Teacher!"
As Qingyun stood lost in thought with his eyes closed, Neji Hyuga arrived in the Forest of Death with Hinata Hyuga. Upon seeing Qingyun, he immediately bowed and called out softly.
"You're here? Neji, are you ready? You must understand that although this will be the last time you endure the Caged Bird Seal's torment, it will be different from before. This time, the pain will be a hundred times worse than the previous eighty activations. If you cannot endure it, your mind may collapse and you may die! Even I won't be able to save you!"
Hearing him, Qingyun asked Neji Hyuga calmly without opening his eyes.
"Teacher, I've long been ready. I'll either succeed this time or die trying. Please help me!"
Neji Hyuga looked at Qingyun with unwavering determination.
Qingyun opened his eyes at those words. Looking at Neji's considerably more mature face, he nodded in satisfaction. "In that case, sit cross-legged!"
Neji Hyuga nodded immediately. After reassuring Hinata Hyuga, who was worried about him, he slowly sat cross-legged before Qingyun.
Seeing that Neji Hyuga was ready, Qingyun immediately formed a hand seal—the very seal used to activate the Caged Bird Seal.
As Qingyun formed the seal, Neji