This was the power of noble Wood Release

After explaining the Caged Bird Seal with perfect accuracy, Luo Yu even felt a little proud of himself.

Xu Ying, however, was not impressed by his extensive knowledge. Instead, she looked deeply puzzled.

"The Caged Bird Seal and the clan's main and branch family system are secrets of the Su Family."

"Aside from a few high-ranking figures in the Land of the Dragon, hardly anyone outside the Su Family knows about them."

"How did you find out?"

"Uh, well..." Luo Yu was instantly at a loss for words.

He really had no way of learning about the Caged Bird Seal in this world.

Otherwise, he would not have looked so surprised when he first saw the Caged Bird Seal.

Thinking quickly, Luo Yu turned the question back on her. "You seem to know even more than I do. How did you find out?"

That question silenced Xu Ying outright.

To cover her embarrassment, Xu Ying began looting without another word.

Seeing this, Luo Yu guessed that Xu Ying definitely had some history with the Su Family.

Could her ex-boyfriend have been a member of the Su Family?

As he pondered that, an eighty-episode television drama unfolded in his mind.

"We're so lucky! There are actually ten Divine Pupil Stones!"

"And two Ao inheritance fragments, plus thirty White Zetsu inheritance fragments."

"A Chunin really is a Chunin. Their resources are on a whole different level!"

Just as Luo Yu was imagining a tragic romantic drama, Xu Ying's voice brought him back to reality.

"So, how would you like to split these?" Xu Ying asked for Luo Yu's opinion first.

As his employer, she could have laid down the ground rules for dividing the resources.

But Luo Yu's strength made her wary of being too forceful.

Besides, Luo Yu had already given her a tremendous bargain by letting her have Kamatari.

So she left the decision to him.

"We'll split the Divine Pupil Stones fifty-fifty, as agreed. I don't want the Ao inheritance fragments."

"I want all the White Zetsu inheritance fragments."

This time, Luo Yu did not stand on ceremony. He wanted every last White Zetsu fragment.

He felt he was being quite assertive now.

After all, this concerned both his Wood Release level and Tobi's Wood Release Mastery.

As for the Ao inheritance fragments, their quality was green.

But their effects were rather underwhelming.

Aside from the usual chance of awakening a water nature transformation for chakra and learning some Water Release Ninjutsu,

the most distinctive effect of Ao's fragments was improving a Byakugan Ninja's control over their Byakugan.

They could be considered Divine Pupil Stones that worked only on the Byakugan.

That was why Luo Yu did not particularly care about Ao's fragments.

"I agree!" Xu Ying, however, readily accepted his terms.

She even looked a little delighted.

After dividing the spoils, the two walked out of the cave side by side.

Xu Ying checked the time. "I didn't expect us to finish the mission so quickly."

"The Dimensional Aura has another half hour left."

"I imagine you'll use that time to hunt more Mutant Beasts."

"Let's part ways here, then."

Luo Yu smiled faintly. "Before you go, could you let me see your face?"

"Well..." Xu Ying hesitated for a moment, then said awkwardly, "That would bring you misfortune."

Luo Yu took a deep breath. "All right. Since you have your reasons, I'll just have to keep my curiosity in check."

"I'll head somewhere else to farm inheritance fragments, then. Can't let the Dimensional Aura go to waste."

With that, he parted ways with Xu Ying.

Luo Yu already had an answer in mind as to why Xu Ying would not show her real face.

She was most likely a member of the Su Family who had left the clan for some reason.

There was probably a pair of Byakugan beneath that mask.

She wore the mask and concealed her identity to keep the Su Family from finding her.

Sure enough, people who liked wearing masks always had a story.

Of course, those were Xu Ying's private affairs. Right now, Luo Yu only wanted to place well at the Exchange Meet, then pursue further studies at Imperial Capital University.

It was the institution with the richest cultivation resources in the Land of the Dragon, and its educational resources were formidable.

With the Sharingan's help, he would surely learn more Ninjutsu-and meet a few understanding senior girls along the way.

Walking along a desolate path on Silverwood Peak, Luo Yu opened the Ninja Association app and checked the drops from the peak's Mutant Beasts.

He wanted to collect enough Rock Lee inheritance fragments in the remaining half hour to raise the Eight Gates to the beginner level.

Mutant Beast name: Fighting Rabbit

Quality: gray

Stamina: 100-200

Chakra: 50-100

Drops: Rock Lee's inheritance (fragments)

(For more details about Fighting Rabbits, click this link.)

Luo Yu searched the entire Silverwood Peak bestiary, but this Mutant Beast called the Fighting Rabbit was the only one he found that dropped Rock Lee inheritance fragments.

So he tapped the details link below.

After learning where Fighting Rabbits roamed, Luo Yu set off immediately.

Along the way, he took the opportunity to spend the fifty White Zetsu inheritance fragments he had just obtained.

First came the Advent of a World of Flowering Trees, which required only one fragment.

Wood Release: Cutting Technique level +1!

Luo Yu felt the Hashirama Cells within him stir, and his understanding of how to use the Advent of a World of Flowering Trees deepened.

He could now even control a branch's extension, piercing a target without detaching it from his arm.

At the same time, the branch would grow over a wider area inside the target.

With proper execution, the growth of a single branch could string multiple targets together.

That was a substantial improvement. It had gone straight from ranged single-target control to crowd control.

As expected of noble Wood Release.

After the Advent of a World of Flowering Trees leveled up, its required upgrade materials changed as well.

[Materials required to upgrade Advent of a World of Flowering Trees: White Zetsu's inheritance 0/1]

Good grief!

As expected of a noble two-star Ninjutsu. The upgrade materials had increased tenfold!

But he could afford it!

Without a second thought, Luo Yu chose to upgrade the Advent of a World of Flowering Trees again.

After all, he knew perfectly well how much this technique improved with each upgrade.

Wood Release: Cutting Technique level +1!

As the announcement ended, only thirty-nine White Zetsu inheritance fragments remained.

In return, a flood of insights poured into Luo Yu's mind.

With those insights as a foundation, the improvements to the Advent of a World of Flowering Trees were striking.

First, its range after leaving his hand had increased. Calling it a javelin would be no exaggeration.

Second, the area covered by the branches bursting inside a target had increased again.

Through the resulting chain reaction, he could easily control more enemies from extremely long range.

"Holy crap! An extremely long-range crowd-control skill with explosive damage!"

"If this were in a game, the grass on the designer's grave would probably be thirty feet tall already."

Luo Yu clicked his tongue in amazement.

"This Advent of a World of Flowering Trees really packs a punch!"

Having tasted the benefits, Luo Yu was about to keep upgrading it.

[Materials required to upgrade Advent of a World of Flowering Trees: White Zetsu's inheritance 0/5]

Seeing that the material requirements exceeded his expectations, he immediately gave up.

Better upgrade his trump card, Hell's Turmoil, instead.

Wood Release: Hell's Disorder level +1!

Another ten White Zetsu fragments disappeared.

At the same time, Luo Yu clearly felt his control over the Hashirama Cells grow stronger.

According to the memories he received after the upgrade, he would no longer lose his reason while using Hell's Turmoil.

That would allow him to control how much chakra he consumed.

He would no longer expend it all in one burst of Hell's Turmoil and end up weakened by chakra exhaustion.

Overall, it meant he could last longer.

Moreover, while using Hell's Turmoil, he could direct his Wood Release to concentrate its firepower and deliver more targeted attacks.

He could even control the technique to defend himself.

Calling it a Wood Susanoo would be perfectly fair.