Making the semifinals counts as success

Early the next morning, a delivery guy employed by the Ninja Association knocked on the door.

Three beverage cartons sat at his feet, printed with images of bottled dimensional aura.

"Are you Lord Luo Yu?"

Luo Yu nodded politely. "That's me. Thanks for your hard work."

Seeing that Luo Yu was actually several years younger than him, the delivery guy looked surprised.

He was already a Genin at such a young age-and a silver Genin whose rank carried real weight.

As expected, being a Ninja really came down to talent.

"Here's your dimensional aura. Please sign for it."

After signing his name, Luo Yu carried the three stacked cartons of dimensional aura inside.

"Enjoy." With that, the delivery guy hurried away.

Setting the three cartons of dimensional aura in the spare room they used for storage, Luo Yu looked toward Luo Qingyu, who was making breakfast in the kitchen.

"Sis, those three cartons in the storeroom contain dimensional aura. Don't mistake them for drinks."

Luo Qingyu rolled her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"You're seriously underestimating your big sister. I can tell dimensional aura apart from ordinary drinks."

"Good." Luo Yu nodded in relief.

Before long, breakfast was ready.

Luo Yu sat at the dining table, happily drinking the fresh milk his sister had heated for him.

He had to admit, milk prepared by his sister really did taste delicious.

While Luo Yu was enjoying breakfast, his phone rang.

Seeing President Bai's name on the caller ID, Luo Yu answered immediately.

"Yu, I hear you've passed your Genin certification? Congratulations."

Luo Yu smiled calmly. "President Bai! I was just about to call you."

On the other end, President Bai chuckled. "About registering for the Exchange Meet, right?"

Luo Yu nodded slightly. "Exactly. I'm determined to win this Exchange Meet."

President Bai nodded cheerfully. "Fair enough. Even Zhao Hai isn't your match, so you certainly have a chance of placing well."

"But don't put too much pressure on yourself."

"You're practically unbeatable among your peers, but the Exchange Meet is packed with experts, including quite a few Chunin."

"They're all talented young people who've risen to prominence over the past few years."

"With that gap in rank, you won't have the advantage anymore."

"But your real advantage is your youth."

"With your talent, I'm sure you'll become a Chunin in another three or four years."

"When that happens, the Exchange Meet will be yours to dominate."

"So this year, just focus on participating."

After hearing him out, Luo Yu smiled slightly. "Making the semifinals counts as success."

President Bai's mouth twitched at that.

Were all young people this cocky nowadays?

The City Exchange Meet for third-tier cities brought together five neighboring third-tier cities.

That meant there were twenty or thirty Chunin alone.

Never mind the semifinals-even making the quarterfinals would be difficult.

But then President Bai reconsidered.

Luo Yu had recently learned the Eight Gates, though he had only opened the first gate.

Still, doubling his strength and speed would greatly narrow the gap between a Genin and a Chunin.

Besides, he had mastered powerful Wood Release Ninjutsu and had the Mangekyō Sharingan as his trump card.

He and Old Jiang had kept a tight lid on all that information. Old Man Luo had only managed to uncover Luo Yu's outstanding talent for Fire Release.

Passing such incomplete information on to others might actually hurt them by leading them astray.

Looking at it that way, he really did have a shot at the semifinals.

Winning the championship, however, would be much harder.

After all, those who reached the finals each year were the best among their peers and inevitably had their own unique strengths.

A green legacy, or even a blue inheritance, was standard for them.

"You youngsters certainly have drive. We old fellows can't compete anymore-we don't even have that kind of confidence when we speak."

President Bai shook his head.

"Anyway, I've already registered you for the Exchange Meet. Remember to come to the Secret Realm Transfer Station at nine in the morning two days from now."

Hearing that, Luo Yu asked curiously, "The Secret Realm Transfer Station in Jiang Li?"

"Is this year's Exchange Meet being held in Jiang Li?"

He asked because the Exchange Meet involved several cities, after all.

He had to make sure which city would be hosting it.

"No, it'll take place in a Secret Realm specifically used for the Exchange Meet."

President Bai explained.

"Wouldn't that waste a lot of dimensional aura?" Luo Yu's blood pressure shot up.

He was still in the early stages of grinding his way up, and dimensional aura was indispensable.

"That place is just like the Trial Grounds."

"It's a Secret Realm the Association created specifically for events like this. Unlike Secret Realms from otherworldly planes, it doesn't require any dimensional aura."

"That's a relief."

After hearing President Bai's explanation, Luo Yu's blood pressure dropped again.

"In any case, spend these next two days getting ready and aim for a good placing at the Exchange Meet."

"That way, you'll get a bigger share of the resources in the prize pool."

After a little more idle chatter, Luo Yu hung up.

He polished off his breakfast, then headed enthusiastically to the Secret Realm Transfer Station to farm inheritance fragments.

After all, he had already talked big, so he had to make the most of these next few days.

He teleported to another Genin-level Secret Realm in Jiang Li.

Eaglewind Territory.

Luo Yu had done his research the night before. The mutant beasts found in Eaglewind Territory would let him farm both White Zetsu fragments and Rock Lee fragments.

So he went straight to Eaglewind Territory and happily began grinding away.

Under the extremely long-range, wide-area attacks of his Proficient Level Advent of a World of Flowering Trees,

any Genin-level mutant beast that showed itself was immediately killed by a tree branch from a hundred meters away.

Unfortunately, the drop rate for white fragments from Genin-level mutant beasts was downright depressing.

He spent six hours in Eaglewind Territory, consuming quite a bit of dimensional aura.

All Luo Yu gained was thirteen Rock Lee fragments, along with enough White Zetsu fragments to bring his remaining twenty-four up to fifty.

First, he upgraded Advent of a World of Flowering Trees, and all his White Zetsu fragments vanished.

Wood Release: Cutting Technique level +1!

Luo Yu felt his understanding of Advent of a World of Flowering Trees deepen.

He was confident that, with fine control, he could continuously release numerous wooden projectiles from his body, precisely blanketing his target area like a rain of arrows.

Of course, firing Advent of a World of Flowering Trees like a rain of arrows would reduce the wood's explosive power to a minimum.

In the original, White Mask Obito: Super had used Advent of a World of Flowering Trees at this level to finish off Neji.

With Wood Release this powerful, wouldn't he slaughter the competition at the Exchange Meet?

Luo Yu suddenly felt that the tedious six-hour cycle of searching for White Zetsu and killing him had been worth the effort.

Next, he hurriedly upgraded Leaf Strong Whirlwind twice in succession.

Reaching level two required one Rock Lee inheritance fragment, while reaching level three required a complete Rock Lee inheritance.

Eleven Rock Lee inheritance fragments vanished.

Leaf Strong Whirlwind level +2!

The next instant, more techniques for Leaf Strong Whirlwind appeared in Luo Yu's mind.

Now, he could not only perform Leaf Strong Whirlwind and unleash its three-kick sequence,

but also concentrate the chakra in his body into both legs to the greatest possible extent.

That would increase the power of his kicks.