The Grand Luo Insight that Jing Xiu comprehended was divided into two parts: inward observation and outward scenery.
As the saying went, "The human body is a small universe, while the universe is a large world."
"Observe the self inward," to understand every detail of the small universe and use wisdom to pierce through the root of all afflictions.
"Observe the world outward," to grasp the marvels of yin and yang and understand the root of heaven and earth.
With the internal and external fused as one, one transcended the ordinary and became refined.
Under his inward observation, there were shockingly three items within his sea of consciousness, but all three were merely illusory phantoms devoid of any sense of reality.
A sword, a set of armor, and a man-sized urn.
He carefully reached out to sense these three clusters of "illusions," and a wave of sudden enlightenment surged into his heart.
So, these are the three divine artifacts of Hades. The Underworld King's Blade, the Hades Surplice, and the Urn of Life.
After some experimentation, Jing Xiu found that he could not use any of the three, yet even so, he felt no disappointment.
His childish face, calm as an ancient well, once again wore a heartfelt smile.
It was precisely upon seeing this smile back then that Madara Uchiha had resolved to pursue the power to protect his younger brother.
Although I cannot use these three divine artifacts, their existence undoubtedly proves the possibility of my ascending to the Divine Throne of the Underworld.
As the god-king who governed life and death and possessed the power to create and destroy worlds, the divine throne of Hades perfectly matched Jing Xiu's dream of longevity.
Since that is the case, let me first become the Hades of the Shinobi World!
With the hope of longevity, Jing Xiu's cultivation became even more diligent. As the son of the Uchiha Clan Head, although he was not the eldest son and could not inherit the Uchiha Clan in the future, his cultivation resources were never lacking.
Coupled with Madara Uchiha's doting, Jing Xiu no longer needed to be as cautious as before, hiding many cultivation methods from public view.
Not only did he pass down the Baji Fist, the most rigid and fierce of the martial arts, to Madara and Izuna, but he also handed over the Golden Light Mantra, the foundational technique of the Celestial Master Mansion.
Though Madara felt puzzled in his heart, he trusted Jing Xiu just as he trusted himself.
Izuna was even more carefree, completing his coursework every day under Jing Xiu's pressure and coercion.
The massive war between the Uchiha, the Senju, and the Hyuga came to an end due to the raid on Ueno.
Yet the espionage and assassinations between both sides targeting one another never stopped.
"Tennin, please calm down!"
Butsuma Senju pleaded bitterly, finally stopping Hyuga Tennin, who was on the verge of fury, from continuing his outburst.
"Butsuma Senju, the Byakugan of my Uchiha Clan-correction, my Hyuga Clan-has fallen outside. Your Senju Clan must help us track down and retrieve this pair of Byakugan! This was the agreement between our two clans before the war!"
Even though Hyuga Tennin acted aggressively on the surface, in his heart he knew clearer than anyone that the current situation was one where the Hyuga needed the Senju, rather than the Senju needing the Hyuga.
The Senju Clan simply needed an ally to help them share the pressure from the Uchiha, thereby reducing their own clan's casualties in battle.
This ally could be the Hyuga Clan, or the Akimichi Clan, or even the Uzumaki Clan.
"Butsuma, you and I both know the danger if the Main Family's Byakugan remains in the hands of the Uchiha. Once someone in the Uchiha masters it, I'm afraid neither you nor I will gain any advantage on the battlefield!"
Butsuma Senju wore a bitter face, sighing repeatedly without a shred of the demeanor expected of the head of a legendary clan in the Shinobi World.
"I have already negotiated with Uchiha Tajima, and I am willing to return Riverbend Valley and Greenleaf Cliff in exchange for that pair of Hyuga eyes."
Upon hearing this, Hyuga Tennin could not help but feel somewhat moved. The series of conditions he had originally prepared were no longer appropriate to bring up after Butsuma Senju's words.
What he did not know was that Butsuma Senju's willingness to return these two important strategic locations was partly to ransom back the dozens of Senju ninja who had been captured by the Uchiha over the years, and partly to give the Uchiha an opportunity.
The strategic value of these two key locations lay in opening up the territory connecting the Senju and the Hyuga.
Although Butsuma Senju appeared to be helping the Uchiha by taking the initiative to abandon the two strategic points, he was actually doing it to isolate the Hyuga and create an opportunity for the Uchiha to seek revenge against them.
Having fought Uchiha Tajima for over a decade, Butsuma Senju knew Uchiha Tajima's temper all too well.
The Uchiha had suffered such a massive loss this time, losing both their substance and their pride completely.
If they could not get this score back, Uchiha Tajima would no longer be the Uchiha Tajima that Butsuma Senju knew.
Therefore, he was handing such an opportunity to Uchiha Tajima on a silver platter, and the pretext for the negotiation was even delivered right to Butsuma Senju's hands by Hyuga Tennin himself.
He could appease the Hyuga, sit back and watch the tigers fight from atop the mountain, and finally deal a heavy blow to the Uchiha or annex the Hyuga while both sides were exhausted.
How could Butsuma Senju possibly miss out on such a three-birds-one-stone endeavor!
The negotiations proceeded smoothly, but they got stuck on the handover of the Byakugan.
Hyuga Chenxi's corpse had practically turned to charred coal. As the organs with the highest water content in the human body, the eyes were naturally the first to be scorched by the high-temperature lightning current, so no matter how willing Uchiha Tajima was, he had no way to hand over that pair of Byakugan.
Finally, after inspections by several Hyuga elders, it was confirmed that Hyuga Chenxi's Byakugan had indeed been destroyed rather than falling into the hands of savoring Uchiha members, and only then could the armistice agreement proceed to be signed.
After the Uchiha, Senju, and Hyuga ceased hostilities, the Uchiha forces all withdrew to the Naka River clan grounds, holding daily Uchiha Clan assemblies attended by jounin.
"We must make the Senju or the Hyuga pay a price. Today's peace talks are merely a beginning."
Occupying the main seat with an imposing expression, Uchiha Tajima brought up the agenda for this clan assembly.
The Fourth Uchiha Elder felt bitterness in his heart. Although he had been assigned the task of defending the Eight-Banner Plain frontline, the Ueno Camp had been raided after all while he was away. The clan head, who coordinated the overall situation, could not be wrong, so the blame could only fall on him.
He hurriedly echoed Uchiha Tajima, "Clan Head is entirely right!"
"The Senju and the Hyuga are willing to negotiate peace, which shows that they are afraid! They have already begun to dread the power of our Uchiha!"
Due to his age and strength, Jing Xiu was unable to attend the clan assembly. Madara Uchiha, because of his outstanding performance in the Battle of Ueno-displaying strength far surpassing his peers while simultaneously showing care and a sense of responsibility toward the clan-was permitted to sit in and observe.
Therefore, sitting in the audience, he only found it boring and silently practiced the Golden Light Mantra passed down to him by Jing Xiu.
I really don't know where that kid Jing Xiu learned such a marvelous technique. Not only can it strengthen my body, but it can also project golden light outwardly, combining offense and defense.
Whatever! Why am I thinking so much? I just need to know that he is Jing Xiu, my younger brother Madara Uchiha, and that is enough!
Uchiha Tajima originally wanted to hear the opinion of his son, which was to say the Uchiha Young Clan Head, but when he saw Madara closing his eyes and practicing, rage instantly flooded his entire body.
A cold, piercing voice interrupted Madara, who was just entering a state of profound mastery: "Madara! Tell us, how should we deal with the Senju and the Hyuga?"
Madara was slightly startled, the chakra within his body nearly deviating from its pathways and causing him to suffer a cultivation deviation.
He calmed his mind, stabilized his emotions, and slowly finished circulating his technique before standing up unhurriedly.
"Since the Senju and the Hyuga attacked over, we just need to strike back! Naturally, you pick the persimmon that is softest to squeeze!"
Upon hearing Madara's words, although Tajima felt satisfied in his heart, his expression remained as cold as ice: "Madara, you are still far from ready! You need to learn more from your seniors at the clan assembly!"
Hearing this, Madara bowed respectfully while sneering in his heart: A bunch of stubborn old fools. As long as I master sufficient power, where is the need for weaklings to point fingers and dictate terms!
Whether it is the Senju, the Hyuga, or even the entire Shinobi World, they should all crawl prostrate beneath my feet, Madara Uchiha!
After the meeting, returning to his personal courtyard, Madara Uchiha could no longer suppress the anger in his heart.
Seeing his most beloved elder brother return, Izuna originally intended to rush over and demand a "loving hug."
Yet Jing Xiu grabbed Izuna by the back of his neck with a swift catch: "Madara! What is wrong with you today?"
Madara glanced sideways at Jing Xiu and Izuna, the anger on his body also dissipating by more than half: "You brat, you should call me Elder Brother! Did you remember that?"