At the Senju Clan Compound, scenes from the battle on the day of the clan massacre often replayed in Tsubasa's mind. Every true powerhouse had their own special moves. Tobirama Senju appeared and vanished without a trace, producing one forbidden technique after another. Mito Uzumaki's Nine-Tails Mode and Adamantine Sealing Chains gave her both offense and defense. His grandfather Senju Yasuhei's hidden weapons struck with immense force, flew as fast as meteors, and were as numerous as stars. He was practically a natural disaster. His master Hashirama Senju's combination of Senjutsu and Wood Release was even more invincible. The greatest powerhouses all made the most of their strengths. What unique strengths did he have?
Tsubasa thought of Immortal Cultivation. It was his unique path, one that set him apart from the Shinobi World. He had to perfect that path and make something of his Qi Refining. So, before dawn each day, Tsubasa found a quiet spot on the mountain behind the clan compound and prepared to absorb the natural power of heaven and earth, refine Chakra, and fuse the two together to accumulate Spiritual Qi.
Standing on a stone platform at the mountain's summit, surrounded by lush vegetation and fresh air, he sensed that there was twice as much Spiritual Qi here as in the Senju Clan Compound? He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, feeling the breeze brush gently against his cheeks. Slowly, he entered a state of empty tranquility and sensed the faint, lively water and earth Spiritual Qi in the air. Like countless flickering specks of light, it drifted around him. At first, the specks were like mischievous children and paid him no heed. The harder he tried to catch them, the faster they fled. But Tsubasa had experience dealing with them. He calmed his mind, focused on communicating with them, and guided the Spiritual Qi toward himself bit by bit. It was as though he were gently drawing them over with an invisible thread. Gradually, the Spiritual Qi began to gather, entering his body through his mouth, nose, and pores. It was cool and tingling, with an indescribably refreshing quality.
As more and more of the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth entered his body, it was at first like a pack of little wild beasts charging about. Without his spiritual power to guide it, it crashed around inside his meridians. Tsubasa knew it was time to begin refining the Spiritual Qi and fusing it with his physical and spiritual power. He engaged the muscles throughout his body, tensing and relaxing them. Each time he exerted himself, he could feel the power contained in his muscles being unleashed. At the same time, he separated a portion of his spiritual power in his mind, divided it into 9,999 parts, and merged them into his physical power to form Chakra energy. He then circulated it once through particular meridians in his body before fusing the Chakra energy with the energy of heaven and earth. Nourished by that energy, the Spiritual Qi was like a blazing flame that burned ever brighter. Like iron filings being drawn in, the physical and spiritual power surged toward the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth that had entered his body and fused with it.
The initial fusion was far from easy. His physical and spiritual power were like two fellows who refused to back down, repelling the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth. Tsubasa broke out in a cold sweat from the pain, feeling as though several knives were churning inside his body. But he gritted his teeth and endured, constantly adjusting the fusion and transformation of the three powers. Slowly, they began to blend. The Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth wrapped around his physical and spiritual power like a ball of energy, constantly spinning and compressing. In the process, the Spiritual Qi continually devoured the physical and spiritual power and became purer and purer, transforming into Tsubasa's own unique water and earth Spiritual Qi with a hint of the wood attribute.
Next, Tsubasa carefully guided the condensed water and earth Spiritual Qi toward his qi sea. The qi sea was like a mysterious space inside his body, empty and waiting to be filled. As soon as the water and earth Spiritual Qi entered it, the qi began to accumulate like drops of water joining the ocean. As his qi sea slowly filled, Tsubasa could feel his power steadily increasing. The feeling of fullness filled him with confidence.
Once his qi sea had accumulated enough water and earth Spiritual Qi, Tsubasa began the next step-guiding it through the meridians throughout his body. He first directed it into the yang heel vessel in his leg, a meridian that ran up the outside of the lower limb. As soon as the Spiritual Qi entered, it flowed slowly like a warm current, bathing the meridian in warmth wherever it passed. But at first, in places where Spiritual Qi was flowing for the first time, the passage seemed blocked. The qi flowed especially slowly, even coming to a standstill. Tsubasa concentrated and increased the output of Spiritual Qi, striking the blocked places bit by bit. It was like using a small hammer to knock away stubborn obstacles, blow by blow. With a soft pop, the blockage gave way, and the Spiritual Qi flowed smoothly through the yang heel vessel before entering the foot taiyang bladder meridian.
The foot taiyang bladder meridian ran along the back of the human body. It was very long and had many acupoints. As the Spiritual Qi flowed through it, Tsubasa felt a tingling sensation in his back, followed by a surge of heat. Following the Qi Refining method, he passed through the jingming, cuanzhu, and meichong acupoints in order. Each acupoint felt as though it had been activated as the qi passed through, giving off a power that resonated with the Spiritual Qi. When the qi flowed through the weizhong acupoint, he felt the strength in his legs increase instantly, as though he had energy to spare.
After leaving the foot taiyang bladder meridian, the Spiritual Qi flowed into the governing vessel. Located along the center of the back, the governing vessel was the sea of yang meridians. As soon as the Spiritual Qi entered it, it was as though it had found its home, flowing rapidly upward. As it passed through the mingmen acupoint, Tsubasa felt a powerful force surge from his dantian. This force blended with the Spiritual Qi, making his body even more stable. The Spiritual Qi then passed through the dazhui acupoint and rushed toward the baihui acupoint. The moment it reached baihui, Tsubasa felt as though a beam of light had struck the top of his head. His vision brightened, and his whole being felt refreshed.
After leaving the baihui acupoint, the Spiritual Qi began descending along the meridians in his head and flowed into the conception vessel. The conception vessel ran along the center of the front of the body and was the sea of yin meridians. As the Spiritual Qi flowed through it, it seemed to nourish his internal organs. When it passed through the danzhong acupoint, Tsubasa felt his heart and mind open up, and his breathing became easier. Finally, the Spiritual Qi flowed into his qi sea, completing a full circulation. Another ball of the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth unique to Tsubasa had appeared in his qihai acupoint. In just seven days, Tsubasa had opened the acupoints along the full circuit, allowing the Spiritual Qi to form an internal cycle.
On the stone platform on the mountain, six-year-old Tsubasa sat cross-legged, his brow furrowed tightly, yet a burning light shone in his eyes. He stared intently at the chart of Immortal Cultivation realms in his hand, which he had compiled from the cultivation novels he had read in his previous life. With no one to guide his Immortal Cultivation, he would follow what was written on it.
"When Spiritual Qi turns to liquid, that's Foundation Establishment. The liquid condenses into a Golden Core, the Golden Core becomes a Nascent Soul, Nascent Soul is followed by Soul Formation, Soul Formation by Void Return, Void Return by Dao Integration, and Dao Integration by Tribulation Transcendence." As Tsubasa murmured, he unconsciously licked his dry lips, his face full of fascination, as though those profound realms were already within reach. "But right now, I'm the only immortal cultivator in this world. There's no way to tell what realm I've reached. Sigh!" He sighed softly, a trace of helplessness crossing his face.
But that helplessness was quickly replaced by determination. Tsubasa clenched both fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "Never mind that! I'm at the Qi Refining Stage now, so I'll do everything I can to increase my Spiritual Qi. Once it fills my whole body, I'll find a way to condense it into liquid and break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm!" At that thought, Tsubasa's eyes lit up, and a hopeful smile appeared on his face, as though he could already see the moment he succeeded in establishing his foundation.
Gradually, Tsubasa's thoughts drifted far away, and he imagined the day he would transcend his tribulation and ascend. His smile grew brighter, the corners of his mouth lifting unconsciously as his eyes narrowed slightly, full of longing and anticipation. "When that day comes, I'll make sure everyone knows my name, Tsubasa!" he murmured, his voice trembling slightly with mingled excitement and exhilaration.
Tsubasa abruptly opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly raised both hands, beginning to circulate the Spiritual Qi inside him. His eyes were full of determination, as though this mountain were his battlefield and he was fighting his way toward the pinnacle of Immortal Cultivation. Even if the road ahead was long and full of unknowns and dangers, he would not retreat, because Immortal Cultivation had already become the sole belief in his life.
And so, Tsubasa repeated these refining steps three times a day, once each morning, noon, and evening. He continuously absorbed the natural power of heaven and earth, transformed it, and accumulated water and earth Spiritual Qi. Then he sent the Spiritual Qi through the meridians of his entire body, forming a complete cycle. As time passed, he could clearly feel his strength rising rapidly, his qi sea growing fuller and his meridians becoming tougher. He knew he was advancing toward a higher realm.