Standing amidst the misty air of the Shikkotsu Forest, Tsubasa gazed up at the familiar Katsuyu Sage, his heart filled with unwavering resolve. He had come here solely to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm and seek that sliver of opportunity.
The Katsuyu Sage keenly sensed Tsubasa's presence. Its massive body trembled slightly, and a wave of joy instantly washed over it. Three years of companionship might seem like a fleeting moment in the grand scheme of things, but it had long regarded Tsubasa as its closest kin. The Katsuyu Sage naturally knew of Hashirama Senju's passing; the vicissitudes of the world moved it deeply, and it felt even more heartache for the young man before it. It wriggled its enormous body, softly comforting Tsubasa, trying to ease his gloomy mood.
" Tsubasa, do not grieve too much. The deceased is gone, and you still have your own path to walk." The Katsuyu Sage's voice was as loud as a bell, yet it carried a touch of gentleness.
Tsubasa took a deep breath, calmed himself, and said sincerely, " Sage, I have come here to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. I have heard that you once broke through with a blood-red bead. I wonder if you could take me to the cave where you were born to find it?"
Without the slightest hesitation, the Katsuyu Sage immediately created a clone of himself and said gently, "Of course, child, come with me."
With his clone in front Tsubasa close behind, they stepped into the mysterious cave entrance that had been blocked for so long by the massive body of the Katsuyu Sage. As soon as they entered, a dense, almost tangible, Spiritual Qi rushed towards them. Compared to the outside world, the density of Spiritual Qi here was worlds apart. With each breath, they could feel the Spiritual Qi flowing through their meridians, and their whole body felt comfortable.
The cave was deep and winding, filled with a damp atmosphere. Various strange rocks were in different shapes, some like ferocious beasts, others like agile Asuka, adding to the mystery in the dim light. The path underfoot was rugged and uneven, with frequent forks in the road. If it weren't for the guidance of the Katsuyu clone, Tsubasa would probably have lost his way long ago.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, they finally arrived at a dark red cave. The Spiritual Qi here was even more concentrated, and the cave walls shimmered with strange light, as if countless Xingchen were embedded within them. "Child, this is where I was born. That bead fell from the top of the cave all those years ago," said the Katsuyu clone.
Tsubasa looked up at the cave ceiling, took a deep breath, circulated his Spiritual Power, and lightly touched the ground with his feet, climbing upwards like a black lightning bolt. The cave ceiling was uneven, making it impossible for an ordinary person to climb, but Tsubasa was a ninja, and he stood upside down on the cave ceiling as if he were standing on the ground. He began to carefully search every corner, not letting go of any possibility.
A moment later, a crimson light came into view. In a recess at the top of the cave, a crimson bead was quietly embedded. The bead emitted a strange light, which flickered and danced like a lively flame. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that liquid was flowing inside the bead, and a faint humming sound could be heard, as if telling the secrets of time.
The ore encasing the blood bead was actually Chakra Metal Mother Metal. This rare treasure not only contained powerful Chakra but also resonated with various Spiritual Power, attracting the convergence of Spiritual Qi from heaven and earth, causing Chakra Metal to be born around it. Tsubasa was overjoyed and quickly took out his specially made tools. He carefully chiseled away the mother gold around the groove, each movement extremely cautious, for fear of damaging the precious blood bead.
As the mother metal was gradually chipped away, the blood bead finally appeared completely before his eyes. He took the blood bead, jumped to the ground, and swallowed it whole after receiving confirmation from the Katsuyu clone. The moment he swallowed the blood bead, a powerful yet gentle force instantly surged into his body, merging with his own Spiritual Power. Tsubasa knew that this might be the key to his breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Tsubasa the blood bead containing endless mysteries, Tianyi's heart surged with excitement. Without the slightest hesitation, he put the blood bead into his mouth. Setsuna, a scalding and mellow power rushed down his throat and exploded within his body.
The moment it entered his body, the blood bead was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples. The Spiritual Qi around Tsubasa instantly surged, as if stirred by an invisible hand, rushing wildly towards the power of the blood bead merging into his body. The power of the blood bead was extremely domineering, yet it possessed a unique, gentle rhythm. The two powers, upon first contact, were like a pair of dancers performing their first dance; initially, they were somewhat awkward and stumbled, and the merging process was slow. But as time passed, they gradually found their rhythm.
The spiritual Spiritual Qi accumulated in Tsubasa's Qi Sea, as vast as an ocean, flowed continuously into the power of the Blood Bead. This torrent of Spiritual Qi energy intertwined and collided with the power of the Blood Bead, radiating a strange light. Each fusion was accompanied by a tingling sensation that spread throughout the body, as if every cell in the body was cheering. It was like piecing together countless scattered puzzle pieces into a complete picture; the return of each piece made the picture more perfect, and Tsubasa's power gradually approached perfection in this continuous piecing together.
As the Spiritual Qi continued to merge, the quantitative change led to a qualitative change. The originally vast expanse of spiritual Spiritual Qi began to slowly condense, as if compressed by an invisible pressure. In the end, this Spiritual Qi gathered into a small ball of water emitting a soft light. This was no ordinary water ball; it was the highly concentrated essence of Spiritual Qi — Spiritual Liquid.
The birth of the Spiritual Liquid brought about an unprecedented transformation in Tsubasa's body. He could feel his muscle fibers becoming more resilient, each muscle containing immense power, as if a gentle clench of his fist could shatter a boulder in front of him. His bones were also changing, becoming denser and faintly radiating a metallic luster, full of resilience and strength. His internal organs, as if recast, became more vibrant, each beat and each breath brimming with power.
On a spiritual level, Tsubasa felt his thinking had become clearer than ever before. The previously obscure details of cultivation techniques and complex combat skills now surfaced in his mind and became simple and easy to understand. His perception ability had also greatly improved, and he could detect the slightest fluctuations of Spiritual Power in the surrounding air. He could even accurately track the trajectory of a mosquito flying by.
The changes at the soul level were even more shocking to Tsubasa. He felt as if his soul had broken free from a small body, becoming lighter and stronger. Some of the distracting thoughts and confusions deep in his soul in the past vanished at this moment. He seemed to be able to touch the most essential rules of the world and establish a wonderful connection with the whole world.
A long time passed, and even Tsubasa himself didn't know how much time had gone by. When he finally came to his senses and looked at the ball of Spiritual Liquid in his dantian, he was filled with emotion. He immediately calmed down, sat cross-legged, and circulated the Pure Yang Art, guiding the Spiritual Liquid to flow through his meridians.
As soon as the Spiritual Liquid entered the meridians, it swam joyfully like a nimble fish. Wherever it went, the meridians were nourished and shone brightly. It moved slowly along the meridians, and at each acupoint it passed, one could feel the acupoint trembling slightly, as if cheering for the arrival of the Spiritual Liquid. When the Spiritual Liquid flowed through the dantian, the Spiritual Power seed in the dantian was as if it had been watered with the fountain of life, bursting forth with vigorous vitality.
As the Spiritual Liquid continued its journey, completing a full cycle, Tsubasa felt completely refreshed. Every corner of his body was nourished by the power of the Spiritual Liquid. He could feel his connection with heaven and earth becoming stronger, as if he could draw upon their power at any moment. At this moment, he was no longer the boy who had been struggling to break through, but a powerful being who had emerged from his cocoon, taking a solid step on the path of Immortal Cultivation and becoming a legendary Foundation Establishment Realm expert.
Tsubasa successfully broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. The feeling was like leaping from a narrow stream into a vast, boundless ocean—he felt incredibly exhilarated. He couldn't help but clench his fists, feeling the surging power within him. A smile played on his lips as he thought gleefully, "Now, I could easily defeat a hundred of my former self!"
The biggest change, and the one that surprised him the most, was the enhancement of his Sage Body. The Perfect Sage Body, a renowned Kekkei Genkai in Naruto, had already made him quite strong before, but compared to now, it was a world of difference. He estimated that with his current defense, ordinary weapons probably couldn't even scratch his skin. Unconvinced, he took a weapon from the sealing scroll and forcefully slashed it against his hand. With a "whoosh," a red mark appeared on his hand, but upon closer inspection, it hadn't broken the skin at all; it was like a mere tickle.
"Hey, it actually works!" Tsubasa was incredibly excited, but he wanted to try something even more powerful. He then pulled out a divine weapon forged from Chakra Metal. This thing was extraordinary; it could cut through iron like mud, and most people would handle it with extreme care. Tsubasa infused it with Spiritual Qi and slashed it fiercely at his arm. This time, he finally managed to cut a gash in his arm. But before he could even see what the blood looked like, something miraculous happened: the wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if the cut had never existed at all.
"Wow! This recovery ability is incredible!" Tsubasa couldn't help but exclaim in amazement. Before he could finish his exclamation, he thought of his mental power. So, he quickly closed his eyes, entered a state of emptiness, and released his mental power all at once. This release was extraordinary; he felt his consciousness become an invisible net, instantly covering an area of ten miles. Nothing, not even the textures of flowers and plants, could escape his "perception."
"Goodness, this mental power is ten times stronger than before!" Tsubasa exclaimed inwardly. His mental power wasn't this strong before; he was lucky if he could sense a distance of one mile. Now, it had expanded to ten miles—the difference was incomparable. He tried to use his mental power to touch the things around him, and it was as if countless invisible hands were gently caressing the world. He could feel the gentle breeze rustling through the leaves, and he could use his mental power to pick up stones on the ground. He could even clearly sense the minerals in the mountains.
Tsubasa stood firmly, radiating an aura completely different from before. "Having broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, now, the number of people in the entire Shinobi World who can rival me can probably be counted on one hand!" Thinking of this, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a confident smile.
In his mind, images of powerful figures who could be considered his rivals flashed by. "My master and mistress in their prime, and Master Madara, they would definitely be qualified to fight me. I know their strength better than anyone, especially Hashirama Senju, whose Senjutsu Mode combined with Wood Release Ninjutsu was unparalleled. Master Madara's Susanoo is incredibly imposing. I wonder if he has awakened his Rinnegan yet. Fighting them would be absolutely exhilarating!" His eyes gleamed with excitement; he was filled with anticipation for a duel with such powerful figures.
"There's also the Might lineage, who can open Eight Gates. Although they usually keep a low profile, once they open Eight Gates, their explosive power is terrifying. Their strength skyrockets instantly, and even space seems to shatter from their aura. Such opponents are definitely not to be underestimated." Tsubasa frowned slightly, his expression becoming serious, fully affirming the strength of the Might lineage.
" The White Snake Sage of Ryūchi Cave, the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, and the Katsuyu Sage —they are all veteran powerhouses in the Shinobi World, with long years of cultivation, accumulating profound knowledge, and mastering various mysterious Senjutsu. Any one of them would be a match for me." Tsubasa recalled his past encounters with these Sage while silently assessing their strength in his mind.
"As for the Sage of Six Paths of the Pure Land, he is a legend in the Shinobi World. He created the Ninshu and laid the foundation for the entire Shinobi World. His strength is unfathomable. There is also Princess Kaguya, who is sealed away. As the Progenitor of Chakra, her power is beyond imagination. If she were to be unsealed, the entire world could be plunged into crisis. And then there are the mysterious Black Zetsu and the Death God Jashin. Although little is known about them, their strength is certainly extraordinary." Thinking of these things, Tsubasa took a deep breath, and a sense of awe welled up in his heart.
The stronger he became, the more cautious Tsubasa grew. The Shinobi World seemed peaceful on the surface, but beneath the surface, currents were turbulent, and danger lurked everywhere. He repeatedly told himself that he needed to return to his village to check on his family and the Shinobi World, and whether war had broken out.