Within the Cavern of Echoes, time seemed to have lost its meaning.
Shira stood in the center of the jade cave hall, which was filled with a faint blue-gold light, and bowed deeply to the figure sitting quietly beside the low table.
"Four years of teaching, a life-saving grace, will be forever forgotten by Shira."
His voice was steady, the youthful clarity gone, replaced by a solidity honed over the years.
Qinglin was still dressed in a light blue dress, her face lightly covered by a veil, her amber eyes calm and undisturbed.
She looked at the young man before her, who had undergone a complete transformation. Four years had etched upon him a rock-like resilience and the sharp edges honed by wind and sand. His aura was restrained, yet subtly resonated with the surrounding earth's energy.
It's just cause and effect.
Qinglin's voice remained clear and ethereal, devoid of emotion, "Your disturbance of the Heart of the Bedrock was the cause, my saving you and keeping you is the effect. You overcame the trials by your own will, that is your result. Now that your foundation is established, you can choose your own path, which is also a cycle of cause and effect."
She slightly raised her slender fingers, and a hazy blue halo emerged from her fingertips, slowly drifting towards the Shira.
Within the halo, a tiny, dazzlingly complex pale blue rune could be faintly seen, slowly rotating and emanating an aura that subtly resonated with the cave vein.
"Your earthly ties are not yet severed; you have your own path to follow."
Qinglin said slowly, "However, since you have already been drawn into the cause and effect of the Heart of the Bedrock, it will be difficult for you to completely extricate yourself. Keep this ' Wind Breath Seal ' safe. It is neither a gift to you nor a bond to you."
"It serves as a beacon, and also a promise. When the feng shui and fortune of this place shift to a certain time, or when the Heart of the Bedrock stirs again, this seal will respond."
"If you are still here at that time and have the necessary qualifications, you may use this seal as a guide to return here. There is something that may require your assistance. This matter concerns the long-term stability of the earth's veins here, and may also involve your own path."
"You will know the specifics when the time comes. I am telling you now so that you are aware that this cause and effect is not yet over."
Shira stretched out her hand, and the cyan halo landed lightly in her palm. It felt slightly cool and then disappeared into her skin, leaving only a very faint cyan line on the inside of her wrist, almost imperceptible if not looked closely, shaped like a cloud being blown by the wind.
He felt no discomfort or power enhancement, but he vaguely felt that there was an extremely subtle and indescribable connection between himself and the earth beneath his feet, and between himself and the deep Heart of the Bedrock.
"I will remember this."
Shira didn't ask any further questions and solemnly agreed. The fate of immortals is unpredictable, and the cause and effect are hard to understand. Since she has received such a great favor, it is only right that she repay it in the future.
This Wind Breath Seal is less a burden and more a connection, linking the experiences of the past four years with the unpredictable future.
"Go." Qinglin waved his sleeve lightly, saying no more.
Shira gave a final bow, turned around, and walked out of the cave.
This time, it was no longer the bewilderment of four years ago when I was seriously injured and on the verge of death, with an uncertain future. Instead, I was walking with firm steps and a clear goal.
Stepping out of the Cavern of Echoes, it was early morning. A brisk, dry border wind swept over me, carrying the familiar scent of sand.
Shira took a deep breath, and the free air he had been away from for four years filled his lungs, giving him a feeling of being in another world.
He glanced back at the seemingly ordinary yet profoundly mysterious mountain wall, knowing that Immortal Qinglin had probably returned to the depths of the earth's veins or was hidden in the wind.
This parting is now, and I don't know when we'll meet again.
Without further hesitation, Shira determined the direction; it was southwest of Sunagakure. Eager to return home, her longing surged like a tidal wave.
Faces flashed through my mind.
He wanted to see them immediately!
With a thought, the energy within his body suddenly surged, deep and powerful.
Four years of arduous training, countless brushes with death, and the foundation rebuilt amidst the erosion of Natural Energy —all of this is being released without reservation at this moment!
Seven Heavens Breathing Method - Third Activation - Open!
There was no earth-shattering roar, no violent outburst of Chakra. But the air within a radius of several meters centered on Shira suddenly dropped and solidified!
The air wasn't sucked out, but rather it seemed to be forcibly compressed and bound by an invisible force, forming a brief but stable high-density airspace!
The sand beneath Shira's feet silently sank, forming a shallow pit with smooth edges.
The air around him distorted slightly, and the light refracted as it passed through, making his figure appear somewhat blurry. Beneath his skin, faint, bluish-gold veins, flickering like breath, flashed by—a radiance closer to the fusion of Natural Energy and life essence.
An invisible pressure, heavy, concentrated, and brimming with surging life force, naturally emanated.
The "momentum" naturally present in this body's Third Activation state made even the sound of the wind seem weaker, and several Sasori panicked and crawled out from the nearby crevices, desperately fleeing into the distance.
The next moment, Shira moved.
Without a running start, the ground beneath his feet, which had already sunk, suddenly trembled as if struck by a meteorite, creating a ring of air and dust!
But he had already vanished from the spot.
boom--!
It wasn't a sonic boom, but a dull rumble, purely from the physical body breaking through the limits of air speed! A blurry gray shadow, with a speed far beyond what ordinary ninjas could imagine, tore through the thin air of the border morning and shot towards the direction of Sunagakure!
Wherever it passed, the air behind it was violently churned, leaving a long, swirling, and twisted white trail of air, as if cleaved by an invisible blade, that lingered for a long time.
The sand and gravel on the ground were whipped up by the violent airflow, forming a low, fast-moving earthen dragon that followed closely behind.
It was moving too fast! So fast that the naked eye could barely detect its exact trajectory; all that could be seen was a blur that tore through the field of vision and a terrifying trail in the air!
This is a pure manifestation of physical strength and speed, a terrifying leap in function brought about by the Third Activation superimposed with four years of Natural Energy refinement and the opening of internal energy channels through the Wind Xun Breathing Method!
Shira felt as if she had turned into the wind, no, even faster than the wind! The scenery on both sides rushed past wildly, blurring into a flowing mass of color.
The strong wind lashed against his face, but it was naturally deflected by the solid aura surrounding him, unable to affect him in the slightest. His heart and lungs pounded powerfully, providing a continuous source of power for his overworked body.
He didn't use any fancy footwork, just the simplest straight-line dash, but with each step, he precisely landed at the optimal point of force exertion between the airflow and the ground, using the recoil to gain a new burst of acceleration.
Eager to return home, unleashing all our strength!
He wanted to return to the village he had left four years ago, the village he longed for, as quickly as possible!
The outline of Sunagakure was already in sight. The familiar gray-yellow buildings radiated heat under the blazing afternoon sun.
The towering watchtower and tightly closed gate at the village entrance became increasingly clear.
Shira was excited and increased her speed instead of decreasing it, preparing to slow down at a suitable distance outside the village entrance to avoid disturbing the village.
However, he may have underestimated the "momentum" he was exuding at full speed without restraint, and the impact of the terrifying scene behind him, which resembled a natural disaster, on ordinary ninjas.
On the watchtower at the village entrance, two somewhat weary Chunin, who were on duty, yawned almost simultaneously, rubbed their eyes which were fogged up by the sandstorm, and casually glanced at the empty Gobi Desert outside the village.
In that one glance, the two froze instantly, half-finished yawns stuck in their throats, their eyes widened, and their pupils contracted sharply!
Um??
On the distant horizon, a billowing, yellowish-brown plume of dust, resembling the head of a sandstorm, was hurtling toward the village entrance at an astonishing speed!
At the forefront of the smoke and dust, the air distorted violently, and a blurry shadow moved so fast that it was just a streak of light! What made their scalps tingle even more was that, even from this distance, a heavy, oppressive, and terrifying aura full of wild power had already crashed onto the defensive barrier at the village entrance like a tangible tsunami, causing the barrier's light screen to ripple abnormally and violently!
"Enemy... Enemy attack?!!"
"What... is that?!"
"So fast! What a terrifying aura!"
"Sound the alarm! High alert! Quickly!!"
There was absolutely no need for Shira to offer any explanation or to stop.
When he was still several miles away from the village entrance, the extremely shrill alarm shattered the afternoon tranquility of Sunagakure and resounded through the sky!
"Waaaaah--!!!"
Highest level intrusion alarm! Light flashed on the watchtower, and huge defensive Ninjutsu runes shone brightly on the village gate and rock walls.
Several figures from the Anbu, whose skills were noticeably more agile, sprang out from every corner of the village like ghosts, instantly occupying the high ground and defensive strongholds at the village entrance.
More Chunin and Special Jōnin, alerted by the alarm, were rapidly gathering at the village entrance, their faces grave, as if facing a formidable enemy.
As Shira moved at high speed, she also heard the piercing alarm and saw the defensive lights that suddenly lit up at the village entrance and a large number of people gathering.
His heart tightened; he knew the misunderstanding was huge, and he quickly began to control his breathing and slow down.
But it seems a little too late.
When he finally came to a steady stop a hundred meters from the tightly closed metal gate of Sunagakure, surrounded by a shocking trail of air and a sky full of dust, carrying a breathtakingly powerful aura.
Now, he faces drawn swords, wielding ninja tools, countless sharp gazes filled with horror, hostility, and high vigilance, and at least three powerful Sunagakure Jonin who have arrived after hearing the news, all locking onto him.
The dust settled slowly, revealing a figure as tall and straight as a spear, surrounded by slightly distorted air, seemingly imbued with terrifying power.
The Sunagakure guarding the village entrance were dumbfounded, their palms sweating as they gripped their weapons. Was this guy a human? Or some kind of humanoid Tailed Beast?!
The commotion, the speed, the momentum...
Looking at the tense, imminent scene before her, Shira opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for words, feeling both amused and exasperated.
He, Sunagakure, Genin from Shira, returned home after four years of training.
The way we went home seemed a bit too elaborate.