Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 226 Teachings

In the dimly lit meditation room, Hyuga Kanan sat quietly on a futon, his eyes closed, intently sensing the various world rules and powers within the surrounding space. A faint spiritual light emanated from him, resonating with the power of the world rules around him, as if they were one. After a long period of effort and cultivation, he had finally completed all the preparations needed to break through to the Golden Core realm. Now, he only needed to continuously compress and refine the energy vortex within his dantian, ultimately transforming it into a true Golden Core.

Hyuga Kanan took a deep breath, slowly opened his eyes, a hint of confidence and anticipation flashing within them. He already sensed that he was only one step away from breaking through; if he persisted for a little longer, he would successfully step into the Golden Core realm. However, he knew that this final step was crucial; the slightest carelessness could undo all his previous efforts. Therefore, he had to remain calm and be in the best possible condition to face the challenge of breaking through.

After exhaling a deep breath, Hyuga Kanan stood up and began to stretch his body. He gently stretched his limbs, feeling the surging power within him. At this moment, he was in a wondrous state, on the verge of a breakthrough, but he also understood that this state was extremely fragile and could dissipate at the slightest carelessness. Therefore, he needed to adjust his mindset as soon as possible and make full preparations for the upcoming breakthrough.

Hyuga Kanan slowly emerged from his secluded training room and headed towards the training grounds. He had been in seclusion for over a month, and he felt it necessary to check on the progress of his only disciple—Hyuga Neji's—training.

Before going into seclusion, he already knew that the other party had almost completed the Body Refinement Realm cultivation, and that his body was now fully adapted to the fusion with natural energy, no longer suffering from its negative effects. This laid a solid foundation for his perfect breakthrough to the Qi Refinement Realm. It must be said that Hyuga Neji was not only exceptionally talented, but his mindset and personality were also perfectly suited for cultivation.

For Hyuga Kanan, this disciple truly pleased him greatly. Although there were many other outstanding geniuses in the ninja world, he didn't pay much attention to them. After all, he himself was an exceptionally strong ninja, so he focused more on nurturing those with genuine potential. Hyuga Neji was one of them, and he believed that given enough time and resources, he would definitely become an outstanding ninja in the future.

On his way to the training ground, Hyuga Kanan thought to himself, "I hope I can see more surprises from Neji!" At the same time, he looked forward to Neji's future performance and hoped that he could achieve greater success on his training path.

When they arrived at the training ground, they saw Hyuga Neji still meticulously completing the most basic training, and several Hyuga clan children were also practicing Gentle Fist not far away.

In fact, judging by their current strength levels, Hyuga Neji is even inferior to the younger Hyuga clan children. These children received early instruction in chakra refinement and continuously practiced the Daoist Subduing Demon Fist taught by Hyuga Kanan to temper their bodies, filling them with unparalleled energy, and naturally making their chakra exceptionally powerful. In contrast, Hyuga Neji, having remained in the Body Refinement stage, has not stored any energy within his body, thus appearing powerless.

However, as Hyuga Kanan's only disciple, despite his burning desire to improve his strength, he chose to follow Kanan's teachings and resolutely refused to rely on chakra refinement to enhance his power. He firmly believed that Kanan's request must have a reasonable reason and goal. Although he was not satisfied with his current strength, out of trust in Kanan and respect for his teachings, he persisted in performing even the most basic training.

Although the surrounding members of the Hyuga clan didn't understand why Hyuga Kanan insisted on not allowing Hyuga Neji, a child who had shown extraordinary talent from a young age, to refine chakra, they still respected Hyuga Kanan's only disciple, even though he was far from being a genin. They knew that Hyuga Kanan's decision must have its reasons, so they didn't say anything more.

However, even so, it couldn't dispel the deep-seated doubts and dissatisfaction in Hyuga Neji's heart. Although he felt his development was being limited, he still firmly believed that his teacher must have some purpose in making such demands. Therefore, the only thing he could do now was to work even harder to complete the training tasks set by Hyuga Kanan, striving to raise his strength to a level comparable to that of the other Hyuga clan members as soon as possible.

At this moment, Hyuga Kanan, who was walking slowly towards him, was very satisfied with Hyuga Neji's attitude. Although the child showed some impatience, he did not stop training because of it. With such a mindset, it is possible to go further on the lonely and solitary path of training, and the achievements he can make in the future will naturally be greater.

The sun shone brightly, and a gentle breeze blew. Hyuga Kanan stood not far from Hyuga Neji, his gaze fixed intently on Neji's focused training. Sweat dripped from his forehead, soaking his clothes, but Neji's movements showed no sign of slackening; every action displayed tenacity and perseverance.

Hyuga Kanan observed quietly, a sense of satisfaction welling up within him. He knew that the young man before him was striving for a higher realm, and this was precisely what he had hoped to see. Therefore, he silently mobilized his divine sense, beginning to carefully scan Hyuga Neji's body. He needed to understand the other's physical and spiritual condition in order to better guide his cultivation path.

As his divine sense penetrated deeper, Hyuga Kanan could clearly sense the power contained within Hyuga Neji's body. He discovered that, after a long period of training, Hyuga Neji's physical attributes had reached the pinnacle of the Body Refinement stage. This meant that he was ready to take the next step, enter the Qi Refinement stage, and officially join the ranks of cultivators.

Under Kanan's watchful gaze, Neji continued his relentless training. His movements grew faster and stronger, as if releasing his inner passion and determination. Kanan silently watched over him, anticipating the moment Neji would break through his limits and realize his dream.

Finally, Hyuga Neji stopped what he was doing. He took a deep breath and gazed resolutely into the distance. At that moment, he felt a powerful aura surging within him; he knew this was the sign his teacher had told him of when his foundation was complete. He knew he was only one step away from becoming a true cultivator.

Hyuga Kanan walked up to Hyuga Neji, smiled, and patted him on the shoulder: "Well done, Neji. Your efforts have paid off. Now, you have the strength to advance to the Qi Refining stage. But remember, the path of cultivation is long and arduous, requiring constant effort and perseverance."

Neji Hyuga nodded gratefully. He understood that without Kanan Hyuga's guidance and support, he could not have made such remarkable progress. He decided to continue to uphold this belief and perseverance, pursuing even greater heights.

Hyuga Kanan gave a slight beckoning gesture, indicating that Hyuga Neji should follow him, then turned and walked towards his secluded training area. Although Hyuga Neji was puzzled, he didn't ask any questions and strode after him. A group of children remained in the training ground, whispering amongst themselves. They were curious about what had happened and why the usually strict Hyuga Kanan had suddenly called Hyuga Neji away. Soon, the two arrived at Hyuga Kanan's secluded training room.

Hyuga Neji curiously surveyed his surroundings, his eyes filled with wonder. This was his first time entering Hyuga Kanan's secluded training chamber. Upon entering, he found the layout unusually simple, almost devoid of decorations, containing only a stone bed and a futon. However, both the walls and floor were covered with dense, mysterious patterns, clearly some kind of barrier technique. But what surprised Hyuga Neji most was the faint mist permeating the room. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that this mist wasn't real mist, but rather a condensation of dense natural energy. Even Hyuga Neji could easily sense this level of natural energy.

As soon as Hyuga Neji entered the secret chamber, he felt a powerful natural energy surrounding him. His body cells seemed to be awakened, becoming unusually active. The fatigue he had felt from forging quickly dissipated, replaced by an unprecedented comfort and ease.

As time went on, his body became increasingly active, every cell brimming with power like a burning flame. This feeling astonished him, for he had never experienced such a powerful physical response before.

At that moment, he realized that the natural energy in this secret room was a huge opportunity for him. So he closed his eyes, focused on feeling the changes within his body, and tried to find a way to communicate with the natural energy.

When he calmed down, he found himself able to perceive the flow of natural energy around him more acutely. He could clearly feel this energy flowing into his body from all directions, nourishing every cell. In this process, his spirit became more invigorated, and his thinking became more agile.

However, he knew that truly mastering these natural energies would require much more effort and practice. But at this moment, he saw a glimmer of hope and believed that as long as he persevered, he would surely achieve his goal.

Looking at Hyuga Neji's joyful expression, Hyuga Kanan said softly, "Neji, you have now completed the training of the Body Refinement Stage. It is time to officially embark on the path of cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Hyuga Neji immediately suppressed his excitement and became serious. He nodded obediently, indicating that he understood his teacher's meaning. Then, his gaze was fixed intently on his teacher, as if trying to imprint every word he spoke deeply into his mind.