Naruto took a deep breath.
Then he slowly exhaled.
His expression became calm and focused.
He began to concentrate with all his strength and gather dark matter within his body. At the same time, he tried to calm his mind and carefully guide that energy, attempting to combine it with his own Fire attribute.
In his mind, he treated it as chakra transformation.
Since he already had experience in changing chakra nature, this process was much easier for him than for ordinary cultivators.
Slowly…
Naruto felt changes occurring inside his body.
A warm current spread through his meridians.
His heartbeat accelerated slightly.
His breathing became steady.
"Yes!"
Naruto suddenly opened his eyes.
His hands moved rapidly, forming the two required seals.
Then he thrust his palms forward.
"Fire Magic — Fireball Technique!"
Boom!
A loud explosion echoed across the training ground.
A massive fireball, more than ten cubic meters in size, suddenly appeared in midair. It roared forward like a blazing meteor, lighting up the surroundings with scorching heat.
The flames twisted violently.
The temperature instantly rose.
Tsuchigen Tianlang widened his eyes.
His mouth opened slightly in shock.
He stared at Naruto in disbelief.
What…?!
This was unbelievable.
Naruto had a common attribute.
Yet he succeeded on his very first real attempt.
And not only that—
The power was far beyond normal beginner level!
Tianlang narrowed his eyes slightly.
A deep sense of amazement rose in his heart.
"This kid…"
"He's terrifyingly talented."
At that moment, Tianlang suddenly understood.
How could someone personally chosen by the clan leader be ordinary?
Everyone believed that Naruto's common attributes meant he would never achieve much.
But judging from this performance—
His future was impossible to predict.
"It worked!"
The fireball dissipated.
Naruto clenched his fists tightly, his face full of excitement.
This was his first successful release of dark matter magic.
It meant that he had officially stepped onto the path of cultivation.
After losing chakra in the past…
Now, he finally felt power returning to his hands.
It was as if he had picked up his ninja sword again.
Tianlang walked over and smiled warmly.
"Naruto, I really didn't expect you to learn this fast."
Naruto laughed.
"It's all thanks to you, Senior Brother."
"Without your guidance, I couldn't have learned so quickly!"
Tianlang waved his hand.
"Don't be modest."
"I've taught hundreds, maybe thousands of disciples."
"You're the most talented one I've ever seen."
Naruto smiled quietly and didn't say anything.
Tianlang continued,
"Naruto, let's keep practicing."
"With your momentum, you'll master all basic fire techniques in just a few days."
"Yes!"
Naruto answered firmly and continued training.
Under Tianlang's careful guidance, Naruto practiced repeatedly.
By evening, he had almost completed all the content in the Fire Magic Encyclopedia.
The more Tianlang taught, the more excited he became.
It felt like meeting a genius who appeared only once in a century.
That evening.
Tianlang invited Naruto to have dinner.
Afterward, they returned to the study room.
Tianlang picked up another book and handed it to Naruto.
"Here."
"These are practical combat techniques."
"They were written by a very powerful senior instructor."
"Take a look."
Naruto nodded and opened the book.
After flipping through a few pages, his eyes lit up.
Combat had no borders between planets.
With his rich battle experience, Naruto could tell at a glance that these techniques were extremely valuable.
Every movement was explained in detail.
Every tactical choice was analyzed clearly.
"Good!"
Naruto's eyes shone.
"To be able to write something like this…"
"Not only must his strength be amazing…"
"But his combat awareness must also be top-tier!"
Tianlang nodded.
"Yes."
"It's a pity…"
Naruto looked up.
"What happened?"
Tianlang sighed softly.
"I can tell you."
"This senior is no longer with us."
"When he went on a mission, he encountered the Ōtsutsuki Clan."
"To protect our clan's secrets…"
"He chose to perish together with them."
"They fell into a black hole."
His expression darkened.
Naruto closed the book.
His face became solemn.
"This senior…"
"He was a true hero of the clan."
Tianlang smiled faintly.
"Thank you for recognizing him."
Naruto took a deep breath.
"My homeland was also destroyed by the Ōtsutsuki Clan."
"Otherwise, I wouldn't have left."
"I even died through self-destruction."
Tianlang was stunned.
"You… self-destructed?"
"Then how did you—"
"Oh!"
"I understand!"
"No wonder Ichiro was gone for so long."
"He must have resurrected you!"
Naruto nodded.
"Yes."
"Brother Ichiro brought me back."
Tianlang looked at Naruto with admiration.
"You're also a hero."
"A hero of your world."
Naruto sighed.
"Yes…"
"But I want to become a real hero."
"I want to end the grudges with the Ōtsutsuki Clan."
"So my homeland will never be invaded again."
Tianlang nodded seriously.
"I think the same."
"For hundreds of years, our clan has suffered."
"For thousands of years, we've fought them."
"The elders said there were countless casualties."
Naruto nodded.
"I've heard about that too."
Tianlang continued,
"If you want to fight the Ōtsutsuki Clan…"
"You must become much stronger."
"I heard their fighting style is completely different."
"They harvest the life force of entire planets…"
"And convert it into power."
Naruto frowned.
"I hate that."
"That's sacrificing others for personal strength."
Tianlang nodded firmly.
"I agree."
Naruto said quietly,
"To be honest, learning dark matter cultivation gave me hope."
"I don't want to use others' lives as fuel."
"If I ever become like that…"
"Even if I win…"
"I'd rather die."
Tianlang looked at him seriously.
Then he smiled happily.
"Naruto…"
"You're a good person."
Naruto smiled back.
For a moment, both of them felt each other's sincerity.
"I'll go now."
"Read well."
"If you don't understand something, ask me tomorrow."
"Okay, Senior Brother."
"Please rest well."
After Tianlang left, Naruto lit a candle and continued reading.
"These combat skills…"
"I must master them."
"My fighting style will change."
"I need to adapt."
Next door.
Not long after Tianlang returned, Tianjian and Tianxing also came back.
"Big Brother!"
"How is it?"
"That kid can't even sense dark matter, right?"
Tianxing asked teasingly.
Tianlang smiled and shook his head.
Tianjian prepared water to wash up.
Seeing this, Tianxing frowned.
"Senior Brother…"
"You're not fooled by that idiot, are you?"
Tianlang sighed.
"I told you to take people seriously."
"Why do you still look down on him?"
"Then tell me."
"How did he do today?"
Tianjian smiled while wiping his face.
"Second Brother…"
"If you're curious…"
"Go see for yourself."
"When I came back, his room was still lit."
Tianxing snorted.
"I'm not going."
Tianlang shook his head.
"Fine."
"Tomorrow…"
"I'll show you what a true genius is."
Tianxing and Tianjian both froze.
Their eyes widened.
"…Really?"
"Sleep."
Tianlang turned over and closed his eyes.