While every ninja in Konoha had their attention fixed on the Hokage Rock, a figure silently appeared in a room within the Hokage Building. The shadow slapped a yellow slip of paper onto a scroll half the height of a man and quietly slipped away, taking the heavy object with him.
The ninjas guarding the Scroll of Seals only discovered its disappearance after they had recovered from the shock of the explosion. Terrified out of their wits, they immediately began a desperate search and reported the crisis to the Hokage.
If the destruction of the Hokage Rock had made Hiruzen Sarutobi hop with rage, the disappearance of the Scroll of Seals nearly made him cough up blood. The Hokage Rock could be carved again, but if the Scroll of Seals was lost, the Hidden Leaf Village would suffer an immeasurable blow. That single scroll contained the vast majority of the village's Hiden and secret techniques.
In addition to dispatching the Anbu to track the thief, Hiruzen Sarutobi utilized a sensing seal placed upon the scroll to locate it. Yet, it was as if the Scroll of Seals had vanished from the face of the earth. No matter how hard he extended his perception, he could not sense a trace of it within Konoha.
Where was the Scroll of Seals now? Naturally, it was in Qiu Xia's hands. To be precise, he had already brought it back to the Zombie World. Across the barrier of two different worlds, it would be a miracle if Hiruzen Sarutobi's tracking Jutsu could find anything at all.
After Qiu Xia activated the world-crossing function of Above the Data, his figure had vanished from the Uchiha Clan compound. When he finally opened his eyes, he was back in his own room at the Yi Zhuang.
He noticed the difference immediately. In the Naruto World, one could feel the boundless Spiritual Qi even without intentional cultivation; here, the atmosphere was so lacking that it was almost imperceptible unless he released his mental power.
Qiu Xia had left the Yi Zhuang at night, but he had returned during the day. Unsure of how much time had actually passed, he shouldered the massive scroll and went to find Uncle Jiu.
Stepping out of his room, he spotted Uncle Jiu in the courtyard, performing his morning martial arts routine. Qiu Xia didn't interrupt; he simply stood to the side with the giant scroll on his back, waiting patiently.
It was only when Uncle Jiu finished his routine and gathered his Qi that he noticed Qiu Xia. Seeing the young man's strange attire and the enormous scroll strapped to his back, the older man froze in shock. "Qiu Xia? Why are you dressed like that? And what is that thing on your back?"
"Master, when was the last time you saw me?" Qiu Xia asked instead of answering.
Uncle Jiu frowned slightly. "Didn't we just see each other last night?"
Qiu Xia nodded and explained, "Master, last night, I returned to the Naruto World. I stayed there for a month. The Spiritual Qi there is much denser than in this world. As of now, I have already reached the Human Master perfection." As he spoke, Qiu Xia allowed his aura to flare.
Because Qiu Xia practiced the Sage's Theft, his true level was difficult for anyone to perceive unless they were several ranks higher than him or if he chose to reveal it himself. This was why Uncle Jiu hadn't noticed his breakthrough immediately.
"What! You've already reached Human Master perfection?" Uncle Jiu's signature unibrow shot up as his eyes widened in disbelief.
Qiu Xia nodded. "Yes, Master. The Naruto World was so overflowing with Spiritual Qi that I nearly exploded when I first tried to cultivate. If it weren't for the Dojutsu in my eyes, I might not have made it back. However, it was a blessing in disguise.
I managed to clear all my meridians and reach Human Master perfection. If I had known the cultivation method for an Earth Master, I suspect I might have broken through that rank as well."
Before Uncle Jiu could fully digest the news, Qiu Xia pulled a notebook from his robe and handed it over. "Master, these are some insights I gained after perfecting the Grain Clothing Heart Method. I would like your guidance."
His mind still in a whirl, Uncle Jiu took the notebook and glanced at it with a dazed expression. Within those pages was the cultivation method for the Sage's Theft.
At first, Uncle Jiu skimmed the pages casually, but as he read on, his focus sharpened. His eyes began to glow with interest. As a practitioner at the seventh level of the Earth Master realm, he had studied countless Daoist scriptures. His experience told him that the Sage's Theft was a technique that far surpassed the Grain Clothing Heart Method.
The Grain Clothing Heart Method could only refine food into tiny amounts of Spiritual Qi enough for a Daoist or a Human Master, perhaps, but it couldn't keep up with the demands of an Earth Master. The Sage's Theft, however,
was inherently capable of refining Spiritual Qi from the environment. Once mastered, it could automatically draw in surrounding energy, delay aging, and extend one's lifespan. A practitioner of this art could maintain their peak physical state until the very month their life force finally ran out.
"Qiu Xia, did you create this technique yourself?" Uncle Jiu asked, looking at his disciple with sheer amazement.
"More or less. Master, you can study the Sage's Theft later. For now, look at this local specialty I brought back from the Naruto World the Scroll of Seals. Is there any way you can break the seals on this?" Qiu Xia handed the massive scroll to him.
Uncle Jiu tucked the notebook into his clothes and examined the scroll carefully. It was covered in complex seals. He recognized some of them, but others were completely foreign to him.
"Qiu Xia, what exactly is this Scroll of Seals?"
"Master, as I mentioned before, the energy they cultivate in the Naruto World is called Chakra, and the techniques used with it are called Jutsu. This Scroll of Seals is a vital artifact that records most of Konoha's Jutsu. I used a few tricks to bring it back with me."
"I will need to study this for a while before I can break the seals," Uncle Jiu said. "By the way, Qiu Xia, now that you have reached the Human Master perfection, follow me."
They went into Uncle Jiu's room, where he opened a drawer in the cabinet by his bed and pulled out several scrolls. One depicted a Taiji diagram, another showed the Bagua, a third displayed a nine-story pagoda, the fourth showed a Daoist priest, and the last was a talisman.
"Master, what are these?" Qiu Xia asked, playing the role of the inquisitive student.
"Qiu Xia, these are the Visualization Methods I have collected. You must choose one, and I will teach you the mantra."
"Master, can I only choose one? And what are the strengths and weaknesses of each?"
Uncle Jiu explained, "First, you can only choose one because once you succeed in visualizing the first, attempting a second will lead to Qi deviation. If you try to visualize them simultaneously, they will interfere with each other, and you will never succeed.
As for your second question, these five are the Taiji Visualization Method, the Bagua Visualization Method, the Nine-Story Pagoda Visualization Method, the Supreme Purity Visualization Method, and the Origin Talisman Visualization Method."
"The Taiji Visualization Method purifies mana and condenses the Yin and Yang Qi. The Bagua Visualization Method enhances your perception and grants great control over Bagua alignments this is the one I practice."
"The Nine-Story Pagoda Visualization Method is the best for tempering the soul; once completed, it provides powerful soul protection, though it offers little help to one's mana.
The Supreme Purity Visualization Method involves visualizing the Supreme Purity Ancestor. Your Uncle Four-Eyes uses this one; it is incredibly helpful for the Deity Invitation Technique."
"Lastly, the Origin Talisman Visualization Method is for talisman cultivators. It makes the process of drawing talismans much easier."
After Uncle Jiu finished his introduction, Qiu Xia carefully compared the options but found himself somewhat disappointed. The Taiji method was redundant as he already had Life and Death attributes to represent Yin and Yang.
The Bagua method was unnecessary because his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan could already mimic the effects of Feng Hou Qi Men. He rarely practiced after acquiring the Deity Invitation Technique, so Supreme Purity held little appeal.
As for the Origin Talisman method, while it was helpful for talismans, his Above the Data system already allowed him to research and master them perfectly on his own.
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