After discussing his cultivation base, it was time to address the fact that his technique proficiency had regressed from Minor Success back to Mastery. This was actually quite easy to explain.
The proficiency level dropped simply because the grade of the technique itself had improved. Since the level of the technique was now higher, his original insights were naturally insufficient for the new version, causing his grasp of it to decline.
It was fortunate that Qiu Xia had been meditating and cultivating the new method while the technique was evolving; otherwise, he might not have even maintained Mastery and could have dropped all the way back to the Entry level.
As for the final changethe "Transformation" status of the Zombie Worldthat was also easy to understand. Qiu Xia had taken the protagonist of that world, Uncle Jiu, into the Naruto World. Once a world lost its protagonist, a transformation was inevitable. Such a development was perfectly normal.
"I didn't expect this period of cultivation to take three months," Qiu Xia mused. "The Zombie World is currently undergoing a transformation, so it looks like I won't be able to enter it for a while.
Now, I either have to open a new world or wait nine months to head to the One Piece World. How should I choose? Forget it, I'll just wait the nine months for the One Piece World. I can use that time to further master my techniques."
During the three months of Qiu Xia's secluded meditation, the people in the Land of Demonswho were closest to himhad received the most benefits. This was especially true for the Onmyoji, Miko, and Taoist Priests who cultivated spiritual power.
When Zhe Gu first arrived, her Yin Soul was at ninety percent completion. Under the influence of Qiu Xia's Starlight, she quickly reached ten percent, allowing her Yin Soul to transform into a Yang Soul.
Once she achieved a Yang Soul, Zhe Gu assisted Uncle Jiu in his own cultivation. Combined with the Starlight, it took less than half a month for Uncle Jiu to form his own Yang Soul. While Uncle Jiu was forming his soul, Zhe Gu relied on the resonance of his Yin Soul to comprehend the power of Yin and Yang, eventually forming a Yin-Yang Divine Soul.
Afterward, her Golden Core transformed into a Nascent Soul, and her Yang Soul evolved into a Primordial Spirit. Following Zhe Gu's breakthrough into the Zhenren realm, Uncle Jiu quickly followed suit, condensing his own Yin-Yang Divine Soul to become a Zhenren as well.
If the two masters had improved so significantly, what about Qiu Sheng, Wen Cai, and Ren Tingting? To start with Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai, their cultivation had risen from the third rank of Earth Master to the eighth rank over those three months.
One might wonder why they only broke through a few ranks despite the abundant spiritual energy of the Naruto World and the radiance of the Starlight. The reason was simple: those two were far too fond of playing around and couldn't focus all their energy on their training.
Ren Tingting also enjoyed having fun, but she understood the importance of priorities. During those three months, she hadn't dared to waste a single second and cultivated every day.
It took her only a month and a half to begin the refinement of her Three Hun and Seven Po, reaching the tenth rank of Earth Master. Now, she only needed to complete the refinement to condense her Yin Soul and become a Celestial Master.
Once the Starlight faded, Ren Tingting finished her meditation and sought out Qiu Xia to ask when they could return to the Zombie World.
"Well," Qiu Xia began, "my Golden Finger isn't entirely under my control. Under normal circumstances, I can travel through once a month. However, if there are higher-level events or if something gets delayed, the stay might extend to a year. I can't cross over again until a year has passed."
Hearing this, Ren Tingting's brows furrowed. "So, if I want to go back to the Zombie World, I have to wait another nine months?"
"I'm not certain!"
Ren Tingting's eyes widened. "What do you mean you're not certain?"
"I mean exactly that. Ever since I brought Master to the Naruto World, the Zombie World has changed, and I can't enter it for now. I don't know how long this change will last, so I can't give you a definitive answer. That's exactly why I told you to bring your father along before we left. I wanted to avoid a situation where we couldn't go back."
Ren Tingting's expression became incredibly complex. "So, you're saying we might never be able to return to the Zombie World?"
"It's not certain yet, but there is a very high probability that we won't be able to go back!"
Ren Tingting went silent for a moment before suddenly lunging at Qiu Xia. She grabbed him by the throat and shook him. "You scoundrel! Give me back my father! I don't care, you better find a way to get me back right now!"
"You can't blame me for this! I told you the pros and cons before we left. It was your choice not to knock your old man unconscious and drag him along, or just stay behind in the Zombie World. What does this have to do with me?"
Ren Tingting continued to squeeze his neck. "I don't care! It's all your fault! if you had just knocked him out, none of this would have happened! I'll kill you!"
"I'm telling you, quit while you're ahead! If you keep this up, I'm hitting back!"
"You dare hit back? I'll kill you!" Ren Tingting became even more enraged.
"Taijutsu Secret Technique: Heart-Piercing Dragon Claw Hand!"
"You pervert! I'll kill you!"
Setting aside the chaos between Qiu Xia and Ren Tingting, Uncle Jiu and Zhe Gu had finished their training. They informed Miroku, the Queen of the Land of Demons, and decided to travel through the Shinobi World. They had heard many stories about this world from Qiu Xia,
but those were all hearsay. It was better to experience it for themselves. Now that their cultivation had reached the Zhenren realm, they would have normally gone to Maoshan to celebrate, but in this world, they hardly knew anyone. Rather than a celebration, they decided to simply head out and enjoy themselves.
As soon as they left the Land of Demons, the couple noticed quite a few people monitoring the borders in secret. Fortunately, they had been warned beforehand and used an Invisibility Jutsu to slip out.
Otherwise, they likely would have been surrounded immediately. Although their cultivation meant they didn't fear danger, they both detested unnecessary trouble. After leaving the surveillance perimeter of the Five Great Nations, Zhe Gu looked at Uncle Jiu.
"Senior Brother, where should we go first?"
"Let's head to Konoha. Qiu Xia mentioned that his original identity in this world was part of the Uchiha Clan. Although the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha isn't great, Konoha's environment is considered one of the best among the five villages. We'll go there for some fun and try that Ichiraku Ramen the kid is always praising."
"Alright, Senior Brother. I'll follow your lead. To Konoha it is."
For an ordinary person, the journey from the Land of Demons to Konoha would take about half a month to a month. A ninja traveling at full speed could likely make it in a week. If Uncle Jiu and Zhe Gu pushed themselves, they could probably arrive in less than half a day. However, that was only if they traveled at maximum speed.
The two were in no hurry. This trip was for pleasure, so they walked, taking in the scenery along the way. By the time they reached Konoha, a full month had passed.
During that month, they had traveled across mountains and rivers, sampling the food of this world. Whenever they saw an injustice on the road, they lent a hand. As cultivators, they were accustomed to performing good deeds.
At first, the food of this world seemed decent, but compared to the food from their original world, both Uncle Jiu and Zhe Gu felt their home's cuisine was superior. As for the alcohol in this world, it paled in comparison to what they were used to.
For a man like Uncle Jiu, who enjoyed strong spirits like Erguotou and Laobaigan, the local liquor felt weak and flavorless. He could tolerate it for a taste, but if he had to drink it constantly, he would rather brew his own.
After their month-long journey, Uncle Jiu and Zhe Gu reached the gates of Konoha. They stopped to register, as they weren't there to cause trouble and felt a simple registration was only proper.
After completing the formalities, they found an inn and checked in. By the time they were settled, it was lunchtime, so they made their way toward the Ichiraku Ramen shop Qiu Xia had mentioned so many times.
Even though it was lunch hour, the shop wasn't very crowded. This didn't concern the couple; as long as the place was right and the food was safe, they were happy.
Soon, two bowls of noodles were placed before them. Uncle Jiu and Zhe Gu began to taste the Ichiraku Ramen that Qiu Xia had praised so highly. After the first bite, they found the flavor to be quite good, though perhaps a bit light for their palates.
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/kleinmoretti to access 100+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).