"Alright, I'll give it a try. I'm curious about this so-called Sage Power as well."
Uchiha Kasage nodded, then slowly closed his eyes, focusing on sensing the natural energy drifting freely in the surroundings.
In his original world, chakra was formed in the lower dantian and circulated through the meridians. It wasn't stored—it was constantly generated by combining physical and spiritual energy.
To put it simply, it was like a flame burning in the lower dantian. The more fuel—mental and physical energy—you added, the stronger the flame became.
This was also why Sage Mode had a time limit. Once Sage Chakra—formed by combining chakra and natural energy—was exhausted, it had to be recreated again.
Spiritual power, however, was entirely different.
It originated in the upper dantian, within the mind, closely tied to the soul itself. It existed continuously and, once consumed, could only recover slowly over time.
At that moment, within Kasage's sea of consciousness, a faint white glow floated quietly.
That was his newly cultivated spiritual power.
Though it was his first time manipulating it, his years of precise chakra control allowed him to guide it smoothly through his body.
Following the pathways described in *"Blood Sacrifice to Nourish Wood,"* he directed the spiritual energy through his meridians—while simultaneously drawing in natural energy from the outside.
Carefully…
He began to merge the two.
According to the proportions described in the manual, he blended them slowly and guided the fused energy along a fixed circulation path.
During this process, spiritual power and natural energy subtly intertwined.
His first attempt failed.
Due to unfamiliarity with the circulation route, the newly fused energy dispersed, and the natural energy returned to the environment.
Kasage didn't stop.
Again and again, he absorbed natural energy, merged it, circulated it—
—and failed.
But with each attempt, his control improved.
Finally—
Success.
The fused energy completed its full circulation and flowed into the middle dantian in his chest.
At that instant—
Spiritual power and natural energy fully merged into something entirely new.
A unique energy was born.
It carried the purity of spiritual power… and the vitality of natural energy.
The moment it formed, it spread like a faint mist through his meridians.
Kasage understood immediately.
This—
was the *Power of Immortals* described in the manual.
Even more astonishing, as this energy circulated, it began to gently nourish his body. At the same time, surrounding natural energy slowly and instinctively flowed into him, replenishing what was consumed and forming a weak but stable cycle.
Kasage couldn't help but feel impressed.
This method… truly treated humans like yokai.
From his observations, most humanoid yokai—whether full yokai or half-yokai like Inuyasha—had their power centered in the middle dantian.
And now, this immortal power…
was stored in the exact same place.
Kasage slowly opened his eyes and clenched his fist.
He could clearly feel it—his body had been slightly strengthened. His physical power had increased, albeit only a little.
Still, his spiritual power was too weak. The amount of immortal energy he had produced was extremely limited, so the improvement was barely noticeable.
"Did it work?"
Kikyo stepped forward quickly, her eyes filled with anticipation.
"It worked," Kasage nodded, though his tone carried a hint of helplessness.
"But my spiritual power is too weak. The amount of Sage Power I can generate is… pitiful."
"I'll have to accumulate it slowly over time."
"That's already incredible," Kikyo said sincerely, without holding back her admiration.
Then, her expression turned slightly concerned.
"Does it affect your spiritual power itself?"
Kasage closed his eyes briefly, carefully sensing the state within his body.
"It does consume spiritual power during the fusion process," he said slowly,
"but it's already recovering. There doesn't seem to be any lasting impact."
He paused, then added:
"Spiritual power acts more like a medium. Once the immortal power is formed, it sustains itself by absorbing natural energy. It doesn't continuously drain spiritual power."
Kikyo nodded thoughtfully.
"In that case… the strength of one's spiritual power determines the speed of cultivation."
Kasage suddenly looked at her, a spark of realization in his eyes.
"…Kikyo."
"For someone like you—with such powerful spiritual energy—as long as your body can handle the circulation, your cultivation speed will be extraordinary."
A grin spread across his face.
"You're a natural genius at cultivating immortal power."
Kikyo's cheeks flushed faintly.
She turned her face slightly, trying to maintain her composure.
"I haven't even mastered controlling natural energy yet," she replied calmly.
"I'm far from being a genius."
She paused, then added more seriously:
"Besides, the manual states that the amount of energy the meridians can تحمل is limited. It's not something to rush recklessly."
Still—
the slight upward curve of her lips betrayed her satisfaction.
---
A few days later—
Kikyo suddenly opened her eyes.
A bright light shone within them, and a rare, radiant smile spread across her face.
"Kasage," she said, unable to hide her excitement,
"I've mastered it too."
Kasage had already sensed the change in her energy, but he deliberately smiled teasingly.
"Congratulations… Sage Kikyo."
Kikyo frowned immediately.
"What kind of name is that? It sounds awful."
Kasage laughed lightly.
But soon, Kikyo's expression shifted, becoming more thoughtful.
"Unfortunately… we misjudged things."
"Even though my spiritual power is abundant, the amount of natural energy I can safely absorb each time is very limited. My cultivation speed is far slower than I expected."
Kasage waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't worry about it. Just keep practicing—we have time."
He found it rather amusing.
Kikyo possessed overwhelming spiritual power, yet struggled with controlling natural energy.
Meanwhile, he excelled at manipulating natural energy—but lacked sufficient spiritual power.
They were… perfect opposites.
"Either way," Kasage continued, his tone lightening,
"you've successfully obtained the power of a sage. That's worth celebrating."
He suddenly changed the subject.
"Kikyo… do you know how to use a sword?"
She blinked, caught off guard.
"A sword? No… why are you asking that all of a sudden?"
Kasage smiled.
"How about I teach you?"
Kikyo frowned slightly, clearly puzzled.
"Why would I need to learn swordsmanship?"
"Well…" Kasage shrugged casually, though his eyes held a hint of anticipation,
"You're not doing anything else right now. Learning another skill wouldn't hurt."
She studied him for a moment.
Even though she didn't fully understand his reasoning… there was something in his expression—something expectant.
After a brief pause, she nodded.
"…Alright."
Kasage's face lit up instantly.
"Great!"
With a thought, he activated Kamui.
A vortex twisted into existence in midair, and two wooden boxes fell out, landing heavily on the ground.
He glanced at them, then pushed one toward Kikyo.
"Go change first. This one's yours."
He picked up the other.
"This one's mine."
Kikyo raised an eyebrow.
"…You planned this from the start, didn't you?"
Kasage grinned shamelessly.
"Of course."
"Hurry up and change—I'll wait outside."
Before she could say anything else, he had already picked up his box and strode off toward his room.
Kikyo stood there for a moment, then looked down at the box in front of her.
Curiosity flickered in her eyes as she opened it.
Inside—
was a finely crafted set of female samurai armor, along with matching inner garments.
And beside it…
rested a beautifully forged katana.