The carriage slowly drove away from the quiet confines of the Ubuyashiki Estate, its wheels once again rolling over the slightly bumpy dirt road.
Inside the carriage, the dark red crystal samurai statue was securely fastened in a corner, and Himura Ruri sat quietly beside it, her gaze occasionally falling upon Mr. Cheng Mo, who was meditating with his eyes closed opposite her.
The voice of the Kakushi Squad Member driving the carriage came through the front wall of the compartment, full of respect: "Mr. Cheng Mo, are we returning to the new Butterfly Mansion stronghold now?"
Cheng Mo opened his eyes, his gaze appearing even deeper than usual.
He replied succinctly: "No, to Asakusa District, Tokyo Prefecture."
"Ah? Yes! Understood!"
The Kakushi Squad Member outside seemed to pause for a moment.
But he immediately responded, asking no further questions, only the sound of him quietly relaying the route change to the other members.
Inside the carriage, Ruri heard the unfamiliar place name, and a flicker of curiosity crossed her eyes.
But she pursed her lips, suppressing her questions.
She only knew that following Mr. Cheng Mo was safe; he would not harm her or her father.
She subtly adjusted her posture, leaning closer to her father, as if to draw more courage from him.
The journey was long, estimated to take about two days to reach Tokyo Prefecture.
Aside from necessary stops for rest, changing horses, and drivers, Cheng Mo spent almost all his time inside the carriage.
He no longer cultivated Chakra or planned anything as he usually did; instead, he took out the ancient wooden box given to him by Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
He opened the box, took out the warm jade scroll, and placed it flat on his palm.
The jade felt cool, and the internal mist seemed to flow slowly.
He closed his eyes, attempting to slowly guide a wisp of spiritual power into it, following Kagaya Ubuyashiki's instructions.
In an instant, it wasn't specific words or images that flooded his mind, but an infinitely vast and profound "torrent of insights."
It was a confluence of the spiritual imprints of countless generations of Ubuyashiki clan members, an exploration of the essence of the soul, the pain of tempering the will, and the faint light of condensing the spiritual origin.
Meditation, visualization, will confrontation, subtle adjustments of spiritual frequency... all sorts of essential methods, like trickling streams, permeated Cheng Mo's consciousness.
This was completely different from the Chakra system he had cultivated before.
Extracting Chakra also required spiritual energy, but it was more about using it as a "fuel" to mix with physical energy.
Its strengthening and tempering of spiritual energy itself were extremely crude.
Cheng Mo recalled the original work of Naruto.
Most ninjas casting ninjutsu relied heavily on complex, fixed "hand seals" to guide and control energy.
It was like using a complex password program to activate a weapon.
"Perhaps... only a very few who have touched 'Sage Mode,' a higher level of power, and initially integrated natural energy, can slightly break free from this restraint."
Cheng Mo mused silently in his mind.
"Natural energy, I'm afraid, is also inextricably linked to the spiritual plane and resonance with the world."
He thought of the Uchiha clan's bizarre and powerful Mangekyo Sharingan, which was most likely a direct product of an extreme will.
There was also the First Hokage, known as the God of Shinobi... the technique where he clapped his hands and everything appeared.
Behind this was probably not just immense Chakra, but more likely the terrifying spiritual power far beyond ordinary people, brought by the Sage of Six Paths' bloodline.
"In contrast, this world..."
Cheng Mo's consciousness swept through the ancient wisdom contained in the jade scroll, feeling its exploration of the subtle aspects of the soul.
"The power level might be far inferior to the world-destroying ninjutsu of Naruto, but their development of the 'soul,' and even Muzan and Tamayo's demonstrated control over the 'cellular' level, have probably already advanced further."
"Muzan lived for over a thousand years, and the aging drug Tamayo developed could even reduce his lifespan by over nine thousand years... This depth of research into the life level already far exceeds the normal lifespan system of the Naruto world."
The initial cultivation was extremely difficult.
The refinement of the soul was far more painful than the tempering of the flesh.
It was not muscle soreness, but a direct impact on consciousness itself, an ultimate test of self-awareness and willpower.
Several times, Cheng Mo felt as if his consciousness was about to be crushed by some invisible millstone, his thoughts sinking into stagnation and confusion.
But with the powerful adaptability brought by his Myriad Realms Physique and his own rock-solid perseverance, he forcibly stabilized his mind.
He guided that faint spiritual power again and again, tempering it according to the profound insights in the jade scroll.
Sweat seeped from his forehead, but his body remained motionless, only his brow furrowing slightly.
It showed the fierce struggle happening within his spirit.
Beside him, Ruri held her breath, not daring to make a sound.
Although she didn't understand what Cheng Mo was doing, she could feel the atmosphere in the carriage becoming somewhat stagnant.
Mr. Cheng Mo seemed to be enveloped in an invisible force field, making her instinctively feel awe.
Time passed in silence and bumps.
After an unknown period, Cheng Mo slowly exhaled a turbid breath and opened his eyes.
A faint, almost imperceptible clear glow flashed in his eyes.
He felt as if his spirit had been cleansed, becoming more condensed and focused.
His thoughts moved faster, and his perception of the surrounding environment became sharper.
He could even "hear" the subtle friction of the carriage wheels more clearly, and more precisely "feel" Himura Ruri's slightly accelerated heartbeat due to nervousness.
And the biggest change came from his control over his own energy.
With a slight thought, a wisp of Lightning Release Chakra condensed at his fingertips.
Previously, although this power was docile, it always felt like there was a thin veil, requiring a part of his mind to "restrain" it during manipulation.
But now, this arc of electricity seemed to have become an extension of his body, easily commanded, incredibly precise, and with minimal energy loss.
The previous sense of spiritual stagnation and the heavy burden, like an overloaded brain, when attempting to mimic and analyze Blood Demon Art, had now significantly lessened.
Although still difficult, it was no longer an insurmountable mountain.
"So that's how it is... body, Chakra, Breathing Technique, these are merely carriers and fuel... what truly drives all of this, determining its upper limit and subtlety, is the soul, the will, the power of the spiritual origin."
"It is the true helmsman and engine; to more freely replicate, and even create stronger abilities, to truly break through the current bottleneck, enhancing soul strength is the key."
He gently clenched his fist, feeling the surging yet more controllable power within him, gaining a clearer understanding of the path ahead.