Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 299 Emerging from Seclusion

The training grounds remained unchanged despite Orochimaru's arrival; in fact, with more and more people moving there, the once quiet place became bustling with activity. Now, the younger generation of the Hyuga clan has completely abandoned the traditional path of refining chakra to become ninjas, instead choosing the path of cultivation that Hyuga Kanan taught Hyuga Neji. This is transforming this ancient clan, once renowned for its ninja tradition spanning millennia, into a completely new cultivation clan. This transformation not only revitalizes the entire clan but also brings them greater hope and possibilities.

At this moment, Hyuga Neji stood solemnly before the two girls, earnestly instructing them. These two girls were Hyuga Hinata and Hyuga Hanabi. After a long period of training, the two had successfully crossed the threshold of cultivation. Hinata's talent was truly unleashed after entering the path of cultivation. Because her personality and temperament perfectly harmonized with the natural environment, her progress was exceptionally rapid, making her another genius in the Hyuga clan after Neji. However, conversely, Hanabi's lively and active personality was not well-suited to the quiet path of cultivation. Cultivation requires a calm and introspective state of mind, qualities Hanabi clearly lacked. Nevertheless, Hanabi did not give up, but instead strived to adapt and change herself. After all, the Hyuga clan had high expectations for her.

After enduring numerous trials in Konoha, Hyuga Neji finally broke through his limits and entered the Innate Realm. This realm allowed him to deeply understand the power and profundity of the path of cultivation. At this moment, his strength far surpassed that of ordinary Kage-level ninjas, and he was confident that he could contend with Kage from various major ninja villages without being at a disadvantage. However, after entering the Innate Realm, he found that his cultivation speed had slowed significantly, and every bit of progress seemed extremely difficult. This made him realize that to truly comprehend the power of rules, he needed to devote tremendous effort and time. Despite his extraordinary talent, he had to admit that he still had a long way to go on this path.

Suddenly, Hyuga Neji looked up sharply at the mountain peak. His eyes widened, filled with astonishment and curiosity. He could clearly sense countless streams of natural energy converging towards the secluded meditation chamber at the summit, and the speed was increasing rapidly. This massive torrent of energy, like a surging tide, moved him deeply. This immense convergence of energy far exceeded his imagination, leaving him utterly astonished. However, this energy showed no signs of stopping; on the contrary, it continued to accelerate its convergence. Every second, more natural energy joined in, making the entire scene increasingly magnificent.

When the natural energy gathered to a certain level, not only could Hyuga Neji clearly sense its presence, but even Hyuga Hinata and Hyuga Hanabi in front of him could perceive it. Their faces also showed expressions of shock, as if they had witnessed something unbelievable. The three looked at each other, unsure how to deal with the situation.

Everyone in the training grounds noticed the anomaly. They all stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes toward the mountain peak. Orochimaru was no exception; he keenly sensed a powerful energy fluctuation emanating from the summit. He stepped out of his room and onto the plaza, his eyes fixed on the peak, thinking to himself, "That's where Hyuga Kanan is in seclusion. Could he have broken through?" A flicker of excitement and anticipation flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.

The secluded meditation chamber atop the mountain was utterly silent. Only the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze and the occasional chirping of birds could be heard. In this tranquil setting, Hyuga Kanan stood in the center of the room, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing steady and deep, as if he were one with the surrounding nature.

Suddenly, a powerful aura erupted from Hyuga Kanan, and his body began to shimmer with a faint light. As time passed, this light grew stronger and stronger, eventually forming a huge ball of light that enveloped Hyuga Kanan.

Within the ball of light, Hyuga Kanan's body gradually became transparent, revealing a golden elixir—the Golden Core. This Golden Core shone as brightly as the sun, radiating boundless vitality and life force. Countless streams of natural energy continuously poured into the Golden Core, causing it to expand rapidly, its surface covered with dense cracks, as if it might shatter at any moment. However, Hyuga Kanan did not stop absorbing the natural energy; instead, she accelerated her pace, desperately drawing even more natural energy into her body.

As time passed, the Golden Core had expanded to several times its original size, and the cracks on its surface had become increasingly dense, making it appear as if it might collapse at any moment. However, Hyuga Kanan showed no sign of stopping absorbing natural energy, continuing to frantically absorb the surrounding natural energy, seemingly wanting to break through this bottleneck in one go.

Finally, when the golden core absorbed enough natural energy, it emitted a crisp sound, and the cracks on its surface instantly spread throughout the entire core. Then, the golden core exploded like fireworks, releasing unparalleled energy fluctuations.

Hyuga Kanan seemed to have become a black hole, frantically absorbing the surrounding natural energy. His body, like a sponge, continuously drew in this energy and transformed it into his own power. As time passed, his body gradually grew stronger, his muscles becoming clearly defined, and his bones as hard as iron. His aura also grew increasingly powerful, as if he had merged with heaven and earth.

At the same time, his golden core was constantly absorbing and refining this natural energy, transforming it into a purer form. This pure energy, like a clear spring, flowed through every corner of his body, nourishing his cells, bones, and internal organs. Stimulated by this pure energy, his cells began an astonishing transformation. They continuously divided and multiplied, becoming stronger and more vibrant.

Behind this transformation, a mysterious force was quietly awakening: the divine power within his mind, constantly expanding and growing. This allowed Hyuga Kanan to perceive more things and gain a deeper understanding of the world. His thinking became more acute, and his insight was greatly enhanced.

During this process, Hyuga Kanan felt as if his soul had been elevated, and his mind became calmer and more resilient. He understood that this breakthrough was not merely an improvement in strength, but also a spiritual cleansing. Facing future challenges, he would be more composed and courageous in the face of adversity.

The outside world presented a completely different scene. Countless energies of nature converged and liquefied at an astonishing rate, forming countless wisps of mist that drifted like veils above the mountain peaks. These wisps of mist gradually coalesced, forming a massive vortex, resembling a giant dragon coiled in the air. This vortex seemed to possess its own will, constantly rotating and drawing in the surrounding natural energy.

The people in the cultivation area stared in disbelief at this scene. All they could see was the clouds on the mountaintop transforming into a tornado-like vortex, as if a giant beast had opened its blood-red maw, swallowing everything around it. The natural energy within the vortex grew increasingly concentrated, to the point that the entire vortex became almost tangible, radiating a dazzling light.

As time passed, the cyclone grew larger and larger, and the natural energy it contained became increasingly immense. Finally, the cyclone began to move towards Hyuga Kanan's body in the secluded chamber, as if it had found a target, moving swiftly and accurately in his direction. Everyone couldn't help but feel a chill for Hyuga Kanan, wondering what kind of effect such a massive amount of natural energy would have on him.

Hyuga Kanan's brows furrowed deeply, as if they could trap a fly. At that moment, he could clearly feel every cell in his body trembling wildly, as if being gnawed by a million ants, sending waves of throbbing pain through him. Simultaneously, waves of exhaustion surged from the depths of his mind, overwhelming his consciousness and plunging him into a state of extreme discomfort. Both his body and mind were under immense pressure and pain, yet Hyuga Kanan did not stop absorbing chakra. Instead, he gritted his teeth, enduring the pain relentlessly. He knew this was a crucial moment to break through his bottleneck and enhance his strength; he could not give up easily. Therefore, with unwavering perseverance and indomitable will, he fought against the pain in his body and mind, continuing to diligently absorb natural energy.

After a period of diligent cultivation and profound understanding, he finally seized the opportunity for a breakthrough today, and his heart was filled with immense excitement. He knew this opportunity was hard-won and he absolutely could not give up easily because of mere pain. Therefore, he gritted his teeth, persevered to the end, and was determined to seize this rare breakthrough opportunity. As time passed, he absorbed and refined more and more natural energy, and his whole body was filled with powerful strength. At the same time, the cells in his body finally broke through their original limitations and began to transform and evolve. These cells gradually became stronger, as if they possessed inexhaustible vitality. And his divine sense power was also as if it had been tempered, becoming purer and stronger, allowing him to perceive everything around him more acutely.

"Crack!" The golden core in Hyuga Kanan's dantian finally shattered into fragments under the onslaught of countless energies. Inside, a pale golden figure sat cross-legged, as if Hyuga Kanan had been shrunk countless times to a smaller size and was now seated within his dantian.