"...." Huo Yuhao flatly stared at the false sky, which he had been doing for the last two days. Fortunately he'd been prepared, bringing food and water that would last him for at least a month in his storage belt.
But frustratingly, he still couldn't get what he was supposed to do in this space. Was he supposed to cultivate like normal? The energy within this place is more abundant than outside, but it couldn't just be that.
'Mu En brought me here for a reason, and that's to find my way apparently. But I'm pretty sure I've already found my way—the Way of a Shinobi. So what am I not getting?'
Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes, deep in contemplation.
He wasn't entirely idle for the last two days, he started cultivating like normal, exercise his body, practising his jutsus, and going through the many information and experience he had gained from his shadow clones.
"Just what do I do...?"
Huo Yuhao grumbled and sat up from the serene meadow. He glanced around, the tranquility of the space mocked his growing impatience. "Is this some sort of mental test? Or is there a hidden clue I've missed?"
He sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Elder Mu, you sure love your cryptic lessons. Or is it a trait that every old monster has?"
Moreover, he couldn't contact Indra, Skydream and the others since Mu En is probably observing him in the shadows. Which left him completely on his lonesome.
Huo Yuhao walked over to the smooth rock beneath the tree, its surface cool against his palm as he settled into a cross-legged position.
He closed his eyes and let out a slow breath, centering himself.
'Maybe....Maybe I'm just overthinking it all. This is a closed-door retreat, trying to find something within me. Forget everything else...'
Huo Yuhao let his breathing slow, syncing with the natural rhythm of the space around him.
The silence around him was profound, almost unnaturally so. No wind, no chirping birds, no rustling leaves—just the endless hum of the meadow's peace.
Before Huo Yuhao realized it, he unconsciously entered a deep meditation. His body was completely still, his right hand in a handseal, and his breathing was steady.
Time seemed to go on a standstill.
Images flowed like a river through Huo Yuhao's mind, each one vivid and full of emotion. His earliest memories resurfaced—his mother's kind smile, her warm touch as she held him close. The quiet nights they shared, her stories filled with love and hope.
The scene shifted to his earlier time in Shrek Academy, then to his long journey and training in the Extreme North as well as starting the Akatsuki with Tang Ya, returning to Shrek, took the advancement exam, became the preparatory team for the Continental Dueling Tournament, etc.
The calm golden sea within his spiritual sea trembled, ripples spreading outward as the vivid images intensified. Each memory carried weight, emotion, and purpose.
Subconsciously, the Heavenly Soul Tempering Technique activated and Huo Yuhao's consciousness split into two—both spiritual and soul powers surged within, synchronizing and slowly becoming pure energy.
Unexpectedly, unfamiliar memories flowed into Huo Yuhao's psyche.
'What...?'
Of a boy born from a man that was admired as a God, who grew to be a prodigal genius that revolutionizes the Ninshū into what would be called as Ninjutsu.
These were the memories of Indra Ōtsutsuki, from his childhood to his death!
Huo Yuhao was baffled.
Then another set of memories flowed through his mind, of an unknown genius boy from the Uchiha Clan who later became its leader and then went to war against the leader of another clan called the Uzumaki.
Another showed of a similar situation, only this time, the Uchiha clan leader went to war with the Senju clan.
Memories continued to flow like an unstoppable tide, overwhelming Huo Yuhao's consciousness with their vivid intensity. Each set of memories carried a distinct weight, filled with emotions, triumphs, betrayals, and battles that shaped entire eras.
Huo Yuhao didn't understand what was going on for a while until he slowly calmed down, assimilated the memories, and came to a realization—Bleeding Effect, well, similar to it at least.
The bleeding effect is a strange and extremely rare disorder. One of Huo Yuhao's shadow clones had accidentally found an old book that detailed an odd condition called the bleeding effect that occurs when a person's memories begin to blend with those of their ancestors.
It was an odd case that occurred a few thousand years ago when an alumnus of Shrek Academy began experiencing strange visions of the past—memories that weren't their own. These visions were vivid and disorienting, blending the experiences of their ancestors with their current reality. It was said that the alumnus had experienced the life of his ancestor, who was unexpectedly a Martial Soul Hall Elder!
The book had described how the phenomenon, called the Bleeding Effect, was tied to the deep resonance of bloodlines, soul and spiritual powers, and martial soul.
For Huo Yuhao, it was a similar case but wholly different—he was experiencing the memories of his past lives! He was the incarnation of Indra Ōtsutsuki, it shouldn't be a surprise that he would be seeing them.
But it didn't make any sense to Huo Yuhao to start seeing his past lives all of a sudden and at this moment.
What Huo Yuhao didn't know was that Mu En had deliberately chosen this cultivation room for him because it was designed to do more than simply enhance both soul and spiritual powers. This unique space was intended to help cultivators delve into the depths of their soul—to confront and understand their true selves.
Mu En went with this approach because it was the only better option he could give as a reward for him.
Medicine that could increase his cultivation and eliminate some side effects? Soul Ascension Pill had that covered. Knowledge about secret combat techniques and such? The boy created a new system of self-created skills!
He was certain that the boy can create a skill that blends both physical and spiritual attacks, and he could help in guiding him, but that wouldn't be enough as a reward.
Which is why he went with this approach—enlightenment, a chance of it at least. This closed-door session for Huo Yuhao was for him to gain a deeper understanding of himself, to develop more compassion, kindness, and mercy to others.
He had seen the nightmare that Huo Yuhao had caused back in the Star Luo City, using a spiritual body to keep an eye on the kids, and he would've stopped the boy's actions...
If he wasn't dealing an uninvited guest at the time.
But just like Xuan Zi, Mu En decided to give Huo Yuhao the benefit of the doubt for a while and have him undergo an enlightenment of self-venture so he could see what kind of character the boy would be in the future.
Huo Yuhao was uncertain of how much time had passed. He sat completely still on the rock as he unwillingly continued absorbing more and more of his past lives' memories and experiences.
Centuries of memories flowed into his mind, almost overwhelming Huo Yuhao's psyche. Hundreds of jutsus, weapon mastery, experiences of energy control, battle strategies, moments with loved ones, and bitter betrayals all surged through Huo Yuhao's mind.
The memories were vivid, as if he had lived them all himself. Each jutsu technique, each swing or throw of a blade, each surge of chakra was accompanied by the weight of emotions—pride, sorrow, rage, and regret.
The experience was so overwhelming that Huo Yuhao would almost forget who he was, but having an iron will, he held firm. His mind was a fortress that he built with trauma and shaped by hardship.
He was HUO YUHAO! Son of Huo Yun'er, the bastard son of the White Tiger Duke, and the greatest prodigy that Shrek Academy has ever seen!
He was not going to lose his existence, to some faded past that no one else in the world would care about!
Crack!
It was faint at first, like the distant sound of ice splitting under pressure. Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea trembled, the golden light within it pulsing violently.
Something within him had broken—not in a destructive way, but as if a barrier had shattered, revealing something hidden beneath.
Unknowingly, a split appeared on his forehead and the Eye of Eternity emerged with a faint glow. The grey pupil with black rings of the eye pulsed with an eerie yet majestic aura, as if it had been waiting for this exact moment to awaken fully.
Golden light poured from the eye, illuminating the entire meadow. It was not just light but a profound energy that seemed to pierce through everything—truths, lies, barriers, and even the very essence of the world around him.
It revealed all the paths for him, all seven paths that is...
Deva Path: Gravitational powers; the path that would lead him to hold both heaven and earth in the palm of his hands.
Asura Path: An Immortal Body as long as you make an opponent bleed; for this path leads you to become an asura that lives eternally through the blood of his enemies.
Animal Path: Summons various contracted soul beasts and other creatures; for this path offers you become the lord of beasts.
Preta Path: Limitless energy absorption(Soul power, spiritual power, Immortal Qi, chakra, etc.); this path leads to infinity.
Human Path: Control over souls; this path leads through the domination of souls.
Naraka Path: Access to the Gates of Hell; this path leads to becoming the lord of Hell.
Outer Path: T̷̢̟͎̦͊̇͘͜r̭̪͙͈̹͏̴̨̛͢ụ̺͉͔̀͜͡e̘̻̬̫͉͢͡ ̴̨̢͕̠̠ͥͭͩ̂ͦ̕Ŗ̂́̏́e̛͉̎̈̓ͪ̀̚͡ͅ҉̵s̡̨̤̞̪͉̻ͥ͜͜͢u̢̢̅̚̕͢͞r͒͡r̛̐ͮ̽eͨ͋҉̨c̘̮̃ͤ͗͠t̶͕̙̻̙i̜̲̺͛̒o̲̯̘̪͍̾ͨͦ̈́̀̚̕͜͞͡n̳̥̖͑ͯ͂̃
The golden sea within his spiritual sea converged together into one big ball, massive amounts of spiritual power emanated from it.
If Skydream could say anything at this moment, he would've exclaimed: "Spiritual Core?!"
While massive changes was happening to Huo Yuhao, his friends too were undergoing great changes as they find their paths.
❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️
AN: The Sage of Seven Paths? 🌝
Anyways, thoughts on 2025 animes, movies, manga, etc.?
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