Chapter 182: Breakthrough
Time flew by like an arrow, and in the blink of an eye, another month and a half had passed.
That afternoon, Baishi was as focused as ever, guiding the evolution of his abilities. Suddenly, his body trembled, and his eyes snapped open. A flash of excitement lit up his gaze as he quickly opened his status panel.
His smile widened as he confirmed what he had hoped for—Energy Absorption had advanced to the next level.
Just as expected, in a month and a half, Energy Absorption had progressed from I (70.8%) to II (0.1%).
"Stay calm," Baishi reminded himself. "I need to confirm its effects before celebrating too early."
Taking a deep breath, Baishi closed his eyes and directed his full attention toward the upgraded Energy Absorption ability.
"Activate."
For several moments, Baishi barely breathed, straining to feel any subtle changes. Time dragged on as he carefully examined every nuance. Finally, he opened his eyes, but his expression was conflicted—a mix of joy and frustration.
As expected, his careful guidance had enabled Energy Absorption to process natural energy upon reaching level II. This was undeniably a breakthrough. With this ability, Baishi no longer had to fear losing control over natural energy, paving the way for further progress in Sage Mode training.
However, the speed at which he could now absorb natural energy was abysmally slow. Whether due to the sparsity of natural energy in the environment, insufficient sensory ability, or the still-low level of Energy Absorption, the result was clear: he could only absorb a pitiful amount.
At this rate, achieving the balance between natural energy, spiritual energy, and physical energy required for Sage Mode would take several hours—a glaring inefficiency.
"No point in complaining," Baishi thought, activating his chakra to expel the natural energy from his body. "If there's a problem, I'll just solve it."
He considered his options and identified three potential solutions:
1. Seek out areas rich in natural energy.
The Ghost Howl Cave was an obvious candidate. Its concentrated natural energy would significantly boost his absorption rate. However, this approach was ultimately a stopgap; there were few such locations in the ninja world.
2. Enhance the sensitivity of his Mind's Eye.
By advancing this ability, he could improve his natural energy sensitivity, indirectly increasing his absorption rate. Yet this, too, offered only incremental benefits.
3. Raise the level of Energy Absorption.
Baishi considered this the most reliable solution. As the ability evolved, absorption speed and efficiency would naturally improve. Just as he had once struggled to absorb chakra efficiently, the solution lay in leveling up the ability itself.
Baishi's gaze shifted back to his status panel. In the month and a half since his last review, Mind's Eye had progressed from I (61.5%) to I (89.8%). At this rate, it would take another two weeks to reach the next level.
Meanwhile, Cellular Adaptability had improved from IX (10.1%) to X (27.5%), but progressing to the next stage would still require two more months.
Given that IX-level Cellular Adaptability already allowed him to resist natural energy's corrosive effects, Baishi felt confident that the current level of protection was sufficient. He decided not to wait any longer.
"I'm heading to the Ghost Howl Cave today," Baishi resolved. "I'll use the dense natural energy there to speed up absorption and focus on Sage Mode training."
Once his decision was made, Baishi wasted no time. After gathering his belongings, he activated Flying Thunder God and teleported directly to the Land of Fields.
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In the Land of Fields, just outside the Blackwater Town, Baishi reappeared in the underground chamber near the Ghost Howl Cave.
Before commencing, Baishi carefully extended his senses to confirm that the area was free of threats. Once assured of his safety, he sat cross-legged on the ground to prepare.
Drawing on the chakra reserves of the Nine-Tails and Five-Tails sealed within him, Baishi began restoring his own energy levels. Despite the safeguards he had in place, absorbing large amounts of natural energy remained inherently risky, and Baishi wasn't willing to take unnecessary chances.
Minutes passed as Baishi's chakra reserves steadily refilled.
A sudden thought struck him—couldn't the Nine-Tails itself absorb natural energy? Perhaps he could enlist its help.
But when he pictured the emaciated, pitiful state of the Nine-Tails within his seal, Baishi chuckled wryly and dismissed the idea. The beast had been so ruthlessly drained that expecting cooperation was laughable.
"Better to rely on myself," he muttered.
With his chakra fully replenished, Baishi took a deep breath and activated Mind's Eye while controlling Energy Absorption to draw in natural energy from the surrounding environment.
Under the enhanced perception of Mind's Eye, Baishi could see streams of natural energy converging toward him. As they neared his body, an invisible force—a function of his upgraded Energy Absorption—pulled them inward.
Within his chakra pathways, he could sense the gradual accumulation of natural energy. Compared to his earlier efforts, the improvement was remarkable.
Baishi opened his status panel and noted a new temporary state: Natural Energy: 5↑
In just ten seconds, he had absorbed five points of natural energy.
Given his chakra capacity of 2245 points (further increased by 55 points over the past month and a half), Baishi estimated that reaching the required balance would demand 2245 points of natural energy.
At the current rate, it would take seventy-five minutes to absorb that much energy.
"Still far from ideal," Baishi sighed. "But much better than before."
The stark improvement underscored the exceptional concentration of natural energy in this area.
Baishi refocused, determined to maintain precise control over the natural energy within his body. He prepared himself mentally for the pivotal moment when he would attempt to achieve balance.
One hour and fifteen minutes later, the critical juncture would arrive.
(End of Chapter)
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