For example, perception…
When he fully entered the void state, he couldn't help but feel a wave of shock. The range of his perception was astonishing. If he had always possessed this range, Xia Li wouldn't have needed to go to the central tower of the Death Forest—he could have sensed Ino's signal right from home.
Although Xia Li had anticipated the change in perception range, it still brought him a pleasant surprise.
Then, for the first time in a long while, Xia Li carefully examined his own body.
First, there was chakra. Now he could observe it more thoroughly, both in form and in essence. With further study, his ninjutsu would be significantly enhanced. To Xia Li's surprise, beyond wind and lightning, he even detected traces of fire.
Compared to wind and lightning, this flicker of fire was minuscule—like a stream in comparison to the ocean—but Xia Li understood that his Fire Escape technique wasn't without effect. Fire attributes still lingered within him, yet…
If one wanted to rely on this faint fire to perform fire-style jutsu, its power would be limited; if one wished to develop it to match wind or lightning techniques, it would take an unimaginable number of years.
Thus, Xia Li never considered using training to improve all attributes simultaneously. Although he hadn't known the exact rate of improvement before, his studies revealed that it would require tremendous time and effort, and he would likely never catch up to the original level of mastery for that element.
Xia Li once again considered the immense gap between fire, wind, and lightning. Bridging it seemed nearly impossible!
Additionally, Xia Li noticed weaknesses in his own body. He could feel injuries left by physical training, as well as areas that had never been exercised before…
This discovery made Xia Li feel that his Lightning Escape Stimulation Technique had newfound utility. He was also surprised by the number of lingering injuries—he had left so many wounds unnoticed, evidently overlooked when learning medical ninjutsu.
These were subtle injuries, invisible through normal methods.
A lightning arc leapt across Xia Li's body once more. As expected, the lightning massage technique was still effective on the undertrained areas, and he channeled medical chakra to these spots. The damaged areas were rapidly restored.
This time, the process took longer, but the results were remarkable. Xia Li had never felt so comfortable. In this state, perhaps only a newborn baby could possess such perfect form.
No—even babies could be injured by pressure, so the current condition…
If one had to describe it, "flawless perfection" was the only term that fit.
Xia Li couldn't help but smile. This would greatly benefit his bodily coordination and future progress. Even now, he could feel that his physical abilities had improved significantly.
After inspecting his body, Xia Li was about to leave when he suddenly stopped. He sensed another place radiating with light. Although he saw it, he didn't know exactly where it was or which part of the body it corresponded to…
What was that?
Despite his doubts, Xia Li unhesitatingly focused his consciousness and entered the white light.
Soon, he was utterly stunned. He saw himself, and the moment he did, he immediately realized what it was: it was his soul!
Yet, in the world of Naruto, this wasn't entirely surprising—souls existed. For instance, the Dead Demon Consuming Seal could trap a soul.
But Xia Li saw two figures! He had two souls!
How could that be? He stared at the two identical souls, only differing in size, and was dumbfounded. Could a person really have two souls?
Soon, Xia Li formulated a hypothesis. Of the two souls, the older one must be the time-traveling version, while the smaller one belonged to the original Xia Li.
This unsettled him. If the original soul were strong enough, could it consume him instead?
Did this count as an invasion of his body?
Xia Li approached and finally touched the two souls. At that moment, he seemed to understand something.
His expression shifted—because once he grasped the causality, a major question arose in his mind:
Who was he?
Was he the nameless, lazy laborer from his past life, or was he the near-dead master swordsman, Kawakami Natsuki, in the Naruto world?
He recalled that the original host had nearly died before birth. When Sina learned of her husband's death, she was heartbroken.
Without this twist of fate, "Xia Li" would truly have died here.
At that time, he had just arrived in this world. Without a physical body, he could only exist as an unconscious wandering spirit. Over time, his soul had deteriorated and would soon vanish completely.
He was also rejected by the world; no one could accept his existence.
Yet, by instinct, Xia Li actively accepted him. Thanks to this acceptance, he finally found his place in this world.
Xia Li could not survive alone, nor could he live with a fragmented soul…
So, when the two survival-driven souls collided, no devouring occurred. They merged for survival.
After merging, their—no, Xia Li's soul power was greatly amplified, and it was this soul power that allowed him to be reborn.
"So… I can truly consider myself a native of this world," Xia Li smiled wryly, quickly dismissing the thought.
After all, he had lived here for so long. He was Xia Li; Xia Li was him. There was no need to distinguish them.
The original "Xia Li" had been a newborn, her consciousness a blank slate.
Thus, upon merging, the memories from his previous life became shared memories, and their personalities blended.
For some unknown reason, the fused soul began to grow at twice the rate of an ordinary person. After the crisis, the two souls slowly separated. Yet the truly fused soul could not divide, so although they appeared as two souls, in essence, they were one.
Was it only because of his special perception that half of the soul could temporarily leave the body? But… what purpose did that serve?
At that moment, Xia Li suddenly understood. He finally realized why he had such immense mental strength since childhood and grew so rapidly.
Some childhood questions were answered. Why could he break limits so easily? He had assumed it was due to a strong soul, though he remembered his willpower in the previous life had been weak. Now he understood: his willpower had been reinforced.
And why had it been so difficult to achieve a calm state? Because two souls needed to be stabilized…
Yet now, none of this mattered. From his perspective, having two souls was a blessing. It allowed him to reach shadow-level mental states with ease, and he was still far from his limit!
Once reassured that the second personality posed no danger, Xia Li carefully observed his soul, finally noticing a strange mark on his forehead…
"What is this?" Xia Li frowned. Was there something special about his soul?
If Kyuu were here, he would recognize the mark as the same one Xia Li had seen before. But even Kyuu would notice this one appeared clearer.
Xia Li tried to touch it again, but nothing happened. He still didn't know what it was. It seemed to have formed naturally during his Void Meditation practice…
This gave Xia Li a headache. He studied the mark carefully, feeling that it represented some profound, mysterious natural force. He… could not comprehend it, let alone understand its true nature.
Finally, Xia Li gave up and continued observing his soul. The rest was uneventful.
Outside, Xia Li finally opened his eyes, a hint of confusion in his gaze. The changes after breaking the Kongming Realm left him slightly bewildered.
Two souls, and that mark…
What did they signify?
Chapter 138: Konoha's Arrangement
Xia Li was still very satisfied with the changes after breaking the Kongming Realm. Beyond the obvious transformations, subtler changes surely existed, requiring battle experience to fully perceive.
Additionally, Xia Li visited the library and even the ANBU archives to research the mark but found nothing recorded.
This left Xia Li frustrated. For now, it would have to wait. Future opportunities would allow careful investigation.
Feeling a new sense of bodily perfection he had never experienced, Xia Li confirmed that dedicating the month to breaking through the void state was the right decision.
Time passed, and the next day arrived. The third round of the Chunin Exams was about to begin.
Xia Li asked Sina to bring a Flying Thunder God kunai. Seeing Xia Li's serious expression, along with the inexplicable holiday notice at the barbecue shop, Sina realized what might happen today. He promised to bring the kunai to ease Xia Li's worries.
Then Xia Li went to Ino's house.
Ino was meticulously dressed, standing at the door as if waiting for someone, her posture tall and graceful.
Xia Li quietly approached from behind, wrapping her arms around Ino, whispering:
"Ino-chan, who are you waiting for?"
Ino stiffened, but feeling the familiar embrace and voice, she couldn't help replying:
"You know the answer, yet you still ask."
"And if I do?" Xia Li raised an eyebrow.
"Heh~ I'm waiting for the one I like, an upper-level ninja named Xia Li. Have you seen him?" Ino smiled helplessly after hearing Xia Li's words.
"Of course, I've seen him~" Xia Li released Ino and led her toward the third-round Chunin Exam site, chatting as they walked, feeling a bit awkward.
Soon, Xia Li and Ino separated. Xia Li chose a vantage point to observe, scanning the area for any sign of ANBU members.
In the end, only a few ANBU operatives were present. Xia Li sighed. The Third had likely dispatched almost all ANBU elsewhere, leaving only a handful.
Moreover, some ANBU here might not even belong to their side, complicating matters further.
Fortunately, Jiraiya must be observing secretly, as advised by himself. Knowing this, Xia Li could finally relax.
"Over here." Aya approached with Hinata. Seeing Xia Li, her eyes brightened as she sat beside her.
After a month of training, Hinata's face still appeared pale, so her teammate Kiba accompanied her, fearing she might faint.
"Xia Li-kun…" Hinata looked at Xia Li.
"What is it?"
"I've heard Professor Hong's evaluation of your suggestions, and I'll take it seriously. Thank you for your concern," Hinata said earnestly. In her fight with Neji, she had found her own path.
Even with her resolve, it didn't conflict with Xia Li's advice. His words were meant to guide her in finding her role in the team.
The Hyuga family had prepared Hinata to remain in a restricted position. She had never considered competing with Hanabi for family status. Her father had never intended her to lead. To her, she was a caged bird, clearly abandoned…
"Well, I'm your assistant, so it's natural to care for students. No need to thank me," Xia Li said, observing Hinata. Normally, she only struggled to speak in front of Naruto. Xia Li continued:
"However, I'm only giving a suggestion. Whether it's suitable ultimately depends on your decision."
"I've considered it. I'll also ask Hong to find a suitable medical instructor. If I truly have talent in medicine, I will follow your advice," Hinata said earnestly.
"Good, as long as it's appropriate. But do you want Hong to find them? I think the family head, Hyuga Hiashi, would be better suited," Xia Li suggested.
Hinata understood and frowned slightly. "I won't trouble my father."
Xia Li silently sighed. His relationship with Hinata was not close, so he shouldn't interfere with her family affairs.
If Hong were smart enough, she would locate Hinata, and the result would be the same.
"Hey, Xia Li, I'm tired of all this advice. You give suggestions to so many people, why never to me? My words are meant for combat against ninjas!" Ishiya said casually.
"You are indeed suited, but your path must align with Akamaru, so I have no advice for now. Hong has already taught you the basics well," Xia Li replied, helplessly.
"Ha, it's fine. I know Xia Li isn't omnipotent, but I am suited for combat," Ishiya said, laughing, unconcerned.
"Alright, the match is about to begin." Xia Li glanced at the nine players on the field, then at Ino, and smiled.
Honestly, if one didn't know the future, living like this—training, spending time with a girlfriend—would be blissful.
There were nine players because Toshi from the Sound ninja side hadn't appeared, and his two companions were missing from the audience.
So… what exactly would happen next?
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