Carrying the "spoils of war" scavenged from Orochimaru's lair, Hinata quietly returned to Konoha, back to her quiet courtyard shrouded by a Formation.
The aftermath of Sasuke's defection had not yet subsided in the outside world, but none of it had anything to do with her.
She now had over 80,000 points; Hinata looked at her points and nodded with satisfaction.
She set aside those Edo Tensei Materials, Hashirama cells, and high-level research notes involving the Soul and Senjutsu for later study when she had time.
After handling the miscellaneous matters, she once again immersed herself in cultivation. Having just formed her Golden Core, she needed to stabilize it and, more importantly, explore the various mysteries brought about by this Realm.
The circulation route of the "Circumference of Heaven Star Art" in the Golden Core Stage was more complex, and its efficiency far exceeded that of the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Aside from cultivating, a thought naturally surfaced—flying.
Flight is one of the obsessions of all Cultivators, symbolizing transcendence and freedom.
During the Foundation Establishment Stage, she could only achieve short-distance gliding or hovering by relying on her spiritual energy, and it couldn't be sustained.
But the Golden Core Stage was different; her spiritual energy had undergone a qualitative change, and her control over the energy of heaven and earth had reached a higher level.
According to the records of the "Circumference of Heaven Star Art," a Golden Core Cultivator could initially break free from the shackles of the earth, riding the Qi through the air—roaming the North Sea in the morning and Cangwu in the evening!
She closed her eyes and focused, carefully recalling the methods for Soaring through the Air from her Cultivation Technique.
With a thought, her body initially only rose a few inches off the ground, hovering in the air with a slight wobble.
However, her Divine Sense was powerful, and she quickly adjusted the output and frequency of her spiritual energy, soon stabilizing herself.
Next, she tried to ascend. As her spiritual energy output increased, her entire body seemed to be wrapped in an invisible, gentle force, lifting her slowly upward, over the courtyard walls and over the rooftops of the Hyuga Clan Compound.
A breeze brushed against her cheeks, fluttering her white robes.
She looked down; the clan compound gradually shrank in her eyes, turning into a well-arranged cluster of buildings.
This feeling was very novel, completely different from looking out from a high place; this was a true freedom, detached from the shackles of the earth.
She continued to ascend, her speed gradually increasing.
The outline of Konoha Village unfolded beneath her feet like a giant sand table.
The iconic Hokage Rock, winding rivers, crisscrossing streets, and areas under reconstruction... everything was in full view. The villagers were like tiny ants moving across the "sand table."
She didn't stop, flying toward the higher clouds. The air gradually became thin and cold, but for the physique of a Golden Core Stage Cultivator, this was nothing.
A faint layer of starlight automatically appeared around her, isolating her from the high-altitude Astral Winds and low temperatures.
After piercing through a thin layer of the sea of clouds, the view suddenly opened up.
Below was a rolling, boundless sea of clouds, like white cotton covering the earth, with sunlight spilling over it and reflecting a dazzling light. Above was the azure sky, looking as if it were within reach.
She hovered above the sea of clouds, her pure white eyes calmly looking down at Konoha obscured by the clouds, and the mountains and rivers faintly visible in the distance.
At this moment, an indescribable sense of aloofness and transcendence arose spontaneously.
All living beings, scurrying about, their loves and hates, were all beneath her feet. The Family, the Village, the Ninja World... these existences that she once needed to look up to or be wary of now seemed like scenes in a painting in her eyes.
She suddenly thought of Pain, the one who possessed the Rinnegan and called himself a "god."
He also seemed to like standing in high places, examining the world from a cold perspective and trying to grant the "Pain" he defined.
"Standing at this height, it really is easy to have such an illusion," Hinata whispered to herself.
She could also feel this sensation—heaven and earth were beneath her feet, and she seemed omnipotent. The sense of inflation brought by this power was very strong.
To summarize in one sentence.
"I don't eat beef."
Hinata steadied her mind. She knew very well that she was fundamentally different from Pain. Pain's "godly" perspective was a distortion based on Pain and hatred, a "salvation" forced upon others.
Her transcendence, however, was a natural shift in perspective after a leap in life's level, fundamentally different from his.
She wouldn't play god or grant any Pain or peace; she was just herself, a Cultivator seeking the Great Dao.
The world beneath her feet was the scenery on her journey; she might stop to appreciate it, but she would never be obsessed with it, let alone try to change the inherent appearance of the scenery.
"However," she tilted her head slightly, feeling the smooth intake and output of spiritual energy from the Golden Core in her body and the pleasure of her Divine Sense stretching freely across the vast world.
"This feeling of looking down is indeed not bad; it's quite refreshing."
With another thought, her figure began to speed across the clouds, her speed far exceeding when she used the Star-Treading Steps on the ground. Her white figure streaked through the sky, leaving a fleeting trail on the azure canopy.
Sometimes she plunged into thick cloud banks, feeling the moisture of the water vapor brushing against her spiritual energy shield; sometimes she soared through the clear sky, side by side with the birds.
She flew past the borders of Konoha, seeing more unfamiliar terrains—vast forests, barren deserts, and continuous mountain ranges... this Ninja World was broader than she had imagined.
Flight was not just a change in the mode of movement, but also a baptism and expansion of one's state of mind.
It allowed her to more clearly recognize her own insignificance and the grandeur of the world, while also strengthening her determination to pursue higher Realms and explore the wider world.
When the sun set, dyeing the sea of clouds into a brilliant golden-red, Hinata finally turned around with lingering interest and flew toward Konoha.
Returning to the courtyard, she slowly descended and set foot on the ground. Having experienced riding the wind above the clouds, looking at this small courtyard again, her mindset had already changed.
"Only at the Golden Core Stage can one truly have the capital to establish oneself in this world, and even transcend it." She felt the spiritual energy still teeming within her body, her heart clear.
[Successfully mastered the Golden Core Stage ability of Soaring through the Air. Broadened horizons, and the Dao Heart has become more transparent. Obtained points: 3,000.]
[What Cultivator wouldn't want to fly and travel the world?]
[Current point balance: 88,050 points.]
The System's notification sounded.
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