Since his training began, Uchiha Kiyo had been researching the essence of cultivation. Over time, he had accumulated enough knowledge to understand the fundamentals, but he had always been missing a crucial opportunity—one that would allow him to organize everything he had learned.
Now, that opportunity had arrived.
Chakra cultivation involved transporting chakra throughout the body, restoring energy, and nourishing the cells. However, the process lacked a structured methodology, and there was no optimal route for energy circulation.
On the other hand, Body Refinement had improved upon this, and the practice of Body Cultivation Art had taken it even further. Through continuous training, each movement incorporated elements reminiscent of the external techniques found in martial arts novels.
If Uchiha Kiyo truly wished to establish his own path of cultivation, he first needed to solve the problem of methodology.
The direction he chose was not the most critical aspect—it did not matter whether his approach aligned with the concept of immortal cultivation or another form of energy manipulation.
The ninja world had its own set of rules, and what Uchiha Kiyo needed was a practical method, one that could be fully realized within the constraints of chakra. From there, he could attempt to incorporate elements from external cultivation systems, gradually refining a practice suited to the world of shinobi.
In Kiyo's understanding, a cultivation method should allow one to achieve twice the results with half the effort.
While he had already made strides in body refinement, his method remained incomplete.
Beyond body forging, he also needed to focus on "internal strength."
Uchiha Kiyo's idea was to develop a technique that guided chakra along a fixed route within the body, forming a complete Zhoutian cycle.
Previously, he had learned through the sealing arts that chakra's movement within the meridians altered its properties. Depending on how it was circulated, chakra could become more attuned to physical energy, mental energy, or a balanced fusion of both.
His goal was to identify the paths that strengthened the body, optimize those routes, and integrate them into a refined circulation method.
This approach aligned with his initial vision of chakra cultivation.
However, such a project was a massive undertaking and could not be completed overnight.
Determined, Uchiha Kiyo resolved to dedicate three hours each day to this research, aiming to finalize the preliminary version of his method before the Second Shinobi World War concluded.
This was only one aspect of chakra optimization.
A complete technique required not only efficient energy utilization but also a reliable energy source.
At present, Kiyo's body could only extract physical energy from food, a process that was both inefficient and slow.
If he could master this energy extraction process and accelerate it, his training efficiency would improve dramatically.
Taking it a step further, he considered the possibility of absorbing natural energy directly from the environment. If even diluted natural energy in food provided such benefits, the potential of absorbing pure, undiluted natural energy was almost unimaginable.
"Wait a minute…"
A sudden realization struck him, one he had never fully considered before.
"If I recall correctly, natural energy in the ninja world is said to be volatile and difficult to control.
If it is not balanced correctly, it causes the body to merge with nature, turning the user into stone.
That's why a massive chakra reserve is required for Sage Mode—to ensure stability during absorption.
But if body energy is derived from diluted natural energy, why does it have a nourishing effect on the body?"
This question sparked an intense desire to explore the unknown, temporarily pushing aside the grief he still carried from his fallen comrades.
Natural energy permeated every corner of the world.
Every living organism absorbed small amounts of it, whether consciously or unconsciously.
Furthermore, physical energy seemed to benefit the body. Did this mean that, as long as the intake remained within a safe threshold, natural energy was not harmful?
There was also the possibility that living beings had a mechanism that refined natural energy, rendering it docile. Normally, the amount absorbed was so minute that this internal mechanism was enough to neutralize its volatile nature. However, once one actively absorbed large amounts, this natural filtration system became overwhelmed, resulting in dangerous consequences.
Regardless of the reason, mastering the absorption of natural energy was an essential step in his cultivation.
Uchiha Kiyo had never been able to sense natural energy, which indicated that his innate talent in this area was lacking.
As for the concentration of natural energy, he disregarded that concern entirely. It wasn't that he was unaware of its importance, but he wanted to avoid relying on the Three Great Sage Regions if possible.
The ninja world had undergone countless changes over millennia, yet the Three Holy Lands remained untouched by these shifts. They claimed neutrality, yet their continued existence was shrouded in mystery.
Something about them felt unsettling.
Thus, Kiyo preferred to forge his own path.
Rather than forcefully perceiving natural energy in an environment where it was abundant, as was done in the Holy Lands, he planned to approach the process with subtlety.
If food contained diluted natural energy—since it served as a source of physical energy—then by studying the body's natural process of extraction, he might eventually learn to perceive raw natural energy directly.
To achieve this, Kiyo needed to simulate the functions of living cells, creating an artificial mechanism that replicated their ability to extract energy.
This system would not only refine chakra more efficiently but would also allow him to observe and understand the process of energy absorption.
Additionally, by refining chakra in this manner, he could bypass the usual cellular degradation that occurred during extraction, reducing unnecessary strain on the body.
The detailed implementation of these ideas would take time.
For now, his primary goal was to organize his thoughts and establish a clear direction.
And he had done just that.
With a foundation in place, Kiyo began contemplating future cultivation progress.
"What will the path of chakra cultivation look like moving forward?
Is it truly impossible for the human body to directly absorb natural energy?"
Logically speaking, it wasn't entirely impossible. The issue lay in the quantity—living organisms naturally absorbed minuscule amounts. If the body could be conditioned to handle greater amounts, could it adapt?
Kiyo recalled various concepts from books he had read—different stages of energy mastery, where practitioners refined their energy from Qi to True Essence, from spiritual power to mana, and even from acquired energy to innate energy. Each stage of refinement altered both energy and the practitioner's body.
Could his own cultivation system follow a similar process?
Could the human body undergo a gradual transformation, adapting to increasingly potent energies?
Could he evolve toward a state of existence that harmonized with higher energies?
A thought came to mind—something from a story he once read.
In one tale, a warrior from a world of battle qi struggled when transitioning to a realm of spiritual energy. Initially, the energies clashed within his body, weakening him, but over time, he adapted.
If that was possible in fiction, could it be possible in reality?
Did this mean that the ability to adapt to energy was not a matter of limitations but of method?
If so, then a "baptism" of natural energy might be necessary.
He noted it down for future study.
"Why does this process seem oddly familiar?"
The transition from acquired energy to innate energy…
If he couldn't directly absorb natural energy, could he refine his body into an "innate state" that allowed him to?
The realization made his eye twitch slightly.
If this assumption was correct…
Could his path of cultivation truly lead to something unprecedented?
Returning to the innate… cultivating a higher existence?
This… had potential.
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