stonecrandall Chapter 36 The Mysterious City
Chapter 36 The Mysterious City
"Have you shaken off your pursuers?"
"We've shaken them off."
Mo Jingxian ran all night and finally arrived at the agreed location before dawn.
The weathered stone pillars were the place where the team first rested after infiltrating the Wind Kingdom.
The moment Ayako Hinata saw him, her heart finally settled down.
"The poison from the new tree has been neutralized, but it will probably take a few more days for my body to recover."
Mo Jingxian glanced at the unconscious Ishikawa Shinki. Her face was no longer so pale, and her breathing became more relaxed.
Several pieces of silk clothing were placed beneath her, and the furrowed brows in her dream visibly relaxed.
Although the person has not yet woken up, things are moving in a positive direction.
He felt that the night's fighting was worthwhile and that the effort had not been in vain.
"Let's go, the sooner we get into the desert, the safer we'll be."
"Yes," Ayako Hinata stood up and went to Shinki's side, "I'll carry him on my back, your injury..."
"My injury is fine."
That's the downside of being glared at; there are no secrets, and his injuries were discovered the moment he appeared in front of Ayako.
"I did some camouflage in the hope of luring the pursuers to the border."
The two left in the opposite direction from the border, and their simple disguise should soon be seen through by the pursuing Sand Ninja.
It's better than nothing, we can hold on for as long as possible.
Mo Jingxian thought to herself.
From this moment on, the three of them completely escaped the trap woven by the Sand Ninja.
Next, it was a race against time to rush into the desolate desert before the Sand Ninja could react.
Mo Jingxian and Hinata Ayako took turns carrying the new tree on their backs, while the cries of eagles could be heard overhead from time to time.
They are not afraid of being exposed; as long as they are faster than the Sand Village's interception speed, the enemy cannot catch up with them.
Perhaps their actions took an unexpected turn from the Sand Village, and in addition, there simply weren't enough people to send here.
Mo Jingxian and his two companions shook off their pursuers in just one day.
They traveled through the desert for another three days without seeing any more Sand Ninja.
The desert weather has a large temperature difference between day and night.
After being scorched by the blazing sun all day, the temperature suddenly drops after dark.
The three of them hid in a sheltered spot, sitting around a small fire.
Mo Jingxian threw the last handful of dried plants into the fire, and the flames shot upwards.
"Cough! Cough."
After several days of recovery, Ishikawa Shinki is now just like a normal person, except for the occasional cough.
"You say..."
Ayako Hinata sat by the fire with her arms wrapped around her knees, her chin resting on her knees.
It sounded like a question, or perhaps a soliloquy.
"How could the Sand Ninja have laid an ambush beforehand, and even managed to fool my Byakugan?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but it sounded like a grand bell to Ishikawa Shinki.
Shinju looked up at Ayako in astonishment, then turned his incredulous gaze to Mo Jingxian.
They have been hunted down ever since the attack began.
Before he could even think, he was injured and fell unconscious.
When I woke up, I was still feeling groggy and didn't think about it in detail.
They simply assumed the mission had failed.
Ayako's reminder made him realize a suffocating possibility, and he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
Is the Byakugan powerful?
Needless to say.
There are ways to block glares, but those methods all require tedious preparation in advance.
Thinking about this, he dared not continue thinking.
Mo Jingxian certainly understood Lingzi's meaning; the outline of the matter was already quite clear.
How many supply transport teams do you think the Sand Village has?
He flicked the flames, and the firelight brightened for a fleeting moment.
The firelight illuminated their faces, casting an uncertain glow.
I don't know how many convoys there are, but I imagine it's more than just this one trip.
Xinshu answered casually, already understanding what Mo Jingxian meant.
"That's right. If we're going to put on an act, we have to go all the way. We'll find out the answer when we get back to the camp."
Reality is cruel; if you eliminate all the impossibilities, what remains is the truth.
For a moment, the group lost interest in talking and watched the faint light gradually fade away.
Mo Jingxian was on duty for the first half of the night, while her two teammates had already rested.
He diverted some of his attention to carefully feel the two injured ribs on his chest.
The stinging sensation disappeared two days ago, replaced by a faint throbbing pain.
In the past, fractures would have taken at least half a month to heal.
Now, it only takes three days to fully recover.
Not only does it recover, but the bones become stronger and more efficient at absorbing elements after the injury heals.
Quietly, "Water Scale Armor" covered his entire body. This was a ninjutsu he created by using water and wind elements to imitate the transformation of the Dragon Rhythm.
It possesses the continuous properties of water, the flowing properties of wind, and the solid properties of ice.
This is his strongest defensive measure to date.
In the past, the "water scale armor" was simply a cover on the body surface, and if it broke, it could only be reassembled.
But now it's different. The ninjutsu fits snugly against the chest, and the two restored ribs are continuously providing it with elemental support.
In other words, this technique has created a bridge between him and his body.
Of course, Mo Jingxian's current strength is not enough to control Ruyi, but the potential for growth of this technique is fully revealed.
Mo Jingxian's focus was not on the technique itself, but on the sudden changes in her body.
After carefully recalling the events following his injury and eliminating all possibilities, he finally focused on "breathing techniques."
Since learning the breathing method, he has persisted in it every day without noticing anything wrong.
Through this experience, Mo Jingxian finally discovered its extraordinary nature.
First of all, Long Yunzhi's transformation skill comes from this method, which is significantly different from ninjutsu.
Secondly... during his escape the day before yesterday, he suddenly received 20 reputation points from Orochimaru.
Currently, the only connection between the two is that transaction.
Given Orochimaru's aloof personality, he must have discovered something valuable on Long Yunzhi's body.
This also proves its uniqueness.
Based on his own feelings over the past few days, he came to a conclusion.
Unlike ninjutsu, breathing techniques gradually transform one's body.
It's not that my strength has become much greater, but rather that my body's coordination and recovery have improved.
Mo Jingxian remembered that Long Yunzhi once said that this inheritance could prolong life.
Although he has not yet noticed an increase in his lifespan, all indications suggest that Long Yunzhi's words are not unfounded.
The direction of the physical transformation is clear: to become more compatible with the basic elements of the universe.
The breathing technique is continuously transforming his body, making it more adaptable to these fundamental elements.
Gradually, Mo Jingxian made a bold guess.
Perhaps the fundamental forces of this world are the basic elements.
It's important to understand that chakra is something external; it's formed from the local energy absorbed by the Divine Tree.
Those extraordinary energies existed before chakra appeared.
So, what is the reason for this state of mutual integration yet clear division between the two?
A flash of inspiration crossed his mind, but he couldn't quite grasp it.
Scratching his head.
Never mind, as long as I keep going, I'll find out the truth sooner or later.
To be honest, thinking about it this way, I'm actually starting to feel a bit excited.
It's as if there's a deeply hidden secret that I'm gradually discovering.
"You take a rest, I'll keep watch."
Hinata Ayako sat down next to Mo Jingxian and draped a coat over his shoulders.
"Alright, I'll rest for two hours, and then we'll continue our journey."
As the long night passed, a red sun rose on the horizon of the desert.
The misty air currents transformed the outline of the red sun into a wave-like pattern.
Amidst the vast expanse of yellow sand, three black dots moved—it was Mo Jingxian and her two companions.
"There's absolutely nothing here but sand. I don't know how the Sand Ninja survive."
Ishikawa Shinki survived and is recovering well.
Now I'm even in the mood to complain about how barren the Land of Wind is.
"Nonsense, would the Sand Village be willing to start a war if they weren't poor? They'd be asking for trouble."
The journey was too boring, so bickering with Xinshu became Mo Jingxian's only pastime.
"Look, there's a city over there!"
Ayako Hinata's excited shout interrupted the two who were bickering, and they both looked over.
"Holy crap, it really is!"
"Am I seeing things? How could there be a city in the desert?"
Ishikawa Shinki strongly suspects that the toxins in his body have not been completely eliminated, otherwise how could he be experiencing hallucinations?
"Could it be a mirage?"
But then I thought about it and realized something was wrong. The city looked strange; I'd never heard of any country with this architectural style.
"Are you two stupid? Go and see for yourself!"
"Ah—yes, yes!"
As the saying goes, Wangshan runs to death.
The city didn't seem far away, but the three of them ran for half a day before finally arriving at the city gate before noon.
The city walls were not very high, and were built of stones mixed with sand and gravel. The city gates were wide enough for two rows of carriages to pass side by side.
Several strange characters were written on the lintel of the city gate, which were crooked and resembled symbols. None of the three of them, including Mo Jingxian, recognized them.
The clothing and appearance of the people entering and leaving the area are also significantly different from those in the mainstream world.
The women were dressed in thin clothing, mostly made of gauze, with veils over their faces and gemstone ornaments hanging on their ears and noses.
The men, on the other hand, wore long robes and were mostly barefoot.
The three exchanged a glance. Now that they were here, they should go into the city to rest and recuperate.
Passing through the city gate, a bustling scene came into view.
The city is built on an oasis, extending around a crescent-shaped lake.
Residents thronged the streets, and vendors hawked their wares along the way.
Mo Jingxian followed the flow of people and found a tall building at the top of Crescent Lake.
Unlike other low-rise buildings, this building is nearly 20 meters tall and has four floors.
"What are you looking at?"
Ayako Hinata followed his gaze.
On the rooftop of a four-story building, stood a young woman in her twenties.
Although her face was covered by a veil, one could tell she was a beauty just by looking at her graceful figure.
Ayako looked down at her chest and pouted.
"What's so interesting about it!"
It has to be said that the young girl is still at a disadvantage due to her age.
Mo Jingxian couldn't recall such a place in the Naruto world for a moment, and searched through her memories without finding any clues.
As the group approached the tall building, they heard shouts coming from the crowd:
"Queen……"
Hmm? A city ruled by a woman.
That's quite unusual. In most countries of the ninja world, men control the economy and military power of their respective nations.
This place is strange in every way, as if it doesn't belong in this world.
and many more!
Mo Jingxian remembered that she had seen some discussions online.
I didn't pay much attention at the time, so I don't remember much.
He turned his head and glanced around, and a name gradually came to mind.
Loulan.