novel-bin Chapter 128 Time to plan the next step!
Chapter 128 Time to plan the next step!
Chapter 128 It's time for the next step!
Loulan disappeared.
That ancient kingdom that once stood deep in the desert, along with its towers, streets, palaces, and millions of years of history.
It was uprooted from the earth like a painting pulled from its frame, leaving only a desolate expanse of yellow sand.
Izumi opened his right eye, and the pure white pupil reflected the broken seal remnants and the swirling sand around him.
His left eye was already closed, and blood trickled down from the corner of his eye, down his cheek, and into his collar, leaving a shocking red mark on his pale skin.
His breathing was heavier than usual, indicating a significant drain on his energy, but it was only a depletion of his mental and visual abilities; his physical health was fine.
"Severing the Divine Might Space and taking over Loulan—that's a small goal achieved."
He wanted immortality and naturally longed for a paradise of his own, and now, the beggar version of that has finally arrived.
Beneath their feet, the remnants of the dragon vein seal still emitted a faint blue light, like the last sigh of a dying man.
The dragon veins beneath the earth have fallen silent, and the once surging power that was capable of tearing apart time and space has dissipated.
At this moment, it was like a giant beast whose blood had been drained, with only a weak pulse throbbing slowly and feebly deep within.
Ye Cang supported Sarah, whose face was as pale as paper, her forehead covered with fine beads of sweat, and a few strands of hair stuck to her cheeks. She was almost limp in Ye Cang's arms.
Her hands trembled slightly, and the burning sensation from guiding the dragon vein chakra still lingered on her fingertips.
But she didn't faint; she was just panting heavily, her gaze unfocused as she looked around.
The sky has returned to normal. It's cloudless, and a bright moon hangs high in the sky.
A gentle breeze blew across the land, and the sound of flowing yellow sand filled the air.
Before long, this place will probably be swallowed up by the desert, leaving only ruins.
Loulan has truly vanished.
Sarah's lips trembled slightly; she wanted to say something, but nothing came out. Her eyes were red, but no tears fell.
From the day Quanchuan set foot in Loulan, the fate of this ancient kingdom was already sealed.
Only in this way could she, as the Queen of Loulan, protect her people.
That line, "You wouldn't want the people you worked so hard to save to disappear, would you?"
This completely broke her defenses, leaving her no choice but to obey orders and silently endure everything.
"You did a good job." Izumi turned around, looked at Sara, and showed a hint of satisfaction.
"Come!"
He waved again, and Ye Cang helped Sara to his side.
Izumi's palm glowed with a green light, the light of medical ninjutsu.
Sarah watched as the hand slowly descended upon her head, and immediately felt a surge of power engulf her entire body.
【optimization】!
Izumi murmured to himself. Sarah was still somewhat useful to him; the power of the dragon vein would eventually be restored, but it would require a long time to accumulate and replenish.
With Sara's help in his cultivation, he will achieve twice the result with half the effort.
He withdrew his hand from Sarah's head. Her body had almost recovered, but her legs were still a little weak and she would need to rest for a while.
"What does the Divine Might Space look like now?" Ye Cang, supporting Sara, looked up at Izumi River with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
Izumikawa did not answer, but simply raised his right hand, joined his index and middle fingers together, and lightly drew a line in front of him.
A twisted crack appeared in the air. The crack rapidly expanded, like a slowly opening eye, revealing the otherworldly space within.
The sky was a perpetual twilight, with hazy light spilling down from an unknown source, enveloping the entire space in a soft and silent glow.
Under this light, the ancient kingdom of Loulan sat quietly on the earth.
Towering towers stand tall, streets and alleys crisscross, and the palace dome gleams with an ancient luster in the twilight.
The skeletal golems that had been sucked in had already begun to move.
They traversed the streets, moving rubble, repairing buildings, and patching up any parts that were slightly damaged during the collection process.
The entire city was intact, even more peaceful and serene than it had been in the desert.
It was as if it had always belonged here, not in that windswept wasteland.
Through the crack, Sarah saw her palace and the streets where she had grown up.
Her fingers clenched slightly, her nails digging into her palms, but she felt no pain.
A slight sadness welled up in her heart. Although she knew very well that Loulan would eventually perish after her choice, she still felt a pang of melancholy upon witnessing this moment.
The nation, built by generations of guardians of the earth's veins, has now become the property of others.
And she herself would be bound to the fate of the man in front of her, with no other choice.
"Alright, I'll take you inside after the repairs are finished."
After Izumi finished speaking, he didn't say anything more. He turned around and faced the remnants of the seal that had been drained of its dragon veins.
He raised his hand and formed several hand seals, completely sealing the seal.
The blue light faded, and the underground dragon vein fell into slumber, leaving only the stone disc covered with sealing patterns faintly visible in the yellow sand.
"The power of the dragon vein has been temporarily depleted, but it hasn't disappeared," Izumi said in a low voice, as if explaining to Yekura and Sara, or perhaps talking to himself. "I will come again when it recovers."
He stood up, dusted off his hands, and turned to walk towards the ridge not far away.
There, a skeletal dragon lay quietly on the ground, its bone wings folded, as if waiting for its master to return.
"Let's go," Izumi said without turning around. "There's nothing left to see here."
Ye Cang helped Sarah catch up with him. Sarah's body was still a little weak, but she could already walk on her own.
She glanced back at the empty expanse of yellow sand, where her kingdom and her home once stood.
Now, there's nothing left there except for the dust kicked up by the wind and a few scattered pebbles.
She looked away and didn't turn back.
The skeletal dragon spread its wings, carrying the three of them into the air, and flew towards the Land of Snow.
On the ground, the barren desert gradually receded into the twilight, eventually becoming a blurry line that disappeared into the horizon.
Along the way, Izumi took back the core of the puppet that the bone bird had transported. He would modify it again.
Within the Divine Might Space, the ancient kingdom of Loulan stood quietly in the twilight.
The skeletal golems were still busy. They were moving the last few scattered pieces of stone back to their original positions.
The skeletal puppets used yellow sand to repair the cracks in the walls and then swept the dust off the streets.
-
Everything was proceeding smoothly, as if the city had always been a part of this other dimension.
Now, everything here is in need of rebuilding; it remains to be seen how Quanchuan will develop this space.
A week later.
The Land of Snow, Base.
The skeletal dragon landed at the entrance to the base, its bone claws digging into the ground with a dull thud.
Izumi leaped off the dragon's back with steady steps. His left eye had opened, reverting to its three-tomoe Sharingan form, but it was concealed by sunglasses.
With heterochromatic eyes and possessing two of the three great dojutsu of the ninja world, it's best to keep a low profile.
Ye Cang helped Sarah down; she had fully regained her mobility, though her face was still somewhat pale.
She looked around curiously at the green valleys, the towering steel buildings, and the huge city under construction in the distance.
This was her first time visiting the Land of Snow, and the first time she had seen scenery other than deserts and ruins.
"This is the Land of Snow." Yekura noticed her confusion and explained in a low voice, "Another stronghold of Lord Izumigawa."
Sarah nodded without asking any further questions; she had learned not to ask too many.
-
"Ye Cang, take her to rest." Izumi walked deeper into the base without looking back. "She still has a lot to learn starting tomorrow."
"Yes," Ye Cang replied, leading Sara toward the residential area on the other side.
Izumi walked alone down the long corridor, pushed open the laboratory door, and went inside.
In the room, the culture tanks and experimental equipment had been rearranged, and everything was in perfect order.
He walked to the window, looked out at the vibrant spring valley, and remained silent for a moment.
Then, he raised his right hand, joined his index and middle fingers together, and made a sweeping motion in front of him.
The rift in the Divine Might Space reappeared. Through the rift, he saw the ancient city sitting quietly in the twilight, and the busy skeletal puppets.
A slight smile played on his lips as he withdrew his finger.
The crack closed, and the laboratory returned to silence.
Izumi turned around, walked to the lab bench, and sat down. He took out a blank scroll, laid it on the table, picked up a pen, and began to write.
The pen scratched across the paper, leaving behind densely packed words—his next plan.
The expansion of the Snow Country base and the handling of the aftermath of the Loulan incident—this time the gains were significant, but it also provoked Obito and Black Zetsu.
He didn't care much about the other party's plan. So what if Madara Uchiha was resurrected? So what if Kaguya was resurrected?
The Otsutsuki clan will come sooner or later. If the ninja world cannot improve its strength, this planet will be doomed sooner or later.
A bad pen is worse than a good memory. List out all the known information and the changes that have occurred.
He couldn't help but think that his next step was to go find Orochimaru again and exchange their insights on immortality.
In exchange for some items related to the cursed seal, as well as Jugo's blood, or to personally witness an existence like Jugo.
Natural energy is so important that it could make one either food for the Divine Tree or food for the Otsutsuki clan.
We also need to investigate the Onigumo clan; we should consult with Mei Terumi about that.
The energy from the seal passed down by the other party is also natural energy. Whether it can help me or not requires further research.
The Onigumo clan is easier to deal with; providing them with shelter and living space is sufficient.
Just then, Xue Ren was planning to rebuild his team and have the Onigumo clan join, which conveniently filled a vacancy.
Now, Kirigakure is probably already embroiled in internal strife!
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