Chapter Twenty-Six: The Eight Gates Formation Versus Sevenfold Explosion — Gray Reversal

(Tomorrow’s match against Sasuke—well, I’ll look forward to it a little.)

Qi watched calmly as the enormous, blood-riddled brute lunged at him. He spread his wings and soared higher once more. The massive man stretched out an arm, which extended dozens of meters, only to grasp at empty air as he plummeted. The colossal body crashed to the ground, shaking the mountains. The outcome was set; Qi had won again.

Landing gently, Qi closed his eyes to rest and reflect, restoring his spiritual energy.

At midday, the blazing sun hung high. Early summer’s warmth was comfortable under a flawless sky, perfect for a stroll in nature. Yet atop the battered mountain, Qi felt no relaxation. His opponents had emerged: Lee, with his green attire, bowl-cut, and thick eyebrows, and Neji, whose white eyes and calm, restrained aura brought an air of composure.

“I am Rock Lee! Let us celebrate youth!” Lee flashed a thumb’s up, grinning brightly with gleaming teeth.

“Hyuga Neji. You are strong, but I will not lose.” Neji stood with steady resolve.

Having learned his lesson, Qi immediately took to the air. Among the twelve opponents, though their techniques were strange, none could fly—thus, in the sky, he held absolute advantage.

“Youth is about facing things head-on! Come down, let’s have a fair fight. Only a one-on-one battle is true youth!” Lee called out, his smile unwavering.

He was greeted by a rain of meteor blades, a bombardment sweeping the ground. Yet, to Qi’s surprise, both Lee and Neji emerged unscathed, dusted but brimming with fighting spirit.

It was no surprise that Neji could block with his defensive rotation, but how Lee managed to withstand it was a mystery.

“The one in the sky, we’re both taijutsu specialists. We don’t use ninjutsu or genjutsu. Come down and let’s have a passionate fight—that’s the true essence of youth!”

Qi’s lips twitched; words failed him. Was this truly their nature, or merely bait to lure him down? Judging by their appearance and attire, it was likely the former.

As long as there were no bizarre ninjutsu involved, Qi was confident against two close-combat masters. He considered for a moment, then descended calmly. If their defenses could handle double-strength meteor blade rain, ranged attacks would only waste time, dulling the thrill.

“Indeed, the charm of youth is boundless! Hahaha!” Lee laughed heartily. “Neji, let me fight him alone first, otherwise I won’t be able to go all out.”

“Fine,” Neji replied coolly. He too wished for a solo challenge, regardless of the mysterious voice’s tempting promises.

Under the radiant sun, Lee grew solemn, his fighting spirit surging. Qi faced him, eyes sharp, hands clasped behind his back, his aura rising. Amidst the tense atmosphere, a breeze carried a green leaf across the arena, settling gently on the ground.

In a flash, stillness became motion; both fighters clashed in the center. Fists collided, the sound of impact echoed amidst the fleeting figures.

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For now, they were evenly matched. Lee’s speed and strength exceeded Qi’s slightly, but Lee fought purely by instinct, without a clear method.

Qi, steeped in online knowledge and tempered by previous life-and-death struggles, had honed his understanding of techniques to a profound level. Every punch and kick bore the imprint of refined skill, boosting his combat prowess.

They fought with exhilaration, truly matched rivals. After nearly five minutes, they separated. Qi appeared calmer and more composed than Lee—a perception Qi himself held.

“Ordinary attacks aren’t enough against you. Next, I’ll use my ultimate move. Guy-sensei warned me: this technique is only for protecting loved ones or when survival is at stake. But since we can’t die here, I can go all out.” Lee spoke as he began unwrapping the bandages from his hands.

He then removed the weights from his calves. Qi had wondered what Lee was doing, but when the weights hit the ground with a thunderous crash and billowing dust, even Qi was stunned—Lee had been fighting him with such heavy burdens?

No time to ponder; Lee flashed a smile, and was suddenly right before him. Qi, not yet at full power, couldn’t react in time and was kicked skyward. In midair, Qi unleashed double the strength, silver light gleaming in his eyes, finally catching Lee’s movements. He tried to block, but Lee’s speed increased again, and Qi was struck in the chest, bones breaking as he was sent flying.

While airborne, Qi exploded with triple strength to stabilize himself, beginning to heal his injuries. Lee charged like lightning, prompting Qi to unleash fourfold strength, blasting Lee backward with a cannon punch.

“Gate of Rest, Gate of Life, open!” Lee halted mid-flight, just as Qi had, and lunged back. His speed now matched Qi’s quadruple power. They exchanged blows, eyes locked.

Simultaneously, both shouted: “Gate of Injury, Gate of Limit, open!” “Fivefold power!”

The two now mirrored each other, Lee with five gates open and Qi with five times his strength; both bodies flushed red, pushed to the limit. Neither could stop, nor did they wish to. This was a rare chance: matched fighting styles, comparable power, and—even if they died—they’d revive. A precious opportunity.

“Sixfold power!” “Gate of View, open!” Power surpassed their bodies’ limits; their frames cried out under strain. With immense strength and speed, their figures rose higher. Each step compressed the air, as if treading invisible stairs; their midair clashes thundered like storms.

Lee was being suppressed; opening gates could not keep pace with Qi’s multiplying power. “Gate of Shock, open!” Lee relentlessly sacrificed his body for overwhelming strength.

He did manage to overpower Qi, but couldn’t finish him quickly. Both bodies, now running on sheer will, kept striking and being struck. This couldn’t last much longer. Yet, both shouted the last words to end this extraordinary duel.

“Gate of Death, open!” “Sevenfold power!”

Blood sprayed; Lee’s consciousness blurred, yet he sang his final moment of dazzling youth with unwavering determination—“Morning Peacock!”

Qi was in better shape; blood mist enveloped him, but he retained some clarity—“Rotation!” Silver gleam in his left eye, black abyss in his right, his rotation formed a gray, hazy sphere.

Before the crowd, a fiery red peacock, carrying Lee, soared toward the gray sphere. Upon collision, it was silent—the point of contact vanished, or perhaps entered the gray sphere. Only when Lee’s body touched the sphere and dissolved into white light was it clear: the blue peacock had evaporated into nothingness.

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“Creation is difficult; destruction is easy. With sevenfold power, combined with the main directive and bloodline, he’s barely glimpsed the edge of ‘Space-Time Oblivion.’ Truly worthy of being our creation.” The deity arched an eyebrow and spoke to the silver-haired woman beside him.

“He’s my child. You’re just a thief who stole my newborn and modified him,” the silver-haired woman replied, her gaze never leaving the screen where Qi appeared.

......

Qi halted his spinning, forcing a strained smile. He had returned to his normal state, but his wounds were far worse than those from fighting the undead rat—too severe for quick recovery with spiritual energy.

Even his wingbeats trembled now, yet he didn’t land, instead flying laboriously to a secluded corner, sitting cross-legged. Never let your guard down. He realized the extraordinary nature of his last rotation; now was the time to recall that sensation. If he could master it, it would be the ultimate defense.

Neji did not seize the moment to attack. This wasn’t a mission, nor a fight for life; he had his pride. Even after witnessing such an inhuman battle, he kept his dignity, sitting cross-legged to strategize.

The sun gradually dimmed, moving westward, pausing as if debating whether to witness the next fight.

Today’s weather was splendid. So when dusk fell, there were no burning clouds—just a gentle crimson glow. Qi opened his eyes. Though he didn’t break through again, his realm was firmly stabilized; mind and body restored to their peak—if one ignored his tattered, blood-soaked clothes.

He frowned slightly, and a wall of bone rose to block the others’ view. Neji opened his eyes, puzzled, then faintly heard water splashing and an unfamiliar melody from behind the bone wall.

Neji’s expression darkened. Bathing in the arena—was Qi even acknowledging his presence? Was this a provocation? It must be. Absolutely. Yet he couldn’t rush in and duel a naked opponent; a ninja must learn patience.

When the bone wall finally withdrew, Qi stood in clean clothes—his usual attire, worn out of habit. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we begin?” Qi smiled apologetically.

“Come,” Neji replied, serious, assuming his stance. His posture, similar to Hinata’s, suggested they shared a style; even if stronger than Hinata, he shouldn’t be too much for Qi, or so Qi thought.

Testing the waters first, Qi threw a flying knife, its red glow flaring. Neji shifted his steps, deftly evading.

Qi charged—not with a cannon punch, but with gentle fists, mirroring Neji. Without Byakugan, Qi couldn’t see chakra points, nor could he block Neji’s energy channels. But with anatomical knowledge gleaned online, he knew precisely where the pressure points lay. Lacking chakra was irrelevant, since Neji couldn’t seal his own.

Qi’s immature gentle fist or Eight Trigrams palm was no match for the genius Neji; from the outset, Qi suffered three strikes, powerful blows penetrating pressure points and hindering his spiritual energy flow. Qi paid little heed, unleashing double strength to continue the bout.

After a minute of grappling, Neji used rotation to force Qi back a few steps. Forming hand signs, white mist appeared; within it, three figures emerged, startling Qi—the left was Lee with his green bowl-cut, the center was Neji, and the right was the lazy-faced Shikamaru.

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