Chapter 18: SteadinessAsuma continued, "He doesn't allow me to hang out with those kinds of people anymore, nor does he allow them to keep running around using my name to cause trouble outside."At this point, he paused, his voice dropping lower."So... regarding yesterday's matter, I apologize."This apology was said very awkwardly, but it was indeed a sincere apology.Kurenai Yuhi's anger subsided slightly, and Rin Nohara also breathed a sigh of relief.Fang Xu looked at Asuma for a moment and nodded."Fine, I accept."Asuma was stunned."It's that simple?"Fang Xu retorted, "Otherwise? Do you still want me to beat you up?"Asuma's mouth twitched.He originally thought Fang Xu would definitely take the opportunity to mock him a few times, not expecting the other party to be so straightforward.This made the awkward feeling in his heart lessen quite a bit instead.Kurenai Yuhi wasn't so easily letting it go; she turned her head to look at Fang Xu, her tone carrying worry."Did they hurt you? Do you need my help?"Finishing speaking, she glared at Asuma again.Asuma felt a tightness in his chest from the glare, but this time he couldn't refute it.Fang Xu smiled."No need, I've already taught them a lesson.""Taught them a lesson?"Obito couldn't help leaning over."You beat them and chased them off by yourself?"Fang Xu said casually, "Pretty much."Obito's eyes lit up, and he immediately pressed on, "How many were there? How did you fight them? Did you use Ninjutsu? Wasn't it very cool?"Fang Xu glanced at him."Do you want to learn?"Obito immediately puffed out his chest."I am Uchiha Obito, the man who will become the Hokage in the future! I don't need to learn your moves!"Fang Xu nodded."Then don't ask."Obito's expression stiffened.Rin Nohara couldn't help laughing.Seeing that Fang Xu was indeed fine, Kurenai Yuhi's heart also relaxed.Earlier she mistakenly thought Asuma had truly instigated people, so her tone was a bit heavy. At this moment, she looked back at Asuma, a bit of apologetic feeling added to her gaze."Asuma, I misunderstood you just now."Asuma was still holding a grudge.Hearing Kurenai Yuhi's words, his mood suddenly improved a lot."It's not entirely a misunderstanding."He scratched his head, his voice lowering a bit."They really went to look for trouble with Fang Xu because of me; I bear the responsibility."Kurenai Yuhi gently nodded."It's good that you can think this way."Asuma looked at her, his face turning slightly red, and then he looked toward Fang Xu."However Fang Xu, let me make my words clear first.""That kind of messy stuff from yesterday won't happen again in the future.""But I am still going to compete with you for Kurenai."Kurenai Yuhi's face turned red instantly."Asuma!"Asuma did not flinch this time."I will fairly and squarely compete with you. In the next evaluation, I will win against you."Fang Xu looked at his earnest yet awkward appearance and smiled."Alright, fair and square."Asuma snorted, turned around, and returned to his seat.When sitting down, the grievance he held against Fang Xu inexplicably lessened quite a bit. At least this guy didn't take the opportunity to kick him while he was down, nor did he intentionally step on him in front of Kurenai.This made Asuma, although still unconvinced, not want to find trouble with Fang Xu as much.Over the next week, time passed very quickly. Fang Xu almost filled every single day.Morning jogs, daytime classes. Evening practicing swordsmanship, Lightning Release, and Three Techniques; nighttime researching the incomplete version of the Kumogakure Lightning Body-Refining Technique, and then comparing and correcting it using the lightning experience of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.This effort quickly yielded results.Grade C Lightning Release: Lightning Sphere, he could already steadily execute it.At the very beginning, the lightning sphere could only be maintained for a few breaths; getting slightly distracted would cause it to collapse and scatter.Now, as long as he finished weaving hand seals, a fist-sized blue-and-white lightning sphere could condense in his palm.When the lightning sphere rotated, it crackled. Hitting the wooden stakes in the courtyard, it could directly blast out a patch of scorched black cracks; its power wasn't exaggerated.But this was Lightning Release truly belonging to the Ninja system; to Fang Xu, the significance was huge.In terms of swordsmanship, he also successfully entered the introductory phase.The basic movements in the Senju Swordsmanship Insights were broken down and practiced by him over and over again: direct chopping, horizontal slashing, diagonal cutting, thrusting.At first, he just practiced by following the movements; later, he slowly began to feel the coordination of force application between his footsteps, waist and back, and arms.When the wooden sword fell, it no longer relied purely on a hard swing of the arms, but could connect the body's power into a single line.Although it was still far from being a true swordsmanship expert, at least he was no longer an outsider.The effects of the Lightning Body Tempering were even more obvious.After obtaining the incomplete version of the Kumogakure Lightning Body-Refining Technique, Fang Xu no longer crudely stimulated his body with current like he did at the beginning; he divided the training very meticulously.Fingertips, wrists, forearms, ankles, calves, thighs.Every single body part adapted bit by bit according to its intensity.The internal organs and brain, he still did not touch.This steady method's improvement wasn't that exaggerated, but it won in terms of safety.Over the course of a week, his physique and stamina both underwent obvious changes.During morning jogs, at the very beginning he would pant heavily after two laps; now he could run a large chunk further.When swinging the sword, the soreness in his arms arrived much later.The consumption of Lightning Activation also decreased quite a bit.What satisfied Fang Xu the most was the elementalization time of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.From the initial ten seconds, it improved to fifteen seconds.Although it was only five seconds more, these five seconds were far too critical for combat.If fighting a life-or-death battle, fifteen seconds of elementalization were enough for him to dodge a fatal attack, or even complete a counterkill.Of course, Fang Xu didn't get carried away. Fifteen seconds was still very short, and stamina was still a weakness, but the direction was already correct.The practice of the Three Techniques was similarly smooth.Transformation Technique, Clone Technique, Substitution Technique, these were the basics of the Ninja Academy and also the things most commonly used by Genin.After his mental power increased, Fang Xu's control over Chakra was much finer than before.The Transformation Technique was no longer prone to revealing flaws; the form of the Clone Technique was also more stable.The Substitution Technique was the hardest because it required the coordination of timing and Chakra, but he was already able to successfully complete it during practice.Tree-climbing and Water Walking training were also successfully conquered by him.Previously, the original body's control over Chakra was crude, and the output at the soles of his feet was either too much or too little; either he crushed the tree bark, or he fell straight down.Now Fang Xu could stably attach Chakra to the soles of his feet, walking all the way up along the tree trunk.During Water Walking, at first the water surface under his feet would still shake; by the third day of practicing, he could already stand on the river surface and maintain balance; by the fifth day, he could even walk slowly on the water surface.These improvements looked less explosive than the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, but they quickly made up for his Ninja foundation.Fang Xu was very clear that the cheat determined the upper limit, but the foundation determined whether he could live until the day that upper limit was cashed in.On the night of the seventh day.Fang Xu closed the doors and windows well, sitting in front of the desk.The Exchange Talent in his mind had finally finished its cooldown.[Exclusive Talent: Exchange LV1.][Cooldown complete.]Fang Xu looked at this piece of information, his breathing slightly heavy.
