Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic.

Qingwu also looked at the aged Shechuan, but still held the crystal gourd tightly in her hand, as if... she didn't want to hand it over to its original owner.

Shechuan seemed unfazed and began to explain the origin of "Hero's Water" to Qingwu and his son Shemu.

It turns out that the Hero's Water is actually Holy Water, produced from the Sacred Tree.

In Shechuan's words, in a hundred years, there is only this small gourd of holy water in Qingwu's hands.

When our ancestors first discovered it, they were overjoyed.

What does it mean to increase chakra tenfold with just a small sip?

And the upper limit is far more than that.

If the body can withstand the intake of more holy water, it may even temporarily grant a Jonin Kage-level chakra.

"But in the end, we Takishinobi can only hide in this cramped corner, claiming to be a peaceful haven from the world..."

Shibukawa's wry smile filled the wrinkles on his face. "Power... it's not so easy to obtain. The side effects of the Hero's Water are much greater than I imagined."

“Father…” Shemu was already in tears.

In his simple narration, he seemed to witness firsthand just how much his father had sacrificed for the village.

“That’s right,” Shechuan slowly lowered his head to look at Shuiyan, whose face was filled with guilt, and continued:

"As the leader of Takigakure, I drank the Hero's Water several times when the village was in crisis. It... was practically poison. My life force gradually withered away, which is why I have aged so much."

"No, you're lying!" Shuiyan refused to admit that what she had been longing for was actually... a poison.

Shibukawa's face showed neither sorrow nor joy; he simply said calmly:

"Hookah, did you think you would gain infinite power if you kept drinking it? No, you will only be overwhelmed by the energy and die."

After he finished speaking, the effects of the Hero's Water on the hookah completely disappeared.

"He, he..."

Anzu, who was perched on the back of the tree, let out a terrified cry.

Shuiyan sensed something was wrong and reached out to touch his face.

Bound up, he was unable to do anything.

Seeing this, Shibukawa used a water mirror technique with great effort, allowing Shuiyan to clearly see her face through the water mirror.

"what--"

The hookah emitted a terrified scream.

Qingwu was also slightly moved.

This is just too... amazing (horrifying).

The hookah looked to be around 30 years old, in the prime of his life.

However, now that the effects of the Hero's Water have worn off, his eyes are drooping and his skin is sagging, making him look nearly 50 years old.

"Poison! Poison!!"

Shuiyan's voice was sharp and sarcastic, "Shibukawa, you old bastard, you lied to me!!"

"Those who lack willpower will become like this after taking it."

The pity in Shibukawa's eyes vanished as he looked at Seigo, "Young man from Konoha, can you return my things to Takigakure?"

His last words revealed Qingwu's identity as an outsider.

Qingwu looked down at the glistening "holy water," forcibly suppressing the intense desire surging within him. Just as he was about to say "okay," an unexpected event occurred...

"Crack!"

The gourd, which Qingwu was holding tightly in his palm, suddenly made a crisp sound.

"impossible!"

Shechuan opened his wrinkled mouth wide.

The gourd containing "holy water" has existed in the hollow of the sacred tree since it was discovered, and it has remained undamaged for over a hundred years.

However, what was happening before their eyes was undeniably real.

"I didn't mean to—"

Just as Qingwu was about to explain, a surge of rich natural energy rose from his palm, silencing him.

"Qingwu!!" Shemu stepped forward carrying Xing on his back.

"Don't move!" Shibukawa blocked his son behind him, staring intently at the Konoha boy surrounded by holy water.

"Poison, poison! Hahahaha—" Shuiyan, who had seen the mirror, had gone mad.

A faint emerald green light emanated from Qingwu's body.

It was as if every pore on his body was breathing in water.

The holy water, like a child finding its mother's womb, flowed into his body through his pores.

The meridians are filled with natural energy.

After the seemingly small amount of holy water "unfurled," it formed a light film on Qingwu's body surface, resembling a chakra cloak.

"He...he's absorbing poison!" Xing exclaimed in alarm.

Shechuan frowned deeply, wanting to stop him but not daring to touch him.

Knowing that even a tiny sip of holy water could age him by ten years, he knew its "toxicity" better than anyone.

But... if we just watch as these precious "holy waters" are "taken away" by outsiders...

"Don't go over there. If anything happens, I'll personally go and explain to the Third Hokage of Konoha."

Shechuan pulled his son back a few steps.

Never mind, life is more important. Besides, if it weren't for this Konoha boy, who knows what the ruthless Suigan might have done if he had launched a rebellion...

With these thoughts in mind, Shechuan calmed down and stared intently at the boy who was "enveloped" in holy water.

Only Qingwu, who was absorbing the "holy water" with his eyes closed, and Shuiyan, the Jonin who was laughing hysterically, remained in the arena.

Qingwu had that dream again, the one she had had so many times before.

In my dream...

Towering trees reach for the sky, and clear streams meander through the forest... On a distant cliff, a dragon's vertical pupils glance at him from afar...

After an unknown amount of time, Qingwu opened her eyes and the first thing she heard was Shuiyan's maniacal laughter, and then—

【Ding! 】

[Natural energy surpasses 5000 points]

The Ancient Tree of Life (Growth Stage) meets the upgrade requirements.

[Construct: Ancient Tree of Life (Mature Stage) - Consume 5000 Natural Energy and 5000 Gold?]

[Effect: Territory Core, greatly increases natural energy regeneration, unlocks more buildings, and unlocks more features]

Chapter 92 Can repentance bring forgiveness?

5000 PM?

Qingwu opened the panel and saw that his natural energy had reached 5280 points.

Before absorbing the holy water, his level 30 stats after all those battles were only 2260.

In other words, a small bottle of holy water caused his natural energy to more than double.

Damn it, are there any left?

"After we finish this bottle, there are three more left!"

For some reason, Qingwu remembered a certain lyric, which could also be said to be his most urgent desire at the moment.

As for the long-awaited upgrade of the [Tree of Life]...

Anyway, he's not in the territory right now, and he doesn't have enough resources—we'll wait a bit.

...Watching the holy water being absorbed without leaving a drop, Shechuan tentatively called out softly, "Qingwu? Shadow Guard? Young man?"

Qingwu slowly opened her eyes.

"No, impossible!" The hookah on the ground had bloodshot eyes: "Poison, poison! How come you're unharmed after absorbing it all?"

Shemu asked curiously, "Yes, Father, why is Qingwu alright?"

Xing stared wide-eyed: "How come you don't age?"

"Impossible!! Ahhh!" Shuiyan roared like a wild beast:

"How can you, an outsider, do this while I get old?"

"Hahahaha—Shibukawa, the sacred tree no longer protects Takigakure, we... we're all finished, ahahahaha—"

The leader, Shechuan, ignored Fengmo's water pipe.

He carefully examined Qingwu's expression and, finding that the boy indeed seemed unharmed, asked, "How are you feeling right now?"

How do I feel? I feel great… Qingwu said, “I can answer your questions.”

As he spoke, he lightly stomped his foot, and dense, thick roots emerged from his body.

"Wood Release!!" Shibukawa was not ignorant.

Upon reaching level 30, Qingwu's strength attribute makes his skills even more powerful, and with the surge in natural energy, he can easily create roots over a larger area.

Qingwu then applied the [Slowness Technique] to Shechuan and others.

Feeling the pressure from the energy of the different systems, Shibukawa finally realized: "This is not chakra!"

Qingwu nodded, his fingertips circling the [Magic Arrow] crackling with electricity, and said:

"If you pay enough attention to Konoha's intelligence, you should know that I use natural energy."

Shibuki's eyes lit up:

"So, Qingwu, you are able to absorb the holy water because it and your power come from the same source, right?"