The next day, in a dense forest on the border of the Land of Fire.
Sora's figure darted through the trees like a ghost, extremely fast, yet skillfully avoiding all areas that might have human habitation.
The purpose of his journey this time was the Dragon Vein, and the reason was naturally still to find a summoning beast.
Sarutobi Hiruzen did not say much about this. After all, Sora had nearly died in the Land of Lightning because of Orochimaru. He felt a trace of guilt towards Sora, though not much.
"The vessel for the artificial tailed beast is complete, and the sealing formula has been practiced countless times. Now, only the final, most crucial step remains, the 'key' to open the Dragon Vein seal."
While traveling, Sora clearly planned the next steps in his mind.
The compound seal set by Namikaze Minato, combined with the bloodline contract of the Queen of Loulan, was too risky to break by force and difficult to control.
The best method was to find the legitimate inheritor of the contract, the current Queen of Loulan, Sara.
According to the timeline of "The Lost Tower", Sara should still be alive at this time, and likely wandering in some corner of the Land of Wind, leading her remaining people in a difficult struggle for survival.
However, the Land of Wind was vast, with most of it being endless desert. Trying to find a group of deliberately hidden survivors in such a harsh environment was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Even though Sora was powerful, he did not want to waste precious time on an aimless search.
"Professional matters are better left to 'professional' people."
The corner of Sora's mouth lifted slightly, he already had a plan in mind.
...
Several days later, at a Bounty Exchange in the Land of Wind.
Sora, wearing the Vermilion Bird mask, walked straight to the counter.
Behind the counter was a middle-aged fat man with an expressionless face and shrewd eyes.
"I want to post a mission." Sora said in a hoarse voice.
The fat man lifted his eyelids slightly, seeming accustomed to this. "You know the rules? Deposit, mission details, reward, time limit."
Sora placed a small sealing scroll on the counter, containing a sufficient amount of silver.
"Mission details: Find survivors of the ancient kingdom of Loulan. The focus is to confirm if a young woman named 'Sara' is among them. I need detailed information on their specific location, numbers, and current situation."
"Loulan?"
The fat man frowned, as if recalling this somewhat unfamiliar name. "That supposedly destroyed small kingdom? Their survivors won't be easy to find. There are many rats hiding in the deserts of the Land of Wind."
Sora said calmly:
"Precisely because it's not easy to find, I need to utilize your strength. The reward depends on the detail and accuracy of the information. The base reward is this."
He took out several gold ingots of good quality.
"If you can provide the exact location and confirm Sara's existence, the reward is tripled."
The fat man's eyes finally lit up. He quickly weighed the gold ingots, a professional smile forcing its way onto his face.
"Generous! We accept this mission. But, as you know, sir, this kind of mission to find specific survivors takes time, and there's no guarantee of results."
"I can wait."
Sora said. "Time limit is half a month. After half a month, whether there are results or not, I will return here. Mission codename 'Seeking Loulan'."
"No problem. Mission 'Seeking Loulan', posted under codename Vermilion Bird. Deposit received. Time limit half a month."
The fat man skillfully recorded this in a notebook. "Then, sir, good luck."
Sora nodded, said nothing more, turned, and left the Bounty Exchange.
He was not worried that the Bounty Exchange would take his deposit and not do the work.
These places existed long-term, reputation was a basic guarantee. Offending a potential, generous long-term client for a mere deposit was not cost-effective.
Moreover, the reward he offered was enough to tempt many people making a living in the desert.
...
After leaving the Bounty Exchange, Sora found an oasis with a water source nearby to stay.
This place was not too far from the Bounty Exchange, making it convenient for him to check on the situation anytime. It was also relatively hidden, suitable for a temporary stop.
Night fell quickly in the desert. The intense heat of the day rapidly faded, replaced by a biting cold.
Sora lit a small campfire, then quickly performed a few hand seals, lowly chanting:
"Summoning Technique!"
Poof!
A puff of white smoke flashed beside the campfire, accompanied by an aura far more powerful than before.
As the white smoke cleared, the figure of the Six Eared Dragon Ape, Tenji, was revealed.
Compared to before, Tenji's physique had become more burly, its height now steadily exceeding 1.6 meters, almost catching up to the height of some adult males.
Its bluish-gold fur shimmered with a metallic luster, and its muscle lines were very smooth.
The two small bumps on its forehead were more prominent, already showing the rudimentary shape of dragon horns. When it looked around, an aura of a powerful being naturally emanated.
"Master!"
Upon seeing Sora, Tenji immediately bowed its head respectfully in greeting. Its voice was much clearer and smoother than before. Although it still carried a low, beast-like accent, it was already no different from normal human speech.
"It seems you are progressing quickly."
Sora nodded, a trace of praise in his tone.
Receiving its master's approval, a flicker of joy passed through Tenji's eyes. It straightened its chest, sensing the dry, scorching yet cold unfamiliar surroundings. Its six ears twitched slightly.
"Master, this place is... a desert? It feels completely different from the Land of Peaceful Bliss and that previous forest." It looked around curiously.
"Yes, the Land of Wind." Sora explained briefly, then got to the main point.
"I called you out this time to check on your condition. How is your mastery of the transformation ability?"
Hearing Sora's question, Tenji's eyes instantly became extremely focused and serious, even carrying a hint of barely suppressed excitement.
It took a deep breath. Its bluish-gold fur stirred without wind. An aura far more refined and powerful than before emanated from its body.
Sora could clearly feel that the natural energy around them was slightly drawn and became a bit more active.
"Master, I feel I've reached that critical point!"
"This time I will definitely succeed!"
After speaking, Tenji no longer hesitated. It let out a low roar, crossed its arms in front of its chest violently. All the chakra in its body converged towards its arms with unprecedented efficiency and speed!
Hum —
A humming sound with a metallic tremor rang out.
Tenji's arms suddenly erupted with dazzling bluish-gold light, illuminating the surrounding sand like daylight.
Sora narrowed his eyes, observing the changes within the light.
The bones in Tenji's arms made slight crack crack sounds, their shape undergoing drastic changes! It was no longer the slow and unstable attempt from before. This time, the change was very rapid!
The light gradually withdrew inward, concentrated, and finally completely solidified.
A moment later, the light completely dissipated. Where Tenji originally stood, a strangely shaped long rod appeared!
No, perhaps calling it a "column" was more fitting!
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