Shinji sat quietly atop the God Tree, using his pupil power to repair his mental damage while waiting for the 'Chakra Fruits' to mature.
The noise in his brain was ceaseless, not stopping for even a moment.
In truth, Shinji had many ways to resolve this situation. For instance, he could use genjutsu to take over his body, allowing his consciousness to retreat into the depths of his inner world to find some peace and quiet. Alternatively, he could use the power of 'Karma' to expel the fragmented consciousness from his body.
However, doing so would mean either avoiding the problem or excising it. Neither would completely eliminate the mental trauma, nor would it improve his own willpower. Therefore, Shinji chose to face the noise in his mind head-on, using his formidable willpower to fuse all these consciousnesses—fractured by the Hegemon's bewitching power—back into one.
This process was agonizing!
Even at Shinji's current level, he could only grit his teeth and endure. Thus, his coldness just moments ago was merely a helpless reaction under immense pressure. He simply didn't have the mental capacity to care about other matters right now, forcing him to focus only on the one or two most critical points.
However, as long as he survived this phase, his willpower would receive a significant boost. It must be noted that willpower is distinct from chakra; there are very, very few methods to effectively enhance it!
In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
Perhaps because this alternate dimension was too desolate, the two energy-filled God Trees, after receiving their sacrifices, failed to produce the 'Chakra Fruits' on the same day. Instead, it took a full three days of gestation before the flower buds at the treetops showed signs of blooming.
Shinji slowly stood up and approached the flower bud.
"It smells so good!"
Shinji had smelled it many times before, yet smelling the scent of the 'Chakra Fruit' again still felt refreshing to the soul. This fragrance even made the noise in his brain recede slightly.
Moments later, the flower bud at the top of the God Tree bloomed completely, and a fruit glowing with a soft halo appeared before Shinji.
"A Chakra Fruit..."
Without hesitation, Shinji reached out and plucked the newly matured 'Chakra Fruit' before him. Then, with a flash, he appeared atop the other God Tree and plucked the other 'Chakra Fruit' that had matured at the same time.
Harvesting two 'Chakra Fruits' at once, Shinji felt a surge of excitement; the corners of his mouth lifted, grinning from ear to ear.
"Phew."
Then, Shinji exhaled lightly, wiping the look of joy from his face.
Of the 'World Annihilation Society's' six worlds, only the last one remained. This meant that even using both God Trees to absorb planetary energy together, theoretically, he could at most absorb enough energy to nurture just one more 'Chakra Fruit'.
In other words, harvesting two 'Chakra Fruits' at once like this would not happen again.
"I have already consumed three. Now I've harvested two more. Counting the one from World No. 6, six is likely the limit of 'Chakra Fruits' I can accumulate!"
Under normal circumstances, a God Tree can only absorb about fifty percent of a world's energy. In the final World No. 6, even if everything goes smoothly and both God Trees absorb fifty percent each, combining them would barely scrape together the sixth 'Chakra Fruit'. Thus, six is basically the limit Shinji can collect.
If he cannot advance to 'Kekkei Shinra' (Bloodline of All Creation) after consuming six 'Chakra Fruits', then whether it be the Six Rings World or the Shinobi World, both will face final destruction.
Although he could currently arm-wrestle with various Hegemons, there was a condition: the battlefield had to be within a world protected by a spatial barrier. If he were to fight a Hegemon in the vast, deep universe, he would have absolutely no chance of winning.
Therefore, the Hegemons who suffered losses at his hands only did so because of their impatience. If a Hegemon were to patiently corrode the spatial barrier from the universe and invade only after the barrier was completely shattered, Shinji would have no power to resist.
The Shinobi World's spatial barrier could probably hold on for another two years. After that, even if Shinji used 'Ember' to repair it, he could at most drag out a lingering existence for another year or two. The Six Rings World had even less time, with just over a year left at most.
Composing himself, Shinji took out a 'Chakra Fruit' and swallowed it.
Instantly, with the influx of a massive amount of pure chakra, the dormant chakra within his body was stimulated and became active once more.
His aura changed again, and his eyes burst forth with a golden light!
"This feeling..."
Shinji murmured softly, his face alternately showing expressions of sudden enlightenment and thoughtful bewilderment.
As the level of his chakra rose further, he instinctively understood many techniques regarding chakra usage. Many problems he previously didn't understand or had insufficient knowledge of were solved in this instant, his horizons suddenly broadening.
But at the same time, with the elevation of his realm, he encountered new problems and generated new confusion.
Shinji maintained this state for a full two days.
During these two days, he didn't even move a muscle; standing atop the God Tree, he looked like a statue.
"Phew."
On the third day, he exhaled again and came back to his senses.
This fourth 'Chakra Fruit' allowed him to reach a brand-new realm. Although he was still at the 'Kekkei Mora' (Bloodline Encompassing) level, he could already look down upon other 'Kekkei Mora' users.
If Urashiki were to see Shinji at this moment, he would instinctively realize the gap between himself and Shinji.
To put it in simpler terms, 'Kekkei Mora' users like Kaguya Otsutsuki and Urashiki Otsutsuki had all just barely reached the threshold. Within the entire tier of 'Kekkei Mora', they belonged to the rookie level.
Shinji had previously been at this stage as well.
However, with the consumption of the second and third 'Chakra Fruits', along with the massive pupil power amplification brought by the 'Susanoo Tomoshibi' controlling powerful Dojutsu Kekkei Genkai, Shinji quickly surpassed this stage, becoming a mainstay within the 'Kekkei Mora' tier.
The intake of the fourth 'Chakra Fruit' propelled him into the top tier of 'Kekkei Mora' in one fell swoop, somewhat similar to the position the Sage of Six Paths at his peak held within the 'Six Paths Level'.
But this was still not enough to charge towards the higher 'Kekkei Shinra'. Even after swallowing this fourth 'Chakra Fruit', Shinji still could not gain insight into what kind of level 'Kekkei Shinra' actually was. He still hadn't been able to tear open the mist obscuring 'Kekkei Shinra'.
Additionally, with the swallowing of the fourth 'Chakra Fruit', the noises filling his mind all vanished. Not only was his mental trauma completely healed, but his willpower also received a considerable boost. This was clearly felt through the increase in his pupil power.
"I have become much stronger, but it is still not enough!"
Realizing this, Shinji took out the fifth 'Chakra Fruit' and, without hesitation, swallowed it in one gulp...