The more than twenty geniuses felt a blur before their eyes, and the sound of wind in their ears suddenly grew louder.
The familiar training ground disappeared, replaced by a vast, endless green grassland.
"Wow! Shun-sensei, where did you teleport us to?"
Naruto was the first to exclaim. He looked down at the green grass beneath his feet, then up at the distant horizon.
Tenten spread her arms, feeling the strong wind on the grassland. "What a vast grassland! It's bigger than any place I've ever been. And there's the smell of green grass in the air."
Shun smiled and nodded, walking to the front of the crowd to explain, "This is the Western Plains of the Ancestral Star. The Ancestral Star is twice the size of the Ninja World you are familiar with, but its population is only a little over 200 million, so the number of wild animals is many times greater than humans, and the ecology is more primitive. Next, what you need to do is to use Natural Energy in actual combat."
Suddenly, a dull "thump-thump" sound came from afar, like giant hammers pounding the earth.
The sound grew closer and closer, the ground began to tremble slightly, and even the green grass under their feet swayed along.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a dense "torrent" rushing from the end of the grassland.
"What's that sound?"
Neji activated his Byakugan, and white veins bulged around his eyes. His gaze penetrated the distant dust, and his expression changed slightly.
"It's a herd of wild oxen. There are so many of them."
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a dense torrent rushing towards them from the distant horizon.
The sunlight shone on the creatures in the front row, reflecting a metallic luster.
These were tens of thousands of massive wild oxen, the smallest of which were over ten meters tall, and the largest even reached thirty meters.
Their bodies were covered in glossy black fur, like they were wearing a layer of armor. Their curved horns gleamed with sharp cold light, three meters long, and their four hooves pounded the ground, each step creating a half-meter deep pit, raising dust like yellow clouds that blotted out the sky and sun, even obscuring the sunlight somewhat.
"This is too much!"
Sakura subconsciously took a step back, clenching her hands, Chakra faintly condensing in her palms.
"So many wild oxen! If they charge at us, our Ninjutsu won't be able to stop them at all."
Hana's ninja dog, one of the Haimaru brothers, growled low in the direction of the wild ox herd, his fur standing on end, clearly feeling the oppressive presence of the beast pack.
Hana gently stroked his head, comforting it, "Don't be afraid. Shun-sensei is here, nothing will happen."
Lee clenched his fists, and the muscles in his arms tensed, but his eyes became exceptionally excited.
"How magnificent! Such powerful opponents are perfect for practicing the use of Natural Energy. Shun-sensei, can I challenge the biggest one later?"
He pointed to the forty-meter-tall Ox King at the very front of the beast pack, his eyes full of desire for battle.
"Lee, are you crazy?"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes helplessly. "It is almost comparable to a Tailed Beast in size. You'd just be serving yourself up as a meal."
Lee immediately retorted, "Shikamaru, how can you say that? As long as I give it my all, I can definitely do it."
Sasuke activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, sensing the energy fluctuations coming from afar and said, "These wild oxen's Chakra is very wild, and their impact is comparable to a Jonin. They're perfect for practicing Natural Energy."
Looking at their nervous yet excited expressions, Shun looked relaxed. "Don't worry, they won't charge at you. Just find some lone wild oxen to fight. After the trial, we'll have grilled steak for dinner. The Ancestral Star's wild ox meat is delicious, much better than the Ninja World's beef."
Everyone watched in awe. Indeed, as Shun said, the massive beast pack gradually split into several groups, scattering in different directions, and the raised dust slowly settled.
Finally, only a few dozen lone wild oxen remained, grazing on the grass not far away.
They occasionally flicked their tails to shoo away mosquitoes. They looked docile and harmless, but their massive size still commanded respect.
Shun pointed at the lone wild oxen, his voice becoming a bit more serious. "The rules for the upcoming trial are simple. You choose some lone oxen, kill them, and we'll eat grilled beef tonight."
"Great! I'll go first!"
Naruto's feet were like springs, and with a "whoosh," he charged towards the nearest ox.
At the same time, a faint yellow aura appeared around his body.
"Watch my Sage Art: Rasengan!"
Naruto shouted loudly, his voice echoing in the air, carrying a hint of excitement and confidence.
As he ran, he quickly channeled the Natural Energy within him, which converged into his palm like a trickling stream.
In the blink of an eye, a giant Rasengan, three meters in diameter, formed in Naruto's palm.
"Idiot, don't be so reckless!"
Sasuke, standing nearby, couldn't help but complain, seeing Naruto's impulsive action.
However, despite what he said, his body moved involuntarily. He lightly pushed off the ground and charged straight towards another ox.
He didn't want Naruto to be the first to kill a wild ox. That would make him feel like he had lost, so he had to act before Naruto.
Seeing this, Karin's heart tightened, and she quickly followed Sasuke's footsteps.
As she ran, she anxiously shouted, "Sasuke, be careful!"
On the other side, Hinata stood still, took a deep breath, and channeled the Natural Energy within her.
Byakugan, activate!
She looked at the ox not far away, her fingers trembling slightly, feeling a bit nervous. This was her first time facing such a large wild animal.
"Hinata, don't be nervous."
Karin, passing by, specifically stopped to quietly encourage her, "You were so good at Gentle Fist before. If you integrate Natural Energy into it, you can definitely do it."
Hinata looked up at Karin's sincere eyes and nodded gently. "Thank you, Karin. I will try my best."
She composed herself and ran towards a twenty-meter-tall wild ox.
Hinata accurately struck the wild ox's acupoints. The ox wanted to move but couldn't, only able to let out a low roar.
Seeing this, Shiryu's eyes flashed with excitement and he unhesitatingly channeled Natural Energy.
"Is this Sage Mode? I feel so much stronger."
He took a deep breath, then stomped his foot violently, and a loud "boom" echoed.
Shiryu shouted, "Sage Art: Chakra Enhanced Strength!"
He charged towards a giant ox like a golden meteor.
In a blink of an eye, he reached the ox, and his fist rapidly descended.
Sensing danger, the ox's entire body glowed with a yellowish-brown light.
Bang!
With a dull thud, Shiryu's fist smashed into the ox's massive leg. That immense force sent the forty-meter-tall ox flying.
However, it quickly stood up, its eyes turning crimson, and then it charged towards Shiryu.
"This ox's body is too tough, and it even uses Earth Chakra to strengthen its body. Interesting."
Shiryu's figure flickered, easily dodging the ox's attack, then he unleashed punch after punch.
Chakra Enhanced Strength...
Chakra Enhanced Strength...
Chakra Enhanced Strength...
Shiryu gave the ox no chance to breathe, his fists raining down on its body. The ox gradually lost its ability to resist under his fierce assault.