Three days later, Kido Corps Deep Underground Testing Ground
Cold reishi searchlights illuminated this colossal underground space as bright as day.
This was once the secret location where Tsukabishi Tessai conducted high-risk Kido experiments; the walls were covered with impact-resistant reinforcement spell carvings, and the air carried a lingering scent of scorched earth mixed with strange energy.
In the center of the space, the ground of the hundred-meter-diameter circular testing field was paved with a single piece of ink-black "Spirit-Sealing Stone," which could effectively absorb dissipating reishi impacts.
Hiroki found it a bit strange: why did people in the Soul Reaper World always like to build training grounds underground?
At this moment, fifty squad members with tense faces and dark circles under their eyes stood in profound geometric positions. They were precisely spaced apart, and faint blue lines of light extended from beneath their feet, vaguely connecting their weak yet diligently synchronized spiritual energy fluctuations into a massive and complex prototype network.
Hiroki stood before the control console high at the edge of the field, with Izumi beside him holding a clipboard. His gaze was as sharp as a falcon's, precisely capturing every minute fluctuation within the spiritual energy network.
"Spiritual pressure synchronization at 71%... spiritual energy output unstable at node three and node seventeen... incantation rhythm at node forty-two is 0.3 seconds too fast..." Izumi rapidly reported the monitoring data, her tone heavy. "My Lord, if we force the activation, the risk will exceed the estimated threshold by 35%. Should we..."
"It doesn't matter," Hiroki said, raising his hand with an unquestionable tone.
He certainly wouldn't bring members of the Uchiha into such an immature testing ground.
These fifty people before him were those who had mastered the techniques relatively well after screening, but they were essentially still "experimental consumables."
What he wanted was to test the true resilience and node fault tolerance of the "Combined Kidō" system's underlying architecture under extreme pressure. "Begin spiritual energy core linking!"
The command, transformed into clear sound waves through an Amplification Incantation, vibrated throughout the field.
The fifty squad members shuddered simultaneously, striving to cast aside distracting thoughts and fully operating the "Node Resonance Method" taught by Hiroki.
Spiritual glows of various colors and intensities rose around them. Though weak and chaotic, guided by the formation beneath their feet, these glows began to move with difficulty—like trickling streams—slowly and steadily converging toward the center along preset Spiritual Pathways.
Vwoom—!
A low hum that shook the very space rang out. In the center of the testing ground, a complex, shimmering three-dimensional spell structure woven from countless fine lines of light slowly emerged!
Although the light was dim and the edges of the structure flickered blurrily and were highly unstable, it had indeed taken shape! This was the core framework of the "Flying Dragon Strikes Thieves Shaking Heaven Thunder Cannon," dismantled and reconstructed by fifty nodes!
A sharp glint flashed in Hiroki's eyes.
His figure blurred, and he appeared like a ghost at the "core node" of the spiritual energy network—the very hub where the entire spell's energy finally converged and was released!
He did not use his own terrifying Second Class Spiritual Pressure, which was as vast as mountains and abysses. Instead, he precisely suppressed and simulated his power to a level equivalent to the average of the squad members present—Tenth Class Spiritual Pressure!
"Now!" Hiroki barked, his voice exploding directly in the minds of all the squad members. "Chant!"
Fifty throats, filled with tension and trembling but giving their all, roared in unison the fragmented incantation segments belonging to their respective nodes, following the rhythm that had been branded into their very marrow over the past three days:
"The dragon's roar that tears through the heavens— (Nodes 1-10)"
"The eternal, ferocious lightning—! (Nodes 11-20)"
"...The karmic fire that shatters the eight directions— (Nodes 21-35)"
"The iron cannon that pierces the Hollow City—! (Nodes 36-50)"
The fragmented phrases were forcibly blended under the resonance of the spiritual energy network!
It was no longer a uniform chant, but a chaotic wave of sound!
Yet strangely, the three-dimensional spell condensing in the center suddenly brightened amidst this chaotic "ensemble"!
Countless tiny currents of electricity surged and collided wildly within the spell's circuits!
Situated at the center of the vortex, Hiroki's Tenth Class Spiritual Pressure precisely acted as the most crucial "harmonizer" and "amplifier."
He clearly "felt" the fifty streams of weak spiritual energy rushing, clashing, and trying to break free within the spell framework, like taming fifty unruly wild horses!
His powerful mental strength and SSS-rank Kido Talent were pushed to their limits at this moment, forcibly correcting every deviating spiritual energy trajectory and smoothing every energy turbulence with unbelievable precision!
Simultaneously, acting as the "core engine," he injected his Tenth Class Spiritual Pressure into the spell's core without reservation!
"Hado Number Eighty-Eight—!" Hiroki's voice fell like a gavel of judgment, serving as the final finishing touch!
"Flying Dragon Strikes Thieves Shaking Heaven Thunder Cannon!!!"
Boom—!!!
It was no longer a low hum, but a deafening explosion!
In the center of the testing ground, the three-dimensional spell structure—originally teetering and dim—was instantly ignited, activated, and collapsed by the violent energy under the guidance of Hiroki's final chant!