The sealing pattern on the ground was different from an ordinary barrier. Its design was complex and obscure—far beyond what a regular person could unravel. Even though Senju Yukika's strength was at the peak of the shinobi world, sealing and barriers were not his forte.
Even An Lushan had spent years painstakingly working on this seal, and had only barely managed to tear a small opening. Yet the chakra from the dragon vein that leaked through that tiny crack had been enough to give An Lushan Kage-level strength.
Yukika had just tried to tamper with it; any small mistake might rupture the seal entirely and trigger an explosion of dragon vein chakra. Though Yukika was confident he could protect himself, he feared half the planet might be destroyed.
Thus, this seal could not be broken recklessly.
Sara's eyes glinted with slyness. "That's true, but don't forget—you promised to bring prosperity to the Land of Rōran when you came here."
"And as queen, shouldn't I be the first to grow strong and resist?"
Yukika was taken aback and smiled slightly. "You're quite the talker, but you have a point."
After thinking for a moment, Yukika said, "Sara, since you know who I am, you must realize what becoming my student entails."
"Becoming tied to me means you won't have peace. You'll face many terrifying and powerful enemies you've never seen before. You'll brush up against death countless times and might even drag others into danger. Even so, now that you're here, do you still want to become my disciple?"
Today, Yukika was the undisputed strongest in the world, wielding unparalleled power. Even the Nine-Tails was his pet. His disciple wouldn't just inherit his glory—they'd also shoulder the crushing weight of expectation and danger.
Sara knelt firmly and declared, "I, Sara, seek to become your disciple!"
Yukika sighed softly, then raised his finger to Sara's brow. Gentle chakra and violent spiritual pressure surged into her forehead.
Sara let out a muffled cry, the sound of crackling like firecrackers bursting from her body. Yukika was using his power to transform her physically, knowing her original body was too fragile to endure rigorous training.
After a while, Yukika withdrew his finger and looked at Sara, who was in pain, her eyes tightly shut.
"To be my disciple is to receive the reverence and fear of thousands, but the dangers you face will multiply by ten thousand. Prepare yourself mentally."
"I just reconstructed your body and left a thread of Shinigami power within you. Once you fully absorb that power, you can head to Vulture Palace and give them my name. One of the Espada will come to greet you."
Sara touched the mark on her brow, a bit confused. "Master, what's the Espada? Are they your subordinates? Are they really that strong?"
Yukika replied calmly, "They're at least Kage-level."
Sara was speechless. She resolved never to ask such questions again. Even among the Five Great Shinobi Nations, Kage-level shinobi were extremely rare. Each was a unique powerhouse—Naruto, the Mizukage, Tsuchikage, and Raikage had once represented the pinnacle of shinobi might. No one dared provoke them.
But the Espada, it seemed, could easily overwhelm Kage-level shinobi, piquing Sara's curiosity about the Palace of Night.
Yukika stared at the dragon vein seal and asked, "Sara, do you know the origins of the Lost Tower and this seal?"
Sara slowly shook her head, her eyes fixed on the seal. "Everything I know about the dragon maiden comes from my mother."
"Legend says this Lost Tower existed long before the Land of Rōran was founded. My ancestor, the first king of Rōran, stumbled upon this tower and entered it. Because of its link to the underground dragon vein, they built the tower here and have guarded the dragon vein for generations."
"But my mother died before she could tell me about this seal," Sara said wistfully.
Yukika frowned, then suddenly thought of something. "Sara, drip your blood on the seal."
Most ninjutsu and scroll techniques in this world are triggered via bloodline. This seal should be no different…
Sara, puzzled, used a kunai to make a small cut on her right hand. A droplet of blood slowly fell onto the seal…
Yukika narrowed his eyes. If he wasn't mistaken, Sara's blood seemed faintly golden.
At first, nothing happened after the blood landed. Sara said disappointedly, "Looks like my blood doesn't work."
Just as she finished speaking, the seal's patterns lit up with brilliant gold light. The intricate lines, like wriggling earthworms, lifted off the ground and reassembled mid-air.
The golden light shimmered, and a Buddha-like figure seated on a lotus appeared in the void. At the same time, a vortex began swirling slowly at the top of the Lost Tower.
Sara covered her mouth, shocked. Though she had lived in the Land of Rōran her whole life, she had never seen anything like this.
The Buddha sat compassionately on the lotus, hands pressed together, radiating a majestic and solemn power, as if pitying all beings of the world.
The force was overwhelming. Just standing before it felt like facing an endless ocean—boundless and vast.
Yukika smiled. "Just as I thought."
The newly formed Buddha figure's power was identical to the force that had sealed off Cero atop the Lost Tower—a vast, awe-inspiring Buddhist power.
Yukika hadn't expected to find Buddhist power in the shinobi world. It surprised him even more that this Buddhist force could resist his Shinigami power.
At that moment, a long-silent system prompt rang out in Yukika's mind: "A legacy left by an otherworldly Buddha has been discovered. Do you wish to accept it?"
Yukika instinctively chose yes. His mind was instantly engulfed by a roar, and his consciousness was swept away.
He saw the vast universe where a Buddha was born with the great sun, walking among the stars. Everywhere he went, his teachings brought evolution and revival to all life.
But when the Buddha passed a certain planet, a massive Byakugan the size of half a star system appeared, blocking his way. Even the Buddha seemed like a speck of dust before that eye.
The Byakugan flickered, and in an instant, all cosmic forces converged into it.
Half a star system was annihilated, and the Great Sun Buddha vanished without a trace.