Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic.

He just went to the mine and retrieved two dwarves, preparing to deal with Kakashi's "inspection" later.

The remaining four dwarves continued tirelessly mining the stone.

Running back to his territory, Qingwu immediately checked the condition of the ancient tree.

The height is not much different from when he left. It has grown from a seedling that was only half a person tall before the upgrade to a height of seven or eight meters.

The trunk became thick and strong, and the crown became like a canopy.

【Ancient Tree of Life (Growth Stage)】

[Unlock new buildings: Wooden House, Magic Spring]

Unlocking the Realm of Nature

[Effect 1: Natural energy regeneration speed +100%, wood/stone ore acquisition efficiency +40%]

[Effect 2: Weekly natural output (50 wood, 50 stone)]

[Effect 3: Natural Domain: All friendly units within the domain gain +5% to all attributes. Domain range: 1 kilometer radius]

Sure enough, new buildings were unlocked, two new barracks.

You can recruit Tier 3 and Tier 4 units respectively.

Moreover, a new function was unlocked, and Qingwu then noticed that the withered wood guards he had sent out to collect wood had returned on their own.

It stretched out its arms and continuously extended its roots.

Originally, a wall was built extending into the ground within a radius of 500 meters, but later a new wall was built within a radius of 1,000 meters.

Qingwu looked around somewhat guiltily. In such a short time, he had already incorporated one-tenth of the Death Forest into his territory.

"In the end... I won't end up with the whole forest, will I?"

Besides the newly unlocked Nature area, the other two features were already available before.

However, they have all received significant improvements.

The speed of natural energy recovery and resource gathering bonuses are doubled.

The weekly natural output of Effect 2 currently seems somewhat lackluster.

Because they possess an entire Dead Forest and Rocky Mountains, income from timber and stone quarries is not a problem.

The biggest problem is still the gold coins!

Qingwu breathed a sigh of relief, just then the system notification sounded again.

【Ding! 】

[The Heart of the Barrier Upgraded!]

A rich natural energy suddenly emanated from the ancient tree of life, seemingly "flowing" out and enveloping the entire body of the green wutong tree.

call out!

Kakashi landed to the side, looking at the kid in front of him with an expression of enjoyment.

"So comfortable..."

Qingwu was in a daze at the moment, somewhat like someone who was drunk, completely relaxed.

A buzzing sound seemed to be coming from my ears.

But the buzzing sound doesn't come from hearing; it resonates directly in the depths of the soul.

On the trunk of the ancient tree of life, the emerald green veins flicker like awakening blood vessels, and the other end of these vessels connects to the green parasol tree.

Kakashi watched the scene before him with curiosity, not daring to make a sound.

Whoosh—

It was as if an invisible barrier had been broken.

Centered on the ancient tree, a ring of emerald green light, condensed to the point of almost liquid, surged out like a tidal wave, instantly enveloping the entire newly formed territory within a radius of a thousand meters.

Where the halo swept across, many seedlings sprouted on the open ground that had previously been harvested by the Deadwood Guardians.

"!!"

Kakashi leaped onto a tree branch in shock, deeply stunned by what he was witnessing...

Chapter 18 Sage Mode?

The green wutong tree beneath the ancient tree of life slowly opened its eyes.

A fleeting emerald light seemed to flash in his eyes before disappearing.

He stood there, as if savoring the moment.

Just now, his consciousness seemed to be elevated, breaking free from the limitations of his physical body, and he "saw" his territory from a bird's-eye view.

He could sense the breath of every plant in his territory and the flow of every wisp of natural energy.

You can even feel the steady and powerful pulse of the earth beneath your feet.

After stretching my limbs, an unprecedented sense of power filled my body, as if I could reach the treetops with a light leap.

"So, if the Ancient Tree of Life, which is the core of the territory, is upgraded, the Heart of the Barrier will also be upgraded?"

He had only speculated before, but now it has been confirmed.

and……

The benefits of upgrading the Barrier Heart bound to him were far greater than he had previously imagined.

[Heart of the Fortress (Level 2) Bound to: Thousand Hands Green Willow]

[Natural Energy: 300/300]

Gold Coins: 600

Timber: 156

[Stone Ore: 101]

Even Qingwu himself was surprised.

The natural energy has been fully restored and has been doubled.

It has increased from the original 150 to the current 300.

No wonder it's like a complete transformation.

Qingwu clenched his fist, and his knuckles crackled with power.

He took a deep breath, and the rich natural energy in the air flowed into his lungs like a sweet spring, making him feel clear-headed and comfortable all over.

"Is this the effect of natural energy?"

"We've chosen the right path!"

When he completely abandoned chakra and decided to embark on the path of a lord, he considered practicing taijutsu due to his own fragility.

It now appears that he was able to solve his own weakness simply by relying on natural energy.

If you think about it carefully, even in the Naruto world, whether it's Hashirama Senju or the future Naruto Uzumaki, activating Sage Mode greatly enhances their physical abilities and taijutsu.

He, on the other hand, didn't feel the slight increase in natural energy at first.

The difference was immediately felt when the natural energy doubled in an instant.

"fragrant!"

"It smells so good!"

Qingwu smiled and looked up: "Senior, come down."

Kakashi landed on the ground, his eyes filled with astonishment. "What have you done now, kid? How did such a big change happen here?"

Feeling the richer natural atmosphere than before, Kakashi also felt completely comfortable.

But it was precisely because of this that he was so surprised.

How could a kid who was a genin just a few days ago cause such a commotion?

"Yes, there has been some breakthrough progress in the research and training of Wood Release."

Qingwu changed the subject, "Senior, weren't you going to test the combat power of the spirit creatures?"

Kakashi snapped out of his daze: "You've maintained Wood Release for half a day, don't you need to recover?"

Qingwu looked as if he had just realized something, "Thank you for reminding me, senior."

then……

He then sent out the withered tree guards again.

They watched as several towering trees were decomposed and absorbed.

Kakashi was speechless.

“There’s no need to rush,” Kakashi said. “I can wait until you recover before testing you.”

"We can't keep the Hokage waiting any longer." Qingwu said, openly gathering resources, and only stopped the withered tree guard after collecting several more large trees.

"Alright." Qingwu first summoned four and a half centaurs, a hesitant look on his face:

"Senior, although I have established a medium, communicating with them comes at a price. Could you... please not be too harsh?"

Up close, Kakashi stared at the centaur's strange shape, looking it over from left to right, and casually remarked:

"I only need to test their strength with physical skills. What about the other kind of dwarves you mentioned?"

Qingwu breathed a sigh of relief and summoned the two dwarves as well. "Actually, I'm also very curious about their combat strength."

Kakashi didn't waste any time, immediately drawing his sword and declaring, "Let's begin!"

"..." Seeing Qingwu staring at the ninja sword in his hand, Kakashi's lips twitched under his mask.

The centaur's spear gleamed coldly, and the dwarf's warhammer was almost larger than his own body. You want me to fight empty-handed?

"..." Qingwu did not issue any commands, and the centaurs and dwarves remained quietly still.

"Hmph!" Kakashi snorted in frustration and sheathed his ninja sword back on his back.