The two forces, accompanied by the violent chakra, continuously washed over every meridian. As soon as a meridian was damaged, the Yin-Yang Release Power would repair it, making the meridian even tougher than before. Torifu immediately understood that the Yin-Yang Release Power had begun to work. Perhaps this was the correct way to use it. Torifu then began to guide the violent chakra to flush over every meridian in his body. It seemed that as the Yin-Yang Release Power began to be absorbed, the violent chakra gradually subsided. It flowed gently through the meridians, slowly integrating the Yin-Yang Release Power into every single one.
This process was extremely long. It took Torifu over an hour to barely absorb the majority of the Six Paths Yin-Yang Release Power. However, a portion of the Yin-Yang Release Power had not been completely absorbed. They swam like fish within Torifu's meridians, constantly emitting their own energy for Torifu to absorb. As these two small fish began to gradually turn transparent, Torifu knew that this breakthrough was coming to an end.
It was at this moment that Torifu's body was suddenly wrapped in a massive amount of chakra, which originated from himself. It condensed into Cloud, Crystal, and Ice, gathering together to form a gigantic eggshell that encased Torifu entirely. If an outsider discovered this, they might think it was the egg of some Divine Beast about to hatch. Torifu was oblivious to all of this. His thoughts were still focused on absorbing the Yin-Yang fish and he was completely unaware of what was happening outside. The eggshell enclosed Torifu, seemingly changing his body little by little.
When Torifu had completely absorbed the last trace of the Six Paths power, his tightly shut eyes suddenly opened. Then, the chakra eggshell encasing Torifu gradually shattered, and a ray of sunlight shone in. Torifu's physique was still the same; there was no noticeable change. But his power could no longer be compared to what it was before. He was now at Six Paths level strength, an existence capable of sitting on equal terms with the Sage of Six Paths. However, he would certainly be inferior to the Sage of Six Paths in overall power. After all, the other person was an ancient monster who had lived for a thousand years, while Torifu had only lived for a few decades at most.
Looking at his reflection in the lake, Torifu nodded. "Hmm, just as I expected, I didn't gain the Rinnegan." Torifu was not a descendant of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, but had simply entered the Six Paths level, so it was naturally impossible for him to possess the Rinnegan.
However, Torifu released some chakra, and a black sphere appeared in his hand. It looked completely ordinary, with nothing particularly striking about it, like an iron ball. But Torifu was overjoyed. "A Truth-Seeking Orb! I can actually condense one now." This could be considered the symbol of advancing to the Six Paths level—something that could only be generated by mastering Six Paths power and fusing seven types of chakra. It could easily destroy an entire forest and could be arbitrarily transformed into the shape of various weapons. It could also be used to protect himself, making it a truly invincible ability.
Torifu continued to try condensing them. Before long, nine Truth-Seeking Orbs were floating behind him. Torifu could feel that this was the limit; he could not condense any more. But this was more than enough. Torifu clenched his hands. He now felt an inexhaustible strength, capable of doing anything he wanted. The speed of his body in all aspects had increased countless times, and his lifespan also seemed to have increased significantly. Yet, Torifu could still feel the boundary between life and death. This meant that the Six Paths level would still die of old age, though the soul could exist indefinitely.
"The Six Paths level, this is the Six Paths level. The feeling is completely different from the Kage level." Torifu once thought that the Six Paths level was simply a few times stronger than the Kage level. But now it seemed his perspective had been too narrow. He could now easily kill his former self, requiring hardly any effort. Overall, entering the Six Paths level brought Torifu too much power, and he couldn't process it all at once. He would need time to gradually adapt in the future. "I thought the advancement would create a huge celestial phenomenon, but it just ended up being an eggshell."
This was the one point that disappointed Torifu. After all, a celestial phenomenon would have been very impressive; men always had this kind of mentality. Now, he had broken through just by forming an eggshell, which didn't feel grand enough, leaving Torifu a little disappointed. However, this minor disappointment was insignificant compared to the joy the breakthrough brought him.
After briefly familiarizing himself with his body, Torifu decided to test his current strength. Standing on the water, he gently waved his hand, and a massive amount of chakra surged out like flowing water! Immediately, the entire lake began to violently shake! It roared! Then, a breathtaking sight appeared! The water of the entire lake began to slowly ascend! Under the control of Torifu's chakra, the water from the entire lake lifted off the ground and gathered in mid-air, forming an immensely massive, spherical water globe! The fish inside were still clearly visible! Even Torifu himself was shocked by his own power. If this had been suggested before, it would have been absolute fantasy. This lake was at least one-quarter the size of Konoha, yet Torifu had plucked it completely from the ground and held it high in the sky.
"The Sage of Six Paths created the moon before, so me lifting a lake isn't particularly astonishing, is it? After all, I am Six Paths level." Torifu forcibly reassured himself, trying to calm his excited emotions, but the frantic beating of his heart betrayed him. Experiencing such power for the first time made Torifu slightly lose control. He felt that everything he had done before seemed ridiculously childish, like playing house. Now, he could kill Blaze with just a flick of his finger. Why would he ever have needed to use strategy or engage in a grueling battle with her? However, Torifu actually had to thank her. If it hadn't been for Blaze's antics this time, Torifu might not have had the chance to reach the Six Paths level. It could only be said that misfortune and fortune are intertwined.
"Oh, I almost forgot I was still holding you up. My apologies." Torifu slowly lowered the lake. Although he was extremely careful, it still stirred up monstrous waves. However, protected by the Truth-Seeking Orbs, the water could not dampen Torifu's clothes at all. After a wave of his hand calmed the lake water, Torifu prepared to return to the village. Today's mission was perfectly accomplished. He had advanced to the Six Paths level without paying any price; the breakthrough was achieved quite effortlessly. "After resting for a day or two, I will go look for that valley on the map and see what secrets it holds."