"Here they are, as expected, but the quantity is too few."
Sora carefully collected the five pieces of Sea Dragon Jade and continued searching in this vast deep sea.
After another three days, relying on the natural advantages of his Azure Dragon form, he found seven more pieces of Sea Dragon Jade of varying sizes.
Added together, that made twelve pieces.
Sora estimated, based on the scroll records, that creating one standard artificial Tailed Beast vessel required approximately eight to ten pieces of Sea Dragon Jade as the energy core and connection hub.
Twelve pieces were already enough for him to attempt it once, with some leftover as backup.
"Enough."
Sora did not linger any longer. His massive dragon body shot towards the sea surface like an arrow from a bow.
Breaking through the sea surface, he transformed back into human form. Standing upon the waves, Sora checked his bearings and swiftly headed in the direction of Ascension Island.
...
Returning to the underground laboratory on Ascension Island, Sora did not immediately use the precious Sea Dragon Jade.
He first took out some substitute metals purchased from the black market in the Land of Earth, which had chakra conductivity, along with some specially formulated sealing ink.
Unrolling a blank scroll, Sora calmed his breathing and focused his mind, adjusting his state to its peak.
Then, with his fingertips wrapped in exquisite chakra, he began meticulously inscribing the composite sealing formula recorded in the scroll onto a metal plate.
During the first attempt, while outlining about one third of the formula, an extremely minute fluctuation occurred in the chakra output at one node. The entire formula structure instantly became unstable, the light grew chaotic, and then with a soft "hiss", the patterns on the metal plate dimmed, declaring failure.
Sora's expression remained unchanged. He swept the scrapped metal plate aside and picked up a second one.
Failure was expected.
This formula involved too many elements, and its precision far exceeded any sealing technique he had previously encountered.
The second attempt lasted until halfway.
The third attempt fell short at the very end.
After each failure, Sora would stop, carefully review what went wrong, and repeatedly simulate the correct chakra flow path in his mind.
This was not merely practice in inscribing, but a deep understanding of the core principles of this artificial Tailed Beast energy system.
The eighteenth attempt...
When the final sealing rune was inscribed, the entire formula on the metal plate suddenly lit up with a steady pale blue light. Energy flowed harmoniously within it, forming a perfect closed loop!
Success!
Although this was just an "empty shell" inscribed with ordinary materials, it proved he had completely mastered the technique of inscribing this complex formula.
Sora let out a long breath, a flash of satisfaction in his eyes.
The continuous high intensity mental focus had left even him feeling a trace of fatigue, but the result was gratifying.
After resting for a while, and once his spirit was fully recovered, Sora finally took out the twelve pieces of Sea Dragon Jade emitting a soft life energy.
He selected the eight pieces with the most uniform quality and most abundant energy and placed them according to a specific arrangement.
Then, he once again picked up the chakra-conducting brush soaked in special ink, his focus unprecedented.
The brush tip descended. Using his own chakra as a guide, he meticulously "wove" one profound sealing rune after another into the internal structure of the Sea Dragon Jade, perfectly connecting the energy circuits of all eight pieces.
This was a painstakingly detailed task that allowed no haste.
...
Time passed quietly in the silent laboratory.
When the final energy circuit was connected, all eight pieces of Sea Dragon Jade hummed simultaneously, erupting with a brilliant azure light several times stronger than before!
They hovered in mid-air, connected to each other by countless fine threads of light, forming an extremely complex yet harmonious energy network that vaguely took the shape of an egg-like structure.
This was the design Sora had chosen after careful consideration.
An egg is one of nature's most stable and potential-filled forms, symbolizing containment and gestation.
Using this as the initial form for the artificial Tailed Beast vessel could maximize the stability of the energy cycle while also leaving ample room for evolution and expansion to accommodate the immense energy of the Dragon Vein in the future.
Looking at this "egg-shaped" energy vessel floating in the air, slowly rotating, emitting a steady blue light and vitality, Sora finally showed a relieved smile.
Success on the first try!
The most crucial step was complete.
All that remained was to go to Loulan, find Sarah, break the seal left by Namikaze Minato, and guide the Dragon Vein's power into it.
...
After handling the most important task, Sora remembered another matter.
He took the large quantity of collected "Star Pattern Iron" and once again went to the main island of the Land of Whirlpools. He found a blacksmith shop on the island that looked to have decent craftsmanship.
The blacksmith was a middle-aged man with dark skin and solid muscles, seemingly an ordinary person.
Sora handed over a small piece of Star Pattern Iron:
"Boss, take a look at this ore. Can you forge it into the equipment I need?"
The blacksmith took the heavy piece of Star Pattern Iron, weighed it in his hand, then took out some tools to tap and examine it. A look of surprise appeared on his face.
"Customer, this ore... it's very strange. Incredibly hard and extremely heavy. It can be forged, but it will take a lot of time and charcoal, and wear down the hammer greatly..."
Sora understood his meaning and directly quoted a price several times higher than the usual forging fee.
Hearing this, the blacksmith immediately slapped his chest "thump, thump, thump" and guaranteed:
"Rest assured, customer! I will do my absolute best to forge the most suitable items for you! What style do you want them made in?"
Sora gestured simply, requesting the shape of leg weights to wrap around the calves and feet.
After paying the deposit and handing over a sufficient amount of Star Pattern Iron, and agreeing on a pickup time, Sora left the blacksmith shop.
For ordinary people, he needed no lengthy explanation. Sufficient money was the best motivation.
...
Returning to the underground base on Ascension Island, Sora carefully calculated the time.
From leaving Konoha to accept the mission in the Land of Lightning, until now successfully creating the artificial Tailed Beast vessel, a full month had quietly passed.
"One month... still okay. There's one month left, enough for me to 'make a round' to the Land of Lightning."
Then Sora delayed no further. After carefully inspecting the laboratory once more, confirming the sealing barrier was functioning normally, his figure flashed, transforming into a blurry black shadow as he swiftly headed in the direction of the Land of Lightning to the north.
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