Chapter 50: Arrival of the Newcomer
After Snape left, Dumbledore let out a long sigh and complained, "I remember you promised me just last night that you would keep things quiet."
Chu Yang thought for a long time but couldn't recall when he had promised Dumbledore to be quiet. However, seeing the old man's displeased expression, he quickly nodded and sincerely apologized.
Dumbledore's frown eased considerably. He slowly asked, "You shouldn't have had any Charms classes yet in your first year. Where did you learn those spells? You even managed to defeat upper-year students, which truly surprised me."
The students who lost to Chu Yang included Marcus and Harper, both in their fifth year.
Some of the others were even seventh-year graduates!
Even someone as accustomed to shocks as Dumbledore couldn't help but show astonishment after learning about Chu Yang's performance.
Not even Tom Riddle Voldemort had displayed such talent in his first year.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, I spent all the living allowance the school provided me on books," Chu Yang said with a shy smile. "My suitcase is packed with spellbooks for all seven years."
"Books for all seven years?" Dumbledore was both incredulous and a bit moved. "Although I admire your love of learning, I must remind you that the textbooks at Hogwarts are not set in stone, largely depending on your professors."
"The books you've bought might only count as supplementary reading."
Chu Yang remained silent for a moment, then said calmly, "That's okay. There's no harm in reading more books."
Dumbledore nodded with satisfaction. "Well said. A wizard's power comes from knowledge; magic is secondary. Many adult wizards fail to understand this."
Dumbledore then asked Chu Yang to demonstrate the spells he had mastered. Apart from a few inconvenient to show, Chu Yang cast almost all the spells from The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1.
While impressed, Dumbledore's expression gradually turned serious. A student with such immense talent could be both a source of pride and concern for a teacher, who might worry about the student going down the wrong path.
Dumbledore reminded him, "You've already felt the power of spells and understand the profound nature of magic. Therefore, you must use it with caution. Remember, always use it correctly!"
Chu Yang nodded. Dumbledore was just one step away from explicitly telling him not to become the next Dark Lord.
"Alright then, you may go. Don't forget to have lunch in the Great Hall." Dumbledore waved him off, signaling the end of their conversation.
The heavy wooden door creaked as Chu Yang left the headmaster's office. Suddenly, his vision blurred. The familiar sensation made him realize that the Soul Palace was summoning him.
In the blink of an eye, the mist pulled Chu Yang into the Soul Palace, where he quickly saw the two familiar versions of "himself" standing beside the throne.
Beside them, Chu Yang noticed a new version of "himself!"
The four of them naturally gathered and, upon touching one another, began sharing their memories and strength from recent events.
After sharing memories, Chu Yang looked in surprise at the newest version of "himself."
The latest addition to the Soul Palace came from the world of Demon Slayer.
The Demon Slayer Chu Yang spoke with lingering fear, "You have no idea how terrifying it is over there. I lived alone in the mountains, and after dark, I didn't dare go outside!"
"Just the day before I entered the Palace, I encountered a demon. If the Demon Slayer Corps hadn't arrived in time, I would've been dead!"
Pirate Chu Yang curiously asked, "Where are you now?"
Demon Slayer Chu Yang thought for a moment before answering, "I think it's the Butterfly Mansion. When I was injured and unconscious, the Demon Slayer Corps brought me here. After waking up, I found that this place has many patients. I even saw Shinobu Kocho."
Naruto Chu Yang reminded him, "You should seize this opportunity to join the Demon Slayer Corps. The Breathing Styles are a great technique, capable of unlocking the potential of the human body."
"I hadn't dared to think about that before. I just wanted to survive until the story ended. In that demon-infested place, simply staying alive is hard enough." Demon Slayer Chu Yang sighed in relief. "But now, things seem to be looking up."
Magic Chu Yang comforted him, "Don't feel too burdened. Everyone gets a free pass the first time they enter. We're all the same person here—cooperation and mutual benefit are the way to go."
Naruto Chu Yang laughed, "Free pass or not, I've gotten used to it by now. But speaking of which, magic really is fascinating. I'm tempted to temporarily put aside my ninjutsu training and focus on studying magic."
Magic Chu Yang immediately stopped him from this childish idea and explained, "Every time we return to the Soul Palace, our skills synchronize to the highest level among us. Everyone must specialize in one discipline; splitting your focus would be a huge loss!"
Naruto Chu Yang froze for a moment before realizing the truth. He had always thought the Soul Palace's skill-sharing worked like stacking individual talents together.
Pirate Chu Yang nodded, "I also realized this after going back, so I haven't divided my attention between Chakra and Wood Release. Instead, I've been concentrating on refining Haki."
Magic Chu Yang said, "Haki is the strongest power in the Pirate world. Once you reach its advanced stages, it can even suppress or neutralize Devil Fruit abilities. Also, you need to master Conqueror's Haki as soon as possible."
Pirate Chu Yang shook his head. "I know, but Conqueror's Haki is innate. I might not have it."
Magic Chu Yang countered, "For others, it might be innate, but for us, it's just a numbers game. If you can't now, that doesn't mean you never will. What you need to do is find an expert in Conqueror's Haki and experience it firsthand."
Pirate Chu Yang felt that Magic Chu Yang's words made sense and began thinking about which Conqueror's Haki expert he could encounter soon.
Naruto Chu Yang teased, "You can tell who's the scholar among us—everything is laid out so clearly."
Although their memories and abilities were shared, each Chu Yang's personality differed due to the environment they grew up in.
Following Magic Chu Yang's advice, each Chu Yang decided to specialize in the unique powers of their respective worlds.
After benefiting from this mutual sharing, every Chu Yang's strength had improved significantly.
As the mist reappeared, it guided them back to their individual worlds.
---
Pirate World.
Chu Yang, who had been with the Sun Pirates for several months, was gradually adjusting to life as a pirate. He had learned quite a bit about steering from Jinbe, and sometimes even filled in for him.
As the repercussions of the "Burning of the Holy Land" continued to worsen, the Navy's pursuit of the Sun Pirates became increasingly intense.
During this time, Chu Yang helped the Sun Pirates fend off several waves of Navy attacks.
In gratitude, Fisher Tiger repeatedly invited him to join the Sun Pirates.
But Chu Yang still declined.
Fisher Tiger had his own goals, and the Sun Pirates' course was set by him. Chu Yang, however, had his own path to follow, and that meant he could never truly become a part of them.
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