Chapter 110 (Patreon)

“Storm Release: Devouring Thunderflames!”

This was no ordinary Devouring Thunderflame.

Yujiro had fused the technique with the immense power of Storm Release.

Black lightning erupted from his blade, transforming into terrifying black thunderflames intertwined with violent, dazzling beams of light.

BOOM!

The resulting explosion resembled the wrathful roar of thunder itself.

A colossal pillar of black thunderflames, hundreds of metres wide, descended from the sky and struck the ground with overwhelming force.

Garaga did not even have time to utter a single word.

The enormous serpent vanished instantly.

Under the unbearable heat of the thunderflames, his entire body was vaporised without leaving so much as a trace behind.

The black flames gradually faded.

In front of Yujiro, all that remained was an enormous crater stretching several hundred metres across.

The entire canyon fell silent.

The other powerful snakes that had been watching from a distance had already fled. The horrifying sight had left such a deep impression on them that none dared to remain anywhere near Yujiro.

Yujiro calmly sheathed his black blade before tilting his head towards Orochimaru and Manda.

“Manda, are you certain you don’t want to fight?”

His voice was quiet, almost gentle.

However, the moment those words reached Manda’s ears, the massive serpent’s entire body trembled.

He was certain.

Absolutely certain.

Manda was no fool. He had witnessed the terrifying power of Yujiro’s attack with his own eyes.

At that moment, he felt genuinely grateful that Orochimaru was there.

Had Orochimaru not intervened, Manda might have ended up exactly like Garaga.

Orochimaru’s face had also gone pale, but unlike Manda, there was unmistakable excitement burning within his snake-like eyes.

The stronger Yujiro became, the more exhilarated Orochimaru felt.

Yujiro’s overwhelming power had revealed something important to him.

He had not yet reached the limit of what was possible.

He was still nowhere near the pinnacle.

There were still heights beyond anything he had ever imagined.

His current strength was not enough.

Not even close.

Yujiro glanced at Orochimaru’s increasingly feverish expression and gave a small shrug.

As expected of Orochimaru.

He was probably contemplating another disturbing research project.

“Manda, lead the way,” Yujiro said calmly.

Manda hesitated before turning his enormous head towards Orochimaru.

Orochimaru gave him a slight nod.

“Orochimaru, you’re coming with us,” Manda said, lowering his massive head towards him. His voice was noticeably more restrained than usual.

“Very well.”

Orochimaru considered the situation for a moment.

With Yujiro accompanying them, even entering the deepest part of Ryūchi Cave should not pose much danger.

Manda began leading the way.

Yet despite his massive size, he moved with extreme caution. Every few moments, he glanced behind him to make certain Yujiro had not drawn his blade again.

He was terrified that Yujiro might suddenly decide to unleash another blast of thunderflames at his back.

If that happened, he would be reduced to a charred corpse before he could even react.

For the first time in his life, Manda truly understood what it meant to feel someone’s gaze burning into his back.

Throughout the journey, he carefully controlled every movement, afraid that even the slightest sound might irritate the man walking behind him.

Deep within the canyon stood the temple where the White Snake Sage resided.

The ancient sage had sensed Yujiro’s presence from the moment he entered Ryūchi Cave.

However, after witnessing the destruction of Garaga, even the White Snake Sage could no longer remain completely unconcerned.

The intruder was far more dangerous than it had initially expected.

Before long, Manda brought Yujiro and Orochimaru into the deepest chamber of the temple.

The White Snake Sage sat upon its throne, silently observing the young man standing below.

Yujiro did not speak.

Instead, he closed his eyes and activated the abilities granted by the third level of his Limiter.

When Orochimaru saw this, he wisely remained silent.

The White Snake Sage continued studying Yujiro, attempting to assess the true extent of his strength.

Orochimaru did not move because Yujiro had not moved.

Manda, meanwhile, hardly dared to breathe.

For several seconds, the entire chamber remained deathly still.

Then, ten seconds later, the natural energy throughout Ryūchi Cave suddenly began to surge.

The White Snake Sage’s expression changed.

The dense natural energy that had accumulated throughout Ryūchi Cave for countless years was flowing towards Yujiro from every direction.

The ancient sage stared in disbelief.

What was happening?

Other than the White Snake Sage itself, no one should have been capable of controlling Ryūchi Cave’s natural energy with such ease.

Its gaze immediately locked onto Yujiro.

“Impossible…”

For perhaps the first time in centuries, the White Snake Sage was genuinely dumbfounded.

Orochimaru and Manda were equally stunned.

Realising that something extraordinary was happening, Orochimaru quickly moved several steps back.

His golden snake-like eyes widened with shock.

Yujiro possessed far too many secrets.

And every new secret only made Orochimaru more interested in him.

Nothing like this had occurred within Ryūchi Cave for over a thousand years.

The White Snake Sage found itself unable to decide whether it should interfere or remain where it was.

In the end, it could only wait and watch.

Five minutes later, markings resembling those of a snake sage appeared beneath Yujiro’s eyes.

He had mastered Ryūchi Cave’s senjutsu.

Yujiro slowly opened his eyes.

Despite the immense natural energy flowing through his body, his gaze remained as deep and composed as ever.

The White Snake Sage finally lost its composure.

Its massive body twisted forward as it descended from its seat and stopped directly in front of Yujiro.

It examined him carefully from head to toe before giving a solemn nod.

“Orochimaru, you have brought an extraordinary man into Ryūchi Cave.”

The White Snake Sage glanced towards Orochimaru.

The muscles in Orochimaru’s face twitched slightly.

Why did those words make it sound as though he had deliberately brought trouble to its doorstep?

Yujiro looked at the White Snake Sage.

The purpose of his visit had already been achieved.

He had obtained and mastered Ryūchi Cave’s senjutsu.

There was no longer any reason for him to stay.

“Orochimaru, we’re leaving.”

After saying that, Yujiro turned and began walking towards the temple entrance.

The White Snake Sage hurriedly called after him.

“Wait, young man. There is no need to leave so soon.”

Yujiro stopped and looked over his shoulder.

“What do you want?”

“You share a profound connection with Ryūchi Cave,” the White Snake Sage said with a pleasant smile.

At the same time, its enormous serpentine body transformed into the form of an elderly woman.

“You are the first person to enter Ryūchi Cave and immediately master Sage Mode without undergoing any training.”

“That alone proves that fate has brought you here.”

Yujiro raised an eyebrow.

“Stop speaking in riddles. Say what you want.”

He could already tell that the White Snake Sage intended to ask something of him.

The White Snake Sage maintained its kindly smile.

“Some of my unruly subordinates offended you earlier. As compensation, I could have them serve you personally from this day forward. What do you think?”

“Not interested.”

Yujiro answered without hesitation.

He had already understood what the White Snake Sage was thinking.

Much like the Great Toad Sage before it, the White Snake Sage had realised that Yujiro had perfectly mastered Ryūchi Cave’s senjutsu.

Merely using Sage Mode and completely mastering senjutsu were two entirely different things.

The distinction could normally be seen through a person’s physical changes.

Those who learned Sage Mode at Mount Myōboku would develop the horizontal pupils of a toad.

Those who learned it in Ryūchi Cave would develop the vertical pupils of a snake.

However, Yujiro’s eyes remained as dark as ink.

His body had absorbed and balanced the natural energy perfectly without taking on any animal characteristics.

That proved his control over senjutsu had already reached an extraordinary level.

The White Snake Sage wanted Yujiro to remain in Ryūchi Cave.

With his power, he could strengthen Ryūchi Cave’s reputation and spread its influence throughout the shinobi world.

After seeing through the ancient sage’s intentions, Yujiro simply shook his head.

Ryūchi Cave held no further value for him.

He turned away and left the temple with Orochimaru.

“Manda.”

Shortly after Yujiro and Orochimaru disappeared from sight, the White Snake Sage’s gentle expression vanished.

Its voice became cold.

Manda’s body stiffened.

“White Snake Sage, I was forced to bring them here!”

Manda hurriedly lowered his head.

He wanted to protest his innocence. Nothing that had happened was his fault.

Facing someone like Yujiro, what else could he possibly have done?

“Establish a good relationship with Orochimaru and that young man,” the White Snake Sage ordered.

“I swear I won’t make the same mistake again! I—”

Manda abruptly stopped.

“What?”

He slowly lifted his head, uncertain whether he had heard correctly.

The White Snake Sage narrowed its eyes.

“Did you not understand me?”

“N-No, that isn’t what I meant…”

“Remember this well.”

The White Snake Sage’s expression became solemn.

“From this day forward, Ryūchi Cave must never become his enemy. We can only treat him as an ally.”

Manda stared at the ancient sage in confusion.

The White Snake Sage looked towards the temple entrance through which Yujiro had departed.

A trace of apprehension appeared in its ancient eyes.

“Because I could sense it…”

“There is something inside that young man that surpasses anything I have ever encountered.”

The White Snake Sage’s voice grew quieter.

“It was as though a god dwelled within his body.”

“A power beyond the reach of mortals…”

“The power of a god.”