At this very moment, on another island across the sea, a relic palace lay deep underground.
The air was filled with a sense of dusty decay and coldness. Gigantic stone pillars supported a towering dome, and vague, intricate patterns were carved into the pillars. This was a magnificent palace buried deep beneath the earth, forgotten by time, and its scale was far grander than one could ever imagine.
"That's it! That's it! It's here!"
Several figures appeared in the palace. At their head was Orochimaru, who had been missing for a long time. They looked around. The palace walls were covered in massive, exquisite murals, their vibrant colors and smooth lines silently telling the tale of an ancient empire's rise and fall.
These people were all descendants of this ancient empire. They had guarded this secret for generations and had previously been a merchant caravan, which Orochimaru had forcibly brought here.
Orochimaru paid no mind to the others' excitement, staring intently at the murals, his eyes burning with an almost overflowing heat.
In the first mural, a majestic figure with an indistinct face stood in the air, looking down at a frail person below, who was prostrate on the ground, worshiping. To the others, this was a legend similar to the "divine right of kings," a method used by the founder of this ancient empire to legitimize his rule.
But to Orochimaru…
"That's the 'Lord of the Hollow Realm,' and 'Grer'?" Orochimaru's throat bobbed up and down as he continued to the second mural.
The second mural depicted a shirtless, muscular king holding a glowing stone, illuminating the thousands of subjects prostrate below. Under his feet was a barren land, and behind him was the nascent form of a magnificent city. It was clear that "Grer" had used the power of the "Lord of the Hollow Realm" to establish his nation.
The third mural showed a huge city rising, crisscrossing farmlands, and rivers that had been tamed to nourish the fertile land. The people were dressed in beautiful clothes, and the empire was at its peak.
In the fourth mural, lavishly dressed people were arguing, and the sky had turned gloomy, indicating internal conflicts and civil unrest within the nation.
In the fifth mural, a catastrophe had befallen them. The earth cracked, and floods raged. People were filled with fear and despair, struggling to flee like ants before a mighty force.
The sixth and final mural occupied the most prominent position. There were no figures, no scenery, and no colors, only a pure, bottomless blackness. This blackness filled the entire picture, symbolizing complete annihilation and an end that was cold, silent, and desperate. The empire returned to a state of utter darkness.
"So, they were destroyed because they forgot their 'god'?" Orochimaru thought to himself.
What did the final black mural represent? Could it be the 'Hollow Realm'?
Rumble!
Just as Orochimaru was analyzing the murals, the entire underground palace suddenly began to shake violently.
Dull thuds came from all directions. The surface of the stone pillars showed a web of cracks, and the dome began to crumble and collapse. Large chunks of rock fell and smashed onto the ground, raising a cloud of dust! However, as the dome peeled away, the sight hidden above it was gradually revealed to them!
It was a vein of 'Grer's' Stone! It emitted a faint green light like agate and jade, and it looked like a glowing spring embedded in the rock. A vibrant aura quickly filled the palace. The previously dim underground palace was illuminated with a translucent brightness!
"Hyde!"
"What are you doing?!"
A cry of shock and anger came. Orochimaru frowned and turned to look. He saw a burly man dressed as a merchant who, at some point, had walked up to a bizarrely shaped stone sculpture and shattered it. It was clear that his actions had caused the collapse.
"Hahaha! I can feel it! I can feel it!"
The man called Hyde laughed maniacally, greedily breathing in the rich energy in the air. "An endless stream of power is pouring into my body!"
"The Grer's Stone! This is the true source of the Grer's Stone!"
With that, he looked at Orochimaru, a triumphant smile on his face. "You fool of a ninja, if you hadn't brought me here, it would have taken me years to find this myself!"
Facing Hyde's mockery and smugness, Orochimaru's expression remained unchanged. He completely disregarded the "Grer's Stone" above his head and stared fixedly at the center of the palace floor.
"Idiot, the so-called 'Grer's Stone' is just garbage bestowed by a god…"
A cold, fervent light shone in his golden snake-like eyes as he looked at the faintly glowing, complex, and profound magical array on the ground. He said in a hoarse voice, "This is what I came for!"
The center of the palace floor was not a flat stone slab but a giant circular magical array made of complex patterns. It faintly emitted a weak, spatially distorting fluctuation.
The array to summon the 'Time-Space Hole'… The information in the scroll and ancient text was indeed true! It was a gateway for summoning unknown beings using ancient summoning jutsu!
"According to that scroll, the 'Time-Space Hole' leads to the 'Hollow Realm'!"
Orochimaru turned his head abruptly, his snake-like eyes sweeping over a boy who still had a blank, terrified expression. He was the one who truly had the bloodline of that ancient empire's nobility. These people were what he had spent so much effort to find, all for this very day!
Without the slightest hesitation, Orochimaru appeared next to the boy like a ghost and grabbed his wrist!
"W-what are you doing?"
The boy was startled and struggled in panic.
"What am I doing?" Orochimaru revealed a spine-chilling smile. "I'm opening the door to a new world, of course!"
Before his voice faded, a cold glint flashed from his hand, instantly slicing the boy's palm. Hot blood spurted out like a fountain!
The moment the blood touched the magical array on the ground, a dazzling, faint blue light erupted, and an unimaginable suction force exploded!
Rumble!
The 'Grer's Stone' vein above, which had been flowing with immense life energy, was ripped and devoured like a river that had breached its banks! The light of the vein began to dim and shrink, and the rich life energy was greedily converted by the array into power to activate itself!
"Damn you, Orochimaru! What did you do?!"
Seeing this, Hyde, who had been absorbing the life energy, was infuriated, his eyes splitting with rage as he looked at Orochimaru. He had never expected Orochimaru to directly destroy the 'Grer's Stone' vein. In his mind, Orochimaru was also looking for the relics of the empire for the sake of the 'Grer's Stone,' which contained immense life energy and could strengthen one's body with just a single piece. He had assumed they would just fight to determine who would get it in the end.
But this madman had no intention of fighting for it; he just wanted to destroy it!
"Idiot! What is a physical body's strength worth?"
Orochimaru stood at the edge of the array with his arms spread wide, his face filled with extreme fanaticism for the unknown. The strong wind made his long hair and robes whip about.
"I am opening the door to a whole new world! A door to the Hollow Realm, a realm that transcends life and death, transcends the cycle of reincarnation, and is full of infinite possibilities!"
CRACK!
A soul-shaking thunderous sound, as if space itself had been suddenly ripped apart. The space in the center of the magical array at Orochimaru's feet completely shattered like fragile glass! A deep, bottomless, pitch-black fissure tore open!
The Time-Space Hole was opened! With all the points from Hyuga Kawa's transformation, it was no longer connected to the original void, but to the Hollow Realm!
"Get away!"
Someone let out a horrified scream. The few survivors crawled and stumbled, scrambling towards the floating rubble around them. The moment the 'Time-Space Hole' opened, a chilling, cold wind surged from the depths of the fissure.
Following it, countless distorted, blurry black figures, exuding a deadly aura, frantically poured out from the deep fissure.
"Gah!"
"No! What is this… Pfft!"
A black figure appeared behind one person. Its sharp claws easily tore through his armor and pierced his chest before it began to devour his soul. Another black figure pounced on another person, opening its mask to forcefully swallow his soul.
The other black figures ignored the screaming, terrified survivors, their gazes instantly locking onto Orochimaru, who had the strongest soul.
"What are these monsters?!"
Hyde, who had been arrogant just moments before, was now filled with terror. The immense power within his body could not bring him a sense of security.
'Hollows'! The monsters from the 'Hollow Realm'!
"It's them!"
Seeing the appearances of the black figures, their white masks, and the empty holes in their chests, Orochimaru made a hand seal without hesitation.
Vwoom!
A powerful surge of chakra burst from Orochimaru, the shockwave spreading out from him and making his robes flap violently. The surface of his skin was covered with a layer of fine, smooth, white scales that rippled like living things, covering his cheeks, neck, and arms! Two purple markings, like eyeshadow, appeared at the corners of his eyes, extending sharply along his cheekbones, adding a non-human, eerie touch to his already pale face! A horn also slowly grew on his forehead, and several snake-like transparent chakras appeared around his body, his aura becoming as wild and cold as a snake's.
This was none other than the Sage Mode of Ryuchi Cave!
"Orochimaru, you're using my power again."
A soft, feminine voice sounded from behind Orochimaru. A woman's head emerged from the end of Orochimaru's tail, slowly extending to his shoulder before flicking out a snake-like tongue.
"Is this some ancient ruin?" Tashikigami said with a smile, looking at her surroundings. "Orochimaru, I knew that following you would always lead to interesting things."
Orochimaru's expression was a little dark, but he ignored Tashikigami and instead opened his mouth slightly, making a hissing sound.
Kusanagi Sword: Blade of the Sky!
Swoosh!
A faint yet piercing sound of something slicing through the air rang out. A cold glint shot out from Orochimaru's mouth like a snake's tongue. It accurately targeted a 'Hollow' that had just devoured one person and was about to pounce on another! But the tip of the sword was not aimed at the 'Hollow's' body; it was aimed at the pale, bony mask on its face!
CRACK!
The tip of the Kusanagi Sword pierced through and shattered the 'Hollow's' mask as easily as if it were a layer of thin ice!
"Roar!"
The moment its mask shattered, the 'Hollow' let out a shriek. Its large body swelled up, then suddenly exploded, turning into countless tiny black specks that dissipated into the air! The spiritual energy filled with resentment and unwillingness did not disappear into the air but, as if pulled by an invisible force, frantically rushed towards the Kusanagi Sword that had pierced its mask!
The blade of the Kusanagi Sword suddenly trembled violently, even emitting a low hum of satisfaction! The entire process, from Orochimaru drawing his sword to shattering the mask and the 'Hollow' disintegrating, and the Kusanagi Sword devouring the soul, happened in an instant.
"Hiss!"
A pure, icy, yet immense spiritual energy was injected into his body through the Kusanagi Sword. This unprecedented spiritual pleasure made Orochimaru's body tremble.
"Haha! Hahaha!!"
After a brief moment of daze, an uncontrollable, almost crazed ecstasy took over! Orochimaru's maniacal laughter echoed in the chaotic, bloody palace, filled with the thrill of discovering a new world and a greedy desire for power.
"What is this?"
Tashikigami, who was fused with him, saw this and her already narrow snake-like eyes suddenly shrank. She had never seen this creature before. This cold aura… And not only that, she seemed to feel a piece of her own soul being ripped away and rushing into the Kusanagi Sword.
With this thought, Tashikigami's expression changed slightly, and she questioned him, "Orochimaru, what are you trying to do now?"
"…Hmph."
Hearing this, the laughing Orochimaru suddenly stopped and gave a soft chuckle, his voice cold. "You'll find out what I'm trying to do soon enough."
With that, he looked at the 'Hollows' rampaging through the palace. Now, in his eyes, these ferocious-looking monsters, which exuded a deathly aura, were no longer a threat. They were walking treasures, a ladder to a higher level of power, and the key to his freedom!
"Come on, more! Give me more!"
Orochimaru let out a snake-like hiss, and his figure instantly vanished. The speed granted by Sage Mode made him like a ghost! The 'Hollows' sharp claws brushed past his body, leaving gashes that quickly healed. The Kusanagi Sword became a series of deadly cold flashes, striking at the pale masks!
CRACK! CRACK!
Orochimaru's figure darted frantically through the horde of 'Hollows.' Each strike was accompanied by the shattering of a mask and the demise of a 'Hollow.' The crisp cracking sounds rang out in quick succession like popping beans. The Kusanagi Sword was like an insatiable glutton, frantically devouring the spiritual energy that poured out. The faint blue light on the sword grew brighter and brighter, even revealing a hint of an eerie crimson!
"What is this feeling?! What is going on?!"
Feeling her soul constantly pouring into the Kusanagi Sword, Tashikigami's face grew more and more horrified, and she couldn't help but shriek, "Orochimaru, stop it!"
"You can't even use Sage Mode without me!"
Although she didn't know how Orochimaru was doing it, she had guessed what he was trying to do. This guy was stuffing her soul into this Kusanagi Sword!
Yes, Orochimaru wanted to feed her soul, along with the 'Hollows' souls, to his Kusanagi Sword. The scroll had said that to forge a Zanpakuto, one must use their own soul to devour other souls within the sword. Now that Tashikigami's soul was fused with his and couldn't be easily separated, he would put both his and Tashikigami's souls into the sword!
A nearly crazed flame burned in Orochimaru's snake-like eyes, and the attacks in his hand became even more violent and aggressive.
"You're a madman! Orochimaru, you're a madman!"
Looking at the Kusanagi Sword, whose suction was becoming more and more terrifying, a look of fear appeared on Tashikigami's face. According to the White Snake Sage's plan, every time Orochimaru used Sage Mode, her soul would fuse with his a little more. Until finally, they would be indistinguishable, and Ryuchi Cave would have a loyal puppet.
But now, it seemed that this madman Orochimaru was determined to cut off her soul, even at the expense of the parts of his own soul that were already fused! Tashikigami didn't understand where Orochimaru got the guts to do this, and she didn't understand how he was doing any of it!
"Just a little more. Just the last bit. Why is it so slow?!"
Looking at these 'Hollows' that weren't even low-level 'Menos,' a look of greedy dissatisfaction appeared in Orochimaru's eyes. In reality, even a regular 'Hollow' had more spiritual energy than most ninjas, but he still felt his progress was too slow. The power of these 'Hollows' was far weaker than he had expected.
Thus, Orochimaru's gaze turned to the fissure of the 'Time-Space Hole.' That was where the 'Hollow Realm' was connected. There, there must be stronger 'Hollows.'
With this thought, a look of greed appeared in Orochimaru's eyes. He stopped bothering with the 'Hollows' pouring out and stepped towards the fissure.
However, the very next moment, as he approached the fissure… A hand reached out from within the deep fissure.
BOOM!
Orochimaru didn't even get to see who the person in front of him was. A suffocating coldness appeared in an instant. The air exploded, and a hand violently grabbed Orochimaru's throat, sending him flying backward, shattering a broken pillar!
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Pinned against the wall behind him, blood overflowed from the corners of Orochimaru's mouth, and a crisp sound of cracking bones came from his slender neck.
"Gasp…"
Orochimaru's eyes, wide with horror, bled from their torn corners. His golden snake-like pupils, which had shrunk from terror, were stained a frightening red by the blood.
So fast!
How could he be so fast?!
This guy…
Looking at the person's pale masked face and the indifference in his crimson eyes, and feeling the tightening grip on his neck, a look of fear appeared in Orochimaru's eyes.
A Menos!
And not a low-level one! At the very least, a mid-level Menos, as described in the scroll!
A being on a completely different level than those 'Hollows'!"
"A human? A snake?"
'Whitedent' looked at Orochimaru's bizarre appearance and aura, tilting its head in confusion. But its hand tightened inch by inch, slowly crushing Orochimaru's neck.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
"It doesn't matter." His voice was hoarse and low. "Intruders of the Hollow Realm shall die!"