"Going to Ryūchi Cave? Do you want to learn sage arts?" Black Dragon glanced down at him and asked.
Ryun had mentioned before that after the war ended, he would go to Ryūchi Cave to learn sage arts. Now that the miscellaneous affairs were settled, he probably wanted to seek out White Snake Sage to learn the techniques.
"Yes, both Orochimaru-sensei and I want to learn… When you return, have the Snake Maiden summon us like last time…" Ryun nodded.
"There's no need to ask the Snake Maiden for help. Just enter my mouth, and I'll release the Summoning Technique. Then, you and I will return to Ryūchi Cave together."
Black Dragon's idea coincidentally matched Ryun's backup plan. As it spoke, it opened its ferocious, foul-smelling maw.
"..."
Looking at the remnants of flesh stuck between Black Dragon's teeth, Ryun's lips twitched uncontrollably.
Ever since evolving into a dragon, it no longer swallowed its prey whole like before. Instead, it had developed a taste for tearing and chewing flesh, which made its mouth both stinky and filthy…
"Let's go…"
Orochimaru, however, showed no aversion to this. He even nudged Ryun lightly, seeming somewhat impatient.
"Uh…"
The two of them jumped into Black Dragon's mouth. As the stench-filled jaws closed, Ryun was instantly drenched in sticky saliva. Fortunately, he held his breath, so the stench didn't immediately overwhelm him…
After a strange sense of turbulence, barely ten seconds later, Black Dragon reopened its maw, and the two found themselves in an unfamiliar place.
"Water Release: Water Current Technique!"
The moment he leaped out of Black Dragon's mouth, Ryun immediately used a water-based ninjutsu to wash off the foul saliva clinging to his body.
"Get on. I'll take you into the cave."
Black Dragon casually ordered. They were currently within the territory of Ryūchi Cave but not yet inside the actual cave itself.
The two jumped lightly—one landing on Black Dragon's head, the other on its back. Then, Black Dragon began crawling swiftly in a certain direction.
Before long, the two spotted the true entrance to Ryūchi Cave in a hidden location.
On the way inside, Ryun and Orochimaru saw countless colorful snakes of all sizes. However, all of them seemed terrified of Black Dragon.
Not a single snake dared to approach it. Some larger snakes even turned and fled deeper into the cave the moment they saw Black Dragon enter. It had truly reached a level where even the mightiest serpents trembled at its presence.
The cave was dimly lit but surprisingly warm and humid, making it an ideal habitat for snakes.
The ground bore deep grooves left by massive serpents slithering through. Black Dragon had once been one of those serpents carving such trails, but now it no longer followed the conventional path of snakes.
With each step of its four claws, it left behind distinct claw marks unique to itself.
Under Black Dragon's lead, the White Scale Great Snake and the Three Great Snake Maidens sensed their arrival.
This time, none of the Snake Maidens dared to test the intruders with genjutsu. After all, Ryun was someone Black Dragon had taken a liking to, so they wouldn't dare act recklessly.
"This Uchiha boy is the most unique human I've ever seen… I've never been able to clearly see his fate. It's hazy, obscured, like a swirling mist…"
White Snake Sage narrowed its eyes and muttered softly.
"What? Even you can't see his fate?" The Three Great Snake Maidens were astonished.
"Someone who can act as Heaven's executioner… It's no coincidence that his fate is unclear. This person's future is worth investing in!" White Snake Sage immediately transformed into an old woman's appearance.
Soon after, Black Dragon brought the two before White Snake Sage and the Three Great Snake Maidens.
"Lord Black Dragon!!!" The Three Great Snake Maidens bowed in unison.
Ryun and Orochimaru had already dismounted before meeting White Snake Sage. Since they were here to seek the arts, standing atop its son's body would be too disrespectful…
Upon seeing White Snake Sage, Black Dragon shrank its body and, within a few breaths, transformed into a human form.
"Ah! You can turn into a human?!"
Ryun couldn't help but exclaim as he looked at the black-horned, dark-robed young man beside him.
"Did I ever say I couldn't transform into a human? With my minor mastery of sage arts, taking human form is no challenge at all."
Black Dragon smirked, its expression oddly reminiscent of the "Crooked-Mouth Dragon King" Ryun had seen in dramas in his past life.
"..."
"Sage serpents… Sage arts…"
Orochimaru licked his lips excitedly, his face twisted with manic enthusiasm. His entire body trembled uncontrollably from sheer exhilaration.
"Greetings, White Snake Sage!"
Ryun bowed respectfully toward the old woman seated above them.
Noticing this, Orochimaru quickly followed suit, also bowing to White Snake Sage.
"We meet again. Have you come today to learn the sage arts of Ryūchi Cave?"
White Snake Sage nodded slightly and went straight to the point.
Seeing its directness, Ryun nodded. "Yes, I've come today to seek the arts!"
Orochimaru quickly echoed his words.
"Hehe… Those who come here seeking the arts are, without exception, people obsessed with power."
"Learning sage arts isn't impossible. But you must first endure the trial of natural energy. If you pass, I will teach you. If you fail and cannot withstand the natural energy, then be prepared to be devoured by me…"
White Snake Sage grinned sinisterly.
Thanks to Black Dragon's influence, Ryūchi Cave skipped the Three Great Snake Maidens' genjutsu test, essentially giving Ryun a backdoor advantage.
But if they failed, it would prove that the so-called "Chosen One" was nothing special. White Snake Sage wouldn't hesitate to swallow them whole.
Hearing this, Ryun and Orochimaru tensed up, inwardly resisting the method of transmission—especially Ryun.
"What exactly does the trial entail?"
Although he already knew how White Snake Sage transmitted its arts, Ryun still asked to maintain appearances.
As a transmigrator, he couldn't act like he knew everything.
"Simple. Extend your arm and let me bite you…"
White Snake Sage grinned mysteriously, deliberately omitting the specifics of what the bite entailed. It wanted to see how determined these two were in their pursuit of power.
Those who dared to seek the arts in Ryūchi Cave were almost all power-crazed madmen. White Snake Sage wanted to see just how far these two were willing to gamble on the unknown, whether they would risk letting it sink its fangs into them.
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