"Stop!!!"
Facing Ryun's command, the White Scale Great Snake ignored him and continued to act as it pleased.
As it opened its ferocious maw to bite Orochimaru, Ryun's body suddenly released a flash of lightning, and he vanished in an instant.
Crack!!!
The White Scale Great Snake's bite closed on empty air, its jaws making a strange snapping sound. In that split second, Ryun had already teleported with Orochimaru to a corner of Ryūchi Cave.
"What incredible speed!" the White Scale Great Snake couldn't help but exclaim.
Ryun paid no attention to them. He looked at the hideous giant snake on the ground and felt a pang of regret for bringing Orochimaru to Ryūchi Cave.
In the original story, this serpentine side effect had always existed. Even after Orochimaru used the Reanimation Technique to switch bodies, his true form remained a half-White Scale Great Snake—the very creature that Uchiha Sasuke killed in the original story.
Of course, it was also possible that Orochimaru's White Snake form was physically stronger, and he deliberately chose not to remove this side effect, not minding being an ugly White Scale Great Snake.
After all, Orochimaru didn't even care about squatting to pee, so changes in appearance probably meant nothing to him...
"Teacher, how are you? Pull yourself together!!!" Ryun shook Orochimaru vigorously.
"I... I'm fine..."
Orochimaru gasped for breath, using all his strength to suppress the rampaging energy inside him. Right now, he might not be able to fight, but escaping was still within his capabilities.
"He has already failed. According to the rules of Ryūchi Cave, the fate of a failure is to become my meal. This was agreed upon earlier, so I advise you not to protect him—unless you wish to die as well..."
The White Snake Sage raised its body high, its cold eyes fixed on the master and disciple.
"You won't lay a finger on my teacher..."
As Ryun spoke, his Three Tomoe Sharingan appeared. He stood firmly in front of Orochimaru, ready for a fierce battle.
"You reckless brat, do you think this is a place where you can act so boldly? Ryūchi Cave is not somewhere you can mess around."
The White Snake Sage let out a serpentine hiss, and the Three Great Snake Maidens immediately slithered out, blocking the exit of Ryūchi Cave in an instant, clearly intending to trap the master and disciple inside forever.
Ryun narrowed his Three Tomoe Sharingan and turned his gaze toward the Black Dragon.
"Enough, Mother. For my sake, give them a chance... If this boy can't withstand the senjutsu chakra I infuse into him, then you can eat that man on the ground afterward."
"On the other hand, if he successfully undergoes 'dragon transformation' and passes the trial, then spare his life..."
The Black Dragon finally spoke, intervening to prevent further escalation and saving Ryun and Orochimaru from greater trouble.
"Since my son has spoken, I'll give you this chance."
The White Scale Great Snake gave Ryun a cold glance before returning to its coiled position at the head of the cave.
"I've done all I can to help you, and that's more than enough. What happens next depends entirely on you. If you fail, as punishment for wasting my time, I'll swallow you before Mother gets the chance!"
The Black Dragon stared coldly and sternly at Ryun, not joking in the slightest.
"I understand. Regardless, thank you for today... I'm ready. Do what you must!"
As he spoke, Ryun removed his upper garments, revealing his toned and muscular torso.
Despite his young age, he had already developed well-defined abs, a testament to his rigorous training.
The Black Dragon stepped forward, examining his body before nodding slightly. "Your physique isn't bad. You must train daily."
Ryun nodded lightly and extended his arm toward the Black Dragon.
The Black Dragon grasped his wrist, closed its eyes, and used senjutsu to sense Ryun's body.
"Your chakra reserves are sufficient. For a human, you possess a considerable amount."
The Black Dragon opened its eyes and praised him. Though Ryun's physical abilities hadn't yet peaked due to his age, it believed he had a good chance of enduring the natural energy.
"I'm beginning now. Good luck." The Black Dragon spoke its final words.
"Come." Ryun showed no fear.
With that, the Black Dragon's mouth stretched wide, its fangs sinking deep into Ryun's arm.
The sharp teeth pierced his muscles, and an incredibly potent surge of special chakra flooded into his body.
Ryun gritted his teeth, enduring the pain without a sound as he struggled to control the invasive chakra, preventing it from going berserk.
But his efforts only held for a brief moment. As more and more senjutsu chakra poured in, Ryun lost control over his body and his own chakra.
His body was now undergoing a brutal transformation under the influence of the senjutsu chakra, with even his cells being forcibly enhanced.
Gradually, as his body reached its limit, strange changes began to manifest.
First, two peculiar bumps emerged on his forehead. Then, his pupils transformed into snake-like slits, and glossy black scales sprouted across his skin.
Seeing the transformation begin, the Black Dragon finally released its grip.
Now, the real test had started.
The infusion of senjutsu chakra was meant to strengthen Ryun's body in preparation for the massive influx of natural energy. Whether he would rise or fall depended entirely on him.
As the dragon fangs withdrew, natural energy surged through the wound, flooding into Ryun's body.
"Ahhh!!!"
Ryun couldn't hold back his scream.
As he roared, two sharp, vampire-like fangs extended from his upper jaw.
The bumps on his forehead burst open, revealing two strange black dragon horns, while his fingernails and toenails grew longer and sharper.
His entire body was now covered in fine black scales, yet he retained a humanoid form—a stark contrast to Orochimaru's limbless serpent state.
Dragon horns, dragon fangs, dragon claws, dragon scales—some of Ryun's features bore a striking resemblance to the Black Dragon before him, leaving everyone present in shock.
"He actually succeeded in dragon transformation... and even retained his human form!"
The White Snake Sage couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
📖 Like the story? Read 120 chapters ahead!
🔗 patreon.com/atomelectron
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━