The vortex was not a physical object, yet it emitted a chilling suction force. Its depths were dark and cold, as if even light could not escape it.
This was the structure he built by imitating the "Hollow hole" described in the Scroll. It was not a physical existence but a pure energy construct aimed specifically at stripping and absorbing souls.
With the "Hollow hole" completed, a sharp light flashed in Orochimaru's eyes. He rapidly formed seals again and spoke in a low voice, "Secret Technique. Soul Devour."
In an instant, an invisible suction force targeting the soul erupted. Through the previously established mental link, this force turned into countless barbed chains that plunged into the Ninja's body and hooked onto his soul.
This time, it was a modified version derived from the Reaper Death Seal. The difference lay in its purpose, which was not sealing but tearing away.
"Ahhh!"
A scream beyond human limits ripped through the dead silence of the laboratory. The Ninja's eyes bulged, bloodshot and nearly bursting, as his body convulsed uncontrollably on the restraint platform despite the powerful drugs.
The pain did not come from the flesh but from the soul being forcibly torn apart. It was an extreme torment that no physical sensation could match.
Soon, under the pulling force of the "false Hollow hole," an almost invisible Hollow-like spectral form was gradually stripped away. The human features on the spirit showed struggle and resistance, yet it was firmly locked and dragged toward the vortex before Orochimaru.
"…"
With his modified snake body, Orochimaru should almost never sweat anymore, yet moisture still seeped from his forehead. The state the two of them were in could be described simply as a tug of war, with both sides pulling on the same rope. This kind of struggle at the soul level strained even him, though it was still within what he could endure.
"Get in here!"
Orochimaru's pupils tightened as he staked everything and forced more power out. The spirit body of the Ninja finally collapsed, its mouth opening in a silent scream as it turned into a stream of mental energy and poured into the void hole. At the same time, Orochimaru's body shook hard.
A torrent of negative emotion slammed into his mental defenses, and countless broken memories and deep hatred toward the caster stabbed in like poisoned needles. "Hn!" Orochimaru let out a muffled grunt, his face going pale as veins stood out and his eyes shut tight. As a proper researcher, he had already considered every possibility before the experiment began.
Buzz!
Strange purple markings appeared at the corners of Orochimaru's eyes, and the Senjutsu Chakra within his body became the finest filter in the final step. After the spirit body was completely shredded, it was filtered and refined, like washing mud out of water. As large amounts of impurities were crushed, removed, and purified, the violent and chaotic spirit lost its mixed colors and turned into pure mental energy that flowed into Orochimaru's own soul.
Boom!
A vast, warm surge filled Orochimaru's brain in an instant, and he snapped his eyes open as if a pale white glow flickered within them. "It worked?!" He stared down at his palm in disbelief, then broke into wild laughter and shouted, "Hahahaha! It really worked! I did it!" With this technique, he felt that he lacked nothing anymore.
He could feel his slightly tired soul become full and solid, like dry land meeting rain, and the extraction of Chakra grew smoother and stronger. His perception of the world sharpened, as if everything before him had become clearer. No matter how sharp his senses were, however, he could not detect the hidden gaze watching him at that moment.
[ Ding, your lie has been judged as Please Enter the Trap, Making the Fake Real, and Substitution. Orochimaru has produced intense emotional fluctuation and reached the level of Eager Pursuit, gaining 3000 Reality Points… ]
"Interesting."
Through the Recording Technique of the Scroll, Ryuji Hyuga had already grasped what Orochimaru had done, and a smile rose on his face. It really was worthy of "Lord Orochimaru". The understanding of soul essence from Living Corpse Reincarnation, the insight from Impure World Reincarnation that souls could be manipulated by external force, and the guidance of the Scroll had turned "Summoning Binding" into active devouring.
Added to this were his own mastery of Yin Release and Chakra properties and form changes, plus deep knowledge of biology and soul studies that supported the theory of soul energy and conversion. Without question, all of this rested on Orochimaru's decades of relentless learning, his deep grasp of many Forbidden Technique, and his profound attainments in the soul field. And that Scroll from Ryuji Hyuga had shifted Orochimaru's research from surviving by changing bodies to growing stronger by devouring souls.
It was like the final puzzle piece, linking together scattered and even conflicting knowledge from his life's work into a new and complete framework. "Leaving this to Orochimaru really is the best choice," Ryuji Hyuga sighed again at how useful he was, and added inwardly, "Thanks to Lord Orochimaru for saving me a huge number of points." He had tried to manifest a soul devouring technique before, but like the several Forbidden Technique used by Orochimaru, having such a technique was the same as owning several forbidden arts.
Living Corpse Reincarnation, Impure World Reincarnation, the Reaper Death Seal, Sage Mode, and more were all involved. The system price was so high that it made Ryuji Hyuga click his tongue. Most importantly, it required extremely deep mastery of Yin Release and Chakra properties and form changes, which he could not quickly achieve.
Recording Orochimaru's technique framework and then using points to manifest and implant it into a 'Hollow' was far easier. When Ryuji Hyuga previously modified Karin's mother into a 'Hollow', he skipped every step and relied entirely on the system. Even so, one person cost him two thousand points, and repeating that price each time would drain him no matter how many points he had.
As for now, Ryuji Hyuga silently commanded, "Manifest, based on the evolutionary direction of 'Hollow', implant Orochimaru's soul devouring ability, and modify the target spirit body…"
[ Spend 200 points, confirm manifestation? ]
Hearing that number, Ryuji Hyuga could not help but laugh again. As expected, the form of 'Hollow' was not what mattered most, but its ability to evolve by devouring souls. That part had already been solved by Orochimaru, and copying it did not cost many points.
"So I really should thank Lord Orochimaru again," Ryuji Hyuga nodded to himself. "Next time, I will try not to deceive him too badly." Of course, that was only if he still remembered this "promise" by then.
Ryuji Hyuga watched the recorded images sent back by the Scroll, his smile slowly turning thoughtful. At first, he had only wanted to create 'Hollow', but seeing Orochimaru devour a soul with a living body sparked a bolder idea. "Since 'Hollow' already exists, can a 'Shinigami' exist, and can a Zanpakuto be feasible?"
Both a 'Shinigami' and a 'Hollow' were spirit beings in essence. The difference was that the former's soul strength was mostly decided by talent and rarely changed much later, while the latter grew stronger through devouring. Their power also manifested differently.
A 'Shinigami' poured the soul into a blade to awaken a unique ability, releasing it through an initial release and a final release, the so called Zanpakuto. The shape, state, and power of a Zanpakuto were built from the Shinigami's own soul, and strength was gained by communicating with it and learning its true name. A 'Hollow', on the other hand, already possessed special abilities and took human form by injecting power into a blade, reverting to its original form once the blade's power was released.
"This lie seems to still have room to rise."
Ryuji Hyuga's gaze flickered as he thought, "As long as I adjust the definition of 'Shinigami', changing it to injecting oneself and devoured spirits into a blade to awaken abilities…" Hm? At that thought, a strong sense of familiarity made Ryuji Hyuga pause. It felt like he had done this before.
"That's right," Ryuji Hyuga narrowed his eyes. "Those Ninja Tool in the Underground Palace were exactly like this." In the future, the large scale appearance of 'Hollow' would surely bring fear to the people of the Ninja World. But fear and death alone were far from enough.
What happened at the Underground Palace had already proven that to spread a lie across the entire Ninja World, there had to be enough "benefit" to draw in those who did not care. What Ryuji Hyuga wanted was turmoil and more points, not the direct destruction of humanity. If humanity were wiped out, who would his lies be told to?
He wanted to see the view from the highest point, not to be some anti human madman. The system was not a kill to grow system either, and killing everyone would not give him anything. Sustainable growth brought the greatest returns, and draining everything dry was unwise, so there was no reason to suddenly wipe out Zetsu.
Even if he were to destroy the Ninja World, he would squeeze out all its value first and make sure there was profit to be had. "In that case, the descent of 'Hollow' cannot be the end of this lie. A fragile but stable balance must be built, and the Zanpakuto concept is workable." With that, Ryuji Hyuga reached a final decision.