Chapter 19: Orochimaru is forced to seek immortality, Ryuchi Cave Trial (Ch 19)

The Bear Country is located in the western part of the continental plate. Starting from Konoha, even the best caravan would take nearly a month to arrive.
According to Jiraiya’s estimation, it would take them about a week to arrive, which could be considered a long mission.
Therefore, that night Jiraiya set out with nine people. He was the captain and Hatosuke was the deputy captain. If Jiraiya was not there, he would be responsible for commanding the team.
No one had any objection to this. Although Hatosuke was not the strongest one in the past four years, he was second only to Nagato. The flexibility of his mind had fully proved this point in his daily life.
Two days later, Haruki used the Flying Thunder God Technique to come to Sanlin Castle and meet Orochimaru.
Because Qingguang had not signed a contract with Ryuchi Cave, he could only take Qingguang there on foot.
Fortunately, Ryuchi Cave is located within the borders of the Land of Fields, and the two arrived safely in just one day.
In a remote canyon.
There was an eerie fog everywhere, visibility was only a few meters, and the dark green forest stood tall, making it difficult to move.
“I didn’t expect that the famous Longdi Cave would be in such a remote small country.”
Qingguang, who has already learned the Wet Bone Forest Immortal Art, can sense that this thick fog itself is an extremely magical natural energy, rich in water and earth chakra, as well as Yin escape energy.
Observing from the perspective of the Sharingan, all I see before my eyes is the long-awaited light purple.
Orochimaru said with emotion: “In order to find this place, I spent a lot of effort.”
“The Dragon Earth Cave is quite special. It is located between reality and illusion. To enter for the first time, one must pass the test of the three snake princesses under the command of the White Snake Immortal.”
“If we go around a few more times, they should show up.” Orochimaru turned around and was about to tell Harukitsu about the three trials in detail.
But when he turned around, Qingguang was no longer visible.
“Sunny light…”
Gone?
how so?
In order to prevent ordinary people from accidentally entering Longdi Cave, anyone who sets foot in the fog will keep circling in the same place. Only after more than ten circles will they be spotted by the three snake princesses.
They had just set foot and had not yet completed the first circle, so how could the clear light suddenly disappear?
The next moment, Orochimaru saw the temple that seemed to be embedded in the gray-brown rock wall.
【Ryuchi Cave】
The terrifying white and strangely shaped skeletons outline the name of the temple on the stone plaque above the temple.
“Come in.”
The old woman’s voice came from the temple, hollow and long, with a kind of captivating wave that made Orochimaru seem to forget everything in a trance and want to take a step forward.
But suddenly, a glimmer of shrewdness flashed across his brown snake eyes, and the spell that had been set up in advance was triggered, interrupting him from the illusion state.
Cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
“Respected White Snake Immortal, I still need to wait for my companion to come with me. This trip is to take him to sign a contract with Longdi Cave.”
Orochimaru bowed and saluted in the manner of the Warring States Period.
Normally, you only have the opportunity to visit Longdi Cave twice in your lifetime.
If you pass the assessment for the first time, you can sign the contract scroll of Longdi Cave, and you can also further learn the magic of Longdi Cave.
The second time, I can only come to learn immortal arts.
If you want to come here again in the future, you will only be allowed to visit Longchi Cave if you can successfully learn the fairy art and survive.
All this is attributed to the restraint of the White Snake Immortal.
Judging from the nature of the snakes living in Ryuchi Cave, if they are allowed to communicate with the outside world, they will devour humans and animals indiscriminately in the ninja world.
At that time, the entire ninja world will surely be besieged, including the self-proclaimed righteous people of Myobokusan.
It might also lead to the birth of a being more powerful than the White Snake Immortal in Longdi Cave, which was something she would never allow.
This is how it works: let the snakes in the Longdi Cave kill and cannibalize each other, and use this method of breeding to select the strong ones, which will eventually be eaten by the White Snake Immortal and the three snake princesses.
This is the way of survival in Longdi Cave.
Even the opening to the outside world and the occasional selection of powerful contractors were only because the White Snake Sage couldn’t stand the big Toad Sage of Myōboku Mountain, so he made these rules on a whim.
“You don’t learn immortal arts, but you come here a second time.”
“How dare you ignore the rules I set.”
“You should know the consequences.”
In an instant, Orochimaru was unable to move, as if he was fixed in place by an invisible stone spike.
“I was planning to stop before completing the first lap. Please forgive me, Immortal White Snake, for my unintentional offense.”
Cold sweat dripped down his face and Orochimaru felt his heart beating wildly.
Without Qingguang, he was not completely sure of success. After failing in his attempt to learn immortal arts, he escaped from under the nose of the White Snake Immortal.
Sweat beads spread out on the ground, and Orochimaru felt that all the restraints on his body suddenly disappeared.
After a moment of silence, Orochimaru felt an invisible hand pushing on his back, pushing him forward.
“Going in circles and entering the Ryuchi Cave is for people who have not made a contract, and you are not one of them.”
“Don’t try to play your ridiculous word games with me.”
“Either learn the magic or die. Make your choice.”
There was a hint of mockery in his sneer, and the White Snake Immortal didn’t care about the so-called rules at all.
There are no rules, so we can just add one temporarily and be done with it?
Anyway, she has the final say in Longdidong.
“What the White Snake Immortal said is true. I will dare to give it a try then.” Orochimaru took heavy steps forward, trying to slow down his movements as much as possible.
With Qingguang’s strength, it shouldn’t take long for him to pass these three trials. He just needs to delay the time as much as possible.
No matter how difficult or painful the process of learning the magic arts is, you must persevere!
However, the White Snake Immortal seemed to have seen through all his thoughts and did not give him any time to react.
The door of the temple was suddenly opened by a violent burst of chakra.
A pure white snake with dense scales all over its body and yellow-green eyes flew out of the temple and bit Orochimaru’s jugular vein.
Inject fairy chakra into it.
Plop! Plop!
Orochimaru was stunned for a moment, his pupils dilated, and the feeling of numbness seemed to submerge him like a wave. His whole body was unable to move, and he fell straight to the ground.
The venom mixed with fairy chakra invaded his body through the two tiny blood holes on his neck.
The orange-red curse spread at an extremely fast speed, covering his entire body.
“Ah…Ah!!!”
The little white snake flew back into the temple and merged into the hands of a short, frail old woman.
This short, ugly old woman with disheveled hair is the White Snake Immortal in human form.
His pale yellow eyes, with slightly narrowed vertical pupils, looked at Orochimaru, who had lost his mind, wailing unconsciously, and struggling, without the slightest emotion.
“You are really tired of trying to be clever with me.”
“If you can survive, I won’t bother with you.”
The extra poison injected was her punishment for Orochimaru.
…
In the mist, Haruki followed behind Orochimaru.
“There are three trials in Ryuchi Cave, but since I am already a contractor of Ryuchi Cave, I can skip these procedures. You just need to follow me.” Orochimaru said lightly.
Haruki stopped and saw Orochimaru turned around, staring at him with his three-magatama Sharingan: “It seems that your status in Ryuchi Cave is not low, and you even have this kind of power.”
Orochimaru smiled confidently: “Of course.”
“Under the command of the White Snake Immortal, there are three powerful Snake Fairies. I wonder which one you are?” When he said this, the pale white wrinkles around Qingguang’s eyes had already appeared.
The natural energy here was all created by the White Snake Immortal. He could activate the Wet Bone Forest Immortal mode in a moment, but he had to walk around here for a full circle before it was fully activated.
At this moment, the appearance of Orochimaru in his eyes immediately changed.
In the thick fog, the woman standing in front of Harumitsu was wearing a white ritual robe from the Warring States Period. The long sleeves had a light green matcha color on the edges, and a shawl was wrapped around her waist, floating in a circle behind her, swaying slightly.
Her long dark green hair was neatly combed and tied behind her head, with golden hair accessories and heavy makeup.
It makes people feel seductive and aggressive, but also gives people a sense of dignity with a strong contrast.
Tian Xinshen Ji stared at the pale white lines in Qingguang’s eye sockets, and a sense of crisis immediately emerged from the other person, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.
Suddenly, it flew backwards, suspended for more than ten meters, maintaining a certain safe distance.
“You are the immortal of the Wet Bone Forest!”
Qingguang smiled indifferently and nodded in agreement.
“Hiding in the dark and spying, is this the way Ryuchidong treats guests?”
This sentence is naturally not directed at the goddess Tian Xin in front of him.
“Wow, you’re really an interesting human. You found us even though we hid so well.”
A petite little loli with light blue hair suddenly appeared behind Qingguang, and then appeared in front of Qingguang, floating cross-legged in the air, with her slender and tender little hands on her legs.
It slowly spins in the air with a curious look on its face, its lively and cute eyes staring at the sunny light.
“What a handsome human~”
“Sister Ruijinji, come and have a look~”
Princess Ichikishima waved and shook her hand.
The leader of the three snake princesses also appeared beside Qingguang.
Her demeanor was peaceful, as if she was a priestess performing a ceremony for the gods.
“The White Snake Immortal didn’t ask us to go on a blind date with him. Now that we’ve been exposed, let’s go through all three trials together!”
Her face suddenly became hideous, with cracks appearing on it. Her originally fair and tender skin began to show snake-scale-like lines. She stretched out her neck and bit Qingguang’s neck!
Qingguang stood still, feeling a phantom pain in his neck.
The three magatama in his eye sockets turned into sun patterns in an instant: “Although I am not good at illusions, I am good at breaking them?”
The three major spiritual holy places restrain each other, snakes swallow frogs, frogs eat slugs, and slugs restrain snakes.
However, under the blessing of the Wet Bone Forest Fairy Technique, Qingguang’s three magatama were unable to break Ruijinji’s illusion.
This can only be done by opening the Eternal Eye. It seems that Princess Ruijin’s illusion is really something.
The strength of its illusion is probably even greater than that of the conventional Mangekyō Sharingan.
“Mangekyo Sharingan!”
“What beautiful eyes, like the sun.”
“Uchiha?”
The three snake princesses said at the same time.
Princess Ruijin also immediately stepped back and stood with Princess Tianxinshe. For a moment, she couldn’t think of how to deal with the Uchiha in front of her.
But if they do nothing and just let him go, the White Snake Immortal will never let them go and will severely punish the three of them.
At this time, Tian Xin Snake Princess raised her little head proudly, touched the ground with her toes, and landed in front of Qingguang.
The little hand dishonestly lifted Qingguang’s sleeves, and pulled Qingguang’s body from front to back, poking and prodding.
“Is this the Uchiha’s body?”
“But isn’t the Uchiha famous for the Sharingan, and isn’t Yin attribute chakra powerful?”
“Why does your body have such a huge amount of yang chakra?” Tian Xin Snake Princess wrapped her arms around Qingguang’s neck, her light blue eyes full of curiosity, and she looked innocent.
“Because not only do I have the Sharingan, I also master Wood Release and the Wet Bone Forest Senjutsu, and I’m also the Nine-Tails’ Jinchūriki.” Qingguang didn’t hate the little guy in front of him.
Through the perception of maliciousness, he knew clearly that she had no malicious intent, unlike the other two.
“Soga~” Tian Xin Snake Princess nodded like a chick pecking at rice, a sweet smile appeared on her cute face, her eyes narrowed into crescent shapes, and the corners of her mouth slightly raised.
“What an honest human, just like me. I quite like you.”
“Same as me.”
“But can you remove the Sage Mode of Wet Bone Forest first?”
“This makes me feel uncomfortable.”
“Can.”
Seeing that Harumitsu had really canceled his Sage Mode, Ichikishima-hime smacked Harumitsu’s cheek with her pink lips.
Then she opened her arms and landed between Ichikishima-hime and Mizutsu-hime.
“My name is Ichikishima-hime, and these two are Tanashima-hime and Mizujin-hime. We will each be assigned to one of the three trials set by the White Snake Immortal.”
“Corresponding to greed and desire, rationality and wisdom, persistence and character.”
“But it seems that both of their illusions are ineffective on you, so you can only rely on me.” Ichikishimahime put her hands on her hips and raised her head with a bit of tsundereness.
With a wave of her little hand, the surrounding thick fog changed again, submerging the bright sunlight, and then immediately transformed into a closed cave.
A stone door appeared in front of Qingguang’s eyes, with various strange-shaped small stone pits on it, and colorful and equally strange-shaped stones scattered around it.
“Human, what is your name?”
“Uchiha Harumi.”
“Qingguang, the rules of this trial are very simple. Just use the stones on the ground to fill up the holes above.”
“While it’s not full, I will use the thick mist to continuously absorb your chakra.”
“If you don’t hold on until then, I’ll eat you~”
Just after she finished speaking, Ichikishima-hime seemed to have thought of something, and a regretful expression appeared on her face: “No, with your strength, I’m afraid we can’t stop you if you want to escape. Then you can only obediently bear the punishment of the White Snake Immortal.”
Those who fail the trial in Longdi Cave will have only death as their fate. If they leave alive, the White Snake Immortal will severely punish them.
“I’m really sorry.” Qingguang pretended to be helpless.
Haruki could feel that his chakra was constantly being drawn out by the thick fog around him. Perhaps this was also the reason why Princess Ichikishima asked her to cancel the Sage Mode just now.
Not tasty, don’t like it.
But this level of chakra loss is too great with Harumitsu’s current chakra level and the Nine-Tails in his body.
Even if he was drained for three days and three nights, the remaining chakra would still be enough for him to leave here.
But maybe I will have to sell Orochimaru.
“Since the trials of the two of us are ineffective on you, the difficulty of this level should be increased accordingly.” Ruijin Ji suddenly said.
If she and Tian Xinshenji do nothing, they will not be able to escape the punishment. Since their trial is ineffective, all the efforts will be put on Ichikishimajimaji’s trial.
The three snake princesses worked together, and the fog became so thick that one could not see one’s hand in front of one’s face. Qingguang could not even see the stones at his feet and could only feel their shape with his hands.
The three of them worked together to create a fog that could not be penetrated even with the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, until Harumi used Amaterasu to bless herself and her entire body was ablaze with brilliant flames, and only then was she able to see through this illusion.
He looked at the stones at his feet, then at the holes in the wall, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly: “Just use these stones to fill the holes.”
“Right?”
“Yes.” Ichikishimahime said affirmatively.