A leader who is unwilling to let their trusted subordinates die for them is not a qualified leader...
Even so, with absolute power, White Snake Sage could still make her subordinates obey, at least on the surface the three Snake Princesses didn't choose to resist.
Orochimaru approached them with a smile, "Tatsuji Snake Princess, given our past relationship, consider this friendly advice... don't show any weakness or hesitation. Struggle with all your might before death, or else..."
Before he could finish, Tatsuji Snake Princess looked up, her fangs bared, revealing a fierce snake face, as if she were about to gnash her teeth and drink blood.
But at almost the same moment, the chilling atmosphere of Ryuchi Cave turned to ice, solidifying the air into an infinite gravity that pressed down on all living beings.
Manda fell silent, and the entire Ryuchi Cave grew cold. Only White Snake Sage's chilling voice echoed in their ears, "Do you want me to swallow you now?"
Tatsuji Snake Princess froze in place, not daring to breathe. Fear flickered in her eyes, the kind that comes from brushing shoulders with death.
"Heh..." At this moment, Orochimaru let out a light chuckle, breaking the tense atmosphere. "Honored Sage, please don't be angry. The fact that Tatsuji Snake Princess has the courage to fight back is actually a minor benefit to the procedure..."
Although he said that, he had already marked Tatsuji Snake Princess for certain death in his heart.
"Once you lose momentum, you lose it all..." Courage can indeed increase the probability a little, but now that Tatsuji Snake Princess's spirit is broken, how much can she possibly recover? It's just a cornered animal's last desperate struggle.
Facing a problem far beyond her control, one either stays far away or charges forward with blind courage... a moment's hesitation will reduce one's chances of success.
However, having lived in Ryuchi Cave for so long, Tatsuji Snake Princess clearly hadn't learned this lesson.
How nice... those leisurely past times.
Orochimaru smiled, took out the necessary experimental equipment from his scroll, and looked at White Snake Sage, saying, "The supply of natural energy will trouble the Honored Sage. There's no second dragon vein here to devour."
White Snake Sage nodded slightly. "It's a small matter, just do what you need to do."
"Also, this is just my suggestion, but during the procedure, it would be best for you to be mentally connected with the Snake Princess directly..."
Orochimaru grinned and said with a smile, "This way, perhaps you can get used to the invasion of the Divine Tree in advance."
At least, that's what my main body said, he'd stressed that point repeatedly before.
White Snake Sage, however, frowned upon hearing this, looking somewhat unwilling.
She clearly understood how terrifying the characteristics of the Divine Tree were. A thousand years ago, she swallowed that root by digestion, not by fusion.
Those who attempted it in that manner were consumed by the roots instead, and among them were beings far more powerful than she.
With a hint of apprehension, White Snake Sage exhaled a few puffs of smoke and said slowly, "I will decide this matter myself. Just do your job."
"Very well."
Orochimaru didn't argue with White Snake Sage. After Tatsuji Snake Princess entered Sage Mode and he had set up the nutrient solution injector on her, he injected the Fusion liquid of First Hokage cells into her heart.
Her mind lost control, and Tatsuji Snake Princess went into a berserk state almost immediately.
The power of the Divine Tree began to devour the Snake Princess's mind in return, and from there, it started to spread wildly.
Tatsuji Snake Princess, who was originally human-shaped, began to swell violently, transforming into a giant ball of yarn in an instant. Branches and vines became her tentacles, flailing wildly in the air.
It failed.
Watching a Snake Princess's aura quickly disappear before their eyes, the remaining individuals looked grim, especially the other two Snake Princesses, who showed expressions of sorrow for a fellow creature.
Although they had expected the probability of initial success to be slim, the speed of failure far exceeded everyone's imagination.
But this wasn't surprising. Orochimaru himself had gone through dozens of procedures and even received some help from the Genie Lamp before he succeeded with relative ease. Otherwise, the consequences could have been much worse, and he might have been seriously injured, if not killed.
"Hmph..."
A flash of anger crossed White Snake Sage's eyes. Without any apparent movement, tons of earth and rock rose from the ground, engulfing the misshapen, colliding remains, crushing them down bit by bit.
After dealing with the lingering threat of Tatsuji Snake Princess, White Snake Sage's gaze turned chillingly to Orochimaru, and the pressure felt as if the entire earth were pressing down on him. "Are you trying to fool me with this kind of thing?"
White Snake Sage didn't care about Tatsuji Snake Princess's death. What truly pained her was that the death was meaningless, which was simply unforgivable.
Orochimaru felt the mountain-like pressure on him and slowly pulled at the corners of his mouth, forcing a smile. "Fool you? I never had any such intention. I just didn't expect... Tatsuji Snake Princess to be so weak, both in will and in mental fortitude. She couldn't even withstand the first contact."
"...To ensure the success rate, perhaps you should have connected with her mentally from the very beginning."
"Heh... I'll give you one more chance," White Snake Sage sneered. "You'll be responsible for the mental connection as well. If it fails, this clone will remain here."
"The Great Sage is truly merciless."
Orochimaru feigned helplessness, pursed his lips, and smiled. "But, very well."
With that, he stepped towards Tagorihime, her face contorting in astonishment.
"You..." Tagorihime opened her mouth, her eyes wide with surprise. "It's not my turn yet... Ichikishi Snake Princess should be ahead."
"The order is based on strength..." Orochimaru glanced at Ichikishi Snake Princess, who remained silent, and licked his lips. "But your strength isn't the strongest."
Tagorihime and Tatsuji Snake Princess had been scheming and bickering, but neither of them truly benefited in the end. Ichikishi Snake Princess, who had remained inconspicuous, was placed last.
"You..." Tagorihime turned to look at Ichikishi Snake Princess, the girl-shaped figure standing behind her, her face etched with disbelief.
If not for Orochimaru's reminder and White Snake Sage's tacit approval, she would never have known that her younger sister, who was decades her junior, had long surpassed her.
"There's no time for you to hesitate."
Orochimaru stepped forward, smiling. "Given our past relationship, I'll help you with all my might. But if you can't keep up and your will is as weak as Tatsuji Snake Princess's, you'll just turn into a pile of sawdust."
Hearing this, Tagorihime couldn't help but shudder. A chilling sensation, unlike anything she had ever felt before, washed over her body and mind. It felt as though a shadow of death were sweeping towards her.
But no matter what she thought, disaster had struck, and if she couldn't escape, she had to face it head-on.
Tagorihime looked at Orochimaru, pleading earnestly, "Help me."
"That's what I'm here for." Orochimaru offered no further specific response and immediately entered Sage Mode, saying with a smile, "Don't resist."
A White Snake's tail emerged from his abdomen and pierced into Tagorihime's chest, who had also entered Sage Mode.
After repeating the same operation he had performed on Tatsuji Snake Princess, he said, "I'm going to begin."
The Fusion liquid of First Hokage cells was slowly injected into Tagorihime's heart with the push of the piston. As this powerful pump began to work, the Fusion liquid was pushed into her limbs.
Almost simultaneously, both Tagorihime and Orochimaru lost control of their minds.
Essentially, the clone hadn't undergone the transformation, so its mental strength hadn't improved qualitatively. Most importantly, its Chakra reserves were only equivalent to that of an ordinary Kage-level ninja, and it couldn't forcefully suppress the changes with Sage Chakra.
However, he wasn't the main subject of this transformation and didn't need to resist the Divine Tree's characteristics himself.
"Now, leave the rest to me." Genie Lamp chuckled and instantly took complete control of Orochimaru's body. The spread of the First Hokage cells immediately slowed down.
Not only that, but Sage Chakra was constantly being produced, helping to suppress the changes within Tagorihime's body. Tagorihime, who was on the verge of a mental breakdown, finally got a chance to breathe.
"Steady your mind and use Sage Chakra to suppress its expansion speed."
Orochimaru's words entered Tagorihime's mind. She had no time to express her gratitude. Under the ever-approaching shadow of death, she began to struggle with all her might.
With their combined efforts, the invasiveness of the First Hokage cells gradually decreased.
"Is there actually a chance?"
White Snake Sage saw through the situation within both of them at a glance. No longer able to maintain her aloof demeanor, a massive White Snake head emerged in front of them, scrutinizing their bodies from the inside, her upright snake eyes seemingly taking in everything.
And as White Snake Sage observed, although the progress was very slow, the characteristics of the Divine Tree within Tagorihime were indeed being suppressed bit by bit.
"How is it? I haven't deceived you, have I?"
Orochimaru tilted his head, grinned, and said, "I suggest again, to ensure future success, you might want to try connecting with her mentally."
"No need."
White Snake Sage opened her snake mouth, and a thunderous voice echoed in Orochimaru's ears. "I have a better way."
The next moment, both Orochimaru and Tagorihime were swallowed into her maw.
"!!!"
This turn of events exceeded everyone's expectations. By the time Orochimaru realized what was happening, he was already inside the dark, viscous body of the giant snake.
The dark environment had no effect on Orochimaru. What truly hindered him was the extremely dense natural energy surrounding him. With a slight application of 'Total Concentration Breathing,' he felt as if he were about to fully transform into a snake.
"Don't panic."
White Snake Sage's voice echoed in Orochimaru's mind. "I mean you no harm. I've just changed the location. You can continue to help Tagorihime complete her transformation..."
"Heh... Perhaps you mean no harm to me."
Orochimaru watched as Tagorihime's legs slowly sank into the snake's body and couldn't help but smile. "But perhaps that's not the case for her, is it? Am I helping her or you?"
He could naturally see what was happening because almost the same thing had happened to him yesterday. The only difference was that his main body had held back, whereas White Snake Sage intended not only to devour Tagorihime's spirit but her entire body as well.
The fusion that was happening within Tagorihime's body and mind would also spread to White Snake Sage.
"Are you perhaps sympathizing with her?"
White Snake Sage's tone carried a hint of surprise. "Her bones and blood were all born and nurtured by me. I also protected her for hundreds of years of carefree living. This is simply her repaying all the kindness she received."
"You humans plow in spring and harvest in autumn... aren't you doing the same thing? If you accuse me of being cold-blooded, you are simply being hypocritical and double-standard."
"I possess more emotions than ordinary snakes."
"..."
Orochimaru couldn't refute that statement, as he hadn't been moved by Tagorihime's plight. Instead, he was more curious as to why White Snake Sage had acted so suddenly.
Logically, with this experience, the success rate going forward should only increase. There was no need to rush for immediate results, thus sacrificing Tagorihime's life.
"The reason is actually quite simple..."
Orochimaru was too close to the situation, but Genie Lamp, as a third party, saw it clearly and chuckled,
"Perhaps the pressure from your main body, which has already completed its transformation, is too great. White Snake Sage has no trust in you whatsoever, and trying to gain her trust step by step won't work."
"This creature seems to be using Tagorihime's success as bait... and is now about to swallow it without hesitation before you can reel it in."
"What petty scheming... I originally intended to activate it at the final step."
A flicker of mockery crossed Orochimaru's eyes. "A pointless action that only exposes me to danger prematurely."
"Ah, and perhaps White Snake Sage simply couldn't stand the thought of completing her transformation after her subordinate."
Genie Lamp tilted its head and smiled. "This is also very likely. Judging by the behavior of the Snake Princesses today, even the female snakes like to scheme and are petty..."
"Perhaps."
Orochimaru lowered his head slightly, gazing at the scene below.
Regardless of the reason, it didn't change the fact that Tagorihime had sunk into White Snake Sage's body and was completely devoured.
The reason she offered no resistance was likely due to something else, in addition to the absolute difference in power.
If he had the inclination later, he could spend time figuring out these hidden matters, but it wasn't something he should be contemplating right now.
Orochimaru closed his eyes. His connection had now shifted to White Snake Sage, and in his perception, the First Hokage cells were beginning to spread.
The concentration of natural energy within White Snake Sage's body was, naturally, far beyond what Tagorihime or even Orochimaru could match. Even though the division speed of the First Hokage cells had increased severalfold instantly, it was still firmly controlled by White Snake Sage.
It could be imagined that as time passed, White Snake Sage would complete the transplant of the First Hokage cells as a matter of course.
"This won't do."
Orochimaru foresaw this change and couldn't help but sigh,
"Even if the transplant is completed, I won't be able to directly touch the threshold of Six Paths level. Who knows how many years of accumulation will be needed."
"Too pathetic. Let me help you."
After a faint sigh, Orochimaru's upper body sank into White Snake Sage's body. The hidden minefield, planted by his main body and held in reserve, suddenly detonated.
"White Snake Sage, if you face a life-or-death crisis, you can use shedding your skin to temporarily escape. This is my final piece of advice."
"Please remember this."
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