"Bang!" With a dull thud, Feng Ye suddenly opened his eyes to an endless expanse of darkness.
The first things to enter his vision were the winding, twisting passages, varying in width.
They intertwined like a complex maze, making it impossible to see the end at a glance.
The walls of the passages were damp, as if they had just endured a torrential downpour, with water droplets continuously seeping down from above, one after another, making crisp, monotonous dripping sounds.
This sound echoed through the eerily silent cave, adding to the sense of gloom and terror.
The walls were covered with thick moss and some unknown luminous fungi.
These fungi emitted a faint, eerie green light, flickering like will-o'-the-wisps.
Under the dim light, the moss appeared deep green, adorned with crystal-clear water droplets, like emerald gems.
A strong, damp, musty smell permeated the entire passage, combined with the unique fishy odor of snakes, assaulting the nose and making one nauseous.
"Did we arrive directly inside Ryūchi Cave?" Feng Ye muttered to himself.
Just then, a sinister laugh came from beside him: "Hehe, I've come here again."
It turned out Orochimaru had appeared beside him at some point. He gently licked the corner of his mouth with his tongue, a hint of elusive excitement in his eyes.
Feng Ye slightly raised his head and looked around; various kinds of snakes were everywhere.
Large and small, thick and thin, colorful snake groups were either coiled on rocks or entwined around stone pillars.
They occasionally flicked their long tongues, emitting spine-chilling hissing sounds.
Their cold, merciless gazes, like sharp swords, shot directly at Feng Ye and Orochimaru, these uninvited guests, as if scrutinizing whether they were qualified to step into this territory belonging to the snake clan.
"Roar." A huge roar came from Manda's mouth, and the other snakes instantly trembled in fear.
"How can I learn Sage Mode?" Feng Ye stared at the enormous and mysterious Manda before him, puzzled.
Manda narrowed its eyes slightly, seemingly recalling something. After a moment of thought, it slowly said, "First, you must pass the numerous trials set by the White Snake Sage."
After speaking, Manda shook its body thoughtfully, "I'll take you directly to see the White Snake Sage."
After all, here, Manda was the undisputed boss. With its powerful strength and status, it naturally had the right to meet the legendary White Snake Sage.
Hearing this, Feng Ye nodded without hesitation and said firmly, "Then please trouble you to take us to try!"
However, at this moment, Orochimaru, who had been standing silently by the side, suddenly spoke up and refused: "Lord Feng Ye, I will not accompany you. I see there are still many valuable materials here that need to be collected and organized, so I will take care of that here."
As he spoke, Orochimaru looked around at the mountains of rare materials and gestured to Feng Ye that he would stay there to complete the task.
Despite this, Orochimaru did not forget to remind Feng Ye: "However, Lord Feng Ye, please be very careful of that White Snake Sage; it has lived for an unknown amount of time."
As Feng Ye stood steadily on Manda's broad and firm head, they continued to advance deeper into Ryūchi Cave.
The deeper they went, the blurrier Feng Ye's vision became. Thick mist permeated the surroundings, as if the entire world was shrouded in a mysterious veil.
These mists curled upwards, encircling Feng Ye and Manda, exuding a mysterious aura that inspired awe.
As they delved deeper, the snakes Feng Ye encountered gradually became larger.
Some snakes had bodies as thick as giant pythons, and there were even a few whose size was comparable to the majestic Manda beneath them.
However, due to Manda's esteemed prestige in this domain, no snake dared to overestimate itself and block their path forward.
Just then, a clear and melodious female voice suddenly cut through the silent air: "Manda?"
There was an unmistakable hint of surprise in her words.
Hearing this voice, Manda instantly stopped its advance, its sharp eyes fixed on the thick mist ahead.
Within that dense mist, a figure gradually emerged.
A beautiful and elegant woman slowly walked out.
Her soft, lustrous long hair cascaded like a waterfall over her shoulders, gently brushing against her snow-white skin.
She wore an exquisite ancient-style dress, its flowing sleeves enhancing her graceful figure and elegant demeanor.
As soon as the woman appeared, her gaze immediately locked onto Feng Ye, who was on Manda's head.
"Who is this?" the woman asked softly, her words full of curiosity.
Facing the woman's inquiry, Manda hesitated slightly but quickly replied, "He is going to see the White Snake Sage; please let us pass."
Although Manda's tone sounded calm, it subtly revealed a hint of apprehension towards the woman before him.
"Oh? See the White Snake Sage? Then you must pass the trials as per the rules," the woman said with a smile.
"He is my master, I'll just take him in!" Manda was very displeased. Did it not even have this much authority?
"Manda, even you must abide by the rules!" The woman stood her ground.
"Alright, Manda, let me handle it." Feng Ye patted Manda, signaling it not to rush, then jumped down, facing the woman directly.
Is this person Tashin-hime?
"Please follow me, honored Ninja-sama," Tashin-hime said with a sweet smile. She gracefully led the way with light steps.
Feng Ye expressionlessly followed her, slowly moving forward. The surroundings became increasingly blurry, as if shrouded in a thick mist.
Just then, a magnificent castle suddenly appeared before Feng Ye's eyes like an illusion.
Seeing this, Feng Ye involuntarily stopped, his gaze fixed on the castle that had appeared out of thin air.
Tashin-hime noticed the anomaly behind her, turned around, and still smiling, asked, "What's wrong, honored Ninja-sama? Why have you stopped?"
Genjutsu? Feng Ye did not answer her question, merely gazing silently at everything before him. Showing off in front of an expert!
Suddenly, a crimson gleam flashed in his eyes, like burning flames.
At the same time, the Sharingan in his eyes began to spin rapidly, revealing a complex and eerie pattern.
Tashin-hime caught sight of the change in Feng Ye's eyes, and her face instantly changed, losing all color.
However, it was already too late. In an instant, she felt the world spin, as if everything had turned upside down.
A powerful force swept over her, making it impossible to resist. Finally, her body lost balance and she collapsed softly to the ground.
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