Orochimaru is a man who believes in science and technology. His own existence is far too special. In case Orochimaru can't resist one day and takes over his body, it'll be all over!
When staying around him, Seisuke has always been on his guard.
The moment the situation seems a bit off, he'll run away immediately.
The Orochimaru in front of him is undoubtedly a fake. Seisuke coughed and said, "Sister Nagatsu Hime, if you want to pretend to be Lord Orochimaru, you'd better be colder and more perverted. You're not perverted enough. Also, is this really a test of the mind?"
Nagatsu Hime: "..."
Damn it, am I actually being questioned about my professionalism by a kid?
She opened her mouth, spat out a sharp sword, held it in her hand, and said, "Asakawa Seisuke, let me take a look at the structure of your body!"
"Obviously a fake. Lord Orochimaru uses a scalpel for dissection. How could he use a big sword?" Seisuke pouted. As for illusions, as long as one knows it's fake, it's hard to be confused, but the body just can't wake up.
Since Nagatsu Hime set up this test, there's no need to worry about endangering his life.
"This kid..."
A vein popped up on Nagatsu Hime's forehead. The Orochimaru she transformed into raised the sword and suddenly struck down, stopping right in front of Seisuke. She asked, "Aren't you going to dodge?"
"There's no need to dodge. It's all fake."
Seeing his confident smile, Nagatsu Hime smiled slightly, and the tip of the sword pierced through his face.
Seisuke was stunned. "You're for real!"
"Of course. You've got some guts. Illusions work best when used unnoticed. You've known it was an illusion from the start. It's no fun at all. You've passed."
Illusions can achieve the best results when the opponent doesn't know they're being used. Not everyone can use offensive illusions like Tsukuyomi.
Once one realizes it's an illusion, the threat level of the illusion decreases. The remaining problem is how to dispel it.
Once a person forms an ingrained mindset, it's hard to change. It's the subconscious at work. That's why Itachi's Kotoamatsukami is known as the strongest illusion. It directly acts on a person's subconscious, subtly changing it. It can turn a good person into a bad one. In an extreme case, even Otsutsuki Kaguya could be locked in a basement and taught to write characters.
When Seisuke considers everything he sees as an illusion, then the threat level will be greatly reduced.
The three beautiful snake sages possess extremely powerful illusions. If they want to, they can make anyone die in them. However, the White Snake Sage has given an order that they can only devour humans who fail their tests. This means they can't take the initiative to kill those who come, and the threat level drops to the minimum. As long as one remains vigilant all the time, it's quite easy to pass the test.
As Nagatsu Hime announced that Seisuke had passed the test, the surrounding scene changed again. A temple appeared in front of them. This was the real Ryūchi Cave, the place where the White Snake Sage lived.
Nagatsu Hime returned to her previous miko appearance and said regretfully, "If you had surrendered or begged for mercy just now, I would have eaten you. I didn't expect you're not afraid at all. You've been with that madman Orochimaru. Are you also a little madman?"
"No, I'm a normal person!" Seisuke thought he should clear his name!
"Those who come to Ryūchi Cave are all madmen who want to obtain power. Come with me. You've passed the test, and the White Snake Sage is waiting for you there. You've already earned this qualification."
Nagatsu Hime led the way in front, and Seisuke followed closely behind.
It was exactly the same as the gateway constructed by Tamayorihime, but much darker. The patterns on the door were the same. Nagatsu Hime pushed open the door and said, "Go in. The White Snake Sage is waiting for you inside."
"Okay, thank you, sister."
"Hmph! Kid, I'm much older than your ancestors!" Nagatsu Hime was unhappy about not being able to eat Seisuke, so she pinched his face and pulled it back and forth.
Seisuke was being submissive, letting her do as she pleased. With the White Snake Sage around, he wouldn't die. Let her have her fun for a while! Let this woman be presumptuous for a short time.
"Go in!"
"Sure thing!"
He stepped into the dark temple. Only some lanterns emitted a faint light. A long flight of steps extended into the darkness. Seisuke stepped onto the steps and kept going up.
In the darkness, two huge lanterns lit up. No, they weren't lanterns, but a pair of huge snake eyes, emotionless, looking down at him.
By the faint light of the lanterns, on a huge stone seat, a gigantic white - scaled snake coiled. Its white body was integrated with the place where it was enshrined, incredibly long. It had orange - yellow scales and yellow pupils, with a green cat's - eye stone on its chest, a purple ribbon - like forehead protector on its head, inlaid with a red night - shining pearl, and two golden rings on its white tail.
It had a pipe in its mouth, exhaling a wisp of faint white smoke.
So cool!
No wonder it's the White Snake Sage. He remembered that the Great Toad Sage in Myoboku Mountain was always soaking in the bathtub. Recalling that Gamabunta was always smoking and drinking. If he had hair, he'd probably perm it. Hmm, the styles of the three holy summoning places seem a bit strange.
"White Snake Sage, hello. I'm Asakawa Seisuke. I came here to sign a summoning contract with a snake."
The White Snake Sage said, "I know everything. I can sense everything that happens in Ryūchi Cave. Are you Orochimaru's disciple?"
"Not yet." Although Orochimaru taught him the summoning technique, there's no such word about being his disciple.
"That doesn't matter. Since you've passed the test, you can cultivate the sage arts of our Ryūchi Cave." The White Snake Sage said.
"Sage arts? Um, may I ask how to learn it?" Seisuke's eyes lit up. It was sage arts! Different from the sage arts of Myoboku Mountain, but it must be very powerful in terms of attack.
"I'll bite you and inject the natural energy of Ryūchi Cave into your body. If you don't die, then you've learned it. If you die, I'll eat you." The White Snake Sage said casually.
"..." Seisuke broke out in cold sweat. Is it really that simple and brutal?
"Erm, can I postpone the cultivation?"
"Oh? People who come here are usually eager to learn and seek power like madmen. You're actually thinking of postponing the cultivation? Humans are creatures that follow their desires. I've seen too many humans who fall into the abyss because of their desires. Don't you desire power?"
No, I desire boobs!
Of course, he wouldn't say this out loud. "No, my body hasn't fully developed yet. I don't think I can endure it. Also, I'm not here to cultivate sage arts this time. I want a summoning contract."
"That's easy."
As the White Snake Sage spoke, it threw the contract scroll of Ryūchi Cave in front of him. "Those who have the qualification to cultivate can sign a contract with our Ryūchi Cave."