Recalling the fear that once held me captive

This was not the ordinary molting of a snake as it grew, but a skill unique to the myriad serpents themselves. The pain within its body instantly shifted outward to the layer of snake skin. Soon, the myriad serpent shed its skin, leaving behind a petrified, tubular sculpture at its original location, while its true form appeared on the other side of the cavern.

Apart from the three Snake Maidens who were connected to the myriad serpent, Orochimaru and his shadow clone were left behind on the stone sculpture. Orochimaru did not rush to follow; instead, he used the Djinn's vision and the chakra monitoring instrument to observe the energy changes within the serpent after it unleashed its skill. His eyes flickered slightly.

Although the myriad serpent could not wield sage techniques, using this skill consumed not only chakra but also the natural energy within its body. This was a good sign—for now, the natural energy in the serpent's body was poison; the less, the better.

After a single molt, both the myriad serpent and the three Snake Maidens felt considerably lighter. The serpent immediately prepared for another molt. Orochimaru swiftly leaped onto the serpent to halt its actions. "You can't use this skill recklessly. Your chakra is limited—wait until you reach your limit to molt again."

The myriad serpent tilted its head, glaring at Orochimaru, its snake eyes bloodshot and chilling. Yet it still obeyed Orochimaru’s advice, suppressing the urge to molt with difficulty.

It was not easy for the serpent to go against its instinct to flee from danger. As a snake whose constitution was maxed out, it relied on its instincts, and now it was resisting the inertia accumulated over countless years. Thus, this resistance did not last long.

Even knowing it was turning the hope of survival into drinking poison to quench thirst, the serpent could not help but activate its Molting Technique, with the intervals between uses growing shorter and shorter.

Its biological instincts told it that the shadow of death was not shrinking, but instead growing ever larger. The more it used the Molting Technique, the greater the danger became; and the greater the danger, the more it could not resist using the technique to escape.

It was already deeply mired, unable to extricate itself.

Orochimaru licked his lips; he was not surprised. Even a snake king living in the Ryūchi Cave, who fought its way out from among countless venomous insects, was still just a snake, after all. The law of the jungle—survival of the fittest—could indeed produce top predators, but to ask them to abandon their intuition and seek harm over benefit was a difficult demand for a snake.

However, the success or failure of this operation did not depend on the myriad serpent.

Orochimaru turned his gaze to the Snake Maidens, wanting to see what they would do. He had never found a proper solution to the invasive nature of the First Generation cells; even the few successful transplants all came from the Uchiha clan.

The Sage's Eyes and Body, beyond chakra intensity, carried some unknown factors—a hint of fate that Orochimaru disliked.

He licked his lips, anticipation showing on his face. Sage arts, natural energy...this system, so different from chakra, might be the key to breaking the deadlock.

Under Orochimaru’s scrutiny, the three Snake Maidens’ expressions grew grim. As the myriad serpent’s molting became less effective, the pressure on them intensified. Not only were the serpent's cells being corroded, they even felt that the chakra was beginning to invade them in reverse, flowing up the conduit connecting them to the serpent.

Though the chakra’s intensity was slightly weaker, it somehow overrode them on an unknown level.

How troublesome...the three Snake Maidens’ faces darkened. The current situation made even basic self-preservation difficult; they could spare no effort to help the serpent suppress its natural energy. If not for the White Snake Sage watching, they would have already obeyed their instincts and severed the connection.

After all, having them suppress the serpent’s natural energy was a poor idea to begin with. While they could wield sage arts, their scale was simply insufficient—there was little advantage in level.

Outwardly, the three Snake Maidens struggled to persist, but resentment crept into their hearts, and they forgot the ease of earlier times.

“Ah, ah, ah...”

Finally, at a certain limit, the myriad serpent could endure no longer; it let out anguished, piercing cries.

Orochimaru watched the chakra monitor—the graph was identical to that seen when the gray python collapsed.

Is everything lost...? Just as Orochimaru thought this, a slender tentacle shot out from the darkness deep within the cavern, piercing the serpent’s body with force.

In an instant, the serpent’s body, which had been on the verge of collapse from the First Generation cells, stabilized once more.

The three Snake Maidens turned pale and quickly released their sage arts, breaking away from the serpent.

With the White Snake Sage intervening, they were no longer needed.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes at the sight, marveling at the White Snake Sage’s thousand-year longevity, and his anticipation for the operation’s outcome grew.

...

“This feeling...as expected.”

Upon her seat, the White Snake Sage suddenly opened her eyes, a flash of vitality at odds with her aged visage.

“The Divine Tree...Orochimaru, where did he acquire the Divine Tree’s power?”

Astonishment crossed her face as she suppressed the rampaging natural energy in the serpent’s body, lost in thought.

Though it was only a fragment, so incomplete she could easily suppress it, its unreasonable invasiveness was unmistakably a trait of the Divine Tree.

The symptoms shown by the gray python and the myriad serpent also matched those of extraordinary beings attacked by the Divine Tree in her memory.

There were differences, of course. In the past, the Divine Tree would consume such beings after eroding them, drawing them into its roots and trunk. Now, it directly transformed them into great trees. But the White Snake Sage had no interest in delving into these variances.

Her concern now was whether she could assimilate this power, with its Divine Tree properties, for her own use.

The complete power of the Divine Tree was impossible to obtain, but its broken state offered an opportunity.

The White Snake Sage pondered for a moment, then refocused her attention. The rampaging natural energy in the myriad serpent had been suppressed.

This natural energy originated from her, and though the Divine Tree was highly compatible with it, it could not surpass its true master.

Yet the White Snake Sage did not feel triumphant.

She could limit the Divine Tree traits in the serpent, but perhaps not in herself.

For the serpent’s limits were fixed; it could not unleash the full horrors of the Divine Tree. With herself, the outcome was less certain.

Especially since her own natural energy had been compressed many times, nearing its ultimate limit; she dared not use the Molting Sage Art lightly, let alone recklessly introduce the Divine Tree’s power within.

The White Snake Sage furrowed her brow, feeling troubled, but she could not give up on the Divine Tree’s power.

The Molting Technique could be used once or twice more at best, but this was merely accumulation; it could never complete a leap in the level of life.

And the Divine Tree—after experiencing the eras of Princess Kaguya and the Sage of Six Paths—the White Snake Sage knew well how high this power ranked.

Thinking thus, she flicked her tongue and licked her lips, her gaze shifting to Orochimaru.

He had brought the Divine Tree’s power, and perhaps her opportunity for transformation lay with him as well.