Ling Qing glanced at the two of them but did not acknowledge them. Instead, he looked toward the shadows nearby and said, "The power of shadows—a rogue?"
"I didn't expect you to discover me the moment I arrived. Dao Qing True Person, the Druid—I have long admired your name." A voice rang out from the shadows.
Ling Qing turned to look and saw a man slowly emerge from the darkness. He had long hair draped over his shoulders, wore a long robe, and had a shimenawa tied around his waist. His face was deathly pale yet handsome.
"Leader!" Upon seeing him, the Ox Demon hurriedly changed direction, dropped to his knees, and called out.
Even Yayi put away her seductive manner and obediently called, "Lord Orochimaru!"
Hearing that name, Ling Qing repeated it. "Orochimaru?"
Orochimaru chuckled softly, his voice hoarse yet clear. "Yes, you may call me Orochimaru. I like that name."
Ling Qing asked, "So the tailed-beast jinchuriki, the Devil Fruits, and this nest of Chimera Ants were all your handiwork?"
Orochimaru nodded. "Yes."
Then he spread his arms wide, a delighted smile curling at his lips. "What marvelous things. Wouldn't it be a pity if they existed only in anime? Now, I have brought each of them into reality. This is a gift from the god of the two-dimensional world!"
Ling Qing fell silent at those words. He had not expected the guy before him to be an anime fanatic.
And a hardcore fanatic with exceptional hands-on ability at that.
Still, judging by his Orochimaru cosplay, it was obvious his illness ran deep.
This man calling himself Orochimaru possessed strength comparable to an Earth Immortal—in other words, legendary rank.
Logically speaking, even if he had combined the rogue with the power of Japan's oni and gods, Ling Qing