Without wasting much time, Lihuo took a brief rest on the rocking, swaying deck, then forced himself to pull it together and staggered toward the cabin.
His steps were unsteady, as though he might collapse at any moment.
When Lihuo finally reached the cabin door, he gently knocked and heard Orochimaru's voice from within.
"Come in."
Lihuo carefully pushed open the door and entered.
Orochimaru was seated before a table piled high with books and scrolls, intently leafing through a Jashin Cult tome.
At times, his brows furrowed deeply; at others, he shook his head slightly, as though confused or dissatisfied by what the book contained.
Seeing that his teacher was engrossed in his research, Lihuo did not wish to disturb him too much.
Lihuo quietly approached Orochimaru, making every effort not to produce the slightest sound.
Yet despite his caution, Orochimaru slowly raised his head as Lihuo drew near, his piercing gaze falling upon him.
A peculiar gleam flickered in his eyes—the focus and fervor that only appeared when he was utterly immersed in research.
Lihuo knew well that this meant Orochimaru was deeply absorbed in his studies.
"Teacher, this is the schedule for the Mizukage succession ceremony."
As he spoke, Lihuo handed the file in his hand to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru accepted the file and quickly skimmed its contents.
A moment later, he casually nodded, indicating that he understood the situation.
Then he set the file aside on the table and, abandoning his former low and solemn tone, spoke to Lihuo with faint excitement.
"Lihuo, I never expected the Jashin Cult to have truly conducted such in-depth research into an 'immortal body'!"
With that, he eagerly picked up a thick book from beside him and handed it to Lihuo.
Lihuo took the book, which radiated a cold, sinister aura,