I've Always Admired Xu Xian

I refuse...

The words were clear, the tone blunt. Hua Yue's voice echoed through Ryuchi Cave, lingering long after he spoke.

At this, the green-haired woman's smile grew increasingly strained, and she could not help but try to persuade him once more.

"Why are you in such a rush? If you just rest here for a moment, I will immediately ask the White Snake Sage to send you back. There is no need to go through the trouble of searching..."

"Even if you've taken the form of a woman, I'm at an age where I can't do anything yet. While I admire Xu Xian, I'd like to see what it's actually like to sleep with a snake."

"But at the very least, wait until six years have passed. Besides..."

In an instant, his back and forehead were soaked in cold sweat. A pair of eyes, exquisite and complex, twisted from blood and black, emerged—vast, ominous, and distorted, like those of a god.

"I don't think you can invite that old hag here. Isn't that old hag the highest authority in Ryuchi Cave?"

"I don't know what game you're playing, but since there is nothing here but snakes, it's time for a long-overdue rampage. Let's go."

Visible black chakra gathered around his entire body. His black cloak billowed without wind, and an aura of ominous destruction reached its peak.

"Majestic Attire: Susanoo!"

Within the pale blue inner world, the Black Nine-Tails, who had been resting with eyes closed, opened them. Those blood-red demonic pupils revealed a hint of long-absent excitement.

"Hahahaha! Finally, a long-overdue rampage? You brat!"

"Let's go, Kurama!"

Clad in Tengu Armor, the ferocious Black Nine-Tailed Fox stood tall, encased in pure white plating. With a casual flick of its nine long tails, it whipped up countless gales.

"You... what kind of existence are you, brat? This terrifying chakra—a power that can rival us who use senjutsu—what exactly is it?"

In that moment, consumed by fear and sensing an unprecedented life-or-death crisis, the green-haired woman abruptly revealed her true form.

A thousand-meter-long giant python with sharp fangs and green hair finally showed its true face, its golden crown and precious jewels shining brilliantly.

"Such strong chakra. Even without the enhancement of senjutsu, this is not something an ordinary person could wield so freely. I am Tagitsuhime, the one who screens those entering the trials of Ryuchi Cave. Are you intending to use force?"

"Even if you are a female snake, I cannot forgive you for using illusions on me. Compared to some trial, it's faster to carve my own path. So..."

His cold, ruthless eyes looked down at the thousand-meter-long snake. The pure white armor intertwined with the muscles, veins, and the Black Nine-Tails. His bizarre, complex Sharingan scanned the surroundings with a detached expression.

In the blink of an eye, the legendary blade solidified in the Nine-Tails' hand and was drawn, severing the mist with a single strike.

The smoke of war, which should have vanished with the wind in the Warring States period, seemed to ignite once more, chilling the heart of the one who had provoked the conflict.

With one strike, dust and debris flew. Tagitsuhime was sent flying for miles. His blood-red eyes raised the blade once more.

"What are you doing! Tagitsuhime? You're just a human brat, you..."

"What is that? A fox? A human? How could that fragrant human brat turn into something like this? Such terrifying power..."

The next second, a thousand-meter-long blue python and a brown python lunged forward together, only to be swatted away for miles by nine tails.

"Are you two the same type as that Tagitsuhime? State your names; perhaps you'll suffer a little less physical pain if you do."

"What an arrogant brat. What do you think we should do, Ichikishimahime?"

"Indeed, we must teach this brat a lesson. Isn't it better to just honestly accept the sage's trial of Ryuchi Cave? Takitsuhime."

The three long snakes vanished, merging into the air and thick fog. A smile grew on Hua Yue's lips; the long-awaited warm-up had his blood boiling.

I do not know how much time passed, but the aftermath of the battle gradually dissipated. Hua Yue, dressed in black, stretched his limbs, feeling refreshed, while the three shrine maidens responsible for the Ryuchi Cave senjutsu assessment were disheveled and covered in dust.

"Phew, a good rampage really is refreshing. You lot, get up and lead the way."

"Monster... is he a monster? To be able to sense us while we were invisible, to be able to make us, who use senjutsu..."

Tagitsuhime trembled all over, completely forgetting that she was the thousand-meter-long female snake. Beside her, the smallest of them, the blue-haired and blue-eyed Ichikishimahime, shrank behind the other two.

"So scary, such a scary human! That guy is a monster, he's definitely a monster!"

"Heh, a monster, am I?"

He cast a glance with his exquisite, complex eyes. The fresh scent of grass and trees, combined with the charm in his every movement, quietly left the three female snakes, who had taken human form, dazed and infatuated.

"Please, could you take me to the depths of Ryuchi Cave?"

He spoke in a soft whisper, and the three female snakes were completely lovestruck, their hearts pounding.

"Such a fragrant scent. What is this feeling? This pounding heart... is this love?"

"Kyaaah! Could it be that I'm in heat? It seems like..."

"This fragrance, this alluring scent, this charming appeal... I can't take it anymore! Would you mind having a girlfriend a little older than you? A mere thousand-year gap—if there is love, it shouldn't be a problem!"

After calming their heated hearts, Hua Yue took a deep breath and glanced at the "Fox Charm" entry beneath his Nine-Tails Jinchuriki status, feeling a deep sense of chill.

The effect of Fox Charm and the explanation of a "fox spirit" were purely the enhancement of charm and pheromones. From the looks of it, it seemed to have an effect on creatures other than humans as well.

Well, after all, he was a fox spirit; cross-species influence was perfectly normal. Fox spirits, whether male or female, possessed the ability to charm the opposite sex, and perhaps even the same sex.

However, why did checking in on the Black Nine-Tails result in a trait like "fox spirit"? Could it be related to what was hidden inside the Black Nine-Tails?

His thoughts were quietly interrupted. The three female snakes looked at Hua Yue with burning eyes and pointed to the temple ahead.

"Sweetheart, this is the residence of the White Snake Sage. You must be careful. If you cannot withstand the natural energy and fail to become a perfect sage, the White Snake Sage will eat you in one bite."

Tagitsuhime looked at him with reluctance, while Ichikishimahime clicked her tongue, hurriedly pushing forward with hearts in her eyes.

"No! I absolutely will not allow my dear to become the White Snake Sage's food! It would be better to just have a child with me right now!"

"What is wrong with you two? If anyone is going to have a child, it should be with me first. Isn't that right, husband..."

Takitsuhime's words made Tagitsuhime and Ichikishimahime glare at her. Just as the three female snakes were about to come to blows, the temple in the thick fog revealed its true form.

"Come in. You really are an interesting brat. It seems the secrets hidden within you are not as simple as just the Sharingan!"