Deep within the Shinobi World Immortal Venerable Hall, in a secret realm enveloped by a sealing array, the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth carried a stagnant, deathly stillness.
On the high platform in the center of the secret realm, a figure was tightly bound to a dark stone pillar by countless chains of Saint Power and Dao patterns. The chains were covered with strange golden Dao patterns, which emanated a chilling aura as they flowed. Each Dao pattern was like a giant mouth devouring life force, constantly consuming the thin Spiritual Qi around it. This figure was naked, with long hair hanging down in disarray, covering most of his face, revealing only a pale, bloodless neck. A faint aura of corpse energy swirled around him, but it was suppressed by the scorching heat emanating from the Dao patterns. Occasionally, a faint "sizzling" sound could be heard, which was the mark of the corpse energy being sealed and burned by flames.
It was Orochimaru, the Zombie Monarch was sealed away by the three Saint of the Ōtsutsuki.
Tsubasa hovered in front of the high platform, his gaze sweeping solemnly over the Saint Seal on Orochimaru's body. Those chains were no ordinary objects; their material seemed to be forged from the God Tree of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, mixed with Saint Power. The Dao patterns on them contained the power of the laws of three Saint, layer upon layer, weaving into an impenetrable net. This not only sealed Orochimaru's power, but also allowed wisps of black, malevolent energy to seep into his body along the chains, clearly eroding his soul that had merged with his corpse. At the core of the interwoven chains, a ball of eerie blue flame burned silently. The flame had no temperature, yet it precisely burned away the corpse energy on Orochimaru's body, rendering the Zombie Monarch unable to even use his most basic self-healing abilities.
"What a domineering seal of Saint." Tsubasa murmured in admiration, but his brows furrowed even more deeply. "The seal set up by three Saint together is indeed extraordinary. It not only involves the level of laws, but also directly targets the origin of the soul. Ordinary Immortal King Level power, let alone breaking it, would probably be severely injured by the backlash of the seal if they even got close."
He reached out, and a wisp of pure Saint Power slowly extended, cautiously touching one of the chains. The moment the Saint Power touched the chain, the Dao patterns on it instantly lit up, and a sharp force of law rebounded violently. Tsubasa's wrist sank slightly, and he withdrew the Saint Power in the process, his eyes showing a hint of solemnity.
"The seal at the soul level is the most troublesome. If it is not handled properly, either Orochimaru's soul will be completely torn apart, or the seal will go berserk and even we will be affected. We must first awaken Orochimaru's consciousness." Tsubasa withdrew his gaze and said in a deep voice.
"Let me try."
A soft yet firm voice rang out, and Tian Yu slowly stepped forward. Although she had broken through to the Quasi-Saint level after her resurrection, her aura was still somewhat unstable, yet her clear eyes shone with an undeniable determination. She walked to the edge of the platform, her gaze falling on Orochimaru, and said softly, "My innate law is inherently biased towards the soul and spirit. After my transformation, my understanding of this aspect has deepened further. Perhaps it can help you stabilize his soul and guide your power to avoid dangerous points to awaken him."
Tsubasa turned to look at her, pondered for a moment, and nodded. "Alright, this Saint's seal is too complex and domineering. It's indeed a bit beyond my capabilities on my own. You are responsible for calming and stabilizing his soul, and I will attempt to break through the seal's nodes. Remember, if you sense anything amiss, retreat immediately. The Saint's power still poses a significant threat to you."
"Don't worry." Tian Yu smiled slightly, then closed her eyes, and a gentle, pale golden spiritual power emanated from her body, flowing slowly towards the high platform like a trickle. This spiritual power was extremely delicate, avoiding the sharp edges of the chains and Dao patterns, like the most skillful scalpel, probing little by little into the seal, spreading towards Orochimaru's sea of consciousness.
Tsubasa took a deep breath, circulating his Saint Power to its limit, his body radiating a dazzling golden light. The golden Saint Power condensed into an invisible spear, the tip of which shimmered with the faint light of laws. He did not rush to attack, but carefully observed the structure of the seal again, memorizing the intersection of each chain and the position of each Dao pattern, searching for the weak point of the seal.
Time passed slowly, and only the hum of flowing Saint Power and the faint sound of the burning flame seal remained in the secret realm. Fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on Tsubasa's forehead. Controlling such pure Saint Power to precisely impact the nodes was extremely taxing on his mental energy; while Tian Yu's face grew paler and paler. Her mental energy was being constantly eroded by the sealed evil energy, requiring her to constantly circulate her cultivation to resist it, while also having to distract herself from calming Orochimaru's already chaotic and corrupted evil consciousness.
Orochimaru's sea of consciousness was pitch black, filled with violent malevolent energy and chaotic thoughts—the result of long-term erosion from being sealed away. Tian Yu's spiritual power, like a beacon in the darkness, slowly illuminated this sea of consciousness. She didn't forcibly suppress those evil thoughts, but rather guided these chaotic thoughts with an inclusive attitude, gradually calming them down.
"Stay calm..." Tian Yu's voice echoed in your mind, gentle yet powerful, "Don't resist, I'm here to help you."
Deep within his sea of consciousness, a blurry black shadow trembled slightly, as if Orochimaru's remaining consciousness had been awakened by this gentle force, and he began to instinctively move closer to the light.
Outside, Tsubasa finally found the first node. His eyes narrowed, and the Saint Power spear in his hand suddenly thrust out, landing precisely at the connection between a chain and a Dao pattern.
"Buzz!"
The talisman instantly burst forth with dazzling golden light, the chains trembled violently, and a powerful backlash came. Tsubasa's body swayed slightly, but he did not retreat. Instead, he continued to inject Saint Power, forcefully impacting this node.
"Now!" Tian Yu's voice rang out at the opportune moment, "His consciousness has stabilized somewhat; I can guide you to the next node!"
A pale golden spiritual energy traced a path in the air, pointing towards another Dao pattern. Without hesitation, Tsubasa changed the direction of his Saint Power spear and thrust it out again.
In the time that followed, the two worked together seamlessly. Tsubasa used his Saint Power to forcefully attack the sealing node, while Tian Yu used his spiritual power to guide the direction and soothe Orochimaru's soul. This process was far more difficult than reviving Tian Yu. Each attack felt like a struggle against the remaining will of the three Saint, and the backlash from the seal grew stronger with each attempt.
After more than half a day, as the eastern sky began to lighten, both Tsubasa and Tian Yu were covered in sweat, and their breathing became somewhat rapid. Tsubasa had consumed nearly half of his Saint Power, while Tian Yu's spiritual power was severely depleted, and his face was as pale as paper.
Just then--
"Buzz!!!"
A deafening buzzing sound rang out, and Orochimaru's black chains and golden Dao patterns suddenly burst forth with dazzling light. The chains and Dao patterns, which had been fighting independently, seemed to suddenly come to life and cooperated with each other. The chains danced wildly, while the Dao patterns formed a golden light curtain in the air. A power far more powerful than before suddenly erupted and swept towards Tsubasa and Tian Yu.
"Not good!" Tsubasa's expression changed, and he immediately withdrew his Saint Power. He flashed and stood in front of Tian Yu, instantly creating a barrier of Saint Power.
"Bang!"
The golden light barrier slammed into the Saint Power barrier, the enormous impact causing Tsubasa and Tian Yu to stagger back several steps, a trickle of blood spilling from the Kakuzu.
Tsubasa steadied himself, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and turned his gaze back to the high platform. He noticed that although the chains binding Orochimaru were still wrapped around him, the Dao patterns on them had dimmed considerably, and the flame seal that burned the corpse energy had temporarily stopped burning.
Immediately afterwards, a hoarse, bellows-like gasp came from the high platform.
"Heh... heh..."
Orochimaru's body trembled slightly, and his head, which had been hanging low, slowly rose. Beneath his disheveled long hair, his tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open!
Those were extremely eerie eyes, with vertical pupils like those of a snake, gleaming with a cold, piercing light, filled with vigilance and wariness, and a hint of bewilderment as if just awakened from a deep sleep. His body tensed instinctively, his limbs, bound by chains, exerted slight force, assuming a defensive posture, and the remaining corpse energy around him surged instinctively, only to be suppressed by the chains.
" Orochimaru, relax!" Tsubasa immediately spoke, his voice steady and powerful, carrying a reassuring tone, "The seal on your body hasn't been completely broken yet, we're here to help you!"
Orochimaru's vertical pupils darted around rapidly, his gaze sweeping over Tsubasa, then landing on Tian Yu, and finally looking at the familiar sky of the Shinobi World outside the secret realm. Although he didn't have much affection for the Shinobi World after becoming a zombie, and could even be described as filled with complex emotions, he was too familiar with the aura of this world, which at least confirmed that he was not still in the Ōtsutsuki's lair.
His tense body slowly relaxed, and the coldness and wariness in his vertical pupils gradually faded, replaced by a deep contemplation. His gaze returned to Tsubasa, scrutinizing the Immortal King Tsubasa who had helped him many times.
"It seems... a lot happened during the time I was captured and sealed away." Orochimaru's voice was still hoarse, yet it carried his uniquely sinister quality, like a viper's hiss. " Immortal King Tsubasa, was it you who brought me back from the Ōtsutsuki?"
"I'll explain the details to you later." Tsubasa waved his hand, his gaze returning to the seal on his body. "The most important thing now is to completely remove the seal from your body. Tell me how you feel about this seal; are there any unusual flaws?"
Orochimaru tried to move his fingers, but found his body still stiff and completely out of his control. He could clearly feel that the power within his body was tightly bound by chains. Although the corrosive evil energy in his soul was temporarily suppressed, it had not disappeared. And the flame seal was only temporarily dormant and could erupt again at any time.
He carefully sensed it, a cold smile appearing on his face, "The seal hasn't been broken, but my soul does feel a bit better. Hmph, the methods of the Ōtsutsuki Clan's Saint are indeed extraordinary. Three Saint Teuchi me alone, isn't that a bit too shameless?"
As he spoke, his tone carried a hint of resentment and anger, clearly still harboring resentment over being sealed away by the three Saint.