Having completely broken free from the shackles of the Saint's seal, the Zombie Monarch Orochimaru roared to the sky, shattering space with his Zombie King. After venting his anger, Orochimaru Tsubasa to teleport back to the Shinobi World to recover.
Several months later, Tsubasa, Tian Yu, Orochimaru, and the core high-ranking members of the Shinobi World gathered to hear Tsubasa recount in detail the entire process of their trip to the Ōtsutsuki Star Region.
When Orochimaru heard that the Ōtsutsuki Star Region was completely covered by the domain of the God Tree, a God Level being, he gasped in shock and asked Tsubasa, this God Level powerhouse, why he hadn't attacked him.
After thinking for a moment, Tsubasa said, "Your body, Zombie Monarch, is very special. When I sensed you with my aura, you were not a living thing, but indistinguishable from a stone or air. This may be the reason why the God of Ōtsutsuki did not attack you. He could not sense you. Another possibility is that as God Level powerhouse, he would not attack those below the level of Saint. I think this is also one of the reasons why you were able to survive on the Ōtsutsuki Planet for more than a hundred years."
Orochimaru nodded and said, "That might really be the case. Those Saint could only burn me into nothingness area by area, slowly checking my zombie clones, and then slowly shrinking the sealing range. It took them more than a hundred years to finally seal me away."
Jiraiya laughed and said, "Look how proud you are. In the end, you were sealed up like a cocoon and hung there as an exhibit."
Orochimaru unleashed a chilling aura and said coldly, " Jiraiya, you idiot, shut up! I will devour the entire Ōtsutsuki Clan sooner or later."
Tsunade, "Shut up, all of you! I'm listening to Saint has to say."
When they heard that Tsubasa was forced to use the Will of Fire Formation," burning all his Saint Power and unleashing God Level strength to barely injure and capture a Ōtsutsuki Saint before escaping through the domain, everyone was terrified. They were especially afraid when they heard that Tsubasa had been weak for a month afterward.
Finally, when they heard that Tsubasa had made a pact with the God of the God Tree, exchanging Sōichi for the hostage, and that a cosmic oath had been made that Saint must not easily attack Saint below the Saint level, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Great! With this agreement, the Shinobi World is at least safe for now!" Tsunade a long sigh of relief.
" Saint Tsubasa, this time... we really owe you a great debt," Orochimaru said sincerely, his eyes filled with gratitude.
Sasuke Uchiha calmly analyzed, "But the Ōtsutsuki Clan will never let this go. Although the cosmic oath provides some restraint, they will definitely find other ways to retaliate. We cannot let our guard down."
Tsubasa nodded. " Sasuke is right. The agreement can only restrain blatant attacks by Saint Level, but the threats from Domain Level and Half-Saint- level beings still exist, and they might even use other underhanded methods. We must improve our own strength as soon as possible."
He looked at everyone, his gaze resolute. "Through this experience, I have also gained some insights and need to go into seclusion for a while. Ultimately, the Mirai of the Shinobi World depends on everyone's joint efforts to protect it."
Beside him, Tian Flying Swallow gently grasped Tsubasa's hand, silently expressing her support. Orochimaru licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous yet inquisitive light. " Ōtsutsuki... God Level domain... truly a fascinating subject of research. As long as the Saint doesn't intervene, I'm invincible."
Peace is only temporary. The threat from the depths of space has not been eliminated; on the contrary, Tsubasa's actions have sown the seeds of even deeper karma. The feud between the Shinobi World and the Ōtsutsuki is far from over.
Several months passed quietly amidst the apparent tranquility of the Shinobi World. The Immortal Venerable Hall, or rather the core of the Yan Nation in the Shinobi World, had fully recovered from the wounds of the great war, but the vigilance of its leaders never wavered.
On this day, the group gathered again in the courtyard reserved for the Saint Tsubasa. Sunlight filtered through the sparse bamboo leaves, casting dappled shadows on them, yet it could not dispel the solemn atmosphere.
"Looks like you've fully recovered. Here, this is for you." Tsubasa tossed out a jade bottle shrouded in a faint golden glow. The bottle traced an arc in the air before landing steadily in Orochimaru's pale hand. The jade bottle felt warm to the touch, but a powerful energy fluctuation that sent shivers down one's spine emanated from within.
Orochimaru's golden snake eyes suddenly contracted, and his fingertips trembled slightly, not from fear, but from extreme excitement. "This is the blood of Saint...?"
"The blood of Saint Ōtsutsuki Sōichi." Tsubasa spoke calmly, as if discussing a trivial matter, "Try and see if your 'zombie' body can devour and digest this Saint's blood."
Seeing this, Jiraiya clicked his tongue and said, "Tsk tsk, the blood of Saint! You're really generous, Saint Tsubasa. Orochimaru, don't waste it. If you drink it and explode, you'll become the biggest joke in the Shinobi World."
Orochimaru glanced coldly at Jiraiya, too lazy to pay attention to his trash talk, his entire focus concentrated on the jade bottle in his hand. He could clearly sense the terrifying energy and fragments of laws contained within the golden blood inside. "Thank you, Saint Tsubasa," he said in a hoarse voice, a hint of barely perceptible longing in his tone.
Tsunade furrowed, asked with the seriousness of a healer, " Saint Tsubasa, this Saint's blood... its energy is so violent, can Orochimaru's body really withstand it? Are there any unknown risks?"
Tsubasa shook his head, then nodded. "There are definitely risks. But his physical nature is special; he's neither alive nor dead, and craves blood, which might allow him to bypass some of the restrictions of the Heavenly Dao rules. Moreover, this is the fastest and most direct way for him to increase his strength. Our Shinobi World needs more top-tier combat power."
Orochimaru no longer hesitated and uncorked the bottle. Instantly, an indescribable fragrance and oppressive aura filled the air, causing the several Kage Level powerhouses present to feel their breath catch in their throats. He tilted his head back and poured the few drops of golden, mercury-like holy blood from the bottle into his mouth.
"Gulp!" The sound of swallowing was particularly clear in the quiet courtyard.
The next moment, Orochimaru's body shuddered violently! The violent energy exploded within him like a river bursting its banks, and countless fine golden cracks instantly appeared on the surface of his skin, as if it would shatter at any moment. The cold, deathly aura of the Zombie King clashed and intertwined wildly with the sacred, boundless blood energy of the Saint, emitting a teeth-grinding "hissing" sound.
Orochimaru grunted, sat down cross-legged, and formed a strange hand seal. He channeled his zombie essence to the fullest extent, attempting to devour and refine this foreign power. His body expanded and contracted intermittently, and the surrounding space was slightly distorted due to the violent fluctuations of energy.
Everyone held their breath, watching nervously. Tsubasa's gaze was calm, but he had secretly mobilized his Saint Power, ready to intervene at any moment.
This process lasted for a full day and night. When the dawn broke again on the second day, the violent energy around Orochimaru finally subsided. He suddenly opened his eyes, and two tangible golden beams shot out, soaring into the sky and piercing two holes in the clouds!
His aura was more than ten times stronger than before! A pressure that surpassed even that of Immortal King, yet had not yet fully entered that supreme realm, naturally emanated from him.
" Quasi-Saint... Peak!" Sasuke Uchiha keenest senses, said in a deep voice, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected the Saint's blood to have such a significant effect on Orochimaru.
Orochimaru slowly rose, stretched his limbs, and crackled with each movement. He felt the surging, almost inexhaustible power within him, and a satisfied expression appeared on his face. But then, this satisfaction transformed into a deeper longing and... regret.
"The power... is immense." Orochimaru licked his lips, his eyes deep and unfathomable. "I can feel the threshold of Saint right before me, like a thin sheet of paper separating us from a window, but no matter how hard I try, I can't break through it. This bottle of Saint's blood only brought me to the limit of Quasi-Saint, but it can't help me take that final step."
Upon hearing this, Tsubasa raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Not enough energy accumulation yet?" He pondered for a moment, then suddenly drew his fingers like a knife and made a cut on his wrist. A drop of even more dazzling Saint blood, containing a unique life force and the fluctuations of the Will of Fire, slowly seeped out. He enveloped it with his power and presented it to Orochimaru. "Try mine."
A flicker of emotion crossed Orochimaru's eyes, but his unwavering determination to break through remained stronger. Without hesitation, he once again devoured the Holy Blood of the Tsubasa.
However, this time, the effect was far less than before. Although Tsubasa's holy blood also contained enormous energy and laws, in helping him break through the bottleneck of the Saint, it had a similar effect to Sōichi's holy blood, only making his power more condensed, and that barrier remained unbreakable.
Orochimaru closed his eyes, pondering for a long time before finally shaking his head in resignation. His golden snake eyes held a hint of understanding and solemnity. "No... I understand. My 'path' is different from yours. I am the Zombie Monarch, evolving by devouring origins. The transformation from Quasi-Saint to Saint is a complete metamorphosis of the essence of life. Relying on external Saint blood can only accumulate power, but it cannot allow me to complete this final 'qualitative change.' What I need... is to completely devour a true Saint, plundering their complete Saint origin and the laws of the Great Dao, only then can I seize this opportunity to break free from my own shackles and become a true... Corpse Saint!"
Devouring Saint?! Everyone gasped upon hearing this. Only Orochimaru could utter such words; anyone else would likely be considered insane.
Jiraiya picked at his ear. "Hey, Orochimaru, isn't your target a bit too outrageous? Saint isn't someone you can just swallow like that!"
Orochimaru smiled sinisterly, "It might have been impossible before, but now... with the Saint Tsubasa here, it's not impossible. Besides, isn't the Ōtsutsuki Clan a perfect example?" His gaze turned to the distant starry sky, a place where hatred and opportunity coexisted.
Tsubasa nodded, agreeing with Orochimaru's assessment, "Now that the path is clear, let's wait for the right opportunity. Right now, improving the overall strength of the Shinobi World is more important."