Shion's voice was ethereal and melodious, as if it had traveled through time and space.
Her body slowly descended, the ends of her long, silvery-white hair began to turn black, and the patterns on her shrine maiden robes gradually turned dark purple.
The core of the Moryo trembled violently in the purple light, and the black slime on its surface churned as if boiling.
Surprisingly, it let out a sigh of relief.
"Finally... this day has come!"
Just as Shion was about to touch the core, the nine illusory figures of priestesses attacked simultaneously, their magical artifacts weaving together into a net that stretched across the sky.
Shion opened her arms, embracing the last consciousness of Moryo as if embracing a long-lost relative.
The shrine of the Land of Swamps, shrouded in twilight, was enveloped in an eerie stillness.
The air was filled with a mixture of decay and rebirth. From the cracks in the ground, a faint purple light would sometimes seep out, and at other times a viscous black liquid would gush out.
Unnatural ripples appeared on the surface of the swamp surrounding the temple.
Countless bubbles rose from the depths, releasing a faint sulfurous smell as they burst on the surface.
Shion sat cross-legged on the stone steps in front of the ancient temple, her hands Hand Seals in front of her knees.
Her figure appeared particularly solemn in the twilight, her long silver hair moving without wind, the dark color at the ends spreading slowly like ink dripping into water.
The dark purple patterns on the shrine maiden's robes seemed to come alive, flowing and dancing among the hem, echoing the black mist that permeated the surroundings.
Centered on her, two distinct energies began to merge.
Pure purple Priestess Power surged from her body, transforming into countless light butterflies that fluttered in the air.
The black energy emanating from the Moryo surged like the tide, with crimson runes appearing on its surface from time to time.
The moment these two forces came into contact, they chased each other like yin and yang fish, forming a slowly rotating energy vortex around her.
The temple's stone pillars trembled slightly under the influence of this force, and the ancient engravings on their surfaces lit up one after another.
The phantoms of the Kyudai priestess opened their eyes at the same moment, and the magical artifacts in their hands emitted a crisp, resonant sound.
"It's time."
The Kagura Mirror in the hands of the First priestess shattered first, turning into specks of starlight that merged into Shion's body.
Following that, the bronze bell of the second-generation shrine maiden, the gohei of the Third shrine maiden... each of the inherited magical artifacts shattered one after another, releasing the purifying power accumulated over many years.
Each generation of shrine maiden's phantom, bearing a benevolent smile, approaches her in turn, merging into her.
With each illusory image merged, the Tomoe mark between Shion's brows brightened, eventually transforming into a bright, clear moon.
"Child, this is my final gift."
The phantom of Shion's mother, Miroku, gently caressed her face, then transformed into a torrent of pure energy that flowed into Shion's body.
In an instant, a dazzling light erupted from Shion's body.
The shrine maiden's robes transformed into flowing, cloud-like gauze amidst the surging energy, with rosy light swirling around the hem.
The crescent moon mark between his brows slowly opened, forming an eye that emitted a pale purple glow.
' The Pure Moon Eye!'
The pupil of this eye is a perfect circle, as bright and pure as a full moon, with nine fine runes flowing around its edge, each representing the legacy of a priestess.
Deep within the pupils, the faint, shimmering reflection of a flowing river of stars could be seen.
The moment it fully opened, a beam of cool moonlight poured down, dispelling all the darkness within a hundred feet.
Suddenly, something unexpected happened!
Shion's Pure Moon Eye trembled violently, and the energy around her began to fluctuate unstablely.
A lingering obsession remains hidden within the core of the Moryo, attempting to backfire.
However, Shion saw through the Pure Moon Eye to the true nature of that obsession, which turned out to be the resentment that the First priestess could not completely purify, which had merged with the Moryo over a thousand years.
Once she understood this, she stopped resisting.
Instead, it allowed the Pure Moon Eye to release the purest moonlight, embracing this wisp of resentment like a mother embracing her child.
"So... we've been wrong for a thousand years."
Shion said softly, tears sliding down her Pure Moon Eye.
As the tear fell, it transformed into a sparkling purple gem, settling gently in her palm.
at the same time.
Hoshino's reconstruction has also entered its final stage.
He hovered at the other end of the temple, surrounded by a vortex of gold and silver energy.
The shackles of the Priestess Power that once troubled him are being completely broken by the Mutant Insect Swarm using sophisticated recombination technology, and a brand-new energy circulation system is being perfected.
Hoshino slowly opened her empty eye sockets.
The four-colored mark between her brows flickered slightly. The purple part, representing the Priestess Power, had stabilized completely, but the black pattern, symbolizing the Power of Jashin, was still restless.
The newborn senses spread out like ripples.
He 'saw' that the energy surrounding Shion had stabilized, and the fusion of the priestess and the Moryo was entering its final resonance stage.
"It will take a little more time!"
Hoshino raised his right hand, and a purple light screen and Mutant Insect Swarm surged out from his body, forming a semi-transparent protective barrier around him.
The two are arranged into a complex defensive formation that neither interferes with the flow of energy nor isolates external interference.
After doing all this, Hoshino turned to the two people watching from a distance.
Hashirama Senju stood on a treetop with his arms crossed, while Madara Uchiha stood not far away, watching Shion undergo her transformation.
From their perception, Shion's energy was in an unprecedented state of harmony, perfectly blending with the Natural Energy of heaven and earth without any deliberate guidance.
This state transcends the limitations of ordinary Sage Mode, which require active harmonization, and demonstrates a higher level of energy control.
"This is... the Eternal Sage envisioned by those immortals, capable of permanently maintaining the Sage Mode!"
"Hmph, a born immortal, huh! It seems this era is far more interesting than I imagined."
Both of these powerful figures, standing at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World, felt an unprecedented shock.
This is a form that transcends the traditional Sage Mode, having reached a state of oneness with nature.
No Hand Seals or preparations are needed; she is the embodiment of Natural Energy, and every gesture she makes carries the rhythm of the laws of heaven and earth.
Meanwhile, Shion's body continued to transform, and each energy fluctuation caused the surrounding space to tremble subtly.
The natural environment of the Land of Swamps responded accordingly, with vegetation growing and watercourses changing course, as if the entire land was welcoming the arrival of a newborn god.
"Gentlemen! The matter is settled; you may leave!"
Hoshino's calm voice reached their ears.
Hashirama hearing this, "Haha, it seems the little girl no longer needs our help."
Then he turned to Madara Uchiha, "Let's go, Madara, let's go for a drink."
Madara snorted coldly, glanced at the Pure Moon Eye between Shion's brows, and said, "Tell that priestess that once she has fully mastered her power, I, Madara Uchiha, will come to challenge her."
Hoshino said calmly, "That's Shion's business, it has nothing to do with me! But even if I agree, it must be stopped short of a fight to the death!"