Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 174 Secrets of the Ninja World (End)

Orochimaru, who was immersed in a state of extreme excitement, suddenly heard what Hyuga Kanan said. He couldn't help but raise his head abruptly, staring at the other person with a look of astonishment on his face. He knew that Hyuga Kanan was kindly guiding him, hoping that he could make further progress in his research.

However, when the topic of natural energy in the environment came up, Orochimaru's mind involuntarily fell into deep thought. He was certainly not ignorant of the concept of natural energy. In fact, the reason why those incredibly powerful snakes in the mysterious Ryuchi Cave were able to thrive, grow to enormous sizes, and possess extraordinary strength was precisely because they had come into contact with and absorbed the powerful energy of nature.

It is particularly worth mentioning that the White Snake Sage's control over natural energy was unparalleled, and his skills were breathtaking. As a result, the White Snake Sage achieved heights in both strength and lifespan that were unattainable for ordinary people, making him truly astonishing.

"Could it be that this natural energy is the key to the White Snake Sage of Ryuchi Cave's immense power and longevity? However, the method of utilizing natural energy in Ryuchi Cave seems to only apply to the snakes of that area. For humans, attempting to absorb this power is tantamount to taking a risk, not only facing enormous dangers, but even if successful, it would only enhance their own strength, without any effect on prolonging their lifespan," Orochimaru pondered to himself.

Orochimaru had previously planned to alter his genes, incorporating the genes of the snakes from Ryuchi Cave into his body to better suit Ryuchi Cave's Sage Mode and achieve a lifespan as long as the White Snake Sage. However, Hyuga Kanan had once told him that humans were the rulers of the ninja world and that one should not easily alter one's fundamental human genes. Now, however, he was being reminded that natural energy was the most important factor in evolution, leaving Orochimaru feeling conflicted.

When Hyuga Kanan heard Orochimaru mutter to himself about the Sage Mode of Ryuchi Cave, he knew Orochimaru had misunderstood. Considering that Orochimaru's powerful survival instincts largely stemmed from his self-developed and created snake-based substitution techniques, Kanan felt a pang of worry and decided to kindly remind Orochimaru not to rely too heavily on the treacherous snakes of Ryuchi Cave. These cunning snakes were, in fact, one of the carefully laid traps by the hidden hand manipulating everything. If Orochimaru placed too much trust in them, he could easily fall into an abyss of destruction and ultimately meet a tragic end.

Although I had given Orochimaru a heads-up before, I wonder if he modified his body to resist the temptation of the cunning serpent in Ryuchi Cave. If he forgot my advice and did undergo serpent-like modifications, his future achievements would likely be limited, and he would be far less helpful to me.

Gazing at Orochimaru's face, contorted and grotesque by his utterly chaotic thoughts, Hyuga Kanan felt a complex mix of emotions welling up within him. After much deliberation, he finally resolved to reveal to Orochimaru the untold story behind the so-called "Three Sacred Lands"—only in this way could he make this man, filled with curiosity and ambition, truly understand that Ryuchi Cave was far from the peaceful and safe place portrayed by outsiders; on the contrary, it was a place fraught with hidden dangers and utterly unfathomable!

Besides, Hyuga Kanan was even more worried that Orochimaru might, in a moment of impulse or under some kind of temptation, reveal their secret to the unpredictable white snakes in Ryuchi Cave. This would not only put him in a dangerous situation, under the close surveillance of the mastermind, but could also implicate other innocent people! Moreover, if Orochimaru truly embarked on the path of pursuing ultimate power through physical modification, then this person whom he had once placed high hopes on and considered an important ally would likely have his future growth and advancement completely ruined… Thinking of this, Hyuga Kanan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

A heavy sigh struck Orochimaru like a hammer blow, jolting him from his chaotic thoughts. He snapped his eyes open, his previously clouded gaze instantly sharpening as he stared intently at Hyuga Kanan, as if trying to see through him completely. Orochimaru was filled with doubt and unease; he desperately hoped Hyuga Kanan could provide a detailed explanation to determine the direction of his future research.

Facing Orochimaru's piercing, eagle-like gaze, Hyuga Kanan knew he had to clearly explain the reasons for his earlier hints. He took a deep breath, composed himself, and slowly began, "Orochimaru-senpai, how much do you really know about the so-called Three Great Holy Lands of the ninja world? Do you know their origins?"

Upon hearing Hyuga Kanan's question, Orochimaru's face showed a hint of confusion. Despite his renowned erudition, his understanding of these three mysterious places was quite limited. He only knew that these three places possessed a long and rich history, seemingly having weathered thousands of years of change. Each sacred land was home to a reclusive sage of terrifying power and extraordinary vitality, who possessed miraculous cultivation methods to enhance their strength. It was precisely because of this that the legends of the three sacred lands were widely circulated throughout the ninja world, inspiring awe and longing in all who beheld them.

Among them, the contract Orochimaru signed was from the mysterious Ryuchi Cave! This scroll contains endless power and mystery, and can summon a powerful and terrifying Orochi army to help in battle.

However, despite Orochimaru possessing such a wondrous treasure, his understanding of Ryuchi Cave was quite limited. To outsiders, he might appear to have grasped all the secrets of this mysterious realm; but in reality, only he himself knew best that his understanding of Ryuchi Cave was still far from complete!

Although Orochimaru had secretly conducted in-depth research into Ryuchi Cave and knew a little about why the astonishing snakes there could rapidly grow into enormous, incredibly powerful beasts—simply because of their unique methods of absorbing and utilizing natural energy—when it came to the true origins of Ryuchi Cave and the deeper reasons hidden behind it… sorry, our "Snake Uncle" was completely clueless! It was as if the distant and ancient past was shrouded in a thick fog, making it impossible to glimpse its true face—utterly elusive and mysterious.

Looking at Orochimaru's bewildered eyes, Hyuga Kanan understood immediately. Although this ninja from Otogakure had signed a contract with Ryuchi Cave and become its master, he knew nothing about the origins and history of this mysterious place. With that in mind, Hyuga Kanan decided to answer Orochimaru's questions, allowing him to gain a deeper understanding of this place.

Hyuga Kanan then began to explain to Orochimaru: "Actually, the three sacred lands you speak of did not exist since ancient times. Before the person behind the scenes founded Ninja Sect, he traveled the world and unexpectedly discovered that there were still many exceptionally talented individuals. Through continuous research and exploration, he not only found a cultivation method that allowed people to achieve self-evolution and improve their strength, but also realized that this method was not yet perfect and still needed further refinement. After all, it was just emerging at that time, and everything was still in its early stages of development."

Having resolved to spread chakra training throughout the ninja world and establish a new ninja sect, the question of how to properly accommodate those who were independently exploring the path of training became a pressing issue. Ultimately, the mastermind devised a plan—he created a relatively simple and easy-to-understand method for utilizing natural energy and taught it to the three most ordinary types of animals at the time. These animals were tasked with persuading humans with extraordinary talent to abandon their in-depth exploration of natural energy. Simultaneously, this method, perfectly suited to these three animal species and allowing for the simple and direct use of natural energy, was disseminated throughout human society. In this way, people would realize that this path was fundamentally flawed and resolutely abandon their pursuit of this research.

Therefore, no other training system could stop the spread of chakra, making it the only training system in the ninja world. The three types of beasts, having obtained a method to cultivate natural energy, experienced unimaginable growth, gradually forming the three sacred lands we know today. When exceptionally talented individuals or those suited to natural energy appear in the ninja world, these creatures, following the Sage of Six Paths' orders, will guide them onto the wrong path, severing the possibility of those capable of evolving using natural energy.

Therefore, the so-called Three Great Holy Lands are merely a safety net and backup plan used by those behind the scenes to prevent the people of the ninja world from adopting other cultivation systems. The Sage Techniques of the Three Great Holy Lands are simply a very rudimentary application of natural energy. This method is only suitable for the bodies of their specific races and is not suitable for human cultivation. Once one learns this rudimentary method, their body will be corrupted, making it impossible to embark on proper cultivation and evolution in the future.

After listening to Hyuga Kanan recount the origins of the three sacred lands and the consequences of cultivating those so-called Sage Techniques, Orochimaru broke out in a cold sweat. He was an ambitious explorer; how could he jeopardize his future path for such a simple reason? He wanted to discover the methods of human evolution so that he could truly evolve and break through the limitations of a ninja.