Ryūchi Cave.
"Hey, Manda, why'd you run when you saw me?"
"Want to bet I'll have Kinrin deal with you?"
Kazuyama Gekkō stood at the edge of Ryūchi Cave, his foot pressed firmly on Kinrin's head as he stared at the massive purple serpent before him.
The serpent halted, shaking, and revealed a large, sycophantic face.
"Kazuyama, what brings you to Ryūchi Cave?"
"You should've said something earlier. I could've come to get you."
Manda was a coward. A real one. After all, the man before him was the undisputed top dog of Ryūchi Cave. Not only had he earned the favor of three Snake Princesses, but he also commanded four great serpents, including Kinrin.
He was no match for Kazuyama—he wasn't even worth being called an opponent. A fight with him would end with his gallbladder being torn out.
Kazuyama shot Manda a pointed look. This snake, aside from his endless tricks, was completely useless.
"Cut the act, Manda. Recently, I've been studying natural energy. The four Kinrin have already finished their coordination."
"Now it's your turn. Tell me—what kind of energy did the natural energy you absorbed turn into to aid you?"
Although Kazuyama was getting back to his old business, there were still questions that needed to be asked.
For the snakes of Ryūchi Cave, absorbing natural energy not only made their bodies grow but also enhanced a specific ability.
Kinrin's physical strength, Yulín's flying ability, Korin's sonic powers, and Seirin's venomous abilities.
Each snake had focused on the ability they wanted most.
Kazuyama's gaze turned back to Manda. This snake didn't seem to have any impressive abilities.
Manda froze at the question, his massive head rising slightly as if thinking deeply.
Then, he spoke:
"My control over natural energy is nowhere near as good as Kinrin and the others."
"I've channeled all the natural energy into the surface of my body. I call it 'molting.'"
"To put it simply, it's my way of staying alive!"
Kazuyama blinked, staring at Manda. He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed for the snake.
Manda, huh... he wasn't good for much else, but his escape skills were top-tier.
So this was why he couldn't ever beat the Kinrin sisters. He wasn't interested in fighting. The moment he did, he'd start shedding.
It was a little similar to Kazuyama himself.
"Hmph, you're just a cowardly snake."
"No other skills at all. Can't win, so you just run. And as you retreat, you shed snake skin one after another."
Kinrin scowled at Manda's approach. She preferred violence, but what was the outcome? Manda always ran the moment the fight started.
And the worst part was, the bastard was fast. It drove her crazy.
"Hehe, Big Sis Kinrin, you can't say that."
"After all, there are four of you in Ryūchi Cave."
"This little brother just chose the path that suits him."
Manda was clearly content with his approach. Running when outmatched wasn't a source of shame.
Kazuyama suddenly felt a bit of sympathy for him. In Ryūchi Cave, with Kinrin and the others, Manda could bully weaker opponents outside. But terrifying encounters still awaited.
Like the time he ran into Nagato. He was lucky to have survived without turning into snake soup.
"Alright, you can go now."
"Really?"
"Yeah, get moving. Otherwise, I can't guarantee Kinrin won't beat you up."
Hearing Kazuyama Gekkō let him go, Manda didn't hesitate for a second. He sped off at full throttle and vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Hey, Kazuyama, why did you go looking for Manda out of nowhere?"
"Nothing much. Just fascinated by how each of you harnesses natural energy."
A vague notion began to form in Kazuyama Gekkō's mind: if one channeled natural energy solely into a single aspect, they would effectively limit their potential.
Take Manda and Kinrin, for instance. Despite years of cultivation and vast natural energy reserves, neither could progress further—that was their drawback.
In contrast, the Three Snake Princesses had channeled their natural energy into diverse applications, which allowed them to transcend their serpentine forms and progress toward immortality.
Mount Myōboku followed a similar approach.
"Return now, Kinrin. I must seek an audience with the White Snake Sage."
Kinrin paused in surprise. She hadn't anticipated that Kazuyama Gekkō's visit to the Ryūchi Cave was to meet the White Snake Sage. That was no ordinary meeting.
"Kazuyama..."
"I know. I've brought ample offerings. I will see the White Snake Sage. Just escort me there."
Kazuyama Gekkō was well aware of the difficulty involved in meeting the White Snake Sage. After all, this wasn't decades later—right now, the White Snake Sage wouldn't be so willing to help him.
But he had indeed brought enough offerings to make it happen.
Deep within the Ryūchi Cave.
"Hey, Kazuyama Gekkō, it's been ages since you last visited."
"What? Did you miss me that much while I was gone?"
After escorting Kazuyama Gekkō to the deepest part of the cave, Kinrin departed, and Tagitsuhime came to greet him.
Ever since the battle against the Akatsuki organization, Tagitsuhime had been recuperating from her injuries in the Ryūchi Cave, and she hadn't seen Kazuyama Gekkō in quite some time.
Now, seeing him in the deepest part of the cave, she assumed Kazuyama Gekkō had come for her.
"Tagitsuhime, long time no see."
"Though I came for you, this visit to the Ryūchi Cave isn't to see you. I'm here to meet the White Snake Sage."
Tagitsuhime: ...
"You bastard, Kazuyama Gekkō! I risked my life for you!"
"I fought a fierce battle and got seriously hurt! You didn't come to see me, fine—but this! This!"
Tagitsuhime was so furious she could barely speak.
She never imagined that Kazuyama Gekkō would dare treat her like this!
Seeing her reaction, Kazuyama Gekkō laughed heartily.
He immediately pulled out a scroll from his robe and opened it without hesitation.
The next second, five baskets of snakeberries appeared before Tagitsuhime.
"Here, these are for you. How could I not care about you?"
"I really need to see the White Snake Sage."
The moment the snakeberries appeared, Tagitsuhime went wild. She threw herself onto the baskets, grabbing handfuls left and right and stuffing them into her mouth.
"Hmph, that's more like it. But why do you need to see the White Snake Sage?"
"Didn't you already complete your Sage Mode?"
"And now you can do it on your own. Is there something you still don't understand?"
Tagitsuhime was puzzled by Kazuyama Gekkō's desire to meet the White Snake Sage.
Even as the Snake Princess of Ryūchi Cave, she had to admit that the White Snake Sage wasn't exactly easy to deal with.
"How should I put it..."
"I want to become the second Rikudō Sennin—no, I want to become a different kind of immortal, distinct from the Rikudō Sennin."
"Do you understand?"
Hearing his words, Tagitsuhime was truly stunned this time.
Become a different kind of immortal?