Chapter 228: The Debate of Sage Arts, The Key to Limits!
As his vision cleared again, Uchiha Ci found himself seemingly plunged into darkness.
From an unknown source, rhythmic wooden fish tapping echoed faintly, resonating through the abyss.
Through the deep darkness, he could vaguely see a towering mural of a grand Buddha statue.
The statue had three heads and six arms, each hand holding a ritual implement. Its face bore a Vajra's wrathful expression, while a ferocious dragon's head coiled beneath it. The dragon's gaping maw clamped down on a massive stone scroll, on which three large characters were inscribed:
Ryūchi Cave!
In the darkness, it felt as though massive creatures were slithering and gliding around, their movements producing the eerie sound of steel scraping against stone.
At that moment, Uchiha Ci felt his scalp tingle. His innate combat intuition screamed at him with an intense sense of danger—
It was as if some incomprehensibly terrifying being had locked its gaze on him.
Abruptly, a hoarse, low, and ancient voice rang out:
"Little one—"
"Having seen a Sage, why do you not bow?"
This voice carried an inexplicable power that brushed against Uchiha Ci's face through sound waves.
Under its influence, Uchiha Ci's eyes suddenly widened. Blood vessels surged in his sclera, and veins bulged at the corners of his eyes like the patterns of a Byakugan awakening.
A unique natural energy flowed into his eyes, silently granting him a 360-degree infrared sensory field. His previously dark pupils transformed into a pair of serpent-like Sharingan.
Moreover, this "greeting" from the Sage quietly bestowed upon him a new ability—
[Night Vision].
With a blink of his eyes, the world before him changed completely, as though a high-powered spotlight had been turned on in a pitch-black room, illuminating every detail.
It was only then that he noticed, beneath the massive gate inscribed with "Ryūchi Cave" in this tranquil yet eerie temple,
a colossal white-scaled serpent, whose single scale was larger than his entire body, had coiled its massive form around him. The serpent lowered its head, gazing at him with a cold, predatory gleam in its golden eyes, filled with cruelty and greed.
"The White Snake Sage?"
Uchiha Ci froze for a moment before realizing that this was the founder of Ryūchi Cave, a terrifying being who had existed since the era of Kaguya and was revered as the White Snake Sage.
Since his battle with Elder Chiyo, when he had received the gift of the Ryūchi Cave's Tensei Goddess, he never imagined that the mastermind behind Ryūchi Cave would seek him out personally now.
Moreover, it claimed that his method of mastering Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode was incorrect—what did that mean?
At this moment, the White Snake Sage slightly nodded, staring deeply at Uchiha Ci before opening its maw to speak slowly:
"Mortal..."
"Do not continue walking down this mistaken path."
"Your master, Orochimaru, is merely a failure on this path—a madman incapable of mastering Sage power. How could he possibly guide you to the true 'Path of the Dragon'?"
Hearing this, Uchiha Ci frowned slightly and hesitated before asking:
"The Path of the Dragon? What is that?"
Following Orochimaru's planned route, he could at least achieve a Sage Mode akin to that of Mitsuki's in the future. While its manifestation might be somewhat lackluster, it was still a power that even the Ōtsutsuki Clan feared.
Yet the White Snake Sage claimed this path was incorrect?
Then what kind of path would be considered correct?
At this moment, the White Snake Sage chuckled coldly and indifferently asked:
"Before answering your question, I would like to ask you this—"
"What do you think humanity's pursuit of Sage Mode truly represents?"
Uchiha Ci pondered for a moment before replying:
"Perhaps it's a powerful state achieved by absorbing natural energy, which enhances the potency of one's ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu to a qualitative level?"
"Hmph!"
"Powerful?"
Hearing this, the White Snake Sage snorted disdainfully and mockingly asked:
"Then, what do you think constitutes true power?"
"Or rather, what do you believe is the ultimate limit of a ninja?"
Sensing that the old... er, perhaps old lady in front of him didn't intend to kill him and instead seemed to want a debate, Uchiha Ci relaxed slightly. He stroked his chin, thought carefully, and replied:
"The limit of a ninja is probably at the level of Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi, who changed the Shinobi World by establishing the one-nation, one-village system."
After all, in the original work, anyone surpassing Hashirama was essentially no longer a ninja—they were deities.
However, upon hearing this, the White Snake Sage shook its massive head and declared decisively:
"Wrong!"
"The limit of a ninja is not Hashirama Senju."
It paused before adding:
"It is your ancestor, who perished at the hands of the First Hokage—"
"Uchiha Madara!"
Hearing this conclusion, Uchiha Ci raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt. Debates about power levels often boiled down to subjective opinions.
For now, he simply wanted to know why the White Snake Sage had summoned him to Ryūchi Cave using reverse summoning.
Under his gaze, the White Snake Sage slowly unfurled its tail, sighing as it recounted ancient events:
"He who possessed the strongest Bloodline Limit, controlled the most powerful tailed beast, and mastered ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu to perfection—reaching the pinnacle of the Shinobi World and becoming its unrivaled Asura."
"Ultimately, he still fell to Hashirama Senju."
"So, do you think that, with a complete Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode, you could kill Uchiha Madara?"
Uchiha Ci's brow twitched.
Me, kill Uchiha Madara? Are you joking?
Even if you gave me a complete Sage Mode and a tailed beast, I'd barely scratch the surface against an elderly Madara!
The White Snake Sage, noticing his incredulous expression, coldly nodded and said:
"It seems that you, having faced the Nine-Tails, understand this."
"Such a powerful Nine-Tails could only grovel beneath that man's feet."
"And a complete Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode is only marginally stronger than the Cursed Seal Orochimaru bestowed upon you. It would still be inadequate against the Nine-Tails."
"This is the limit of ordinary Sage Arts."
At this moment, the White Snake Sage's tone shifted. It locked eyes with Uchiha Ci, its serpent-like Sharingan staring deeply as it imparted wisdom:
"However, beyond Sage Arts lies an even greater form."
"The key to Hashirama Senju defeating Uchiha Madara was Sage Arts!"
"Not the Sage Arts of the Three Great Sacred Grounds, but a Sage Art that transcends ordinary Sage Modes—a Sage Art derived from the source of life itself!"
"Accessible only when Yang Release reaches its peak, touching the Yang side of this world—"
"The Great Sun Sage Arts!"
The White Snake Sage let out a cold laugh before saying:
"Uchiha Ci..."
"You have already glimpsed a fragment of that power!"
"Think back carefully."
Hearing this, Uchiha Ci instinctively recalled the breathtaking sight he witnessed after shattering the cat's-eye stone in Ryūchi Cave.
The countless green luminescent dots filled the cave, illuminating the dark world into a paradise.
These countless points of light floated in the air, interconnected by green threads that crisscrossed, covering the sky and illuminating the entire cave.
It was an almost infinite convergence of terrifying natural energy!
At this moment, the White Snake Sage leaned closer, its icy breath chilling Uchiha Ci's ear as it opened its massive maw:
"Exactly!"
"That is the true power of a Sage!"
"The Yin side of the world, born from the absurd fantasies of great beings at the end of life, representing the ultimate Yin Release!"
"The key to breaking limits and ascending as a dragon!"