"A gate connecting to other dimensions..."
Orochimaru excitedly licked his lips with his long tongue. "That truly is earth-shattering news!"
"It won't be news for much longer."
Jokichi cast a casual glance at him and sat down in front of a low table nearby. He poured himself a cup of tea, drank it, and proceeded to explain his plan in detail.
About half an hour later.
After listening to Jokichi's plan, Orochimaru pondered for a moment before looking up to ask, "Have you finished all your preparations?"
"You can open a gate to another dimension; that's impressive. But can you maintain the gate permanently?"
"No." Jokichi spoke frankly. "Right now, I can only cross over myself. Creating a dimensional gate that allows everyone to pass through is impossible for me."
Orochimaru shot him a surprised look and asked, "So, you want me to study your abilities and build a gate that can permanently sustain dimensional travel?"
"While I did consider that, I realized it's not very realistic."
Jokichi shook his head. "Even if I have a lot of items on hand that could assist you, with your current level, creating something like that is far too difficult."
"You are absolutely correct."
Orochimaru didn't feel insulted by Jokichi's assessment in the slightest. Instead, he nodded earnestly. "Even with your abilities as a reference, building a machine of that magnitude would take me at least a hundred years."
At this point, Orochimaru added playfully, "If you cannot create a gate for people to cross through, then your entire plan is nothing more than a castle in the sky."
"You don't need to worry about that. I have my own methods."
Jokichi glanced at Orochimaru, took a small sip from his teacup, and continued, "What you need to worry about is developing equipment to help the unified shinobi adapt to otherworldly environments and enhance their combat capabilities."
"And what will I get out of this?" Orochimaru chuckled. "Although doing these things also aligns with my path to understanding the truths of the world, I could just as easily do them alone. Why should I help you for free?"
He quickly added, "Please do not say something cliché like 'In exchange for your life.' Even a guy like me gave up caring about my own life a long time ago."
"Of course, I don't expect you to work for free."
Jokichi raised his hand, pulling out two items.
A helmet and a female doll.
"This helmet stimulates the human brain, allowing it to rapidly generate all kinds of brilliant ideas and inspirations."
"This doll can grant you a powerful, immortal body."
After saying that, Jokichi paused for a moment and added, "Of course, this body is female. Assuming you don't mind!"
"Oh!"
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed as he stared at the two items. As if possessed, ignoring his brain's commands, his body moved on its own as he reached out and took the items from Jokichi's hands.
He flipped the two items over and over, inspecting them closely, before frowning.
"Aren't these just a normal helmet and a normal doll?" He glared indignantly at Jokichi. "Do you really think I'm that easy to fool?"
"Of course not!"
Jokichi smiled faintly.
He took the helmet from Orochimaru's hands and plopped it directly onto his head.
Orochimaru froze for a second. Immediately after, he felt his brain's thought processes become incredibly active. Experimental bottlenecks that had stumped him for years were instantly unraveled.
"It's actually this powerful?!"
Orochimaru's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
This helmet didn't increase a person's raw intelligence, nor did it enhance their memory or calculation speed.
However, it vastly expanded a person's lateral thinking. It prevented the user from being confined by what was right in front of them, allowing them to draw connections to countless other concepts and fully unleash everything they had learned in their lifetime.
"How about you try out the doll next?"
Jokichi suggested with a mischievous grin.
Orochimaru shot him a look, taking in the wicked expression.
But he didn't care.
The miraculous power of the Great Inventor helmet had completely ignited his thirst for exploration. Right now, he just wanted to find a quiet place to conduct his research.
However, he was equally curious about the doll.
"How do I use it?"
"Place it over your heart and imagine yourself merging with it."
Hearing this, Orochimaru grasped Lady White Snake with both hands and pressed it tightly against his chest. Closing his eyes like an innocent maiden, he envisioned himself becoming one with Lady White Snake.
Instantly, Lady White Snake radiated a blinding light, engulfing Orochimaru entirely.
The light persisted for five minutes.
When the glow finally faded, Orochimaru had transformed from a handsome man into a beautiful woman.
Well, Orochimaru's previous body had been female as well, so it was more accurate to say he had transformed from one woman into another.
He paid no mind to the mounds on his chest, cared little for his external appearance, and cared even less about his change in gender.
He simply looked over his new body for a moment before closing his eyes to sense the specific changes.
And with that single sensation, he was utterly astounded.
The first thing he noticed wasn't the changes within his body, but the natural energy permeating the environment.
In the past, he had sought out the White Snake Sage to learn Senjutsu.
But due to his lack of aptitude, he was entirely unable to learn it.
Forget absorbing natural energy; he couldn't even sense it.
Yet now, the moment he closed his eyes, he could feel it as clear as day.
Furthermore, to his utter amazement, this body possessed an incredibly high affinity with natural energy. It was constantly, passively absorbing the thin natural energy around it to nourish its cells, causing its life force to grow increasingly vigorous.
"This is...?!"
Orochimaru's eyes flew open once again, looking at Jokichi in complete bewilderment, hoping he would explain the nature of this body.
Jokichi's Tenseigan and Rinne Sharingan had observed his physical transformations clearly. He chuckled and explained, "Lady White Snake was originally a snake. Through a thousand years of absorbing spiritual energy, she achieved a human form."
"Oh, by 'spiritual energy,' I mean natural energy."
"Since you've now obtained her body, possessing this level of affinity with natural energy is perfectly normal."
"To actually transform from a snake into a human..."
"Although there are snakes in Ryuchi Cave that can assume human form, those are merely illusions. At their core, they are still snakes."
"But Lady White Snake's body is fundamentally different. I can feel it. This is a true human body. She has completed the metamorphosis of life, capable of freely switching between the two life forms."
"Moreover, as the body absorbs natural energy to nourish its cells, it is constantly undergoing further metamorphosis. One day, it will evolve into an even more powerful and noble existence."
Ripples of intense curiosity danced in Orochimaru's beautiful eyes as he listened to Jokichi's words.
"Different worlds possess entirely different phenomena. Studying these phenomena and uncovering the truths behind them is exactly what I pursue."
Nourishing cells...
Evolution...
Jokichi curled his lips, unable to suppress a mental complaint: That's called cultivation! Becoming an immortal cultivator, for crying out loud!
However, without a cultivation technique or the innate breathing instincts of a Yokai...
Relying solely on the body's passive absorption...
It'll probably take him tens of thousands of years to truly become an immortal!
Of course, the possibility of Orochimaru inventing a cultivation technique on his own couldn't be ruled out.
But that wouldn't matter by then anyway.
"So, do you accept my invitation?"
"Do you really need to ask?"