Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 311 Orochimaru's Path of Cultivation

In the depths of winter, the cultivation grounds were shrouded in a pristine white snow curtain. The mountain peaks, covered in silver, resembled a fairyland. A biting wind howled past, whipping snowflakes into a swirling dance, creating a sense of serene mystery.

Thick snow piled up on the steps leading up the mountain, like a white carpet stretching into the distance. The trees on both sides had long since withered, leaving only bare branches shivering in the cold wind. Yet, in this world of ice and snow, there was a unique vitality.

The mountain path was already covered in snow, revealing only faint traces. Various massive buildings still stood majestically, their surfaces also blanketed in snow, as if draped in white cloaks. Entering the cultivation grounds, a tranquil and peaceful scene unfolded before one's eyes.

The snow in the square had been cleared away, revealing the bluestone pavement. A few plum blossoms bloomed in the corner, emitting a faint fragrance and adding a touch of life to the cold winter. In the incense burner in front of the main hall, wisps of smoke rose, mingling with the snowflakes to create a transcendent atmosphere.

The distant mountain peaks, set against the backdrop of snow, appeared even more majestic and magnificent, shrouded in mist and clouds, resembling a fairyland. Members of the Hyuga clan moved through the mountains, dressed in thin clothing yet seemingly unfazed by the cold. Some were practicing their techniques, some were discussing principles, and some were admiring the snowscape.

The training grounds in winter, though cold, are filled with tranquility and mystery, giving one a sense of transcendence.

Snowflakes drifted down from the training ground, and a biting wind howled, but Orochimaru felt no cold at all. His body moved like a nimble snake, swiftly darting across the snow, each strike carrying a sharp, powerful aura. His movements were fluid and natural, as if he were one with nature, leaving onlookers in awe.

Orochimaru's gaze was focused and resolute as he concentrated entirely on his training. Every movement he made was meticulously designed and repeatedly practiced, striving to bring the essence of the Taoist Demon-Subduing Fist to its fullest potential. His breathing was steady and powerful, echoing the rhythm of his fist techniques, creating a unique cadence.

Snowflakes drifted down as Orochimaru danced, landing on him and instantly melting into water droplets that trickled down his skin. His black hair fluttered in the wind, exuding a mysterious and captivating aura. His face was expressionless, yet it revealed a resolute determination.

In this icy and snowy world, Orochimaru is like a blooming plum blossom, radiating his own light with unwavering resilience. He embodies the true essence of the Taoist Demon-Subduing Fist through his actions, demonstrating unparalleled strength and perseverance.

However, in less than six months, Orochimaru had already successfully completed the arduous body-training process and was currently in the crucial stage of opening his dantian and condensing the Qi vortex seed. At this moment, his body had fully adapted to and integrated into the fusion process of natural energy, laying a solid foundation for the future absorption and refinement of natural energy by the Qi vortex. Beside the arena, several of Orochimaru's loyal subordinates were watching his every move intently, their eyes filled with seriousness and focus. They knew this was a rare learning opportunity and an important moment to witness Orochimaru's growth.

Kabuto, Kimimaro, and the Sound Four had all completed the process of expelling and refining their chakra. Compared to Orochimaru, their situation was much better, as their chakra reserves weren't as vast. This made the process relatively easier for them. However, Kimimaro faced the most difficulty. Despite this, he successfully completed the refining process thanks to his unwavering willpower. Surprisingly, with the expulsion and refinement of his chakra, Kimimaro's long-standing bloodstain disease was miraculously cured! This result brought relief and exhilaration to everyone.

Orochimaru has now reached the limit of his physical cultivation, and his dantian has been largely developed. At this moment, his only task is to condense the Qi vortex seed, thus successfully breaking through from the Body Refinement stage to the Qi Refining stage. Today, an exceptionally strong premonition surges within him—his breakthrough day is today! This intense feeling compels him to disregard the bitter cold and swirling snowflakes outside, resolutely heading to the training ground to continue practicing his basic Taoist Demon Subduing Fist.

As he continued to swing his fists, his body gradually adapted to the rhythm of his surroundings, causing a slight fluctuation within his dantian that mirrored the environment. And as Orochimaru's punches slowed, his harmony with his surroundings deepened, as if he had become one with his environment, natural and in perfect harmony.

Just then, Orochimaru suddenly stopped, standing silently and motionless. At the same time, the snowflakes that had been falling around him seemed to be influenced by some unseen force, scattered by a mysterious aura. These snowflakes spread outwards in a peculiar way, forming strange ripples that spread continuously like waves. The entire scene appeared exceptionally mysterious and eerie, inspiring both curiosity and awe.

Those watching nearby also noticed this anomaly, their expressions grave, completely bewildered. Kabuto, fearing something might have gone wrong with Orochimaru's training, immediately instructed Kimimaro beside him, "Kimimaro, quickly go and fetch Hyuga Neji, see what's wrong with Lord Orochimaru!"

"Alright!" Kimimaro nodded, then his figure quickly disappeared from the training ground and headed towards his residence.

In the short time that Hyuga Neji and Kimimaro arrived at the training ground, Orochimaru's aura had become increasingly powerful, and the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth began to converge towards him.

Seeing this, Hyuga Neji frowned slightly, but still quickly walked to Orochimaru and carefully observed his condition. After a while, he spoke, "As expected of Orochimaru, he's already reached the Qi Refining Realm so quickly." After saying that, he turned to look at the others present and continued, "Everyone, don't worry too much, this is good news. He is currently condensing his own Qi vortex seed in his dantian and will soon complete the breakthrough and officially embark on the path of cultivation."

Hearing Hyuga Neji's words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They knew that once Orochimaru successfully broke through to the Qi Refining Realm, his strength would be greatly enhanced, which would be a good thing for all of them. For Orochimaru himself, it was an even more rare opportunity, allowing him to explore the mysteries of cultivation more deeply.

Hyuga Neji and the others stood quietly in the training ground, silently waiting for Orochimaru to complete his breakthrough. At this moment, Orochimaru was in a strange state, as if the entire world had shrunk to just him.

He could clearly feel the fluctuations emanating from his dantian; a powerful force was gathering. As time passed, this peculiar fluctuation gradually converged towards the center of his dantian, becoming smaller but also stronger.

However, what surprised Orochimaru most was that the natural energy, usually elusive and difficult to control, was unusually active this time. It entered Orochimaru's body rapidly and steadily, then surged directly towards his dantian. This natural energy seemed to resonate with the power within Orochimaru, further enhancing his strength.

During this process, Orochimaru's mindset also changed. He was no longer as tense and anxious as before, but became calm and confident. He knew that he had found the key to a breakthrough, and as long as he persisted, he could successfully cross this threshold and achieve his goal.

Then, the fluctuations in Orochimaru's dantian suddenly solidified, forming a miniature vortex. The natural energy that had entered his body was completely absorbed by this miniature vortex. Orochimaru immediately understood that this was the vortex of the Qi Refining Realm that Hyuga Neji had mentioned. Now, he needed his soul power to propel the vortex to rotate, transforming it into a vortex that refined natural energy.

Orochimaru immediately mobilized his soul power to propel the vortex. As his soul power entered his dantian, it caused the vortex to begin rotating, absorbing the natural energy that entered his dantian. As the vortex spun faster and faster, the natural energy began to be broken down and reformed, and a very pure energy began to flow out from the bottom.

The pure energy rapidly entered Orochimaru's meridians, then quickly permeated every cell. His entire body, as if starved, greedily absorbed this energy. This instantly replenished and restored the energy depleted from refining the chakra seed. Orochimaru's keen perception revealed that this pure energy wasn't merely filling the cellular void; more importantly, it was propelling the cells towards further development and evolution, granting them the potential for further evolution. However, the current amount of pure energy was still far too scarce to allow his body to undergo substantial evolution. But Orochimaru firmly believed that as long as he continued to absorb this energy, sooner or later he would achieve a complete transformation and evolution. This discovery thrilled Orochimaru; he knew he had finally embarked on the path of cultivation and evolution. With perseverance, the moment of transformation would surely arrive.

Orochimaru quickly recovered from his breakthrough; this was merely the first step on his path of cultivation, and a more powerful and glorious road awaited him. While the feeling was intoxicating, he was far from satisfied with this small achievement. What he needed now was to catch up with Hyuga Neji as quickly as possible, then surpass him, and strive towards Hyuga Kanan's level.