Chapter 91

The three great Divine Princesses naturally could not match him in their attainment of senjutsu.

And precisely because of this,

throughout all of Ryūchi Cave,

only he could sense just how immense the natural energy contained within Hashirama Senju was.

If he had not seen it with his own eyes,

the White Snake Sage himself would not have dared to believe it —

that there truly existed a human who could reach this step??!

Natural energy swirled around Hashirama Senju's body,

lending him the bearing of a sovereign.

Sensing this, the White Snake Sage already knew —

Hashirama Senju's mastery of natural energy had already surpassed his own!!

Standing before him,

the White Snake Sage felt as though he faced the entire world itself,

as though he were nature incarnate!!!

This was, in fact, the very goal the White Snake Sage had toiled toward for so many years,

yet he had never managed to reach this step.

He himself knew just how distant this step truly was —

it looked like only a small step,

but between them lay a gap as vast as heaven and earth!!!

The White Snake Sage had a premonition:

if only he could take this step,

he would surely undergo a qualitative transformation!!!

But no matter how hard he cultivated senjutsu,

he could never grasp how to cross this threshold!!

……

The Great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku,

at this moment, was also staring with a solemn expression at the scene unfolding on the screen.

At this time,

where was his usual drowsy, half-asleep appearance?

His eyes showed not the slightest trace of cloudiness,

looking perfectly clear and bright.

"Asura…"

"Hashirama Senju…"

"Senjutsu…"

The Great Toad Sage murmured to himself.

As one of the earliest beings in this world to master natural energy,

he naturally knew

just how difficult this energy was to master!!

Even after cultivating for countless years across the three great Holy Lands,

they still could not say with one hundred percent certainty

that they had fully grasped the mysteries of this energy!!

Their practice of senjutsu also relied on many clever shortcuts,

only then could they indirectly wield natural energy,

guiding it into their bodies,

and then entering Sage Mode!!

As for the Hashirama Senju on the screen,

the Great Toad Sage could determine with one hundred percent certainty

that he had not employed any shortcut,

nor was he forcing natural energy into his body —

rather, natural energy was actively swirling around him,

showing him affection!!!

The Great Toad Sage watched for a long time but still could not figure it out —

how had Hashirama Senju managed to achieve this?

In his heart, he even felt a touch of envy toward the version of himself on the screen,

who had been in contact with Hashirama Senju for so many years —

even if he did not know how to reach this state,

it surely would have offered them some inspiration for their own senjutsu cultivation!!

……

"Hashirama467 Senju… may I ask you a question?"

"Why do you pursue power with such obsession?"

"Judging by your current strength, there is probably no one in the entire world who could be your opponent."

"Even if you obtained the senjutsu of our Ryūchi Cave, the boost to your strength would probably be negligible, unable to bring about any qualitative change."

A thick shade of doubt rose in the White Snake Sage's eyes.

This Asura's reincarnation, Hashirama Senju, was already so powerful,

yet he still felt as though some incomparably terrifying existence were pursuing him from behind,

compelling the Hashirama Senju before him to keep pressing forward!!

The White Snake Sage could clearly sense

that a deep sense of crisis lurked in Hashirama Senju's heart.

"Although in this world, it seems I can no longer find any opponent."

"But you, White Snake Sage, have lived long enough."

"You should know that in this world, there are still many existences that defy common reason…"

"I combed through the entire history of the shinobi world and found that many things unknown to people are hidden behind it."

"The entire shinobi world is as though an invisible great hand were manipulating everything from behind…"

"Take me for instance… White Snake Sage… although this is our first meeting, you seem quite familiar with me."

"The name Asura… if I remember correctly, he is the ancestor of our Senju clan, yet both you and the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku have mentioned that name to my face more than once."

"As though I truly were his reincarnation…"

At this point, Hashirama Senju looked deeply at the White Snake Sage before him.

The White Snake Sage had not expected Hashirama Senju to be so perceptive,

able to deduce so much from just a few scattered clues!!!

Even though he had already stood at such a height,

when the White Snake Sage thought of the battles that had occurred in this world several thousand years ago,

he still felt a jolt of dread strike his heart!!!

Those visitors from beyond the heavens were truly far too powerful!!

If not for the help of that woman's own son,

this world would probably have long since become her playground,

reduced to the food in her mouth!!!

Moreover, from what the White Snake Sage knew,

that terrifying woman,