In a remote valley on the border of the Land of Demons.
Sora looked at the several fallen bandits in front of him. Their bodies were entwined with faint, almost imperceptible black energy, their eyes vacant, as if they had no consciousness of their own.
These individuals, corrupted by dark chakra, had strength roughly at the chunin level, but fought with a fearless disregard for death, making them quite troublesome.
He crouched down and retrieved a dark purple crystal from the chest of one of the bandits. It felt cold to the touch and emitted an ominous aura.
"Dark Crystals... it seems the mission is complete."
After a brief inspection, Sora sealed several crystals into a scroll using a sealing scroll. Without further delay, he immediately set off to return to the capital of the Land of Demons.
...
Infiltrating the shrine maiden's palace again was even easier than the first time.
When Sora placed the scroll containing the sealed Dark Crystals on the table in front of the shrine maiden, even she, who had maintained a calm demeanor, showed a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
"Your efficiency is high, Vermilion Bird."
"Fulfill your promise," Sora went straight to the point.
The shrine maiden glanced at him and, without saying much, simply clapped her hands lightly.
A maid, also dressed in shrine maiden attire, entered. She carried an ancient-looking wooden box.
The shrine maiden instructed the maid, "Take him to the side chamber's secret room. He may study there for three days. During this time, if he has questions regarding the basic theories on the scrolls, you may answer them on my behalf. However, you must not involve any specific techniques or core secrets."
"Yes, my lady."
The maid replied respectfully, then gestured for Sora to follow.
Sora's mind stirred slightly; this was an unexpected boon.
He originally thought he would have to study alone, but the shrine maiden had provided a "tutor." Although her authority was limited, having someone to answer questions was much better than fumbling in the dark.
It seemed that the threat of "Madam, you wouldn't want..." and his efficient completion of the task had made the shrine maiden attach greater importance to this transaction.
Sora followed the maid to a secret room located in a corner of the palace, engraved with protective barriers.
The maid placed the wooden box on the study desk inside the room, then quietly retreated to the doorway, standing with her hands at her sides like an emotionless statue.
Opening the wooden box, inside were several scrolls on Contract Seals.
Sora picked up the topmost scroll, "General Theory of Contract Seals: Fundamentals," and began studying it earnestly.
Unlike the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques, which focused more on technique and energy, the Land of Demons' inheritance placed greater emphasis on "rules" and "connections."
"Contracts... are bindings established based on rules..."
Sora's eyes lit up as he read. Many doubts he had about the Dragon Vein seal were suddenly clarified.
No wonder the Dragon Vein seal was so solid. Namikaze Minato didn't just use a powerful sealing technique; he also reinforced it to an extreme degree by utilizing the ancient contractual rules between the bloodline of the Loulan queen and the Dragon Vein.
To break it, brute force wouldn't work. One had to understand the rules involved.
Thinking of this, Sora concentrated even more on his reading. However, the theories later on became increasingly profound. Many concepts about bloodline resonance and rule mapping gave him a headache.
Fortunately, his foundation was solid enough. Although it was his first time coming into contact with such advanced sealing knowledge focused on theory and rules, he just needed more time to comprehend it.
Since there was a "teacher" nearby, there was no need to fumble alone. Sora put down the scroll, walked to the doorway, and asked, "If I want to bypass a bloodline contract, are there any general methods?"
The maid answered expressionlessly, "Direct bloodline is typically the medium. However, certain powerful contracts may recognize specific tokens or conditions... requires specific analysis. There is no universal solution."
Tokens? Specific conditions?
Sora pondered.
He remembered the Loulan queen was named Sarah, the legitimate inheritor of the Dragon Vein contract.
"If the specific contractual subject is known, how should one search for an entry point?"
The maid glanced at Sora and slowly said, "If there is a specific target, one must study its contract history and inheritance methods. Royal bloodlines usually leave behind related records or tokens."
Sora understood in his heart. It seemed finding Sarah was the most direct method to safely utilize the Dragon Vein.
When the time was right, seeking cooperation with her would be much more reliable than forcibly breaking it.
It just so happened to be a good time to first learn the basic principles of Contract Seals to prepare for future negotiations with Sarah.
"I understand."
Sora asked no more and returned to the study desk to continue his studies.
At the same time, he summoned five shadow clones, assigning them specifically to memorize the complex structures of the basic contract seals.
The main body understood the theory, while the clones memorized the seals. Both approaches were employed simultaneously.
Inside the secret room, time passed quietly.
Whenever Sora encountered something he didn't understand, he would ask the maid at the doorway.
Although her attitude was cold, and her answers were as brief and within the permitted scope as possible, they always hit the key point, allowing Sora to have sudden realizations.
He had to admit, the Land of Demons' foundation in sealing techniques, especially in areas related to contracts, was truly and deeply formidable.
No wonder they could seal a monster like Mōryō for generations. After the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools, the Land of Demons was probably the foremost place for sealing technique inheritance in the ninja world.
...
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
When the maid came to remind him that time was up, Sora finally snapped out of his state of forgetting food and sleep due to studying.
Slowly closing the last scroll, Sora let out a long sigh.
Although it was only three short days, and he had only come into contact with the most basic theories and non-core knowledge, Sora felt his horizons and understanding of sealing techniques had been greatly broadened.
Many previous doubts about the Four Symbols Seal and the Dragon Vein Seal now felt suddenly clear.
Now, he only needed to continue deepening his proficiency with Contract Seals, then acquire the artificial tailed beast technology. After that, he could find Sarah to open the seal left by Namikaze Minato and successfully obtain the Dragon Vein!
"Time is up. Please leave."
The maid's voice interrupted Sora's thoughts.
Sora stood up, stretched his somewhat stiff body, and gave a slight nod to the maid.
"Thank you for your guidance these past few days."
"Merely following the shrine maiden's orders," the maid replied, still expressionless.
Sora said no more. He turned and left the secret room. Just like when he arrived, he silently melted into the night and departed from the palace of the Land of Demons.
He needed to find a safe place to properly digest the gains of these three days.
He now knew where the key to the Dragon Vein was — Sarah, the queen of Loulan.
What he needed to do next was wait for the right opportunity to seek cooperation with Sarah.
For now, it was time to return to Konoha.
Report the mission, and then... continue accumulating bargaining chips.
As for Orochimaru, the artificial tailed beast technology should also be put on the agenda.
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