Crossover: A Different Inuyasha.

Chapter 69 Kikyo of the Underworld, Naraku Trapped in a Net of Despair

A few days later, it was that secret room that connected to the underworld again.

The layout of the secret room is completely different from what it was a few years ago.

The circular array on the ground has been redrawn, and each rune has been repeatedly examined and verified. Several water-colored jade stones have also been embedded in the corners to stabilize the spiritual flow.

Jade was an unexpected delight from the Rain Master Bailu, and it has a remarkable effect on the flow of energy.

The talismans on the four walls gleamed with a calm, deep blue light, like a circle of starlight kept in captivity, flickering in the candlelight.

Inuyasha sat cross-legged in the center of the circle, with a newly made terracotta figurine in front of him.

The terracotta figurines are much finer than before, with dark red runes drawn on the surface in fine strokes. The patterns are intertwined with Maple's hair and meander down the figurine's body.

"My bastard father is avoiding me, and my beautiful mother has already been reincarnated. I've been preparing for three years, it's time to meet her."

The runes of the circular array lit up one by one, from the four cardinal directions on the outermost ring, to the flow of the five elements in the middle, and finally the eerie green soul-summoning incantations on the inner side, each stroke lighting up like a river ignited by moonlight.

Inuyasha's consciousness began to sink.

The gray mist parted from both sides, crossed the River Styx, stepped over the bridge, and revealed a narrow and winding path, on both sides of which grew large swathes of flowers that surged like fresh blood.

The petals are slender and curled, with edges tinged with intense crimson, like velvet soaked in the sunset, stretching all the way to the horizon.

Inuyasha's gaze followed the path forward, passing through the surging sea of ​​flowers.

A figure stood deep within the flower bushes.

She stood among the spider lilies, her feet sinking into the gaps in the flower stems, dressed in a white-on-top, red-on-bottom shrine maiden outfit, which shimmered softly and faintly in the dim light of the underworld.

A pristine white hairband tied her long, smooth, black hair at the back of her head, the ends of her Hime cut falling quietly to her shoulders.

His dark eyes were calm and clear, like the night sky in the depths of winter, so clean that there was not a trace of impurity, yet deep in his eyes lay a very faint, indescribable melancholy.

She had an oval face, delicate and pretty features, and slightly pursed pale cherry-colored lips.

An old-fashioned bow and arrow were slung diagonally behind his back. The wood grain of the bow was faintly visible in the dim light, and the string hung loosely, as if it had not been drawn for a long time.

"Platycodon grandiflorus!"

Inuyasha's gaze stopped.

In that instant, memories flooded his mind like a dam being breached, even those details he thought had been erased by time, now vividly clear.

I remember our first meeting was in a torrential downpour. Kikyo was alone, facing hundreds of thousands of demons. Her white clothes were soaked with mud. She drew her bow and released it repeatedly in the rain, shooting one arrow after another until the quiver was completely empty.

The demons who attempted to steal the Shikon Jewel either died or fled, their severed limbs piled up in all directions, and the rain washed away the bloodstains into dark red streams that meandered down the terrain.

When the shrine maiden finally collapsed, he was hiding on a tree trunk a few steps away, watching her face, which was lying in the mud and water and washed clean by the heavy rain, through the rain curtain.

What an amazing woman.

Inuyasha, who also sought the Shikon Jewel to become a complete demon, did nothing and watched as she was carried away by the villagers, thus missing his chance to obtain the Shikon Jewel for the first time.

Later, in order to seize the Shikon Jewel, he infiltrated Maple Village several times.

But each time, Kikyo's arrow pinned him to the tree trunk, piercing through the fire rat's fur and leaving Inuyasha suspended in mid-air.

The feeling of being unable to break free from the constraints, and the cold, expressionless look she gave him as she stood a few steps away, looking down at him with a blank face, all filled him with an inexplicable anxiety.

Inuyasha couldn't understand why this priestess, whose strength was clearly excessive, didn't simply shoot an arrow through his heart as cleanly and decisively as she had done with other demons.

Are they looking down on him, a half-demon?

It wasn't until later that Inuyasha learned that the priestess had retained her power on that rainy night.

Then, at some point, the memory of being pinned to the tree trunk by an arrow faded.

Spring, summer, autumn, and winter—unbeknownst to them, they accompanied the shrine maiden through the changing seasons.

From the cherry blossoms to the cicadas' song, from the maple leaves turning the mountaintops red to the first snow covering her shoulders.

Inuyasha accompanied the priestess to witness the crisp sound of ice floes colliding when the river thawed in spring, to see fireflies flickering among the grass on summer nights, and to witness the harvest in autumn.

I saw her wearing a raincoat and a straw hat in the winter, treating injuries and illnesses in various homes.

He remembered that evening by the river.

The setting sun turned the water into a molten gold, and he and she sat in a small boat.

Upon reaching the riverbank, the shrine maiden, holding a paddle, accidentally stumbled into her own arms. Love permeated the embrace, and finally, as their eyes met, it materialized.

And then, finally.

On that clear day, Kikyo, her shoulder stained with blood, stood before him, holding a bow in her hand, an arrow already nocked.

Her eyes were dark and clear, like a mirror that had been polished repeatedly, reflecting only his image.

"Inuyasha—!!!"

The sounds of the past pierce through memory, abruptly severing those surging recollections.

Hearing Inuyasha's familiar call from across a field of spider lilies, Kikyo turned her head in disbelief.

Her gaze fell on Inuyasha's unchanging face, from his brow bone to his jaw, from his golden eyes to his long silver hair.

Surprise surfaced in those dark eyes, like bubbles bursting on the surface of a lake; confusion followed closely, a slight furrow at the brow, as if asking, "Why you?" And then, the final layer—hatred!

"Inuyasha—!!!"

The priestess's voice pierced through the sea of ​​red spider lilies, and through the thin, fragile barrier between the underworld and the present world.

In that instant, the entire sea of ​​flowers seemed to be ignited by her hatred. Crimson petals fell from the stems, like countless flames whipped up by the wind, surging towards Inuyasha's direction.

The aura around her suddenly surged—the priestess's spiritual power transformed into a cold, deadly blade that spread outwards from her feet, slicing through the spider lilies and the ground beneath her feet.

The light from the circular array began to flicker intensely.

The four cardinal directions on the outer edge were the first to give way, and the four colors of light—blue, red, white, and black—dimmed simultaneously, like four lamps blown out by the wind.

The runes of the Five Elements were twisted and deformed on the stone slab, and the eerie green soul-summoning incantation shattered one after another.

Each crack was accompanied by a very soft, crisp sound, like glass falling to the ground.

Inuyasha felt his consciousness being violently pulled down by an unseen hand. That force, carrying Kikyo's hatred, was like a hook, trying to drag him into hell!

He only had time to shout "I will come back!" before he escaped from the underworld.

Inside the secret chamber, the light of the circular array dissipated, and the water-colored jade stones embedded in the corners of the array to stabilize the spiritual flow were now mostly shattered.

Inuyasha's body jolted violently, like a drowning person being suddenly pulled out of the water.

He opened his eyes, a metallic taste rising in his throat. Before he could suppress it, a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, sliding down the curve of his jaw and leaving a small, dark, damp stain on the collar of his crimson robe.

He raised his hand to wipe the corner of his mouth, his hand stained with warm blood. He glanced down at it and then let out a soft scoff.

"What a tigress!"

Inuyasha tilted his head back, lay on the floor, and slowly curved the corners of his mouth into a smile, a smile that held a hint of interest and a touch of nostalgia.

There was also a hint of hatred.

"Naraku, you deserve to die!"

A cold voice echoed in the sealed room.

The early autumn wind swept through the mountains of the west, turning the grass and trees covering the hillsides slightly yellow.

As dusk approached, the clouds were burned into a dark orange-red by the setting sun.

A gaunt figure was skimming low over the treetops, hair flying wildly in the wind, carrying a ghostly green lantern in its hand.

The lantern's light flickered in the twilight, like an eye suspended in mid-air.

The ghost woman, Ritsu, traveled across most of the Eastern Kingdom. After accidentally losing track of Naraku when she encountered him again, she created a ghost lantern imbued with Naraku's aura, specifically for finding people.

This old hag has a lot of unorthodox but useful ghost techniques stored in her mind.

At that moment, the ghostly flame inside the lantern trembled.

Li Tao looked down and saw the lights in the city below lighting up one after another.

------------

Smoke and noise rise from the streets and alleys, a typical scene of a town at dusk.

"Flew across most of the Eastern country."

Rito grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth. "Finally found you, you rat! The spirit robes of the deity are mine!"

Her body sank, like a night owl pouncing on its prey, plummeting straight down from mid-air.

The will-o'-the-wisp lantern swayed in her hand, its eerie green light casting two swaying shadows, one long and one short, through the alleyways.

She landed silently on the roof tiles, bent down, and looked through the lower half of the paper door into a back room of a Kabukicho.

Inside the paper door, the candlelight was dim.

Several male human corpses lay scattered on the floor, piled haphazardly together.

A voluptuous woman was squatting beside one of the corpses, a look of satisfaction on her face, devouring the body.

If you're injured, should you try to heal yourself with something similar?

Li Tao grinned.

She leaped down from the eaves and landed on the bluestone steps at the doorway. She thrust the will-o'-the-wisp lantern forward, and a ghostly green flame shot out from the lamp, transforming into a slender fire snake that lunged straight at Naraku's back.

Naraku moved at almost the same time.

His figure suddenly dispersed like smoke and dust blown away by the wind, and his lower body transformed into countless twisting tree roots and tendrils, rolling into the darkness outside the house.

The fire serpent missed its target, colliding with the tree roots and tendrils, and bursting into a bluish-green flame.

"It's you again, you old hag."

Naraku's voice came from the shadows outside the house, carrying a low, impatient tone that could no longer be suppressed after being repeatedly disturbed.

Tree roots and tendrils emerged from under the eaves, through the window lattices, and from the cracks in the ground, like countless dark, venomous snakes, coiling towards Litao.

"You'd better just let me catch you obediently, so you won't suffer any physical pain. Others wouldn't be as merciful as this old woman."

Li Tao took a step forward, and the lantern in his hand shone twice as brightly.

The eerie green flames transformed into a ring of fire, swirling around her and burning away all the approaching tentacles.

The broken tendrils twitched twice on the ground before quickly withering into ashes, emitting a burnt, acrid smell.

"Naraku, no matter how fast you run, you can't outrun this lantern. Accept your fate."

Li Tao gave a hoarse laugh, his gaze piercing through the swirling dust and locking onto a figure rapidly taking shape at the end of the street.

Naraku stood at the end of the alley, revealing his gray-brown body covered in miasma. Then he turned around, transformed into a dark streak of light, and sped away toward the horizon.

Li Tao clicked his tongue, picked up the lantern, and then his body soared into the air.

Two figures, one in front and one behind, streaked across the sky above the small town in the early autumn twilight.

"We can't miss this opportunity!"

"Capture Naraku and offer him to the God!"

A low shout echoed through the forest, and more than a dozen agile figures sprang out.

The leader was none other than Steel Fang of the Demon Wolf Clan!

Industry specializing in surgery.

The initial widespread search failed to find Naraku, but after Rito found him a second time, the demons of Rashomon reached a consensus.

"Hey, you guys think you can be the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind?"

Xia Lan, who was blocking the way, crossed her arms and looked down at Gangya's face.

"This road is open to all, only one side may pass!"

Steel Teeth abruptly stopped in his tracks, staring at Xia Lan with a tense jaw.

"Leopard Cat, capturing Naraku is the Lord's order. Don't go too far."

"Too much?"

Xia Lan chuckled softly, her cat tail swaying slowly behind her.

"Little wolf, you're being too polite. I just happen to be standing here, just happen to be blocking your way, and just happen to—not want you to pass."

"And with the eldest sister already deployed, Naraku has nowhere to escape this time!"

The pupils of the man with the steel teeth contracted.

He didn't speak again, but slowly lowered his center of gravity, his gaze passing over Xia Lan's shoulder, looking at the fading light that was about to disappear into the twilight, then returning to the face in front of him that was full of provocation.

"Steel Teeth, let's get started!"

"We can't let this opportunity slip by!"

Under Xia Lan's aggressive gaze, the wolf demons pressed forward defiantly.

At the other end of the forest, spring mist was slowly descending from mid-air.

Her figure was as light as a feather held up by the wind. She landed on the tree, her clothes fluttering slightly for a moment before gathering back down.

Looking down at the figure of Tsukiyomaru, a member of the Hundred Demon Bat Clan, who was about to take off, his black bat wings unfolded in the twilight, with a thin layer of blood-red light shining through the edges.

"Tsukiyomaru."

A resolute look appeared on Chunlan's petite face. "You'd better stay."

Tsukiyomaru, who exudes a gentle and refined air, paused in mid-air, his bat wings slightly folded, and turned his head to look at Haruaki.

A helpless, bitter smile appeared on his face, clearly indicating that he did not want to confront the leopard cat head-on.

"Chunlan, everyone's target is Naraku. If you leopard cats manage to catch Naraku, that's fine, but if you don't, can you bear the consequences of the God's wrath?"

"There's no need for you to trouble yourself with that."

Chunlan showed no intention of backing down.

"I don't covet the power of the spirit suit; it's just that my wife needs it!"

Tsukiyomaru did not retreat; a semi-transparent barrier unfolded again with the bat wings.

"Then let's see who has the best skills!"

Chunlan gently moved her fingertips inside her sleeve, and a flurry of cherry blossoms fell, enveloping Yueye Maru within the barrier.

On the other side, Qiu Lan made no attempt to conceal her presence, brazenly flying through the air.

Inuyasha taught the art of flight to Ruri Shrine in Rashomon.

Most of the powerful monsters and humans have already mastered it.

Qiu Lan was shirtless, with her arms crossed over her chest.

Opposite them, a figure swept in from the sky; it was Feitian and Mantian from the Thunder Beast Clan.

Qiu Lan grinned and said, "Sorry, I've taken this road."

The Flying Thunder Strike Gun was held horizontally in front of him, arcs of electricity crackling at its tip. His tone turned cold. "You're going to block both of us by yourself?"

"I never said I'd block you."

Qiu Lan clashed her hands together, sparks flying, "I just don't want anyone to interfere with my eldest sister's capture of Naraku."

Mantian sat atop a dark cloud, his narrow, triangular eyes slightly narrowed.

"They're even more arrogant than us! Boss, let's take them down together!"

More leopard cats are emerging from the forest.

They dispersed, blocking the various demon clans that had also rushed to the scene upon hearing the news.

But even the powerful and well-equipped Leopard Cat clan is no match for four hands.

Before long, they were forced into a series of defeats.

When the dog demon clan appeared, they collapsed at the first touch!

Just then, a chill suddenly descended from the sky.

In just a few breaths, the sky changed from dark blue to leaden gray, and fine snowflakes fell from the clouds, appearing abrupt and chilly in the early autumn twilight.

The temperature dropped sharply, and the snowflakes flying everywhere quickly became denser and faster, enveloping most of the forest in a white, chaotic mist.

A figure emerged from the snow.

Donglan stood in the air amidst the swirling snowflakes, slightly raising her hand, and an ice wall appeared in front of Naraku as he sped away.

Naraku was forced to stop by the ice wall and had to retreat several feet. Dark light re-condensed into human form in the snow curtain.

Donglan shifted her gaze from Naraku and glanced indifferently at Ritsu, who was clutching a lantern and preparing to seize the opportunity to kill Naraku, just a step behind him.

"Um?"

"Lord Donglan—this is the one I finally found—"

The latter seemed to be nailed to the spot by the icy blue gaze. Li Tao's lips moved slightly, and he reluctantly stepped back.

Donglan withdrew her gaze and returned it to Naraku. She stood in the center of the snow curtain, her eyes shining brightly and coldly against the backdrop of the white sky.

The sound was neither too loud nor too soft, like the very fine, crisp sound of ice and snow cracking.

"You are Naraku?"

"Should I break your limbs and freeze your torso, or will you surrender and come with me obediently?"

The wind, carrying snowflakes, howled through the air, scattering the last notes of her voice.

Surrounded and trapped, Naraku looked around, feeling utterly helpless, his body trembling slightly in the cold wind.

"Don't underestimate me, Naraku!"

"Extreme Cold Purgatory!"

An icy blue light burst forth from Donglan's palm, like an ice lotus blooming instantly in the wind and snow, carrying a chilling wave that could even devour the wind and snow, sweeping towards Naraku.

The light comes quickly and goes even faster.

When the snow settled again, all that remained was a lifelike ice sculpture—Naraku's figure frozen in place, like an insect trapped in amber.

"A clown jumping around like a tree trunk."

Dong Lan turned her head, intending to grab Li Tao to do the hard labor, but her eyes suddenly turned serious as she looked at the demonic clouds rolling in from the east.

"Sesshomaru————"

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