Crossover: A Different Inuyasha.

Chapter 81 Once you arrive in another world, you must show your true abilities; Lingyue Fairy in the Cloud Palace

Douya gripped the hilt of his sword, preparing to forcefully break through this spatial barrier with the Hell Dragon Strike.

Active reincarnation and passive rebirth are two different things—he still wants to stay in the underworld and wait for that brat Inuyasha's wedding!

"That kid took the shrine maiden away so long ago—has he forgotten about his father?"

Douya Wang laughed and cursed, already mentally prepared for all sorts of things.

He has nothing to complain about.

Having lived to this age, I've fought the battles I needed to fight, protected the people I needed to protect, and paid off most of my debts. My only regret is that I won't be able to see my grandson.

But just then, a wisp of spacetime, completely different from both the Netherworld and the Underworld, seeped in from somewhere on the edge of the void.

The aura was both unfamiliar and vibrant, carrying a spatial and temporal pattern he had never encountered before.

Douya Wang raised his eyebrows slightly.

Is this feeling... from another world?

He turned towards the direction from which the aura was coming. Although there was no path or direction in the void, he could clearly feel the aura from another dimension.

Is this a coincidence?

Douya Wang pondered for a moment, then smiled.

He has never been good at hesitating, nor has he ever been afraid of the unknown.

There's no turning back, so let's move forward. Whatever lies ahead is better than being reborn.

Leave behind all the promises that couldn't be kept and the faces we haven't met yet.

To prevent any accidents, Toga King channeled his demonic power into the Murakumo-ga, forming a barrier to seal the blade. Then, he took a step towards the direction from which the aura was coming.

When he opened his eyes again—

The first thing that entered my nasal cavity was a strong smell of sulfur and burning.

The ground beneath our feet was a cracked rock layer, with lava churning between the fissures. Bubbles burst on the scorching surface, each burst sending up several points of dark red fire, which were then evaporated into fine dust by the heat of the ground.

The sky hung low like a canopy, its color a murky mix of dark red and gray-black, with a few blurry afterimages occasionally flitting across its edges, accompanied by faint howls.

Douya stood still, his gaze rising from the lava fissure beneath his feet to the horizon. His silver hair was tossed about by the hot wind, and his golden pupils reflected the entire scene of this world.

"Another world, a hell?"

"Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?"

With a helpless expression, Douya Wang slowly slid his fingertip along the spine of Congyunya's blade, unsealing the seal patterns wrapped around the blade.

A dark red aura burst forth from the edge of the blade, spreading into a deep, lustrous blood-red halo in the air. The blade hummed softly in his palm, as if responding to the malevolent energy and resentment surging in this unfamiliar world.

"Wait, there's a human scent in the air, and it seems there's also—"

Just as he was about to take a step, a faint scent drifted in from a crack in the lava surface ahead, gently brushing against his nose.

Touya-oh's figure stopped.

The smell was very faint.

It's as if it was blown here layer by layer by the wind from a very far place, and most of its original appearance has been peeled away, leaving only a wisp of its outline.

His heart skipped a beat. "—It smells like Inuyasha?"

Douya Wang's expression darkened slightly.

With a light tap of his toes on the scorched rock, his body soared into the air, following the faint, elusive aura as he sped off into the distance.

The lava ground receded rapidly beneath his feet, and as he drew closer, the surrounding scenery began to change noticeably.

The charred rock face bears many marks of lightning strikes, with cracks gleaming with a scorched yellow color, as if it had been repeatedly struck by some powerful lightning force.

Some of the broken stones still retained traces of lingering lightning; tiny blue arcs of electricity flickered between the cracks in the rocks before extinguishing completely.

Douya Wang frowned more and more as he settled on the leeward side of a mountain ridge.

He looked up and saw a thunder beast corpse lying among the rubble on the mountaintop not far ahead. Its fur was mostly charred black, and there was a deep cut on its neck that revealed the bone. The blood had congealed into a dark brown hard shell, covering a large area of ​​the ground.

A translucent soul was being slowly pulled from its body by a thread, like a wet rope being lifted from water, being dragged little by little into the air.

The end of the silk thread was held in the hand of a man dressed in hunting attire.

The man stood calmly on the edge of the mountain peak, his robes billowing slightly in the hot wind.

He had his eyes downcast, holding a dark purple talisman in his hand. With a light turn of his fingertips, the soul of the thunder beast, like a tamed stream, converged layer by layer along the talisman's guidance, gathering towards his palm.

He clearly intended to refine the complete soul of a thunder beast into his own shikigami.

"Does this world also have Thunder Beasts?"

Douya Wang's gaze shifted from the Thunder Beast's corpse to the face of the Hunting Man.

Although he had never seen this face before, the deep spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from the other person made him realize that this person was definitely not simple.

But no matter who the other party is, whether it's extracting souls and refining spirits in front of him or in the place where he smelled Inuyasha's scent, Toga flipped his wrist and unleashed a horizontal slash with the Murakumo Fang, a ceremonial blade of light.

As the blade drew near, the man seemed to sense it beforehand, lightly tapping his feet and drifting backward several feet.

The dark red blade light slashed a smooth, mirror-like crack in the rock wall, the cut surface still glowing with the lingering red warmth of the hellfire.

The man in the hunting robe steadied himself before turning his head, his gaze piercing through the hot wind and dust of the mountaintop, landing on Touya-o.

His eyes and brows held a calm expression that showed no panic despite being startled.

Douya Wang raised his hand and made a move.

The thunder beast's soul, which was being guided upwards by the talisman, broke free from the hunter's control and came towards his palm.

The soul trembled slightly in my palm, carrying a sense of bewilderment and weakness from surviving a catastrophe.

Douya Wang glanced down at the Thunder Beast Soul Body curled up in his palm, and after confirming that it was intact, he began to ask three questions in a row.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? What is your relationship with my son, Inuyasha?"

When Raiju heard the name "Inuyasha," he trembled slightly. Even though he hadn't lost his composure when Inuyasha's soul was extracted, he now felt an urge to shed tears, and his voice became hoarse and heavy.

"Lord Touya-o—is that you?"

"You recognize me?"

"Your subordinate is Lei Ming, the chieftain of the Thunder Beast Clan."

Lei Ming composed himself and said briefly, "We are here to explore this world on the orders of Lord Inuyasha, having crossed the Mirror of Time."

"But an unexpected thing happened. After I came in, I didn't see the person who came in before me. After waiting for a while, no one came after me."

"Having no other choice, I searched my surroundings and encountered this person here."

"He called himself Abe no Seimei, and his subordinates were no match for him and were defeated."

Douya Wang's brows furrowed even deeper.

The youngest son of her own was gradually doing things in ways she hadn't expected, becoming increasingly mysterious and unpredictable.

But he didn't ask any further questions. He turned around and put the Thunder Beast's soul into his sleeve. Then he raised his eyes again and looked back at the figure in hunting clothes.

"You are Abe no Seimei?"

He read the name aloud, his tone revealing neither praise nor criticism.

It's like chewing on a fruit you've never seen or tasted before, and all you want to know is its quality.

"It is I."

After observing for a while, Abe no Seimei put away the unsuccessful talisman and said, "Great demon from another world, you've come to the wrong place."

He made a hand seal with his fingertips inside his sleeve, and the air around him suddenly froze.

Twelve dark golden arcs of light bloomed outwards from beneath his feet, like a ignited Dharma wheel, rotating, spreading, and splitting on the ground. Where each arc of light landed, a figure emerged from the void.

The Twelve Divine Generals.

Some were clad in armor, some wielded long swords, some were coiled like snakes atop rock pillars, and others had wings spread to block out the sunlight, hovering in mid-air and looking down below.

Each one was enveloped in a thick and solid spiritual energy fluctuation, some as blazing as a burning wind, others as cold as an abyss.

Like twelve pillars driven into hell, they suppressed the aura within a radius of a hundred feet, each one no less than the [Sun Wheel Celestial Phenomenon] realm!

Among them, the most imposing has undoubtedly reached the realm of a great demon and a "celestial being incarnate"!

Abe no Seimei stood behind the array of shikigami, his robes fluttering slightly. His gaze passed over the figures of those shikigami and calmly fell upon Touya-oh.

"However, now that you're here, there's no need to leave. You and the world behind you will fall into my hands."

"You?"

"With me!"

Touya-o lost interest in speaking.

He simply raised his hand, ready to swing his knife.

The Congyun Fang emitted a low hum in his palm, and the dark red light on the blade suddenly became as intense as molten gold.

His silver hair and robes were tinged with a scorching blood-red aura.

The next instant, the blade flashed, neither fast nor slow.

The first strike landed on the armored shikigami that was the first to pounce.

The shikigami crossed its arms in front of it, and a golden defensive barrier appeared on the surface of its armor.

The moment the sword energy of the Prison Dragon Break touched the barrier, it was like a red-hot iron cone piercing thin wax.

A crack appeared in the center of the barrier, and then the entire defense shattered into countless golden fragments.

The blade flashed incessantly, slicing into the shoulder and neck of the armored shikigami, splitting its massive body in two.

The shattered spiritual energy turned into golden dust that scattered across the sky, only to be blown away without a trace by the hellish heat in the blink of an eye.

The shikigami, shaped like a snake, coiled around from the side. Touya-oh did not stop, and with a backhand slash, he severed its waist. Dark red hellfire spread upwards along the snake scales from the severed wound, burning the remains and the scattered spiritual energy into ashes.

The winged shikigami swooped down from the sky, its claws coated in icy light.

Douya Wang leaped into the air, his blade slicing a semi-circle in mid-air, severing the wings and head in one fell swoop. The severed body plummeted into the lava fissure below, sending sparks flying several meters high.

One by one.

Like a lamp blown out by the wind.

The figures of the twelve shikigami dissipated one by one.

It might shatter into countless fragments of light, burn into charred remains that fall into the abyss, or have its spiritual energy disintegrate into nothingness after being slashed in the throat.

With his sword in hand, Touya passed through the light and mist left behind when the last shikigami dissipated and stood before Abe no Seimei.

The tip of Cong Yunya's blade was already at the throat of the Great Onmyoji.

The dark red light flowing along the blade cast a thin, warm-colored streak on his chin, like the shadow cast by a guillotine that had not yet fallen.

Abe no Seimei was no longer at ease.

When the first of the Twelve Heavenly Generals was easily killed, he began to cast a spell, but all his powerful magic was useless against the blade.

Touya-o had no intention of engaging in verbal sparring. With a flash of light, his blade pierced through Abe no Seimei's wrist, severing his nascent self-defense and escape technique at the very starting point of the spiritual energy flow.

The second cut was devoid of any fancy moves; it was simply a straight forward thrust, the tip piercing through Abe no Seimei's chest and protruding an inch from his back.

The hellfire flowing along the blade spread outwards from the wound, and Abe no Seimei faded away like a handful of ashes scattered by the wind.

The strongest yokai in "Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan," the mastermind behind everything for a thousand years, was unexpectedly kicked to death by a powerful yokai while still harboring unfulfilled ambitions.

"Young people these days really don't know how to be humble at all."

Toga sheathed his sword and released Lei Ming, who had witnessed the whole thing. "Your body is destroyed. Now follow me and tell me what Inuyasha has been up to all these years."

Lei Ming bowed slightly in mid-air, revealing utmost solemnity and respect.

"Yes, Your Majesty, Lord Touya."

The vast sea of ​​clouds surged and rolled like cotton, layer upon layer stretching to the horizon. Sunlight poured down through the gaps in the clouds, dyeing the entire sky a soft, warm gold.

Deep within the sea of ​​clouds, a magnificent and majestic celestial palace stands tall, its eaves soaring like crane wings, its glazed tiles shimmering with a warm, iridescent glow under the light, and its vermilion pillars and white jade steps complementing each other.

The plaza of the main hall of the Heavenly Palace is wide and spacious, surrounded by white jade railings on all sides, beyond which lies an endless sea of ​​clouds.

On the jade steps and throne in front of the palace, a figure leaned against a long couch covered with brocade, his long eyelashes lowered, as if taking a nap.

She wore a magnificent and flowing robe, the fabric of which was calm yet luxurious, and shimmered with fine, dark patterns in the sunlight.

Her long, silver-white hair was tied into twin ponytails and styled into an elegant Hime cut, revealing a crescent moon mark on her forehead and demon markings on both sides of her cheeks, inherited from the direct line of the dog demon clan.

Her face was dignified and graceful, with a captivating nobility emanating from within. Even in a relaxed posture, her charm was undeniable.

She had her eyes closed, but suddenly, those eyes covered by long eyelashes moved slightly, and then slowly opened.

The golden pupils reflected the light of the sky and the shadows of the clouds, and the shimmering light in their eyes was like a pool of spring water touched by the wind.

She slightly raised her hand, her fingertips picking up a string of precious jade beads hanging from her neck.

Those were the Netherworld Stones given to her by the Dog General, strung together with warm, jade-like beads, hanging down her slender neck to her chest, gleaming with a restrained and serene luster in the sunlight.

As her fingertips caressed the surface of the precious jade, she sensed a subtle yet distinct change within the stone.

The old dog that once stayed in the Netherworld and refused to leave is gradually fading away, as if it has been uprooted from its place of long-term residence and is drifting away in some unknown direction.

The beautiful woman's lips curved into a smile, a playful chuckle escaping from them like a dewdrop sliding across the edge of a petal.

"—So, this bastard has finally decided to leave the Netherworld?"

Lingyue Fairy put down the Netherworld Stone, her gaze passing over the white jade railing to the surging sea of ​​clouds on the horizon.

The sunlight cast golden lines on the edges of the clouds, making her profile appear soft and serene.

She paused for a moment, then sighed softly, "—Did she go after him, Izayoi?"

Lingyue Fairy lowered her eyes, her fingertips twirling the fine, dark embroidery on her cuff. Her voice was so low it was almost a soliloquy, as if she were asking Yunhai, or perhaps asking herself.

"What do Sesshomaru and I mean to him?"

The question remained unanswered, hanging in the wind. Only the bronze bells on the eaves of the Heavenly Palace were stirred by the air currents, emitting a few clear and delicate sounds, as if giving a perfunctory response on behalf of someone.

A series of light and hurried footsteps came from below the steps. A servant stopped a few steps below the jade steps, clasped his hands in front of him, and bowed respectfully.

"Lord Lingyue, as usual, the Eastern Kingdom has sent us New Year's invitations this year. Should we, according to tradition, decline them on their behalf?"

Ever since Rashomon first held its New Year's banquet, Inuyasha has sent a visiting card every year without fail, rain or shine.

In the first few years, the post was delivered to the Heavenly Palace through Sesshomaru.

Later, Sesshomaru found it troublesome, so he simply summoned several dog demons from the Heavenly Palace to reside permanently in the Eastern Country, thus officially establishing a passage between the dog demon clans on both sides.

From then on, the visiting cards were delivered directly to the Heavenly Palace by the dog demon each year, placed on the desk, and then stored in the storeroom.

Lingyue Fairy has never been there.

She lowered her eyes, tapped her fingertips twice on the armrest of the couch, her voice carrying a casual and nonchalant tone.

"Go."

The attendant responded with a "Yes," and habitually bowed, preparing to leave.

But as soon as he stood up, those two words actually reached his ears, and he stopped moving.

"----Um?!"

When the servant raised his head and met Lingyue Xianji's unsmiling eyes, he shivered and immediately prostrated himself on the ground.

The majesty of the Dog Queen was even more deeply ingrained in the hearts of the dog demons than that of the Dog Generals who commanded the world and conquered all directions.

Lingyue Fairy rested her chin on her hand, leaning lazily against the armrest of the long couch. Her face, which was as dignified as an empress, had a faint smile on it, like a peony slowly unfolding in the sunlight, each petal exuding innate elegance.

"I've never seen Izayoi's child before, I'm really looking forward to it."

"Even Sesshomaru abandons his old mother every year to attend banquets. Tsk, raising children to provide for old age is probably just a way to keep them from getting old."

"Could it be that I've really reached the age where I'm past my prime and no one wants me anymore?"

Her tone was nonchalant.

But to the servant's ears, that light, self-pitying tone was like a thunderbolt from the blue. He had served Lingyue Fairy for hundreds of years and had never heard her mention him in such a tone.

He dared not listen any longer, quickly lowered his head to suppress the shock on his face, replied "Yes, sir," and turned to leave.

The hurried footsteps faded into the distance under the corridor, disappearing between the palace gates deep in the sea of ​​clouds.

Lingyue Fairy leaned back on the soft pillows of the long couch, slowly suppressing the smile on her lips, her fingertips resting on the Netherworld Stone in front of her chest.

She applied a little force, and a very soft, crisp sound came from the center of the stone surface.

The cracks spread rapidly along the surface of the jade, as fine as a spider web.

Just before the cracks were about to cover the entire stone surface, Fairy Lingyue released her grip again—a faint light rose from the depths of the stone's core, traveled along the direction of the cracks, and gradually healed the cracks wherever it passed.

In the blink of an eye, it was restored to its original state, without leaving a trace.

"It really is a tough thing."

The beautiful woman chuckled softly.