Crossover: A Different Inuyasha.

Chapter 87 First Arrival at the Heavenly Palace, Unsealing of Dream City

For months after the New Year's Eve dinner, Inuyasha had been thinking about one thing.

When the moment of utter annihilation truly arrives, how will he lead his people to escape?

The thought of running away like a dog with its tail between its legs, without uttering a sound, made his teeth ache.

It would be too tragic to lose more than ten years of accumulation in one day. Moreover, the key issue is not "willingness to give up" but "whether or not to escape" and "how many people to take with them".

Therefore, instead of waiting for the enemy to come to us, we should take action first.

As for how to "move," Inuyasha had too many ideas.

The worst course of action is, of course, to leave with only family members.

Maple, bellflower, iris, calamus, and a few close friends—once the door is closed, they slip away as far as possible.

The middle-level approach is to bring along the core members of the Eastern Kingdom.

The generals of the Eight Yama Armies, the core demon clan of Rashomon, the high-ranking priestesses and sorcerers of the Ruri Shrine—those who support the entire backbone of the Eastern Kingdom, take as many as you can.

The best course of action would be to take the entire Eastern Kingdom with you and leave unscathed.

Inuyasha recalled a novel he had read before; most of his memory was hazy, but the premise remained firmly etched in his mind.

The place where the protagonist of the story lived was once occupied by demons.

To prevent the extraterrestrial demons from returning after the spiritual energy revived, the power of an entire continent was gathered to create a "flying continent" capable of traversing the starry sea. The entire land was refined into a mobile ark, taking all the people and things on board with it, leaving the demons with only an empty expanse of land.

Before realizing the pulse of the world in Japan, Inuyasha planned to use the Roaring Cauldron as the core, supplemented by layers of barrier techniques, to connect the three core locations of Ruri Shrine, Rashomon, and Zenkenkyo, forming a self-consistent cyclical field.

Imitating the dream city sealed in the mirror, we will deliberately sink the heart of the Eastern Kingdom into another dimension.

It should be able to both attack and defend.

However, this idea completely disappeared after Inuyasha was lifted up by the power of humanity and sensed the pulse of heaven and earth.

Now, the red-robed god is carrying the resounding cauldron and flying over the eastern country, far away from the Kanto Plain, and has arrived in the Kyushu region, the outermost edge of the territory.

Inuyasha lowered his eyes to look down at the mountains and fields illuminated by the rising sun, sensing the flow of the earth's veins beneath his feet.

It's like reading a novel that you can read the whole thing just by looking at the title.

He paused briefly in the skies above Kyushu, then used the Roaring Cauldron as an anchor and his own source power as a guide to draw the power of the earth's veins toward the heart of the Eastern Kingdom.

Inuyasha was mentally prepared for it to take a lot of time; this couldn't be rushed.

Along the way, Kikyo, Yura, and others would come to visit him from time to time, so he wasn't lonely.

Three months later, he finally completed the work of sorting out the earth veins of the entire Kyushu region.

After that, the western and four provinces await him. The Kinki region, where Kyoto is located, has a dense network of ley lines, making it a region that will take even longer to traverse than Kyushu.

Finally, we must return to the land of Kanto.

Time really flies.

Inuyasha gazed at the forest, its leaves a pale gold hue tinged by the early autumn wind, and calculated the days ahead.

Today marks the transition from summer to autumn, a time when the Mirror of Time opens and Mujou and Tsubaki are sent to [Nurarihyon no Yorimitsu].

That day in the world marked exactly one year since then.

After a moment, he gathered his thoughts, dragged the Roaring Cauldron, turned around, and sped towards the Ruri Shrine.

The silver-haired half-demon returned to the shrine in the afternoon, the hem of her crimson robes fluttering in the light and shadow under the eaves, creating a very light breeze.

Kikyo was sitting by the window in the side room of the main hall, studying a training notebook she had collected from Kyoto. Sunlight streamed in through the half-open paper door and fell on her profile.

It's like the white moonlight falling into reality.

Inuyasha quietly approached from behind, bent down and kissed her cheek, then lifted his face before she could react.

Kikyo turned her head away, her eyes showing no surprise whatsoever. She was intimately familiar with the aura of the half-demon.

"Are you done with your work?"

"I'll take a break halfway and come see you as soon as possible."

"Oh, really?"

Inuyasha looked at Kikyo's slightly upturned cherry lips and couldn't help but kiss her again.

After a while, Kikyo, her cheeks flushed, looked at Inuyasha who had stood up and said softly, "I'll bring the book to you next time."

"Hehe, then I'm in luck."

"Hmph, just don't think about those female monsters when the time comes."

"What did you say? I didn't hear you~"

"Inuyasha~!"

When Inuyasha left, he found Kaede in the corridor. After cuddling for a while, Kaede rose from the eaves of the shrine and flew towards Rashomon.

He found Yura and Ayame on the rooftop terrace. The two were chatting by the railing, and the sunlight cast long shadows of them side by side.

"Hey, isn't this our busybody?" Jieluo spotted the dog and caught a whiff of the shrine maiden's scent.

She pouted, "They said they were adjusting the earth's veins, but they just came out of the shrine."

"Keep talking nonsense or you'll get your butt kicked."

Inuyasha glared at Yura with annoyance, then looked at Ayame.

The obedient wolf demon girl, not yet corrupted by the comb spirit, whispered, "Lord Inuyasha, welcome back."

O

"The calamus is still the cutest."

Inuyasha, having landed, reached out and touched Ayame's head, then turned to look at the unconvinced Yura, "Alright, next time I'll take you to another world to play."

"You said it yourself."

Ayame was surprised by how quickly Yura's expression changed, and then she heard Inuyasha say something.

"By the way, have the arrangements been made for the five people I mentioned to you before?"

"It's right here in the city, you can take it with you anytime." Jieluo said, while reaching out to straighten his collar, which had been ruffled by the wind.

"I'll leave the city to you. Also, please cooperate with the Nine-Nine Toad. To unify the world, we'll need the cooperation of the Eight Demons."

"Don't worry, the world belongs to us. Even if you don't say anything, I will arrange for people to cooperate with the Nine-Nine Toad to patrol the world."

Inuyasha turned around and, with five demons who were already waiting in Rashomon, took to the air.

Among these five is: Rashomon's second-in-command, Tsukiyomaru, who comes from the Hundred Demon Bats and has a [Sun Wheel] on his shoulder.

This time, he led the team to the world of "Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan".

The clouds rolled and churned beneath their feet, and as evening fell, they passed through a thick cloud layer, and their view suddenly opened up.

The Heavenly Palace on the Clouds floated quietly before my eyes, its eaves soaring upwards, its glazed tiles gleaming with a warm, colorful light in the afterglow of the setting sun, like a jade seal casually placed on the clouds by a god.

Inuyasha slowed down and landed on the cloud steps in front of the palace gate. Five demons followed closely behind him and stood down.

An envoy strode out from inside the palace gates, stopped in front of Inuyasha, bowed slightly, and raised his hand in a "please" gesture.

"Young Master Inuyasha, Lady Lingyue is waiting in front of the palace. Please follow me."

Inuyasha followed the messenger through the palace gates and up the white jade steps toward the heavenly palace.

The plaza unfolds at the end of the steps, wide and quiet.

Fairy Lingyue sat on the jade throne in front of the palace, her hands folded over her abdomen.

She was dressed in a gorgeous silver-gray gown today, and her hair was styled in a bun slightly lower than usual.

His eyes reflected the deepening sunset on the horizon, like an ancient jade bathed in the evening light, warm and translucent.

Inuyasha stopped at the foot of the steps, tilted his head slightly, and looked at the figure sitting upright in the twilight.

He sighed inwardly, "What a beautiful sight," but maintained a calm expression and spoke solemnly.

"Great Mother, today is the day the Mirror of Time will open again."

The half-demon raised his hand, and a mirror shimmering with a deep blue light appeared in his palm. "I'll leave the search to you."

Lingyue Fairy sat up a little straighter, and unlike her usual cunning self, she said something.

"It's my duty."

Inuyasha deftly held the Mirror of Time in his palm and infused it with the power of fear.

The starlight in the mirror began to spin faster, like a galaxy being stirred up.

In a short while, a semi-transparent portal took shape between the group.

Lingyue Fairy stood up, her silver-gray robes slipping off the edge of the steps.

She stepped forward, picked up the Netherworld Stone hanging from her chest—a stone capable of traversing the mortal and underworld realms—and pressed it against her brow. She closed her eyes and sensed it intently for a moment.

The atmosphere of a world is so complex and chaotic, but with the help of the Netherworld Stone and her own keen senses, Fairy Lingyue sensed the pull from the other side of the door.

The fairy opened her eyes, a sharp glint flashing in her exquisite phoenix eyes. "As expected."

"He's right across from me."

She couldn't help but think to herself, "Why isn't that old dog completely dead yet?"

Inuyasha ignored the last sentence and nodded slightly, finally feeling relieved after a weight had been hanging over his heart for more than half a year.

Toga was stranded in the world of "Nurarihyon no Yori Dango" rather than some unknown world, which is much better than the worst-case scenario.

At the very least, their own world has not yet been discovered by powerful outsiders.

Was I trying to outsmart the air?

Inuyasha mentally complained, and was about to use his abilities to sense the auras of the five people who had been sent away earlier inside the portal when the semi-transparent portal suddenly trembled slightly.

All eyes were on the door.

It was a foot in a stiletto heel that stepped out, followed by the hem of a business suit and the corner of a beige coat.

The person who arrived was none other than the faceless woman, "Lord Inuyasha, I'm back."

"Yes, it's good that you're back."

Inuyasha, realizing that the technique he had left on Mujou had not been triggered, said in a deep voice, "Explain the situation in that world."

"Yes, Lord Inuyasha."

Wu Nu mentally arranged all her experiences of the past year in order, making sure nothing was missed, before speaking.

"After mastering the art of fighting, a month ago, he left Tono and headed to Shikoku with a few companions."

"We fought several battles with the local monster factions and reached a cooperation agreement during the confrontations."

"Now he has formed a yakuza force with the yokai of the four kingdoms and is leading them toward Tokyo."

"Their goal is to challenge the Nura Clan, the largest yokai organization in eastern Japan, which leads more than seventy factions. The leader has been passed down to the third generation and is a descendant of the 'Lord of Yokai,' Nurarihyon."

"Koga is currently locked in a stalemate with the Nura Clan, with casualties on both sides. The battle is still undecided, but neither side shows any sign of backing down."

Inuyasha's eyebrows twitched slightly, signaling Mujou to continue.

"The situation in Kyoto is even more complicated."

The woman, who had only ever been in contact with Steel Teeth, spoke cautiously.

"A conflict has broken out between the Kyoto yokai and the suddenly appearing Hyakumonogatari Group, and they are fighting each other in the streets and alleys of Kyoto."

"This conflict has drawn in several old forces, including the prestigious Onmyoji family, the Mikadoin family. They were a family that had protected the rulers for generations, but for some reason they have appeared in this conflict and become involved in the battle."

She paused slightly at this point before adding the last sentence.

"What's even more complicated is that the Keikain clan also made their move in Kyoto."

"The specific reasons have not yet been fully ascertained, but judging from the current situation, the chaos in Kyoto will not subside in the short term."

After explaining the general situation, Wu Nu then described the situation of the initial five people.

"I've heard that within the Flower Blossom Courtyard's camp, there's a powerful mage capable of devouring everything—that must be the Wind Cave Mage."

"And the Black Witch Tsubaki should also be stirring up trouble in Kyoto, but it is not yet possible to determine which side she is on."

"Only Lei Ming, the chieftain of the Thunder Beast Clan, has no news of whereabouts at present."

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"When we crossed the Mirror of Time, we went our separate ways to different parts of the world."

After the woman finished speaking, she lowered her eyes and casually waited for Inuyasha's response.

The five members of Tsukiyomaru group listened quietly, absorbing a large amount of information.

After a few breaths of silence in the square, Inuyasha looked at Tsukiyomaru and his group of five.

"Follow Wu Nu inside."

"Following the method I taught you before, once you meet up, set up a spatial barrier as quickly as possible, and get to work as soon as you arrive at the destination."

In the sunset, the five members of Tsukiyomaru bent down and followed Mujou into the Mirror of Time.

Inuyasha gathered the Time Abyss Mirror, now completely depleted of energy, into his arms and looked at Lingyue Fairy, who had remained silent and watched the entire scene unfold.

"Grandma, if everything goes smoothly, we can go to the other side in a year or two. Would you like to come together then?"

Fairy Maiden shook her head slightly. "I have no interest in that area."

If you rush over there like a puppy, aren't you just showing that you still miss Touya-oh?

No way I'm going!

"Oh, right."

Lingyue Xianji seemed to remember something and looked at Inuyasha before speaking.

"Since this is your first time visiting the Heavenly Palace, would you like to stay overnight and let the Great Mother give you a proper welcome?"

Inuyasha was somewhat tempted.

But the thought only flashed in his eyes for a moment before he politely declined, saying, "Maybe next time. There are people waiting at home."

Upon hearing this, Fairy Lingyue did not try to persuade him to stay. She sat quietly on the jade throne, watching Inuyasha's departing figure. In the distance, she vaguely saw the shadow of someone else.

In late autumn, the surface of the Fuji Five Lakes is like a mirror, reflecting the fading twilight on the horizon.

"Big sister, these things are really hard to find. I even got scammed once last time."

"Xia Lan, shut up. Can't you see your older sister is annoyed too?"

"Chunlan, I know, it's just a few complaints to ease your mood."

"Alright, let's try one more time. I'll take the Fire Rat Fur; hopefully, it won't go wrong this time."

"This reminds me of when I went to the shrine to ask Lord Inuyasha for the Fire Rat Robe. The terrifying look that Lord Kaede gave me back then made the fire in my body turn to ice."

During their casual conversation, Donglan led the leopard cats to split up and throw the five heirlooms into Lake Yamanaka, Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Sai, Lake Shojin, and Lake Motosu, respectively.

Each treasure, upon touching the water's surface, is enveloped by a soft halo of light and slowly sinks into the depths of the lake.

As the Fire Rat Fur in Donglan's hand sank into the water, ripples spread across the surface of the Five Lakes.

Ripples spread outward from the center of the lake, one ring after another, expanding layer by layer.

Immediately afterwards, the surfaces of the five lakes began to glow. The colors varied: Lake Yamanaka shimmered with a bluish-white hue, Lake Kawaguchi rippled with a light blue, Lake Sai reflected a pale gold, Lake Shoji floated with a layer of warm silver-white, and Lake Motosu was enveloped in a serene light between dark blue and purplish-gray.

The five beams of light rose from the center of the lake, like five lamps lifted from the water by the same thread, converging and intertwining in mid-air.

They coalesced and eventually formed a pillar of light that pierced through the heavens and earth, pointing directly towards Lake Motosu.

The dream city in the mirror slowly appeared the moment the beam of light settled.

With its eaves, roof ridges, stone steps, vermilion pillars, and gray-tiled roof, a complete city emerges from the void, situated above Lake Motosu.

Like an amber piece retrieved from the depths of time, preserving the complete light and shadow of bygone days, it has now been placed back under the moonlight.

"Big sister, we did it!"

Xia Lan's voice rose, like a firecracker being lit, filled with excitement.

Her cat tail snapped straight and then swung back, her toes leaving the ground as she lunged toward the city gate—but just as she leaped into the air, a hand grabbed the back of her neck.

"Idiot, what's the rush?"

Donglan pulled Xialan back from mid-air and glanced down at her younger sister, who had been thrashing around in her hands before finally calming down.

She let go, and Xia Lan landed back on the ground, her cat ears drooping.

Chunlan, standing next to her, was trying not to laugh.

Donglan gazed at the dreamlike city suspended in the moonlight, her eyes falling on the lake in front of the city gate, where ripples were slowly spreading.

Beneath the ripples of the water, an eerie aura permeated the air.

A powerful monster is rising.

The shadows in the lake gradually became clearer. A thick neck covered with dark scales rose from beneath the water. A head broke through the surface first, and water droplets rolled down the edges of the scales, gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

Then came the second, the third—eight heads rose one after another from the lake, their long heads snaking like snakes.

Like an eight-headed serpent straight out of an ancient tale, it looked down with its eight pairs of blood-red eyes at the leopard cats on the lakeshore, which were countless times smaller than itself, and roared and howled.

"It seems the owner of this house isn't very hospitable." Chunlan waved for the other leopard cats to step back, then looked at Donglan.

"Big sister, should we report what's going on here to Lord Inuyasha?"

"Let's talk about it when we meet the host."

Donglan shook her head slightly.

Reporting to superiors without understanding the situation is utterly incompetent.

The icy blue energy spread from her feet, extending outwards along the pebbles and soil of the lake shore. Wherever it passed, water vapor condensed into frost, and the frost layer thickened into ice, which spread from the shore all the way to the center of the lake.

Her hair fluttered slightly in the chilling air, her breath condensed into white mist, and the large snake pounced in her icy blue pupils.

"The world is frozen, and snow falls upon the earth!"