Crossover: A Different Inuyasha.

Chapter 89 The Tragic Naraku, The Existing Problems

Under the moonlight, Kikyo's expression remained calm, but for some reason, as Kaguya looked at the shrine maiden, she suddenly felt a deep chill.

She instinctively clenched her soaked sleeve, her nails digging into her palms.

"Come in with me."

Kikyo pushed open the wooden door, glanced back at her, and gave a faint smile.

"Go and meet your kind."

The door opened inward, revealing a thick darkness behind it.

Kikyo stepped into the shadows, her back quickly swallowed by the darkness, leaving only the last glimmer of light from the edge of her white dress, like the last ripple before sinking into deep water.

If they hadn't killed me in the first place, they probably wouldn't have gone to so much trouble.

Kaguya stood outside the door, suppressing the fear in her heart.

She glanced back at the way she had come.

The passageway had been sealed off by a barrier, and the light from the bronze lamps became hazy and indistinct just a few steps away, as if seen through a thick curtain of water.

The road ahead is pitch black, and the road behind is cut off.

She could only step over the threshold.

The wooden door closed itself behind us.

The door hinges emitted a very low hum, then closed tightly, shutting out the last ray of moonlight.

Kagaya thought she would be greeted by endless darkness, but at the very moment the door closed completely, the lights in the room suddenly came on.

The light came without warning. She squinted instinctively, and when she saw the whole room, she froze on the spot, her pupils suddenly contracting and filled with fear.

This room, less than 100 square meters in size, was both extremely clean and extremely sinister.

Beneath your feet is a thick, transparent glass panel, polished smooth as a mirror, so clear that you almost forget it exists.

But when Kaguya looked down, beneath the glass panel, there were countless layers of monster skeletons, their pale and dark brown hues gleaming in the dim, cold light.

The skeletons were of various shapes and sizes, some with spines twisted like snakes, some with shoulder blades spread out like wings, and some with complete skeletons curled up in a ball.

Layer upon layer, like a house of ten thousand demons.

What made her scalp tingle even more was the blood and vengeful spirits seeping from between the bones.

A dark red, misty aura slowly traveled along the patterns on the bottom of the glass plate, wriggling and swirling like a living thing.

Thousands of vengeful spirits appeared and disappeared in the mist, their mouths agape as if they were shouting or howling.

However, they could not make any sound and could only be captured, decomposed, and extracted one by one by the dense arrays engraved on the ground.

It transformed into wisps of pale green light, converging upwards along the array patterns.

The streams of light climbed up the wall and eventually all merged into a life-sized black sphere suspended in mid-air.

The surface of the sphere was covered with layers of intricate magic array patterns, with a faint green glow that flickered on and off, like some enormous creature breathing slowly.

A thin, flexible tube hangs from its bottom. The tube is semi-transparent, and dark red liquid inside is rhythmically pulsating.

At the end of the tube, under Kagami Kuya's gaze, a bright red, crystal-clear gem was expelled.

The precious jade landed on the soft cushion. It was about the size of a pigeon egg, perfectly round, and its surface shimmered with a beautiful and pure luster.

Shen Jiuye's gaze was fixed on Baoyu, and she blurted out.

"The Shikon Jewel?"

Then she shook her head violently.

"No—that's not right. It's not the Shikon Jewel. I recognize the aura of the Shikon Jewel, this isn't it—"

Kaguya looked up at Kikyo, who was standing beside the cushion and picking up the jewel.

The shrine maiden picked up the dark red gem with her slender white fingers and held it up in front of her.

A red light emanated from within the jade pendant, spreading along her fingertips, the back of her hand, and her wrist bones, illuminating half of her face and giving her cool, aloof features an eerie crimson hue.

The halo around her added an indescribable sinister and terrifying touch to her originally dignified, holy, and aloof face.

Kikyo turned her head slightly, her gaze passing through the red halo of the precious jade and landing on Kamiya's still-frightened face.

"You seem scared?"

"What are you afraid of?"

"Are you afraid of me?"

The priestess's voice remained calm and composed.

The three questions in a row made Kagura swallow hard, and when she looked at Kikyo again, her eyes took on an inhuman glint.

Kikyo twirled Baoyu's fingers, and red light flowed between them, cutting the shadows in the room into flickering fragments.

"This thing is definitely not the Shikon Jewel." Kikyo lowered her eyes, a hint of pleasure unconsciously creeping into her voice. "It's far more interesting than the Shikon Jewel."

She looked up, her gaze falling on Shen Jiuye's tense face, her eyes sparkling.

"Do you know the origin of the Shikon Jewel?" the priestess asked herself, answering as if telling a bedtime story.

"That is a precious gem formed by the priestess Midori, who once vanquished all demons, in her final battle, by extracting and merging her own soul with those demons. One is pure, the other is impure, and the two forces are eternally intertwined within the gem, neither able to prevail over the other."

As Kikyo finished speaking, she held the blood jade in her hand and gestured towards Kaguya.

"Then, Kagami Kuya, guess how I got this blood jade in my hand?"

Shen Jiuye's pale lips moved a few times, but no sound came out.

She could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

The possible answers churned in my mind, but none of them dared to truly surface.

Faced with this thorny problem.

She chose to remain silent.

Kikyo didn't seem to mind, she just chuckled softly, as if she had expected it.

"Here's a hint for you."

She gestured with her chin, indicating that Kaguya should look at the black sphere suspended in mid-air above her head, its surface glowing with an intermittent light.

The person imprisoned here is Naraku.

Kagaya suddenly looked up, incredulous, "What—it really is Naraku?!"

The last two words escaped her lips with a noticeably rising intonation. Shock and fear intertwined, like a string stretched to its limit, ready to snap at any moment.

If Naraku, who was also capable of devouring demons to grow, was truly imprisoned in the Black Egg—then this Blood Orb is a product of the demons Naraku devoured—or even Naraku himself transformed?

Once this deduction took hold, Kagami Kuya's face turned completely pale.

Her gaze shifted from the black egg above her head to the glass plate at her feet.

The mountain of monster corpses, the blood and vengeful spirits drained by the magic array, suddenly had a clear and terrifying explanation.

If Naraku was the "processing workshop" for this blood jade, then being brought into this room—

She looked at Kikyo.

The witch remained standing quietly, the red light illuminating her face, and her wicked smile deepened, like an evil flower slowly blooming in the dark night.

Will I become the next "raw material"?

Or, to put it another way, to become the "seedbed" that will bear the blood jade?

Kagami Kuya involuntarily took a half step back, her soaked clothes leaving a thin trail of water on the ground.

But behind them was the already closed wooden door, leaving them nowhere to retreat.

Kikyo put the blood jade into her bosom, and the red light faded from between her fingers.

"Don't worry about that. I'm still a good person, after all."

Inuyasha did all the decorating of the house. He learned all sorts of evil magic from the witch Rita, the black priestess Tsubaki, and even surpassed his teachers.

Normally, however, he would never stoop to such underhanded tactics.

But some people are an exception.

One of its masterpieces is this jade processing workshop, where a single piece of blood jade can almost elevate a demon at the [Moon Essence Condensation] level to the [Sun Wheel Celestial Phenomenon] level.

This shows that even a bunch of odds and ends can produce something amazing.

However, the greatest use of the Blood Jade is not to enhance the strength of monsters, but to serve as a storage device for a vast amount of energy for the future.

As for the origin of the monster skeletons underground, it is said that Inuyasha controlled the Sacred Tree and connected it with the newly built Bone-Eating Wells all over the country.

Every so often, the remains of monsters would be transported here, only to be devoured by Naraku until not a trace remained.

In the past, this would have been considered a truly green, environmentally friendly, and civilized construction method.

Kikyo gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "We have no grudges against each other. I won't do anything so cruel to you. After all—it's better to kill than to torment."

She said these words so casually, yet they sent an even stronger chill down the spine of Kaguya, a demon who had seen it all.

She swallowed hard, trying to steady her voice and make it sound like it wasn't trembling. "So why did you bring me here—what do you want me to do?"

Kikyo blinked, as if seriously considering the question, then smiled.

"I didn't intend to do anything."

"I just want you to see that even in filth, a treasure that remains untouched by dust can be born."

"Of course—it's also to let you know in advance what will happen if you disobey in the future."

A single, seemingly insignificant sentence, like a feather falling on water, was silent yet made Kagami Kuya's knees buckle.

She knelt on the ground, her hands supporting her at her sides, her fingertips trembling slightly. Her head was lowered, and her disheveled hair obscured most of her delicate face, making it impossible to see her expression.

Kikyo looked down at Kamiya, who was kneeling in the water, and said calmly, "Get up. You are also a talent that Inuyasha values. It's undignified for you to be so distraught."

Upon hearing this, Kaguya was overjoyed. She stood up, supported herself on the ground, and then lowered her head to speak. Although her voice trembled, she tried her best to enunciate clearly, "From now on, I will obey Lord Inuyasha."

Kikyo gave a soft "hmm," the tone neither rising nor falling at the end, making it impossible to tell whether she was satisfied or just going through the motions.

But that one shout startled Kagaya, sending a shiver down her spine as if a cold wind had swept over the back of her neck. She quickly added, "I swear to follow Lady Kikyo to the death!"

Upon hearing this, Kikyo raised her hand and gently patted Kagaya's shoulder.

A pure white light shone from her palm, soft and warm, like the first rays of sunlight on a spring afternoon brushing against grass leaves soaked with night dew.

Wherever it passed, the celestial maiden's soaked clothes instantly became dry and clean, her messy hair was neatly combed back, and even the water stains left on her face disappeared without a trace.

Kaguya looked down at her newly changed clothes, then looked up at Kikyo, opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word for a moment.

Kikyo turned around and walked towards the door, her steps a little lighter than when she came.

"Come with me," her voice came from ahead, carrying an undisguised disgust. "This house is disgusting; even the air gets dirty if you stay here too long."

Kikyo didn't actually like or enjoy the "Naraku Processing Plant."

Every time I come here, I am reminded of the arrow that pierced Inuyasha.

I feel guilty every time.

Based on this, each time Er Gouzi would take advantage of the situation and push his luck.

But I just can't refuse.

Kagaya watched Kikyo's retreating figure without pausing and quickly followed after her.

Soon after, Kikyo stopped in front of a house that was used for entertaining guests.

The house was small, but decorated in a simple and elegant style, with warm yellow light shining through the interior.

She opened the door, turned to the side, and looked at Kagami Kuya following closely behind her.

"You don't need to do anything extra these next few days." Kikyo raised her chin, gesturing for her to look at the brushes, ink, and blank scrolls prepared on the low table in the room.

"Compile all the Yin-Yang techniques, barrier techniques, and various spells you know into a book."

"There's no need to rush to finish it within a few days, but strive for thoroughness and comprehensiveness."

She spoke calmly, but there was no room for negotiation.

Shen Jiuye was somewhat reluctant, a complex expression flashing across her face—those techniques were the culmination of her hundreds of years of hard work and experience, and now someone was casually asking her to reveal them all; it was impossible for her not to feel a surge of emotions.

The scene I had just witnessed in the secret room was still vivid in my mind.

She swallowed hard, then lowered her head and replied, "—Yes."

Kikyo sensed her resentment and said directly, "If you can achieve great things in the future, the Heavenly Feather Robe and the Mirror of Life can be given to you again."

The moment those words reached her ears, Kagami Kuya's eyes widened in surprise and disbelief, as if she had misheard.

Kikyo's face remained calm as ever, without any trace of joking.

Kagura lowered her head. "Lady Kikyo, I understand."

Kikyo didn't say anything more, just nodded slightly, turned around and walked along the corridor, disappearing behind the corner of the pillars.

Kamiya entered the house, found the bedding, and spread it on the floor.

Too much has happened today; all she wants now is a good night's sleep.

Western region.

The mountains stretch out like a crouching giant beast, and the morning sun slowly rises from the end of the sea of ​​clouds. The morning dew reflects fine light on the grass blades, like countless diamonds scattered by hand.

Inuyasha sat cross-legged on a high cliff, with the clattering cauldron hanging in front of him.

He closed his eyes slightly, placed his hands in a mudra on his knees, and let his consciousness sink into the earth beneath his feet like flowing water, extending in all directions along the veins of the earth.

But now he's diverting his attention to things that aren't just about the earth's veins themselves.

Thoughts, like seeds awakened by the morning light, sprouted from the depths of consciousness, emerging one after another.

Nearly 400,000 square kilometers of land is indeed not considered vast for a "spaceship"—but if it is only to support the current population of about 10 million in the East, 300,000 square kilometers is more than enough.

Those remote, resource-poor, and geographically scarce areas can be abandoned without hindering the progress of the entire project in order to create a complete map.

Complete the refining process on the core map as soon as possible, so that Feizhou can take off.

Once Feizhou is established, it can break free from the constraints of this world and sail into the depths of the universe—where there are star fields he has never seen before, resources he has never heard of, and territories thousands of times larger than this land.

Just thinking about this made Inuyasha's blood boil.

But once the idea was put into practice, real-world problems immediately surfaced.

First of all, the universe is vast and there are countless stars. How can we accurately find a suitable planet to stay on?

Without coordinates, without guidance, it is even difficult to determine the basic characteristics of the target.

It's like standing on a boundless sea, surrounded by water on all sides, with no idea which way to row.

Second.

Even if you find your direction, the long journey itself is a huge hurdle.

Maintaining the boundary between the atmosphere and ecosystem inside the continent, ensuring the daily water and food needs of millions of people, and resisting potential cosmic radiation and unknown threats—all of these require a continuous supply of energy.

Currently, the Eastern Kingdom's reserves, whether in terms of manpower or resources, are far from sufficient to support a long journey across the starry sea.

Inuyasha opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the mountain ridge illuminated by the morning light.

He exhaled a long breath, and the white mist condensed into a thin line in the cold morning air before being dispersed by the mountain wind.

"Taking too big a step can lead to disaster. For now, we should focus on refining the earth's veins, then solve the energy problem, and as for navigation—we'll try it out using the Mirror of Time. Anyway, even if the sky falls, we have to get the Cosmic Flying Continent up first."

With that thought in mind, Inuyasha's thoughts involuntarily drifted in another direction—Naraku.

"I'll have to test this guy's limits properly later."

"Not only must it be able to produce enough sub-entities, but it must also try to devour energies of different attributes, and even cosmic rays."

"If it works, it would be a walking, universal energy source, and we could even extract the other person's cells for reproduction—"

He paused, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly, as he recalled a long-forgotten matter. "At this moment, if only we had the Shikon Jewel."

When Kikyo was taken away from the world, she did not have the Shikon Jewel on her.

So, where did it go?

Inuyasha's memories flashed back rapidly. He clearly remembered that in the original storyline, Kikyo took the Shikon Jewel with her to the cremation after her death, and the Shikon Jewel was reincarnated into modern society five hundred years later, attaching itself to Kagome.

But now, the Shikon Jewel is gone.

Could it be that it has already been reincarnated?

But why didn't he end up with Kikyo?

In the five hundred years from the Warring States period to the present day, Baoyu and Jiegeng may have been reincarnated more than once.

"If he's not here, he's not here."

"Anyway, after I completely enslave Naraku's soul, I will awaken his unique spirit armor. I don't think I will be disappointed."

Inuyasha stretched and said, "With Kikyo, that's already the final outcome. As for Kagome—she'll come when she's meant to, and if she's not, there's no point in forcing her."

"If all else fails, we can try to use the power of the Bone-Eater's Well to travel through time."

Now that he has control of the Sacred Tree, Inuyasha is confident that he can move freely back and forth.