Demon Sword Spirit: "That's a good question, sister. Allow me to explain."
Rin Tohsaka: "Don't—your thoughts are far too intense. I can't handle it."
Tanjiro: "Hahaha… I was truly shocked. Sister Solanum's reputation really precedes her."
Pudu Sentient Being: "Reputation? More like infamy."
Ninja Scientist: "Hey… what do you think of Solanum nowadays?"
Demon Sword Spirit: "…Such an intense thought. But for you, this is the simplest path."
Vampire Queen: "And still not fierce enough. The other day, I asked how to expand my faith, and your answer was to raise an army, plunge the land into chaos, and then simply step in afterward to reap the benefits myself."
Lao Gao (the Reminder): "To some extent, yes—chaos and disaster accelerate the gathering of faith."
Demon Hunter: "You say that so casually… and yet, why are you always so insightful about these things?"
Lao Gao: "Because this is the ancient era, the time of slash-and-burn cultivation. Natural disasters and man-made calamities are everywhere. One doesn't even need to fabricate them—beliefs fragment naturally."
Indeed, life in the ancient world was like this.
A few miracles, a scattering of flowers, a show of power—naturally, countless mortals would bow and pray.
Rumors even spread that Qin Shi Huang's army had already crushed the Maurya Dynasty.
Their faiths collapsed in waves, dissipating almost overnight.
The pace of such change was astonishing.
Even if languages differed, everyone understood the universal tongue of kneeling.
Rin Tohsaka: "⊙﹏⊙)…I just wanted to ask about the sacrifice. Can someone explain it properly?"
Junior Brother Dazhufeng: "It's simple. For your first sacrifice, you offer either your most precious belonging or a rare treasure from your world."
Rin Tohsaka: "We don't have unicorns in our world… but there should be things of equal value that can be sacrificed."
Pudu Sentient Being: "So what kind of world do you live in? I'm extremely curious. I can't help but wonder what sets your world apart."
Besides his endless sermons, Fahai's favorite pastime was marveling at the landscapes of other worlds.
Each world he glimpsed broadened his horizons, elevated his mood, and deepened his cultivation.
One glance, countless lessons.
Rin Tohsaka: "This is a bit hard to explain… Our world is modern, similar to Sam's world, but we lack mechanical life. Our cultivation system is magic-based. However, with the arrival of the Age of Decline, the divine systems faded, leaving only diluted sorcery."
Demon Sword Spirit: "I see. So your power gradually weakens, the opposite of Chu Xuanfeng's world. In Chu Xuanfeng's Saint Cemetery, after the great decline, spiritual revival began. But in your case, the opposite is true—magic erodes year after year."
Rin Tohsaka: "That's right. But there's more. I discovered recently that our Holy Grail—the object we fight over, said to grant any wish—is nothing more than a vessel of corruption. On the surface, it seems to fulfill wishes, but in truth it manifests them only through destruction."
Li Er: "Heh. In other words, it's an artifact forged by false gods, disguised as a wish-granting machine, forcing mortals to fight endlessly while toying with human hearts."
Pudu Sentient Being: "That sounds worse than my own misfortunes. It's manipulation of an entire world!"
Indeed, the so-called Heroic Spirit System and Holy Grail Ritual sounded glorious—draped in divine trappings. But beneath the surface, it was a cruel deception.
Humans sought miracles, yet became the ultimate sacrifices.
The Realm of the Gods
Liu Che studied the chat messages and his eyes gleamed.
The Heroic Spirit System… our divine realm doesn't have such a thing. If I could obtain a complete Holy Grail System and dedicate it to the Chihuang Flowing Flame Pantheon, the exchange value in divine resources would be immense. More than that, our own system could replicate it.
The Nasuverse had constructed the Heroic Spirit System based on the dual restraints of Heaven and Earth, calling forth the souls of heroes past.
But why stop there? Why not elevate the gods themselves into a permanent system—an eternal framework of divine summoning?
That way, the goddesses would never need to descend personally. A mere sliver of their consciousness could pacify rebellions across entire worlds. The energy cost would be negligible, yet the results decisive.
Worlds like Lin Jiu's monster realm or even the Qin Empire could be governed more efficiently.
"These fragmented worlds hold more value than they realize," Liu Che mused confidently. "Each may seem weak, but their laws are unique. With the right system, even fragile rules become terrifying weapons."
Take, for example, the Fox Spirit world. Its law of Sentiment, once harnessed, could be elevated directly into divine law. Confirming one's dominion as a Main God would then be inevitable.
Fuyuki City – Preparations
Back in the Nasuverse, Rin Tohsaka smiled slyly.
If sacrifice was required, she already knew her altar: the Holy Grail War.
Fuyuki City, with its leylines and intricate magical circuits, was the perfect offering ground. She would sacrifice not only the Grail itself but also every Heroic Spirit summoned by its ritual.
Her lips curved in cold amusement.
"In this world, only those ruthless enough can stand tall. Let Fuyuki become my altar. Let the heavens witness the baptism of a god."
Inuyasha's World – Kikyo's Doubt
Several days later…
In the Sengoku era, under Kikyo's gentle care, the wounded Xiaofeng finally smiled again. Yet shadows lingered in her eyes, betraying the thoughts that weighed on her.
Kikyo noticed. She always noticed.
"If you think that God can be trusted," Kikyo said softly while changing her sister's bandages, "then perhaps you should give it a try."
Xiaofeng froze. She hadn't expected her sister to pierce straight through her hesitation.
"Sister, I…"
"We are only human," Kikyo continued, her voice carrying both wisdom and sorrow. "Humans feel joy, anger, grief, and hatred. Even I—yes, even I—harbor hatred for the monsters that plague us, and for this cruel world."
Her words were not only for Xiaofeng but also for herself.
For wasn't she, too, simply human?
Xiaofeng whispered, "But if I devote myself to the Eternal God… what if you one day meet its priest?"
"Is that what troubles you?" Kikyo blinked, surprised. She had thought her sister feared the deity itself, not for her sake.
"If I join the Eternal Faith, wouldn't it embarrass you if you crossed paths with one of their priests?"
"You needn't worry about that," Kikyo replied, masking her own pain. "All I wish is for your health and strength. The more powerful you become, the better."
In truth, there was much she had never confessed.
Because of her natural gifts—her unmatched ability to purify demons—her own master, the head priest, had grown envious. He had once accepted her as a disciple for her talents, yet later cursed her out of jealousy.
He told her she bore the mark of misfortune: that should she ever fall in love, disaster would follow.
Such was the cruelty of human hearts.
Xiaofeng, moved by her sister's comfort, finally resolved herself. She began to meditate, reciting silently the sacred chant of eternity.
As the heir to the shrine maidens, she was already familiar with simple spells and meditative states. Within moments, she slipped into deep concentration.
Kikyo, watching her sister's breathing slow and calm, quietly withdrew the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls from her robes. Her own gaze grew distant, troubled.
The hut fell silent save for the crackle of the fire.
An hour passed.
Then—a chill swept through the room.
Not the wind of nature, but a spiraling vortex of spiritual power.
Kikyo snapped alert. Her eyes widened at the sight of Xiaofeng.
Azure light radiated from her body, dazzling, sacred. The power was already greater than Kikyo's own.
"This… this is the power of the Eternal God?" she whispered, shocked.
She reached out instinctively, only to find her hand repelled by an invisible barrier. No matter how she tried, her fingers could not touch her sister.
Frowning, Kikyo summoned a strand of her own spiritual light. "Exorcising Strike!"
The moment her power touched the barrier, it dissipated like mist before the sun.
True divine power—even a trace of it—was overwhelming beyond compare.
Time bled away. At last, Xiaofeng stirred, blinking awake.
"Sister? What's wrong?" she asked, confused by Kikyo's strained breathing.
Kikyo shot her a glare. "Do you know how reckless you were? You were wrapped in terrifying divine force. If something had gone wrong, I might have lost you forever."
Xiaofeng only stuck out her tongue playfully. "Ehehe, so that's all? You worried me for nothing."
She rose, stretching. At once, light flared from her body—holy, smooth, unstoppable.
She had gained a divine art: Light.
Because she had always envied her sister's demon-slaying power, Xiaofeng had chosen the path of holy illumination.
"Alright, alright, enough showing off," Kikyo sighed. "Just tell me—how strong are you now?"
Xiaofeng tilted her head. "It's hard to explain… Why don't you try it yourself? The others in the group said anyone can cultivate this."
Kikyo hesitated. A part of her resisted embracing divine magic. And yet, watching her sister glow with sacred light that seemed utterly beyond human control, doubt gnawed at her heart.
Finally, she relented. "Fine. Let's test it. Come—we'll hunt a demon together and see how powerful this blessing truly is."
"Mm!" Xiaofeng's eyes shone.
The two stepped outside. Night cloaked the land in silence, and no one noticed as Kikyo pointed into the distance.
In an instant, Xiaofeng vanished, reappearing a kilometer away in a gust of wind.
The sheer speed made Kikyo's scalp tingle. And this was Xiaofeng holding back.
Her power eclipsed even that of a great demon.
Kikyo's heart tightened. This… this is the difference between mortals and those blessed by eternity.