"Wait, Xiaofeng!"
Kikyo stood on the mountainside, panting heavily, her breath ragged.
She could barely keep up with her younger sister's movements.
Xiaofeng, having already darted far ahead, ran back lightly, tilting her head in confusion.
"What's wrong, Sister?"
Kikyo wiped the sweat from her brow, her voice tinged with frustration.
"You're asking me what's wrong? I can't even keep up with your speed!"
"Eh… but I was only using less than a third of it."
One third.
Kikyo pressed her fingers against her forehead, at a loss for words.
Is this truly the difference between god and human?
The gap was absurd—an impossible chasm. It wasn't even competition anymore. It was bullying.
Yet despite her awe and lingering fear, her concern for her sister overrode all else.
"Tell me, do you feel unwell? Any pain?"
Xiaofeng shook her head quickly. "Nope. Just hungry."
Kikyo exhaled in relief. "If hunger is the only side effect, then that's fine. Come on, let's keep moving."
The sisters walked on together, the forest breeze brushing past them.
Kikyo's heart felt calmer with every step.
So far, there seemed to be no detrimental backlash to her sister's newfound divine gift.
No madness. No collapse.
Only hunger.
Perhaps her worries had been unnecessary.
As they descended further, Xiaofeng suddenly froze, her eyes narrowing.
In one smooth motion, she raised her bow.
Kikyo startled at the abrupt movement. "What is it?"
"There's a demon," Xiaofeng replied simply.
Her bowstring was empty, but holy power surged, condensing into a radiant arrow of light.
The brilliance made Kikyo's heart skip a beat.
She knew instantly—if such an arrow were loosed at her, she couldn't defend against it.
The light shimmered, and with a sharp twang, Xiaofeng released.
The glowing arrow ripped across the sky like a streaking comet, piercing the clouds and illuminating the heavens.
Far away, a monster had just finished slaughtering helpless humans and now lounged lazily, its belly full, drifting on the edge of sleep. It never sensed the doom streaking through the skies.
By the time danger struck, it was far too late.
The holy light slammed into its body.
Its roar was brief—cut off as divine energy consumed it.
The foul miasma of its aura was instantly purified, scattered into harmless vapor.
Erased.
Evaporated.
Xiaofeng lowered her bow, turning to Kikyo with a bright smile.
"Sis, you're amazing! You sensed that monster from thousands of meters away?"
Kikyo's expression stiffened.
Me? I didn't sense a thing! Don't spout nonsense!
Her lips pressed into a thin line as silence swallowed her.
"Let's head back home," she muttered finally.
"Huh? Just one demon?"
"Yes. That's enough."
But within Kikyo's chest, her thoughts churned. Her sister's perception had become terrifyingly sharp—so powerful it was hard to fathom.
There was no doubt now: Xiaofeng had already surpassed her.
They hurried back to the village.
Just as they stepped through the doorway, Kikyo turned and said firmly,
"Give me the Eternal Meditation technique. I want to try it myself."
Xiaofeng's face lit up instantly, her smile radiant.
"Okay!"
Her sister's acknowledgment of her strength filled her with joy. From now on, they would walk the same path together, part of the same sect, guided by the same divine faith.
How wonderful that felt.
Eternal Meditation.
A deceptively simple practice, yet one imbued with unfathomable power.
Kikyo closed her eyes. Her breathing slowed. Her consciousness sank deep.
Almost immediately, she saw things she had never glimpsed before—visions buried within her own spirit.
And there it was: the vicious curse left by Tsubaki.
The malice of that spell was insidious, gnawing at her soul, forcing her to recall again and again the poisonous words her fellow shrine maiden had uttered.
"I never imagined my own junior sister… from the same master… would resort to such wickedness."
Kikyo's lips curved into a cold sneer.
Power gathered within her heart, and she traced the thread of the curse backward. A pulse of divine energy struck through it.
Far away, within the temple, Tsubaki—immersed in her own spellcraft—suddenly stiffened. A sharp dread pricked her chest.
"Who's interfering with me?" she gasped.
Before she could respond further, searing fire burst across her body. She writhed, her flesh consumed by crimson flames.
Moments later, her soul was dragged screaming into the Sea of Ghosts by an Executor of Eternity.
By the time the priest arrived, there was nothing left in her quarters but ash and flickering embers.
His face twisted in shock. "My… daughter? What is this? A backlash alone shouldn't be this devastating!"
Then realization struck him.
He staggered into his underground chamber, where an ancient mirror rested—an artifact said to reveal any truth at the cost of one's own lifespan.
Pressing his bleeding finger to the surface, he demanded, "Show me the cause and effect!"
The mirror glowed. A figure flickered into focus.
Kikyo. His most brilliant disciple.
"You…" His voice cracked into a snarl. "It was you!"
A sharp crack! echoed.
The mirror fractured, shards falling away.
The legendary relic had shattered beneath the weight of Eternal Meditation's backlash.
The priest reeled, his hair bleaching pale, his hands withering into skeletal claws.
He roared in anguish. Memories surged. Regret tore him apart.
He realized, too late, that Kikyo had become the perfect shrine maiden—the one who should have thrived in this world.
But blinded by envy, he had condemned his own daughter instead.
And now she was gone.
When the priest finally emerged, his disciples gasped in horror.
"Master?!"
"Why… why is Senior Sister Tsubaki's room in flames?"
"Was she attacked?"
Their voices rose in chaotic chorus.
The priest's eyes gleamed with cold madness.
"If you encounter demons, do not interfere. Leave this mountain."
Expulsion.
The disciples froze, unable to believe what they'd heard. But one look at their master's ghastly, half-human, half-spectral face was enough. They fell silent.
One by one, they bowed, tears streaming, and descended the mountain.
The priest turned and walked toward the forbidden grounds. There, a terrifying demon had long been sealed. If he unleashed its power, perhaps he could avenge his daughter.
Hours later, black storms tore across the mountain. Trees withered to dust, animals dropped lifeless, and the once-lush peak became a wasteland of death.
Meanwhile, Kikyo sat in meditation, clutching the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls.
Just one session of Eternal Meditation had not only freed her from Tsubaki's curse but also unveiled the jewel's hidden truths.
This sacred gem was not as pure as legends claimed.
Within it festered endless darkness, hatred, and resentment.
And yet… buried in that abyss, she sensed something else.
A pure soul.
The soul of Cuizi—the great miko of ages past.
The one who had mastered the path of purification.
Kikyo poured her energy into the jewel, purging corruption while simultaneously tugging at Cuizi's slumbering soul.
Good and evil clashed violently within the crystal.
Light and shadow battled without end.
For years, Kikyo had believed purity must remain untouched by darkness. But as she gazed at the jewel—half luminous, half foul—her convictions wavered.
"To think… ultimate purity, when combined with fallen darkness, could create such immense power."
This small jewel, forged of four souls, was no simple treasure. It was a bottomless reservoir of demonic energy.
Had she not walked this path, she would never have dared even look into such darkness.
When you gaze into the abyss… the abyss gazes back.
That was why she had always resisted. Only through distance could her soul remain unstained.
But now, with the Four Souls Jewel, she could not look away.
If she seized Cuizi's soul for herself… what then?
Kikyo smiled faintly.
Her will wrapped around Cuizi's essence, pulling her from unconscious slumber.
Immediately, the malignant spirits who had fed upon Cuizi's lingering power shrieked in defiance. They surged in fury.
A brutal battle erupted inside the jewel.
But the monsters had no chance. Kikyo's spiritual power had already evolved. Their wails ended in silence as they disintegrated one by one.
Tens of thousands of souls perished.
It took three hours before all was still.
When it ended, the Four Souls Jewel lay dull, lifeless. Then with a faint crack, it shattered completely.
A dazed figure appeared before Kikyo—a woman's soul, clad in ancient robes, a sword in hand.
"Where am I?" Cuizi murmured blankly.
Kikyo smiled. "In Maple Village. At last, the soul of the great miko Cuizi is freed."
"Freed…?" Cuizi frowned, then her lips curved into a soft smile. A radiant beam of light enveloped her, carrying her upward toward the Pure Land.
The scene was breathtaking.
But then—
A voice shattered the silence.
"What do you think you're doing? How dare you steal the faith that belongs to our god!"
The voice was not loud, but it struck directly at the soul.
Even Xiaofeng, who had been asleep, jolted awake.
The three women looked up.
The light of the Pure Land was suddenly snuffed out—pinched between divine fingers. From the starry heavens above, brilliance descended.
A beautiful voice echoed.
"Miko Cuizi, I am the goddess Lin Qing'er, hand of the Eternal God. You gave all your kindness to the people. Now I welcome you into the Eternal God Realm."
Kikyo gasped. "A divine lord of the Eternal Realm?!"
Xiaofeng's eyes widened as well—she had seen Lin Qing'er before and knew what she represented.
But Cuizi, though bewildered, found herself irresistibly drawn to the goddess's holiness and nobility.
"Believe, Cuizi," Lin Qing'er said gently. "Accept God's call."
The sky opened, and Cuizi's soul ascended into the heavens.
Only then did Kikyo and Xiaofeng realize that all of Maple Village had frozen in time. The rain no longer fell. The wind no longer blew.
When the light finally faded, the world resumed as if nothing had happened.
The Eternal God Realm
Cuizi's soul appeared before Lin Qing'er, who regarded her with a playful smile.
"Well now… from today, you'll be mine. Remember to carry my name wherever you walk."
Cuizi blinked. "But… should I not return to reincarnation? Lord God, I am already dead."
Lin Qing'er curled her lips and snorted. "In the Eternal God Sect, if God wills it, you will never die."
"This… thank you for your grace."
Cuizi knelt humbly, still unsure of her place, yet grateful for the chance to live on.
Lin Qing'er's smile deepened. An obedient servant, faithful and pure—how delightful.
Truly, it felt exhilarating to seize a soul so revered.
The Eternal God had commanded her and Kaguya to monitor cracks between worlds, to find suitable souls and form divine retinues.
And now, it seemed, her first soldier had arrived.