"This is the Bone-Eaters Well?"
Retsu stood beside the square dry well deep in the forest, looking down.
The well walls were constructed from dark greenish-black stones, and many emerald green vines hung down the edges. Looking down past the vines, the bottom of the well was dim and deep. There was no water, only thick soil and a few withered leaves.
"Let's go down and see." He leaped, his body lightly descending into the bottom of the well. The Bone-Eaters Well was much shallower than he imagined; his feet landed securely after only a few meters.
He stood quietly at the bottom of the well for a moment, then looked up. The well opening still reflected the clear blue sky, showing no signs of time travel.
"It seems even bringing the shikon jewel doesn't allow me to cross over." Although he had mentally prepared himself, Retsu still felt a degree of disappointment.
He took a shard of the shikon jewel from his pocket, placed it on the ground at the bottom of the well, and stared at it silently.
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The shard emitted a faint glow in the dark well, but it didn't trigger any unusual reaction—no spatial fluctuations, no pulling sensation.
"Forget it. If I can't cross over, I can't cross over." He sighed lightly and put the shard back into the bamboo tube.
The mechanism of the Bone-Eaters Well's travel was already vague in the original plot.
Based on the plot's explanation of the name Bone-Eaters Well, the remains of demons thrown into the bottom of the well would disappear after a period, meaning these remains could travel and vanish through the well even without the shikon jewel.
However, in the plot, after Inuyasha took the shikon jewel from Kagome, she could return to the modern era normally but could not travel back again.
Meanwhile, Shippō, who carried the shikon jewel, could not travel to the modern era. This contradictory setting made it difficult for him to grasp the key mechanism.
Nevertheless, Kagome and Inuyasha, who could travel, shared two common points: first, both had a deep connection with the shikon jewel, and second, both were closely linked to the time tree.
The time tree in the modern era grew within Kagome's family shrine, and she grew up beside the tree since childhood.
As for Inuyasha, he was sealed on the time tree for a full fifty years.
More importantly, the time tree is established in the setting as a spiritual tree serving as a spatiotemporal anchor, and the body of the Bone-Eaters Well is made from the time tree's trunk, which is the source of its ability to traverse time and space.
Thinking of this, Retsu bent slightly and leaped out of the well opening.
He glanced around for a moment and quickly spotted the unique large tree deep in the nearby dense forest—the time tree.
It was much taller and thicker than the surrounding trees, with strong, upright branches. Its lush canopy covered the sky and sun, making it instantly recognizable in the forest.
Retsu quickly walked to the tree, circled the trunk, and easily found the indentation in the wood grain—the trace left when Inuyasha was sealed on the trunk.
He reached out and gently stroked the rough bark. The texture was the same as any ordinary ancient tree, and he felt nothing special.
"Should I try sensing Natural Energy?" He closed his eyes and carefully sensed the surrounding Natural Energy.
A few minutes later, he suddenly opened his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing within them: "It really is different! This feeling is very similar to the Dragon Pulse of the Naruto World!"
In the perception of Sage Mode, this time tree contained majestic and vast Natural Energy.
Moreover, unlike ordinary Natural Energy, the Natural Energy contained within the time tree was similar to the energy of the Dragon Pulse he had seen in Naruto, clearly possessing spatiotemporal attributes.
This attribute was extremely similar to the spatiotemporal power involved in the Flying Thunder God Technique he mastered—both familiar and strange.
"But this energy is too dangerous." Retsu shook his head and withdrew his hand.
"Unless I stay by the tree for decades like Inuyasha, slowly absorbing its aura, rashly using this power might cause unpredictable consequences. It would be troublesome if I were swept away to another dimension."
He lingered no longer, turned, and left the time tree, preparing to search for Kikyo's whereabouts.
According to the plot clues, after Kikyo was resurrected and learned the truth about her death, she returned to Kaedes Village that very night to question Grandma Kaede, indicating she must have been active near Kaedes Village at the time.
"Next, I'll try using Sage Mode for a wide-area search." Retsu landed on a branch of a large tree outside Kaedes Village, sat cross-legged, and entered Sage Mode again.
His sensory range spread out like a ripple, quickly detecting the auras of Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippō in the Village, but he did not find any trace of Kikyo. Even Kagome's aura was gone; she must have returned to the modern era via the Bone-Eaters Well.
"I'll check the next Village." He exited Sage Mode, his figure flashing before disappearing into the woods.
In the time that followed, Retsu used Kaedes Village as the center point, moving and searching among the surrounding settlements.
After continuously investigating three Villages, aside from conveniently eliminating a few minor mischievous demons, he gained no other findings.
Just as he was about to give up, assuming Kikyo had already left the area, a unique aura suddenly entered his perception after switching to the fourth search location.
That aura was mixed with dense death energy and stubborn resentment, yet it also carried a trace of pure Miko Spiritual Power—contradictory and strange.
"Never mind, I'll go check it out first." Retsu's heart stirred, Chakra burst forth from his feet, and he sped toward the source of the aura.
He had sensed similar abnormal auras several times before, but they always turned out to be peculiar demons. However, the Miko Spiritual Power in this aura made him feel the possibility was high this time.
As the distance gradually closed, a smile slowly curved at the corner of his mouth: "Looks like I found the right place this time!"
Looking from afar, the source of the aura was a human settlement built against a mountain.
What confirmed it further was that the abnormal aura had also detected his approach and was moving out of the Village, coming toward his direction.
Retsu did not stop, continuing his approach toward the Village.
Just as he was about to step into the woods at the Village entrance, a sharp sound of something cutting the air suddenly arrived. An arrow, coated with pure Miko Spiritual Power, shot straight toward him through a gap in the forest branches and leaves!
At that moment, he had just leaped from a tree trunk and could not exert force in mid-air. The arrow was already upon him.
He could have easily reached out and caught the arrow, but a sudden impulse struck him. A mischievous smile appeared on his lips, and he pretended to react too late, allowing the arrow to pass directly through his head.
"Bang!"
The Miko Spiritual Power on the arrow instantly erupted, shattering his head into pieces.
Driven by inertia, the headless body fell from the air, rolled a few times on the ground, and then lay face-up in the grass, motionless.
A moment later, a slender figure slowly walked out from the woods.
She wore a red and white miko outfit, her long black hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall. Her face was cold, stunningly beautiful, and her expression was icy. She was surrounded by a faint death energy and sacred Spiritual Power, contradictory yet harmonious.
It was Kikyo, the legendary Miko who once guarded the shikon jewel, forcibly resurrected by Urasue using Demonic Arts.