Kikyo stepped forward to enter the cave but discovered a Barrier ahead. "This is... a Barrier..."
"Yes, there is a very powerful Barrier here, blocking anyone who wishes to enter," the Leader of the Demon Slayers said at this moment.
"Then how do we dispel this Barrier? Do we need to recite the incantation passed down through generations in this Village?" Myoga inquired.
"No, there is no incantation," the Leader of the Demon Slayers shook his head. "This place is actually a tomb."
"A tomb?" Myoga was very surprised upon hearing this.
"Yes, the one who created the shikon jewel, she did not want anyone to approach here. However, Miss Kikyo, you should be able to enter."
Hearing this, Kikyo tried and indeed passed through the Barrier effortlessly, but Myoga, who was standing on her shoulder, was flung back by the Barrier.
"Why?!" Myoga, having fallen to the ground, got up and complained irritably.
"This Barrier does not stop those who harbor pure goodwill and compassion for humanity, those without malice or greedy selfish desires for the shikon jewel," the Leader of the Demon Slayers said as he walked forward, also passing through the Barrier with ease.
Seeing this, Retsu also lifted his foot to walk towards the cave. To be honest, he didn't have any particular fondness or goodwill towards the people here, feeling he probably couldn't pass the Barrier, but there was no harm in trying.
To his surprise, he was not blocked by the Barrier and entered the cave effortlessly.
Though it was a bit strange, he didn't dwell on it, following behind the Leader of the Demon Slayers as they entered this limestone cave together.
The cave was dark and damp. Apart from the footsteps of the three, only the echoing sound of "drip, drip" from water droplets could be heard.
The ground was littered with the corpses of many youkai. Stepping on them occasionally produced a "crack" of breaking bones. The deeper they went into the cave, the more ancient the corpses appeared.
When they reached the deepest part of the cave, light fell from a crack in the ceiling, illuminating a shocking sight before them.
A massive number of countless, enormous youkai corpses were piled together. These corpses overlapped, devoured, and fused with each other, forming a small mountain made of corpses.
At the peak of this mountain of corpses, a woman in armor could be seen. Only her upper body was exposed, while her lower half was submerged within these youkai corpses, fused as one with them.
Both the youkai and the woman's body were entirely encased in a thick layer of stalactites, as if it were a colossal statue, telling everyone of the great age of these remains.
Retsu gazed intently at the figure of the woman atop the pile of youkai corpses. Knowing the plot, he understood that she was the priestess who created the shikon jewel, Suiko.
At this moment, the voice of the Leader of the Demon Slayers echoed in the dim cave: "These are the marks of battle left by countless youkai, including Oni, Dragons, Tsuchigumo, who joined forces. They united, just to kill a single human..."
"Is it that woman in armor, the one devoured by the youkai?" Kikyo, looking at the woman's figure above the youkai corpses, spoke up.
"Yes, she was a priestess from hundreds of years ago, and also the creator of the shikon jewel."
The Leader of the Demon Slayers nodded and said,
"At that time, when worldly power was still held by the nobility, prolonged wars and famines caused countless deaths. Youkai devoured the corpses and weakened humans, their numbers increasing dramatically.
There were also many monks and warriors performing demon-slaying tasks back then. Among them, this priestess named Suiko, with her ability to extract and purify youkai souls, was the top exorcist of her time."
Hearing his words, Kikyo seemed thoughtful: "A technique to extract and purify souls? Is that the power of the Four Souls?"
Guessing that Retsu might not be clear, Kikyo explained: "Legend has it that all things in the world, whether living beings like humans and animals, or inanimate objects like trees and stones, are composed of four souls.
These are the four souls: Aramitama, Nigimitama, Kushimitama, and Sakimitama. When combined and dwelling within a physical body, they form the heart/mind.
Aramitama governs courage, Nigimitama governs familial love, Kushimitama governs wisdom, and Sakimitama governs romantic love."
She paused, a flash of realization in her eyes: "And when the Four Souls incline towards goodness, they become righteous spirits; when they incline towards evil, they become evil spirits.
This is precisely the characteristic of the shikon jewel."
The Leader of the Demon Slayers, looking at Suiko's corpse above, said: "Correct. For the youkai of that time, Suiko was a terrifying enemy. She could purify youkai souls, causing them to lose their power."
"So, these youkai besieged and killed her?" Retsu asked.
"These youkai did besiege her and caused Priestess Suiko's death, but Suiko did not truly 'die.'"
The Leader of the Demon Slayers raised his hand and pointed to a large hole in Suiko's chest, saying,
"Suiko fought these youkai for seven days and seven nights. In the end, her strength gave out, and she began to be devoured by the youkai. But with her last ounce of power, she extracted the souls of all the youkai, fused them with her own soul, and expelled them from her body together."
"That expelled thing is the shikon jewel, right?" Kikyo, also seeing the hole in Suiko's chest, spoke up.
"Yes," the Leader of the Demon Slayers nodded and said,
"As Suiko's power was already exhausted, she lacked the strength to purify those youkai souls she had expelled. Therefore, even though her physical body perished, within the shikon jewel, her soul and the youkai souls continue to fight an endless battle."
"Is that so? What a powerful priestess," Kikyo said upon hearing this, clasping her hands before her chest, her eyes full of admiration.
After learning the truth about the shikon jewel, the three exited the limestone cave.
Kikyo turned to thank the Leader of the Demon Slayers: "Thank you very much for telling us about the shikon jewel."
"You're welcome. Our elders entrusted the shikon jewel to you for purification, Miss Kikyo, which ultimately led to your death. I should be the one apologizing to you," the Leader of the Demon Slayers quickly waved his hands, his tone carrying apology.
"The incident back then was due to my negligence. I fell into a youkai's trap. I do not blame anyone else.
It's just that now the shikon jewel has reappeared, causing great chaos. We still need to resolve this as soon as possible," Kikyo shook her head, saying gravely.
"Miss Kikyo, what did you find in the cave? Did you figure out the secret of the shikon jewel?" At that moment, Myoga, who had been anxiously waiting outside the cave unable to enter, immediately jumped onto Kikyo's shoulder upon seeing the three emerge and asked curiously.
"Yes, we already know," Kikyo nodded, saying no more, and followed the leader as they turned to walk back towards the Village.
"..." On the way, Myoga waited for a while, but Kikyo never offered to tell him about the situation inside the cave. He wanted to ask several times, but looking at Kikyo's expressionless profile, he ultimately didn't dare to inquire.
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