Kanbe Hikaru woke up from his slumber again.
As a demon, he originally did not need to sleep, but as he gradually 'came to life', he was also able to enjoy the peace of sleep.
The rest over the past few days had made his condition better and better, and the Demonic Qi within his body had also returned to its peak state.
He pushed open the wooden door of the shrine, preparing to begin today's demonic weapon strategy.
Then, he paused.
The scene outside the shrine was different from usual.
The entire Kaede Village was shrouded in a layer of faint white light; the light was very soft, not dazzling, but gave people a sense of peace.
It was a Barrier.
But it was different from the simple defensive Barrier before.
This Barrier was more complex and larger.
Kanbe Hikaru could see the patterns of the Barrier flickering in the air, interweaving into some spell formations he could not understand.
Those spell formations also seemed alive, flowing slowly.
And in the very center of the Barrier, Kikyo was standing there.
White clothes and red hakama, black hair like a waterfall.
Her hands were forming some kind of seal, and spiritual power surged around her, turning into ribbons of white light that merged into the ground beneath her feet.
Kanbe Hikaru's [Spiritual Perception] talent operated automatically.
That was an ability obtained from the shikon no tama: naohi, which allowed him to perceive the flow of spiritual power.
And at this moment, he perceived something unusual.
Kikyo's spiritual power had become'stronger'.
Obviously, visibly stronger.
The total amount remained the same, but the purity was higher, the flow was smoother, and the oppressive feeling for demons was even stronger.
If Kikyo a few days ago was a drawn sword, sharp and exposed, then she was now a divine weapon hidden in its sheath, restrained and profound.
'She has become stronger...'
Kanbe Hikaru thought to himself.
He walked down the shrine steps and headed towards Kikyo.
Kikyo seemed to notice his approach, put away her seal, and turned around.
Her red hakama fluttered, the hem rolled up to reveal half of her white socks, and her legs above were wrapped tight in the breeze, her hip line curved and lifted, with a slight dip in the shadow.
Her long hair was tied up at her neck with a white ribbon, but the ends cascaded down freely, setting off her beauty perfectly.
There were faint beads of sweat on her cold, clear face, which also made her eyes and brows look even more radiant.
"Awake?"
She asked.
"Yeah."
Kanbe Hikaru stopped beside her, his gaze falling on the slowly flowing patterns of the Barrier: "What are you doing?"
"Repairing the Barrier."
Kikyo raised her hand to brush away the sweat on her forehead, her movements natural.
"The previous battle with Kidomaru caused some damage to the Barrier, so I took advantage of these few days to repair it."
"By the way..."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the surrounding houses: "I made some improvements."
The priestess said this, then suddenly raised her hand and took Kanbe Hikaru's hand.
Her fingertips were delicate, her palms soft.
Their fingers intertwined.
Kanbe Hikaru was slightly stunned.
Improving the Barrier—Kikyo didn't need to say this; Kanbe Hikaru had already'seen' it.
But he only'saw' it.
Now, under Kikyo's intentional guidance, he could also understand more precisely what was different.
Kanbe Hikaru mobilized [Spiritual Perception] to perceive the structure of this new Barrier more carefully.
If the previous Barrier was just a purely defensive one, like a wall blocking demons from the outside.
Then now,
it was not just for defense.
It could also warn of danger; any Demonic Qi approaching within a few hundred meters of the Barrier would trigger a reaction, allowing Kikyo to perceive it immediately.
It could also purify; within the area covered by the Barrier, impurities in the air would be slowly purified, which had a suppressive effect on demons.
It could even...
Kanbe Hikaru's gaze fell on the bottom structure of the Barrier.
There was an extremely complex pattern there, like some kind of formation.
He could not understand what it was.
But he could feel—that thing was very dangerous.
"What is that?"
He raised his other hand and pointed at that pattern.
Kikyo followed his gaze.
"The prototype of the Earth Barrier."
Her voice was very calm.
"Earth Barrier?"
"A type of Barrier aimed at specific targets."
Kikyo explained: "As long as you obtain something from the target—such as blood, hair, or soil contaminated with their scent—you can set up a Barrier aimed at them."
"Within the range of this Barrier, the target's power will be greatly weakened, and anything related to them will also be suppressed."
Kanbe Hikaru's eyes lit up.
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