At this mont, Gu Mo’s mind was racing, rapidly combing through all the information clues he possessed.
Kikyo was once injured on Penglai Island, probably because they valued her Spiritual Power. Therefore, the Four Fighting Gods later used her blood to create a duplicate using unknown ans... However, it seems they could not completely replicate the Witch’s Power, ultimately failing to achieve the desired Effect.
After Naoki seized the essence of the Four Fighting Gods, she embraced the idea of mutual destruction and threw herself into the Great Cauldron, yet she didn’t completely die. At least in the original plot, she entrusted the Jade Box sealing the Four Fighting Gods to Inuyasha and his companions before truly fading away.
This indicates that before the Four Fighting Gods were resolved, her Soul actually remained within the Clanging Cauldron.
So now, using this body to act...
The person walking out from the Clanging Cauldron...
Besides Witch Naoki, Gu Mo couldn’t think of a more suitable possibility.
And at this mont, the woman on the stone steps calmly spoke, her voice exactly like Kikyo’s, akin to a delicate mountain spring, yet her tone was evidently different, sowhat softer: "Both of you, we et again at last... But for you, this is the first ti eting."
She paused slightly, touched her chest lightly, and continued in a soft voice: "I am Naoki, the Witch who guards Penglai Island. I am very grateful for your assistance earlier."
It really is...
Gu Mo tugged at the corner of his mouth. Such a scenario is reasonable enough to understand, but if it weren’t Naoki, then it would truly leave him perplexed.
"Assistance earlier..."
Kikyo lightly raised her eyebrows. Though she had so speculations, receiving confirmation still felt quite peculiar.
"..."
"..."
"...Perhaps I should say, thank you for your assistance to co?"
The woman who claid to be Naoki also hesitated slightly, expressing it uncertainly, likely feeling tangled due to this quirky ti loop.
Is it assistance that has already occurred, or assistance that is yet to happen? It’s sothing that happened in the past but also sothing that is yet to happen... It indeed is easy to get entangled unknowingly, especially when it involves ti travel and causal loops, it always appears quite strange.
"I have a guess, but can you please elaborate..."
Kikyo nodded slightly, her unusual gaze surveying Naoki’s body, no matter what, seeing another "self" is particularly peculiar.
"This is quite a long story..."
Naoki sighed gently, her eyes no different from those of the Witch, staring quietly at the two, and she lightly descended the stone steps.
"Lord Gu Mo, Miss Kikyo, is it alright for to address you this way?"
Able to na both at once, it served as yet another proof, though Kikyo slightly shook her head: "Just call by my na, Miss Naoki." Simultaneously, she glanced inexplicably at a certain person beside her, her eyes calm without any particular emotional fluctuations.
Being addressed as "Lord" by the Witch appeared to be sothing she couldn’t quite accept... After all was said and done, this one was truly the senior here. At least when Kikyo was alive, Naoki was already the Guardian Witch of Penglai Island.
Based on so accounts Kikyo was aware of, even when she first landed on the island, Naoki might have already been guarding Penglai Island for two or three hundred years...
Emmmmm... This is still a conservative estimation.
"Well then, let first address what Miss Kikyo is likely puzzled about, the reason why I appear like this..."
Glimpsing at the still thoughtful Gu Mo, Naoki nodded gently, continuing with her tender tone —
"That was during the eleventh ’Reincarnation’ until now, Miss Kikyo, you once stepped onto Penglai Island... ’Reincarnation’ is a term used on this island because at certain intervals the Clanging Cauldron becos dormant, no longer clanging, the Barrier protecting Penglai Island fades, that’s why Penglai Island erges to the outside world once every fifty years."
"At that ti, Miss Kikyo, you ca here, battled with the Four Fighting Gods and were injured... Those four Demons feared your Power, yet wanted to exploit it, so they used the legacy left by sages on the island to try creating a fake, but potentially powerful duplicate of you, Miss Kikyo..."
Gazing at Kikyo not far in front, Naoki gently pressed her chest and earnestly said:
"This is the origin of this body. I seized the essence of those four Demons and then jumped into the Clanging Cauldron, leaving only my Soul preserved, using this body to continue acting..."
Having said this, she paused, turning back towards the raging flas of the Great Cauldron behind her.
"But that is the limit. The Clanging Cauldron did not completely destroy my Soul, it preserved it, but as a consequence, I cannot separate from the Clanging Cauldron, can’t leave this place too far, I can only operate in this area..."
In a certain sense...
Becoming akin to a spirit tied to this giant Pill Furnace?
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