The Land of Demons was desolate and heartbreaking.
Seiya's brows couldn't help but furrow.
The Ghost Army was wantonly slaughtering the people of the Land of Demons, running rampant.
Could it be that Kitsuchi and the others, who came to the rescue, failed their mission and died in a foreign land?
Seiya very much wished the hateful Iwa-nin were dead, but not at this time.
At the very least, they should help him re-experience the danger of being trapped before they died!
Having traveled thousands of miles to the Land of Demons, Seiya did not want to return empty-handed.
He decided to inquire about the whereabouts of Kitsuchi and the others to confirm whether they were dead or alive.
However, after asking dozens of refugees along the way, Seiya heard absolutely no news about the Iwa-nin.
Instead, he gained a good understanding of the situation in the Land of Demons-
This recent invasion by the Ghost Army had a long history.
More than ten years ago, a group of people, relying on a demon called Moryo, led the Ghost Army and almost destroyed the Land of Demons.
Fortunately, at the last moment before the country fell, the previous Priestess of the Land of Demons, Miroku, turned the tide, stopped the rebellion, and sealed Moryo.
To be safe, Miroku intentionally separated Moryo's body and soul, sealing them separately.
The body was sealed in a shrine in the Land of Swamps, and the soul was sealed in an underground palace in the Land of Demons.
Afterward, the Land of Demons returned to peace, and the people lived happily.
Miroku gave birth to a daughter, Shion, and passed away several years later.
According to the tradition of the Land of Demons, Shion inherited her mother Miroku's status and power, becoming the new Priestess, ruling and protecting the Land of Demons.
A few months ago, the remnants of the former Ghost Army, Yomi, led his subordinates to break the seal on Moryo's soul in the underground palace, thereby gaining immense power and resurrecting the wicked Ghost Army.
The Ghost Army felt no pain and were perfect, fearless fighting machines.
The Land of Demons' military was weak and unable to resist, quickly collapsing.
The Ghost Army swept across the country and is currently hunting Shion, intending to overthrow the millennia-old rule of the Priestess.
Recently, the number of Ghost Army members in the Land of Demons has significantly decreased.
Most followed Yomi to the neighboring Land of Swamps, attempting to break the seal on Moryo's physical body in the shrine, merge it with Moryo's soul, and unleash its full power.
...
"Moryo's sealing location is known by everyone!" Seiya found it incomprehensible.
"The official government of the Land of Demons doesn't even keep it a secret. Do they trust the Priestess's sealing jutsu that much?"
"Perhaps it's the arrogance of the ruler," Konan said flatly, thinking of the former Amegakure leader, Hanzo the Salamander.
Seiya nodded, frowned for a moment, and then a flash of inspiration hit him.
"Onee-chan, this demon named Moryo seems pretty powerful; it should be comparable to a Tailed Beast in strength. Should we capture it and seal it in the Gedo Statue?"
"No need." Konan shook her head. "The Gedo Statue only needs to absorb the One to Nine-Tails. Any other chakra is simply impurities and irrelevant."
"Oh."
Seiya nodded and turned his attention to the withered and desolate town.
Kitsuchi and the others were missing. This trip to the Land of Demons seemed to have been in vain.
What a pity!
Seiya sighed softly and turned to head toward the Land of Fire.
Konan urged, "No need to rush to leave. Nee-san will try to find Kitsuchi and the others."
With that, she transformed into countless paper butterflies, scattering in all directions.
With her ability, she could quickly cover an entire small country like the Land of Demons.
However, Kitsuchi and the others were nowhere to be found in the Land of Demons. Even the Priestess Shion, whom the people spoke of, had disappeared!
Konan captured a palace maid who had fled from the Land of Demons' palace. After questioning her, she learned:
The Ghost Army was unlike human armies; they were practically infinite and fearless, making them very troublesome.
Although Kitsuchi and the others were powerful, they couldn't completely suppress them.
After analyzing the situation, the Priestess Shion believed that the key to defeating the Ghost Army was to seal Moryo.
Therefore, she took Kitsuchi and the others to the shrine in the Land of Swamps, intending to stop Yomi and reseal Moryo's soul, solving the Ghost Army problem once and for all!
Konan reported this information to Seiya.
The two briefly discussed it and decisively embarked on the journey to the Land of Swamps.
After all, they had traveled thousands of miles from the Land of Earth to the Land of Demons.
What was the short journey from the Land of Demons to the Land of Swamps?
Since they had come this far, they must not give up halfway; they had to find Kitsuchi!
It was also a good chance to witness the powerful demon that shook the Land of Demons.
Perhaps they might encounter danger and stimulate the potential within their bloodline!
Three days later, Seiya and Konan traversed the Land of Demons and arrived at the neighboring Land of Swamps.
This was a country even smaller than the Land of Demons, equally isolated, equally backward, and equally ravaged by the Ghost Army.
Konan quickly determined the location of Kitsuchi and the others through her paper butterflies.
It was a small mountain with a large hole artificially dug into it, the excavated rock and earth piled up to form a small hill.
A dark, eerie, and thick chakra continuously emanated from the dark cave entrance.
The Ghost Army at the foot of the mountain, as if injected with an excitement stimulant, fought bravely and fearlessly, locked in a fierce, even battle with Kitsuchi.
Inside the cave, the Priestess Shion and Kurotsuchi were desperately trying to stop Yomi from unsealing Moryo's physical body.
...
Seiya and Konan stood on a nearby hillside, watching the grand spectacle in the distance.
Konan smiled faintly, "Kitsuchi is preoccupied; he shouldn't be able to attack you."
"That's right."
Seiya nodded in agreement, thought for a moment, and said, "I'm going over to check out the demon in the cave. Nee-san, you stay here. If I get trapped and can't escape, go to Kumogakure and find my mother."
"Alright."
Konan nodded, splitting off a nimble paper butterfly to float along with Seiya's figure.
The Ghost Army, spread across the mountains and plains, provided excellent cover for Seiya.
Kitsuchi, busy eliminating the Ghost Army, did not notice someone moving through the ranks.
It wasn't until Seiya reached the top of the mountain and dashed into the cave that Kitsuchi caught a fleeting glimpse of his silhouette, which greatly shocked him.
Black robes with red clouds?
Those guys from the Tsuchi-Ryokan?!
Did the masked man ask his daughter about the mission that day just to launch a surprise attack and disrupt things today?!
Kitsuchi suddenly understood.
He quickly looked around for Seiya's companions but found nothing.
This was good news.
However, the masked youth alone was also extremely troublesome!
His uninjured body was too terrifying.
The masked youth could make countless mistakes, but his daughter couldn't make even one.
If this were in the Land of Earth, it might be manageable, and his daughter's intelligence could barely cope.
But now they were in the distant Land of Demons, where he was out of reach, and his daughter was busy sealing Moryo.
One slip-up, and she might perish in that cave!
Kitsuchi was burning with anxiety, desperately wanting to rush into the cave.
However, without the 'Purification' protection, he couldn't ignore the tide-like attacks of the Ghost Army like Seiya could.
He could only remain helplessly trapped at the foot of the mountain, weary from the fighting, and silently pray that nothing would happen to his daughter.
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