The mountain paths surrounding the village were littered with Demon corpses.
Inside the village lay large numbers of murdered humans.
Kikyo frowned at the sight.
Soon, she singled out a Shapeshifter Demon. It seemed to be responsible for everything here.
Without a second thought, she immediately fired a Sacred Arrow.
Purple light bloomed, and the Shapeshifter Demon wreaking havoc in the village was instantly shattered.
"What on earth is going on?"
The girl murmured to herself.
Li Xia's eyes shifted, and he added:
"It looks as though it was pieced and stitched together from countless Demons, something like an unfinished product of [Witchcraft]. But aren't the Fusions produced through Witchcraft something Naraku creates inside a sealed Barrier? Why has one been let loose outside? Besides, a finished product of Witchcraft should have far greater regenerative and destructive power than this. It certainly wouldn't have flaws like this Shapeshifter's uncoordinated movements and slow speed.
"Naraku wouldn't make himself a body riddled with problems like these."
As his words fell, masses of green light suddenly emerged from the shattered flesh of the stitched monster.
"Hmm? Are those Demon souls?"
Li Xia narrowed his eyes as well.
Countless thoughts ran through his mind.
"Those aren't souls. They're animating spirits."
Kikyo moved closer to examine them.
As she investigated, she offered a brief explanation. "As a Monk, you should know that humans and animals have both souls and animating spirits within them. The soul is the mind, the spiritual self. The animating spirit is the force that lets the body move."
"Then where did these Demons' souls go? Just now, apart from the dispersing animating spirits, there was no sign of any souls."
Li Xia rubbed his chin, suppressing some of the eagerness within him.
Kikyo noticed nothing of this.
After examining the severed