The Baseline Goal

Medicine Elder Poison Immortal, boundless in power, unstoppable in conquest, undefeated in battle.

Medicine Elder Poison Immortal, whose might reigned over all heavens, blessed forever, as eternal as the heavens themselves.

Medicine Elder Poison Immortal, vast in divine ability, whose might shook the universe, unrivaled past and present.

Medicine Elder Poison Immortal, skilled of hand and kind of heart, profound in virtue, savior of the suffering...

Indeed, the one Li Xia and Inuyasha were about to visit was the poison-and-medicine immortal among demons who had helped the Protagonist Group gain extraordinary advantages in the original story. Those four lines of praise were flattery Li Xia had spent quite some time composing in his head.

However, considering his connections through Inuyasha and Grandpa Myoga...

Why bother with flattery? He could skip it!

As a demon immortal who governed poison and medicine, [Medicine Elder Poison Immortal] naturally possessed supreme mastery over both.

In the original story, this demon immortal had enhanced Sango's Hiraikotsu, turning it into a lethal weapon imbued with potent poison. Once a notoriously resilient demon's body was smashed by Hiraikotsu infused with the Poison Immortal's poison, the destroyed parts could not regenerate for a long time afterward.

Even Naraku, who possessed six-star demon power after the Mount Hakurei incident, was no exception.

According to the old man from the Underworld, the place where Medicine Elder Poison Immortal lived in seclusion happened to have a spirit spring of excellent quality.

And so, they had come.

My main goal on this visit is to score some free spirit spring water to prepare high-quality spirit fluid!

That was his baseline goal!

Once I've achieved that, perhaps I can push for a few more benefits, such as... tempering the Thunderstrike Blade with immortal poison and immortal medicine!

After all, even Hiraikotsu in the original timeline could do it. Why shouldn't my Thunderstrike Blade?

Even if the Thunderstrike Blade's material makes it unsuitable for immortal poison, Inuyasha's Tessaiga should be fine, right?

That was what Li Xia thought.

Hiraikotsu had been forged from a blend of bones belonging to more than a dozen kinds of mid- to high-level demons.

The Thunderstrike Blade's primary material was thunderstrike iron.

Tessaiga, meanwhile, had been forged from the Dog General's fang.

The key materials used to forge Hiraikotsu and Tessaiga were both related to bone. If mere Hiraikotsu could bear the power of Medicine Elder Poison Immortal's immortal poison, there was no reason Tessaiga, a weapon comparable to a divine artifact, could not do the same, was there?

Moreover, Tessaiga could absorb various powerful forms of demon power and gain their corresponding wondrous abilities.

Its red form, adamant form, dragon scale form, and so on, for example.

If Tessaiga gained an [immortal poison] form and caught Naraku off guard, wouldn't that be delicious?

Could a single strike-the very first strike in a head-on clash with Inuyasha-break through his defenses?!

And if Kagome immediately followed up with an accurate arrow...

Seated on Kirara's furry back, Li Xia sank into contemplation.

Who did he fear most in this island nation during this era? Without a doubt, it was that lunatic Naraku.

As one of only two beings with maximum values in all four souls, combined with his unique nature as an amalgamation of countless demons, his potential in every respect was truly immense. More importantly, the bastard used his brain and would stoop to anything to achieve his goals. Unlike the dog brothers, who were somewhat reckless and brainless, he had no self-imposed restraints.

Naraku had an incredibly high ceiling for strength and an extraordinarily low moral floor.

Furthermore, more than half the Shikon Shards were already in his hands, and he would gather even more afterward.

Against an enemy like that, Li Xia only wanted to send him to the paradise of the Pure Land of the Underworld as soon as possible.

If Tessaiga gained the potency of immortal poison, it could severely restrict Naraku's bodily abilities. If Kagome seized the moment while he was weakened and finished him off with a Sacred Arrow, we might actually have a chance to ban his account and boot him offline before he fully developed...

The more he worked through the tactics, the brighter his eyes became.

That opportunity existed thanks to their current place in the timeline!

Naraku had yet to cultivate anything through the Venomous Insect Technique, much less absorb the enormous monster it produced! Nor had he been strengthened by more than half the Shikon Jewel! Judging solely by demon power, Naraku at this stage was, at most, only at the four-and-a-half-star level.

The bastard would only leap to five-star demon power later, after absorbing the enormous amalgamated monster dozens of meters tall that the Venomous Insect Technique produced, while also receiving his first round of enhancements from more than half the Shikon Jewel!

After that, seeking to advance further in a short time, he would even release the human heart of Onigumo within him as the incarnation Musō, waiting for Musō to deepen his obsession with Kikyo! Then he would reabsorb the deeply obsessed Musō, strengthening the connections between every part of his body!

Using that opportunity, he would unlock the tremendous potential of his fully maximized four souls and advance straight to five-and-a-half-star demon power!

His blue barrier would also transform into a pink barrier in one leap!

The current Naraku is still nowhere near that level!

There's a chance...

There's absolutely a chance to strike while he's weak and kill the bastard outright!

Li Xia murmured under his breath.

It was as though he were trying to bolster his own courage.

As long as their group could eliminate Naraku early, this world's danger level would immediately fall by a considerable margin.

He could also make the most of his foreknowledge to secure benefits for himself.

Many demons would indeed wreak havoc and cause chaos everywhere after being strengthened by Shikon Shards. Yet compared with Naraku, that lunatic who killed-and devoured-wherever he went, those demons were far gentler and kinder. They would also be much easier to deal with.

Rather than confront one Naraku, he would prefer to face top-tier great demons such as Oyakatā, Flying Demon Moth, Ryūkotsusei, and Shinigami Oni individually...

"Mr. Xia, what chance?"

Beside him, Inuyasha perked up his ears and turned to ask.

Li Xia blinked, then answered with a perfectly natural smile:

"Grandpa Myoga, from what you said earlier, Tessaiga's abilities extend far beyond the tiny fraction we've seen so far! When Inuyasha's father, the Dog General, wielded it, his might inspired awe everywhere! Inuyasha's elder brother Sesshomaru has been yearning for this demon blade, which is further proof in its own way..."

Li Xia's words changed the subject;

they made Myōga nod slightly and filled Inuyasha with quiet yearning.

"Indeed. Tessaiga was the master's most trusted companion back then. At its peak, it could even cut a star down from the sky..."

That star was none other than the legendary [Demon Spirit Star], which appeared once every five hundred years!

"Young Master Inuyasha, you must work much harder if you wish to approach the master's level!"

Standing on Inuyasha's shoulder, Myōga looked at his young master and spoke earnestly.

"Was such a powerful demon blade deliberately weakened-with the various abilities it once acquired stripped away-to make it easier for Inuyasha to master?"

Li Xia continued probing.

At that, Myōga immediately looked over in astonishment.

"You even figured that out?"

Indeed, Tessaiga was a demon blade of the highest caliber, with tremendous potential. But Young Master Inuyasha, being only a half-demon, could not possibly control its complete form when he first began using it. He lacked both the necessary demon power and the will and conviction.

If Young Master Inuyasha had tried to wield Tessaiga in its complete form at the outset, it would have been like a three-year-old swinging a fifty-kilogram hammer... He would collapse before he could smash his enemy to death.

Thus, his master had stripped Tessaiga of its various abilities and arranged several trials for Young Master Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, look. Isn't it obvious now...?"

On Kirara's back as she raced along, Li Xia toyed with the Thunderstrike Blade, which had already been repaired but now looked drastically different, and smiled at Inuyasha.

"Although we're still only exploring Tessaiga's capabilities, that doesn't stop us from making bold guesses about how it could be improved!"

"We could give it the ability to break barriers..."

"We could grant it a skill for powerful physical attacks..."

"We could even add a deadly poison that would force your elder brother to keep his distance, or temper it with elemental abilities such as flame and lightning!"

Those descriptions stirred Inuyasha's heart.

They made him realize even more deeply how extraordinary his companion was. Somehow, Li Xia understood his beloved blade far better than he did, despite Inuyasha being its wielder.

Just what I'd expect from Mr. Xia...

All those hints also set Myōga thinking:

Give Tessaiga the old immortal's immortal poison?

Why didn't I think of that before?

The old immortal's power is balanced and gentle. It would be perfect for laying a solid foundation for Young Master Inuyasha.

Soon, they reached the valley with the great waterfall where Medicine Elder Poison Immortal lived in seclusion.

Below the waterfall, a vast array of wine jars sat immersed in the water.

Ordinary people could not sense the immense nature energy permeating the valley, but as a cultivator, he perceived it with exceptional clarity.

At that moment, every pore in his body tingled and rejoiced.

I've found a source of spirit spring water, and it's probably of exceptionally high quality!