C101 The Rebirth of the Moon Demon!

Just a hundred miles from the entrance to the forbidden zone lay a deep chasm.

At its base rested an enormous, egg-shaped Moon Fragment, glowing with a bright, pearlescent light.

Moonlight cascaded from the heavens like a celestial waterfall.

Bathed in this downpour, the Moon Fragment took on the appearance of a flawless jade, its brilliance intensifying to a dazzling sheen.

Within the fragment, the light streamed like liquid, creating a mesmerizing spectacle.

Three practitioners from Waning Moon City, their presence cold and detached, sat in silent meditation upon the Moon Fragment.

Near them, a young girl in white was ensnared by tendrils of green light.

The luminescence threaded through her, piercing her flesh with its eerie glow.

Every so often, she would emit a pained whimper, her expression one of utter despair and fear.

"Hu!"

Abruptly, flecks of green light, akin to will-o'-the-wisps, began to sprinkle from the sky above the pit.

The three cultivators from Waning Moon City rose in unison, their gazes lifted skyward.

"Master."

In a tone both ancient and distant, the three from Waning Moon City offered their humble summons.

The rain of green light intensified, converging on the figure of the young girl in white.

As she watched the myriad droplets descend, her face was etched with sorrow, yet her eyes held a glimmer of solace. "You cannot prevail. Our Bright Moon City will take down one of you. United, the five great families and the other cities will vanquish you all."

The Waning Moon City cultivators regarded her with deep, emotionless eyes.

The green luminescent rain continued to fall upon her crown, merging seamlessly as if into an ocean.

Green flames flickered in the depths of her eyes, her features contorting with the agony she endured.

Soon, overcome with exhaustion, she closed her eyes and slowly collapsed.

The three practitioners from Waning Moon City gathered around her, each executing a mysterious incantation.

From the lustrous Moon Fragment, three refined beams of moonlight were drawn out like liquid silver, infusing into the girl's waist, chest, and brow.

Her aura began to surge with astonishing velocity.

The bright moon suspended in the night sky seemed to echo her presence, resonating mysteriously with her soul.

Moments later, she rose slowly from where she lay.

Her eyes fluttered open, revealing dark green irises reminiscent of Fong Xin's.

"The sword has vanished, yet its intent and soul have fused with a young man named Yu Yuan," she articulated in human tongue. "When the Slash Moon struck our homeland, it shattered into Moon Fragments that fell here. The sword, too, descended, restraining us for eons. Only now, with the sword's body, intent, and soul separated, have we shattered our bonds to breathe freely once more."

"Master, was it this Yu Yuan who wounded you?" a servant inquired, incredulous.

"Oddly enough, someone at the mere Spirit Accumulating Stage managed to harness the sword's intent and soul, inciting a tempest of spiritual energy," she mused, still confounded by the fierce clash. "I took him too lightly. His ability to gain the sword intent's approval suggests he's no ordinary individual."

"Yet, his power is so limited that he collapsed immediately after wielding the sword."

"Had he not, my escape might have been impossible. But now, I inhabit a new form, one that resonates with me even more than the last."

With a sigh, she descended upon the Moon Fragment.

Within, the moonlight surged like a torrential stream.

Her delicate form shone brilliantly, becoming as luminous and translucent as the fragment itself, drawing in the moonlight scattered by the bright moon above.

"They must pass through here to escape. Upon our next encounter, with your aid, none shall survive."

...

The soul sacrifice ball drifted aimlessly in the void.

Lee Yu, following its lead, guided his companions through a seemingly random course.

"Chi!"

The ball sparked to life and darted into the distance.

Lee Yu and Yu Yuan surged ahead, swift as lightning.

"Yu Yuan, that lad, is truly impressive," Zhan Tianxiang remarked as Yu Yuan sped away, admiration in his tone. "Back when I was in the Early Period of the Spirit Accumulating Stage, even after my first body refinement, I wasn't nearly as swift."

Blessed with the legacy of the Golden Elephant Ancient God's Demon Spell, his Spirit Accumulating Stage physique far surpassed that of most.

Among those present, only Zhao Yafu might match him in sheer physical resilience.

"Brother Yu really is something else," Zhao Yafu said with a gentle smile, appearing completely at ease, unfazed by the movements of the soul sacrifice ball.

Dozens of seconds later, the soul sacrifice ball, having absorbed clusters of gray shadows in a stone cave at the center of a deep pit, returned without success.

The gray shadows, emerging from a tattered piece of cloth amidst the rocks of the cave, were fragments of a Soul Summoning Flag, containing fragmented, broken souls.

"How did it go?"

Su Yan emerged with a look of cool detachment, gazing at Lee Yu and Yu Yuan, though she already had an inkling of the outcome.

Lee Yu shook his head, "Nothing but a few remnant souls and malevolent thoughts."

"This approach doesn't seem very efficient," Zhan Tianxiang mused, stroking his chin. "I thought your soul sacrifice ball's ability to detect any stir of souls was an advantage. But now, it seems less so; it's not selective enough to target just the Moon Demon."

Several days had passed.

The soul sacrifice ball, under Lee Yu's control, had triggered alerts five or six times.

Initially, everyone was on high alert, ready for a fierce battle with the Moon Demon.

But time and again, they discovered that the soul sacrifice ball was leading them not to remnants within the tattered flags, but to malevolent spirits within destroyed objects. Often, these spirits were consumed by the soul sacrifice ball before the group even arrived.

Aside from a slight increase in brightness, the soul sacrifice ball showed no other changes, indicating that the devoured spirits were so insubstantial as to be negligible.

Time after time, the soul sacrifice ball led them to such feeble spirits, and their patience was wearing thin.

"I haven't reached the Penetrating Stage in my cultivation, so effective communication with the soul sacrifice ball is quite challenging," Lee Yu admitted, somewhat helplessly. "But one thing is certain: if the Moon Demon is truly nearby, the soul sacrifice ball will detect it and pinpoint its location with precision."

"For the moment, we seem to be out of good options," Han Hui sighed. "If we can't locate the Moon Demon soon, it might regain its full strength. And when that happens, it won't be us hunting it—it'll be hunting us."

"Rather than that, let's find a spot where we can all cultivate with Spirit Stones to keep our combat strength up. When the Moon Demon shows up, we'll be ready for a fight to the finish." Yan Lu's wounds hadn't healed, aggravated by his constant moving around. "Lee Yu, is there really no alternative to the Soul Sacrifice Ball?"

Lee Yu shook his head. "Nothing on my end."

Yan Lu sighed, a tinge of disappointment in his voice. He turned to Yu Yuan with a hopeful look. "How about you? You've always had a knack for dealing with creatures like the Moon Demon. Got any tricks up your sleeve to trap them and force them into the open?"

"I could act as bait," Yu Yuan offered.

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