C1039 On the Moon
Elena's alabaster neck was adorned with a heart-shaped necklace, from which a secret ripple emanated.
She alone could detect this subtle vibration, thanks to her unique bloodline.
Within the necklace lay a drop of her father Fernand's lifeblood—a ninth-level Otherkin's lifeblood harbors profound secrets! Moreover, the necklace bore an imprinted glyph that enabled her and Fernand to sense each other's presence within a certain range.
Elena's striking figure soared into the air and descended onto a lofty platform. Gazing into the distant Star River, she murmured, "Moonlit Domain!"
"Moonlit Domain."
Pattinson paused, then came to a realization, speaking as if in a trance, "I hadn't realized we were this close to Calves' hiding spot. Time really does fly."
"Yu Yuan, come join me," Elena beckoned.
Whoosh!
Yu Yuan stepped into the air, calmly floating down to stand beside her. Following her gaze, he spotted an oval-shaped land amidst the far-off Star River.
From this distance, its true size eluded him.
Above this land, a pristine crescent moon hung in the even more distant cosmos, casting a soft moonlight.
The land lay motionless in the starry sky, seemingly eternally bathed in the moon's glow.
Yu Yuan pointed to the crescent moon, inquiring, "What's that?"
"That crescent moon is home to the Moonlit Wanderers, distinguished by their noble status and high bloodline levels. Only those born into better circumstances with a bloodline level above the fifth can reside on that crescent moon," Elena explained. "The Domain under Calves' covert control, the Moonlit Domain, is the one closest to us, bathed in the moonlight."
"There are many domains nearby, similar in size to the Moonlit Domain, inhabited by lower-level Moonlit Wanderers."
"My father is in the Moonlit Domain. It's likely that Calves, having learned of Lambing's death through the trident, has invited him and Rosny of the Shadowkin to ambush you there."
Her lips curved into a slight smile. "If it weren't for us..."
"If you weren't my man, I wouldn't have divulged so much! I would have acted oblivious, allowing the Ashen Hollow to befall the Moonlit Domain, leaving you at a great disadvantage."
Yu Yuan was taken aback.
He had not anticipated the stark disparities in status among the Otherkin of the Star River in the extraterrestrial realms. The Moonlit Wanderers with higher bloodline levels resided on the luminous moon, while the weaker and lower-status tribes lived in the Moonlit Domain, bathed in moonlight.
Wasn't this akin to the Everlands?
Mortals dwelled in the various empires of Aetherius, while cultivators of high status and formidable realms inhabited the spiritual energy-rich lands of Euwrea and the Land of Quiescence.
At that moment, Pattinson ascended and stood shoulder to shoulder with the others.
"With Mr. Fernand here, my brother must be around too, and they're surely prepared," Pattinson said, furrowing his brow with concern. "The situation has shifted. We can't be certain how many formidable beings are in the Moonlit Domain. Moreover, I'm not confident I can persuade my brother."
"Maybe we should avoid the Moonlit Domain altogether and quietly bypass it, heading straight for the Annihilation Nebula?" Elena suggested, her tongue peeking out in uncertainty. She was apprehensive about her father's reaction to discovering her involvement with a human. "Yu Yuan, my dad isn't the sharpest. Maybe we should drop the idea?"
Her demeanor made it clear that the Shura General was a formidable opponent.
Yu Yuan's frown deepened.
Calves, Rosny, and Fernand, all ninth-level Kings of Bandits, were lurking in the Moonlit Domain, awaiting the arrival of the Ashen Hollow.
If it were only Calves, Yu Yuan believed that with Hu Caiyun, who had returned to the Unbound Realm, and himself, they would have the upper hand.
But now, two ninth-level Otherkin warriors had joined the fray.
With a mere thought, he saw Yu Yiyi in another tower.
Yu Yiyi continuously received radiant crystals from Chebus, Armor Crusher, Grimlantern, and Silver Chain, melting them into her being to forge and temper her new body, repeatedly enhancing it.
Yu Yuan attempted to communicate with Yu Yiyi and learned that she, as an artifact soul, would not be able to join the battle for some time.
Chebus, Armor Crusher, Grimlantern, and Silver Chain also needed to concentrate their efforts on assisting her with the body refinement.
Only the Frost Queen was unaffected and ready to heed his call at any moment, emerging from the cauldron to vanquish their foes.
If it were only the Frost Queen...
He stroked his chin, thoughtfully assessing the situation. He believed that, given the Frost Queen's current power, she should be capable of handling a ninth level warrior with an unconventional military background.
"Calves will experience a slight boost in combat strength within the Moonlit Domain," Pattinson warned cautiously.
"If we enter that Domain and engage in combat, is there a chance that the other Moonlit Wanderers' experts on the moon might be alerted?" Yu Yuan inquired.
Pattinson shook his head. "It may seem close to the naked eye, but in reality, it's quite distant. The Moonlit Wanderers' elites on the waning moon couldn't possibly observe the battle in the Moonlit Domain from such a vast Star River distance. Moreover, when we've visited the Moonlit Domain in the past, we would temporarily leave the two landmasses behind and focus only on the one beneath our feet."
He gestured toward the ground, "The other two landmasses will remain stationary in the distance. The Luminescent Barrier on this leading landmass will condense its energy, becoming unnoticeable. Even the lower-level members of the Moonlit Wanderers on the Moonlit Domain won't take heed."
"Let's just drop it, no need to go there," Elena interjected, raising her voice.
Both were trying to convince her.
Their point was to wait until Ashen Hollow reached the Annihilation Nebula and the Domain designated by the Skyreach Consortium. Even if Calves and his fellow King of Bandits were to come looking, they wouldn't dare to act rashly.
By then, Pattinson would be able to explain the situation and its stakes to his brother with a level head.
Elena, too, would have ample time and energy to speak to her father in a calm and collected manner.
"Oh, by the way, the Moonlit Wanderers don't have any connection to the Moonfiend, do they?"
Yu Yuan gazed at the distant crescent moon, recalling his first encounter with the Moonfiend in the Moonfall Sanctuary.
The Moonfiend, a branch of the Star-Spawned Terror, dwells on various moons throughout the year.
The Moonlit Wanderers also seek out moons, and their high-ranking Heir of Blood, much like the Moonfiend, make their homes upon these celestial bodies.
"To put it simply, many high-ranking Heir of Blood from the Moonlit Wanderers make ideal vessels for the Moonfiend," Pattinson said with a sigh. "If the Moonfiend hadn't been so ruthlessly decimated, the Moonlit Wanderers wouldn't have had the opportunity to rise to prominence. It's said that in the most ancient times, the entire Moonlit Wanderers were subjugated by the Moonfiend."
The Moonfiends are becoming increasingly rare, mostly due to being hunted down by humans," Elena added. "Unlike Blood Fiends, Moonfiends initially lack a physical form. Once they grow powerful enough, they must seek out a body to possess, and the Moonlit Wanderers, whose bloodlines resonate with the moon, are their prime targets for possession."
She paused briefly.
Elena lowered her voice, glancing around cautiously before leaning in to whisper in Yu Yuan's ear, "My father once confided in me that some of the Moonlit Wanderers are actually Moonfiends in disguise. They've been possessed, allowing them to walk among us in the world."
While speaking, she squinted towards the Moonlit Domain, reassuringly adding, "Don't worry, Calves is certainly not one of them."
Yu Yuan felt a moment of disorientation.
The revelations from Pattinson and Elena left him astonished. He could hardly believe that the Moonfiends, nearly eradicated by the Moon Slayer Cultivator, were once so formidable.
The Moonlit Wanderers, to which Calves and Lambing belonged, had been subjugated by the Moonfiends during the era when the Sky Fiend dominated the Star River.
"What's on your mind? Shall we not venture into the Moonlit Domain?" Elena implored.
Yu Yuan dismissed his jumbled thoughts and nodded, "I'm not foolish. Given the dangers and lack of rewards, why would I willingly march to my demise?"
"That's a relief!"
...
In the Moonlit Domain.
General Fernand of the Shura watched a drop of lifeblood, resembling a silver-white crystal, spin at his fingertip. Within it, a faint silhouette of Elena could be discerned.
A ninth-level bloodline, known as the Platinum Shura, yielded lifeblood of such a hue upon refinement.
The son of the Blood King, who had been slain and his head impaled by a sword sheath, plummeted into the Forgotten Ruins. His bloodline was even purer and more potent due to his experiences in the Dark Realm and being the Blood King's progeny. Despite both being Platinum Shuras, he was far more powerful than Fernand.
"Elena!" Fernand exclaimed, his body trembling with excitement. He fixated on the droplet of lifeblood at his fingertip, inhaling deeply before exclaiming, "My dear daughter's bloodline seems to have undergone a transformation! Could it be that she has ascended to the eighth level?"
"Give it up already, will you?" Rosny of the Shadowkin scoffed. "Elena's talent is decent, but she's a long way from breaking through her bloodline's limits. She's your offspring, Fernand, not your chieftain, nor is she one of those venerable elders' children. A bloodline mutation and the miracle you're talking about are out of the question."
Calves, mourning his son, polished his glasses with a sneer. "Lambing is gone, and Elena's bloodline has ascended to the eighth level. Brother, are you trying to infuriate me? Are you implying that your daughter is capable and my son was worthless?"
Standing by the stone pillar, the former empress of the empire watched the three bandits argue, her expression as still as deep water.
"Calves, I mean no offense, but Lambing truly didn't measure up to my daughter," he said, his eyes brimming with affection and pride at the mention of Elena. "You've sown your seeds far and wide, diluting his bloodline. But no matter, with your brood, perhaps another formidable heir will emerge."
"Hmm!"
Rosny of the Shadowkin jolted. "The course of the Ashen Hollow has shifted—it's not heading directly for the Moonlit Domain anymore! Damn it, they're not planning to land in the Moonlit Domain after all!"
Like Pattinson, he had installed numerous devices across the three lands of the Ashen Hollow.
He lacked Fernand's ability to sense Elena and didn't possess a fearsome weapon like the trident, but his understanding of the Ashen Hollow exceeded that of the other two Bandit Kings.
After all, the Ashen Hollow was essentially his and his brother Pattinson's creation, a labor of love.
"Perhaps we should make a move and intercept the Ashen Hollow!"
Calves adjusted his glasses and gazed into the starry expanse through the open dome. "The three of us should head out and reel the Ashen Hollow back in!"
...
Above the Moonlit Domain, the moon shone with a radiant glow.
In a palace resembling a school, an elder with silver hair from the Moonlit Wanderers was teaching a group of young people with exceptional talents. She described the wonders of their bloodline and instructed them on how to awaken it, forge Moonblades, and strike at imaginary foes.
The elder sat on a cushion, her presence as serene as if she were atop the crests of moon energy, her aura transcendent.
Suddenly, a strong sense of uneasiness welled up from the depths of her soul, and her mind was flooded with terrifying visions. A figure brandished a sword, and the crimson sword light sliced through the Star River. The moon, immeasurably larger and more radiant than the one beneath her, shattered into colossal meteorites. Many Moonfiends, whether in their primal forms or possessing the bodies of the Moonlit Wanderers, met their gruesome end beneath the crimson sword light. The sacred grounds of the ancient Moonfiends were submerged in the sword light, and the prestige of a people was thus dimmed.
The old woman began to shiver, a hatred that had been suppressed for millennia now mysteriously rekindled, burning fiercely like a wildfire.
"The presence of the Titanblade!"
Amid the bewildered stares of the Moonlit Wanderers' youth, the old woman soared out of the hall on her mystical cushion. The wand, previously submerged in the moon, broke free from its confines like a streak of silver lightning, snatched up by her hand. She then tore through the silvery barrier and streaked toward the Dark Nebula like a shooting star.
Simultaneously, the sword spirit within Yu Yuan's arm bone jolted awake, issuing a potent premonition of danger. Yu Yuan, who had been conversing with Elena on the Ashen Hollow, felt a slight tremor run through him, his face growing increasingly grave.
