C1040 Meeting the Moonfiend Again(1)

Clutching her wand tightly, the elder of the Moonlit Wanderers pierced through the silvery wall and raced across the Star River like a dazzling meteor.

The prayer mat that soared with her had been amassing moon energy, swelling to over ten times its original size in just a short while.

The mat transformed into a misty circle of moon energy, within which one could barely make out moon-shaped pools brimming with luminous liquid.

"Titanblade!"

A tiny crescent moon crystal materialized on the elder's forehead, as though it were an additional eye.

Brandishing her wand, she recited an ancient magical incantation, foreign to the Moonlit Wanderers. The severed moon she had left behind suddenly dimmed.

The moon's radiance appeared to be drawn in, significantly diminished.

In contrast, the moon energy circle that had been silently encircling her was on the verge of overflowing with the energy from the Moon Lakes.

It seemed she had harnessed the ancient might of the spell to extract the abundant moon energy from the waning moon.

"Find it for me!"

With a flourish of her wand, she sent out streams of resplendent meteors from her position at the center, scattering in all directions.

Each meteor acted as an extension of her eyes and spirit, capable of detecting the dissipating essence of the Titanblade from afar.

Despite her immense power, in the remote and icy depths of the Star River, she could not pinpoint her target with precision.

She could only feel the sword's will of the Titanblade, aware it was not far, yet unable to determine its exact location.

"Whoever wields the sword in Nie Qingtian's hands, must perish!"

Her once gentle visage now bore a fierce and malevolent expression, like an ancient evil unleashed, baring its fangs and gaping maw.

...

In the Moonlit Domain, within the castle of Calves.

The Silvermoon Queen, Lee Yupan, stood beneath a stone pillar in the hall, gazing intently at the dome above.

In the starless darkness of the extraterrestrial sky, a perpetual crescent moon hung, unchanged for millennia.

She sensed that Calves, Fernand, and Rosny, the three ninth-level renegades, had stealthily departed the Moonlit Domain, intent on dragging the Ashen Hollow back to this realm.

Suddenly, the Moonlit Domain, perennially bathed in the pure moonlight, was abruptly plunged into darkness.

The world's brightness diminished abruptly, casting an eerie pall over the atmosphere. This subtle shift prompted many of the Moonlit Wanderers, loyal to Calves, to cautiously discuss the phenomenon throughout the castle. They speculated that the moon must have had its pure moon energy rapidly drained, which explained the unusual changes in the Moonlit Domain, a realm typically bathed in perpetual moonlight.

Lee Yupan's brow furrowed in contemplation, and soon she heard a faint voice. A tiny crescent moon crystal then materialized on her forehead. The voice of the ancient Moonfiend, known as Yue Fei, emanated from the crystal, "Yupan, I sense the presence of one of our own. That individual is from my era and far stronger than I am now."

The slender form of the Silvermoon Queen shuddered as she frowned, questioning, "One of our own?" The name Yupan was given to her by the ancient Moonfiend within her. Yue Fei had long-standing ties with the Lee family. Lee Yupan's birth, the origin of her name, and the mystique she practiced in secret were all prearranged by Yue Fei.

Upon reaching the Extraterrestrial Star River, she realized that her Moonlit Wanderers heritage was a gift from Yue Fei. The ancient Moonfiend Clan harmonized perfectly with the Moonlit Wanderers, and her mixed bloodline was specifically to better align with Yue Fei's needs.

It was Yue Fei who elevated the Lee family to the royal lineage of the Silvermoon Empire and who supported her ascension to the Silvermoon Queen. Yue Fei also stood as the third shadow behind her, her most steadfast supporter. Her ability to glide through the extraterrestrial Star River and navigate the energy-corrupted cosmos was due to the Moonlit Wanderers' blood coursing through her veins, marking her as extraordinary.

"Yupan, do not harbor any misconceptions about me due to unfavorable rumors you've encountered in the Extraterrestrial Star River," Yue Fei communicated, knowing her thoughts. "The past is the past, and the present is now. In the most ancient times, the Moonfiend Clan dominated the Moonlit Wanderers, seizing their bodies to refine and empower themselves. But that is truly a thing of the past."

The Moonfiend Tribe was nearly eradicated by a Moon Slayer cultivator from the human race. The survivors did everything they could to conceal themselves and avoid detection. Over time, we discovered other ways to live. My existence is symbiotic with yours; I depend on you to regain strength and grow more powerful. My intention is not to one day take over your being."

"The kin I sense now are in a similar predicament to mine. One of them has lived with an elder of the Moonlit Wanderers for thousands of years, becoming accustomed to their Moonlit Wanderer identity."

Yue Fei, a descendant of the ancient Moonfiends, earnestly clarified.

"Why did she suddenly emerge from the moon?" the Silvermoon Queen inquired.

"I suspect it's because of Yu Yuan. He possesses the sheath of the Titanblade, and the sword spirit as well!" Yue Fei's soul stirred with emotion. "When I first encountered him in the forbidden area, I knew he had earned the sword spirit's approval. I am still quite weak, having not long returned from the extraterrestrial realm, and I am unable to detect that fearsome sword's will."

"My kin likely survived that ancient catastrophe and, after so much time, has become incredibly powerful," Yue Fei continued.

Years ago, a member of the Lee family inadvertently brought a significant part of me out during a trial in the forbidden area. I forged an alliance with the Lee family, aiding in their rise to power and imperial status.

In turn, my emergence allowed the Lee family to flourish. Consequently, I instructed the head of the Lee family to seek out a woman with Moonlit Wanderer lineage, which led to the creation of Lee Yupan.

Lee Yupan was born because of me.

"The Soulforge Matrix was too formidable for her to escape entirely, so she left a part of herself behind in the forbidden area, becoming what is known as the mightiest Moonfiend. She clashed with Yu Yuan on several occasions, and ultimately, when the Stormcrowned Emperor broke free, that part of her was consumed by him using the Shadow Curse."

Years later, with her meticulous guidance, Lee Yupan successfully forged her Solar Spirit and made her way into the Star River.

"What shall we do?" the Silvermoon Queen asked with composure.

"We should also make our exit. My kin will be able to sense me once you depart from the Moonlit Domain," Yue Fei replied.

"Alright."

...

"Then, what are those?"

Above the platform, Elena gazed up at the bright crescent moon and noticed a series of luminous meteors streaking across the dark sky, bursting forth like splendid fireworks before fading into the distance.

The crescent moon was actually quite distant, but the sheer brilliance of the meteors made them visible.

"I don't know," Yu Yuan said, his expression grim.

In that moment, he engaged in a covert exchange with the sword spirit within his arm bone, piecing together the situation.

Powerful members of the Moonlit Wanderers, residing on the moon, had been overtaken by Star-Spawned Terrors, and they were of no lowly rank.

An ancient Moonfiend, once grievously wounded by the Titanblade, still harbored remnants of the sword's will within its soul.

Within a certain proximity, the sword's will within the Moonfiend resonated faintly with the sword spirit in Yu Yuan's arm bone, stirring the ancient Moonfiend.

Consequently, Yu Yuan found himself marked.