C124 The Disappearance of the Fourth Upper Sect

"The Fourth Upper Sect?"

Yu Yuan's face was etched with bewilderment, his thoughts swirling into disarray.

Not once in this lifetime, nor in his previous one, had he heard of a so-called Fourth Upper Sect on the Heavenly Source Continent.

The Profound Sky Sect, the Primordial Yang Sect, and the Sword Sect had always been known as the three dominant upper sects of the land.

For millennia, these upper sects, in alliance with the seven lower sects, stood against the forces of the Quietus Continent—the Devil Palace, the Demon Palace, and a host of unique cultivators.

So where did this Fourth Upper Sect emerge from?

In his past life, the Medicine God Sect had placed their hopes in him. Lacking any innate talent for cultivation and relying solely on his prowess in alchemy, he had been elevated to the position of sect master.

He was privy to many secrets of the three vast continents.

His master had elucidated them thoroughly.

Yet, even with such knowledge, he had never encountered any mention of a Fourth Upper Sect in the Heavenly Source Continent.

How then could this Moon Demon, who had appeared as if from nowhere, suddenly claim the existence of a Fourth Upper Sect?

Yu Yuan's initial thought was that Yuefei, the Moon Demon, might simply be spouting fabrications.

"This realm has always been under the dominion of the Fourth Sect!"

Yuefei's spirit, housed within her silver-white robe, began to quiver intensely, betraying her agitation. "It was only upon merging with this garment that I came across these revelations. But the information is fragmented; I can't even ascertain the name of the Fourth Upper Sect."

"This robe?" Yu Yuan exclaimed in surprise.

"Indeed," Yuefei confirmed promptly, "Each moon phase etched into the fabric bears a fragment of the story. When my soul took residence, I probed and sensed it, gleaning bits and pieces of incomplete information. Some relate to our Moon Demon Clan, others to this world, to the Fourth Upper Sect."

"If such a Fourth Upper Sect truly exists, where is it now?"

"It appears that the Fourth Upper Sect has been annihilated."

"Annihilated?"

"Yes."

Yu Yuan's brow furrowed as he stroked his chin, his expression shifting like shadows under a cloud.

An Upper Sect on par with the Profound Sky Sect, the Primordial Yang Sect, and the Sword Sect would possess an immense legacy, with at least one Primordial Spirit Stage master at its helm.

It was unfathomable to him that such a formidable Upper Sect could be wiped out.

Which power among the three continents of the Boundless Land could have achieved such a feat?

Unless...

A chilling possibility dawned on him, and his face contorted with alarm.

"Go on," he urged Yuefei with a gesture.

"The fragments of information I gleaned from the robe indicate that the Fourth Upper Sect excels in the art of soul refinement. They possess profound and arcane methods for fusing the three souls. The myriad of Alien Souls and Evil Spirits bound and suppressed in this realm are their handiwork."

"The Fourth Upper Sect not only subdues these Alien Souls and Evil Spirits but also harnesses them for their own cultivation, bolstering their power."

"Look at it another way; all the Alien Soul Evil Spirits here serve as spiritual nourishment for the Fourth Upper Sect's practitioners."

"That includes the souls of our Moon Demon Clan, many of whom were captured in an earlier era."

"This robe, too, is a relic of one of our kin from before our time."

Yuefei's voice was thick with loathing as she spoke of the Fourth Upper Sect.

Yu Yuan, meanwhile, was utterly dumbfounded by her revelations.

If her account held true, the once-existent Fourth Upper Sect sustained their sect members' cultivation with the Alien Soul Evil Spirits of this forbidden land, fortifying their souls, and forging Yin Gods, Yang Gods, and even Primordial Spirits.

In that case, the Fourth Upper Sect was undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with, much like the Blood God Cult.

The Martyr Spell that Lee Yuchan practiced was a taboo, and its discovery could spell calamity.

"Wait, that doesn't add up."

After a moment of contemplation, Yu Yuan blurted out, "The sword intent I've acquired, with its embedded sword soul, is an ancient sword technique! It doesn't involve any enigmatic spells related to soul cultivation, does it?"

"That individual might have originated from the Fourth Upper Sect or had significant ties to it—I can't be certain," Yuefei mused, as if dredging up old memories. "Perhaps he took up the mantle after the Fourth Upper Sect's downfall, becoming the new guardian of this forbidden land."

"He was the one who ascended the moon, cleaved it with his sword, and cast you down?" Yu Yuan inquired.

"Yes."

"What's his name, and the sword's name?"

At this, Yuefei hesitated, her words faltering, and she did not clearly continue with her answer.

"I'm unsure if any of the Moon Demon Clan still survive in this forbidden land," Yuefei shifted the conversation, "but I ask you to promise a lifeline for us. For me and any Moon Demons you might encounter hereafter, please, do not extinguish them."

"What's in it for you?" Yu Yuan asked with narrowed eyes.

"My reward is..." Yuefei began, but her words were cut short by a piercing wail.

In an instant, the cluster of green soul wrapped in her silver-white robe drifted away into the distance. The robe, adorned with patterns of full, half, and crescent moons, flared brilliantly before the light vanished without a trace.

An unseen force seemed to tug at the robe, wrenching Yuefei's soul with such agony that it was as if she wished for death.

The robe vanished too swiftly for Yu Yuan to even register what had happened, let alone raise his arm to strike with his sword.

Simultaneously, from the far-off horizon where the robe had been taken, a sinister and icy soul emerged, challenging Yu Yuan with a provocative will, as if to say he was there, eagerly awaiting Yu Yuan's presence.

Yu Yuan didn't need to ponder the situation to realize that due to the upheaval in the Forbidden Land, another formidable soul had awakened, much like the golden skeleton, breaking free from millennia of constraints.

That entity, unable to stray far or fully exert its power, had no choice but to whisk Yuefei away in her silver robe, lest she reveal too much.

That being was likely still in its lair, where it could unleash its full strength, thus baiting Yu Yuan to confront it on its own turf.

"The Fourth Upper Sect had a unique approach to soul cultivation and once dominated this region, only to be annihilated," Yu Yuan mused. "Yet, there's no mention of the Fourth Upper Sect in the records of the Boundless Land. Neither the sects of the Heavenly Source Continent nor those of the Quietus Continent have any notes on a similar sect. Could it be that..."

"The fall of the Fourth Upper Sect involved collusion among various powers?"

"And that their tactics were less than honorable?"

With this realization, Yu Yuan's lips curled into a sly grin, and he chuckled, "Things are getting more intriguing by the moment."

If Yuefei's claims held true, he surmised that the long-lost Fourth Sect was likely eradicated by a coalition of the three great Upper Sects of the Heavenly Source Continent, along with the Devil Palace and the Demon Palace of the Quietus Continent.

Regarding the seven great lower sects of the Heavenly Source Continent, they likely served merely as assistants.

The Fourth Upper Sect must have crossed a line with all the major powers to have faced such a devastating fate!

"I just hope that the sword soul I've acquired has no connection to the vanished Fourth Upper Sect," Yu Yuan gazed into the distance, concern etched on his face. "Otherwise, I'm in for a world of trouble."

As for the formidable soul that spirited Yuefei away after temporarily breaking free from some confinement, Yu Yuan wasn't particularly worried.

"After all this time, I refuse to believe you still wield your peak power!"

He settled into a meditative pose, channeling all his focus into the sword soul residing within the luminescence of his arm's blade.

He was determined to harness more of this realm's forbidden powers!

"I must uncover deeper knowledge of this ancient formation!"

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