C124 The Disappearance of the Fourth Upper Sect!

"Fourth upper sect?"

Yu Yuan's face was a mask of confusion as his thoughts spiraled into disarray.

In neither this life nor his previous one had he ever heard of a fourth upper sect in Euwrea.

Until now, the Ebon Star, Sunlit Order, and Sword Sect had been the three renowned upper sects of the continent.

For millennia, these three upper sects had joined forces with the seven lower sects, the Devil Palace, Shadow's Keep, and numerous unique cultivators to stand against the Land of Quiescence.

Where did this fourth upper sect emerge from?

In his past life, he had been the pride of the Order of Healing, despite lacking innate talent for cultivation and relying solely on his prowess in alchemy to ascend to the role of sect master.

He was well-versed in the secrets of the Everlands and the three continents.

His master had elucidated these mysteries for him in great detail.

Yet, he had never come across any mention of a fourth upper sect in Euwrea.

How could this extraterrestrial Moonfiend, who had appeared out of nowhere, suddenly claim the existence of a fourth upper sect?

Yu Yuan's initial thought was that Yue Fei, the Moonfiend, might simply be spouting nonsense.

"The fourth upper sect has long been the suppressor of this realm!"

Yue Fei's green soul, housed within the silver-white robe, began to quiver intensely, betraying her agitation. "It was only after my soul merged with this garment that I came across this information. And even then, it's incomplete; I can't even ascertain the name of the fourth upper sect."

"This robe?" Yu Yuan exclaimed, taken aback.

"Indeed," Yue Fei confirmed promptly, "Each moon phase patterned on the robe bears a fragment of information. Once my soul settled within, I probed and sensed it, gleaning bits and pieces. Some relate to our Moonfiend clan, while others pertain to this world and the fourth upper sect."

"If there truly is a fourth upper sect, 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 uncertainly.

An upper sect comparable to the Ebon Star, Sunlit Order, or Sword Sect would have to possess an immense legacy, likely guarded by primordial spirit cultivators—perhaps more than one.

He found it difficult to fathom that such a formidable upper sect could have been wiped out.

In the vastness of the Everlands, which of the three continents could achieve such a feat?

Unless...

A chilling possibility dawned on him, causing his hair to stand on end and his expression to shift dramatically.

"Continue," he gestured to Yue Fei.

"From the fragmented information I've gleaned from my robe, I've learned that the so-called fourth upper sect excels in the art of soul refinement. They possess many arcane and wondrous methods for condensing the three souls of heaven, earth, and man. The myriad alien souls and evil spirits that are sealed and suppressed in this world are the handiwork of the fourth upper sect."

"The fourth upper sect suppresses these spirits while simultaneously using them for cultivation, to strengthen themselves."

"Look at it another way: all the alien souls and evil spirits here serve as sustenance for the cultivators of the fourth upper sect."

"This includes our Moonfiend Clan, and many of our kin who were captured even before our time."

"This robe, too, is a relic from one of our clan members who was taken long before we arrived."

Yue Fei spoke with a deep-seated loathing for the fourth upper sect.

Yu Yuan, on the other hand, was utterly dumbfounded by her revelation.

If, as she suggested, the once-existent fourth upper sect had used all the alien souls and evil spirits in this forbidden area as nourishment for their disciples' cultivation, enhancing their souls and forming Lunar Spirits, Solar Spirits, and even primordial spirits, then the fourth upper sect was indeed a force to be reckoned with, akin to the Colddeath sect.

Lee Yuchan practiced the Shadow Curse, and due to its similar nature, it was deemed a forbidden spell. Discovery of such a practice could spell disaster.

"Something doesn't add up," Yu Yuan mused aloud after a moment's thought. "The sword's will I acquired, with its embedded sword spirit, is an ancient sword spell! It contains no mysterious spells related to soul cultivation."

"That individual, whether from the fourth upper sect or deeply connected to it, remains unclear to me," Yue Fei pondered, as if sifting through memories. "Perhaps he only took over the role of guardian of this forbidden area after the fourth upper sect's downfall."

"Is he the one who ascended to the moon's apex, wielded his sword to cleave the moon, and cast you all down?" Yu Yuan inquired.

"Yes."

"What's his name? And the sword, what's it called?"

"This..."

Yue Fei suddenly faltered and did not continue to answer his question transparently.

"I don't know if there are any survivors of the Moonfiend Clan in this forbidden area," Yue Fei shifted the conversation, "I need you to promise a way out for us. For me, and any Moonfiends you might encounter in this realm, please, do not annihilate them."

"And your reward?" Yu Yuan asked, his eyes narrowing.

"My reward is..."

Before Yue Fei could finish, she let out a piercing scream.

The green soul, enshrouded in her silver-white robe, swiftly drifted away into the distance.

The robe, adorned with patterns of full, half, and crescent moons, suddenly blazed with light before fading just as quickly.

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

The silver-white robe vanished from Yu Yuan's sight before he could even react, too swift for him to even lift his sword in response.

Simultaneously, from the direction that had claimed the robe, a sinister and icy soul emerged, challenging Yu Yuan with a defiant will.

It was as if it was beckoning him, waiting for Yu Yuan to grace it with his presence.

Without a second thought, Yu Yuan understood that due to the upheaval in the forbidden area, another formidable alien soul had emerged, much like the golden skeleton, rekindled with new life, breaking free from eons of confinement.

That entity, for the moment, must be bound to its lair, its power unable to stretch too far, unable to make a full-on assault on Yu Yuan.

Given the current circumstances, without absolute certainty of victory and no means of escape, the entity had no choice but to whisk Yue Fei away in her silver robe, lest she reveal too much.

That being must still be lurking in its den, where it could unleash its ultimate power, hence its taunting invitation for Yu Yuan to visit.

"The fourth upper sect had a unique approach to soul cultivation, managing to suppress this place before being destroyed," Yu Yuan mused. "Yet, there's no mention of the fourth upper sect in the Everlands. None of the sects from the Land of Quiescence or Euwrea have any similar records. Could it be?"

"The downfall of the fourth upper sect, with all parties involved?"

"And their methods, quite dishonorable?"

At this thought, Yu Yuan couldn't help but crack a smile and chuckle, "This is becoming increasingly intriguing."

If Yue Fei's words held true, he surmised that the long-vanished fourth upper sect was likely annihilated by a coalition of the three great upper sects from Euwrea, along with the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep from the Land of Quiescence.

As for the seven lower sects of Euwrea, they probably only played a supporting role.

The fourth upper sect must have crossed a line with all the major powers to face such a devastating fate!

"I just hope that the sword spirit I've acquired is not connected to the vanished fourth upper sect." Yu Yuan gazed into the distance once more, "Otherwise, I'm in for some serious trouble."

Regarding the powerful alien soul that took Yue Fei, Yu Yuan was not particularly concerned.

"After so much time, I refuse to believe that you still retain your peak strength!"

He sat down cross-legged, for the first time fully channeling his efforts to commune with the sword spirit within the sword light of his arm.

He aimed to master more of the forbidden powers in this realm!

"I must uncover more secrets of this ancient formation!"

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