C92 The Legend of the Moonfiend

"Moonfiend!"

Yu Yuan's face registered shock as he instinctively gazed up at the crescent moon suspended in the night sky.

Zhan Tianxiang paused, then remarked, "You seem quite startled."

Lately, Yu Yuan had been practicing Evil Body Refining, and each time he sustained severe injuries, Zhan Tianxiang would assist him on their journey. Through this, they had developed an unspoken understanding. Yu Yuan had grown to appreciate Zhan Tianxiang, who, in turn, was keen on deepening their friendship.

"Moonfiend, why would it be in the Silvermoon Empire?" Yu Yuan, with a furrowed brow, pointed skyward. "Shouldn't that entity be up there?"

He was indicating the moon itself!

Zhan Tianxiang blanched, "What are you implying?"

"You're aware that demons are categorized into three types: Half-Demon, Terra Fiend, and Sky Fiend, right?" Yu Yuan said, fixing his gaze on Zhan Tianxiang. "The so-called Half-Demon is a human who practices the dark arts. Despite being termed a demon, they are fundamentally human."

"Terra Fiends are born from the myriad enigmatic locales within the Everlands, creatures like evil spirits, spectres, and such. They've learned to cultivate and have undergone a profound transformation, becoming true fiends."

"Any non-human fiends or monsters within the Everlands are referred to as Terra Fiends."

"Beyond these, there's the concept of the Sky Fiend. These are fiends that have left the Everlands and exist in the extraterrestrial."

"To my knowledge, the Moonfiend is one of the spirits from up there."

Yu Yuan continued to point at the crescent moon, "The Moonfiend is also categorized as a Sky Fiend."

"There's no hierarchy between Half-Demons, Terra Fiends, and Sky Fiends. The Devil Palace in the northern Land of Quiescence is primarily composed of Half-Demons—human practitioners of the dark arts who consider themselves the true lineage of demons."

"Half-Demons take pride in mastering Terra Fiends and Sky Fiends. Many dark adepts from the Devil Palace scour the Everlands for Terra Fiends to enhance their mastery of the dark arts."

"A cultivator at the Spirit Walk Realm can project their Lunar Spirit to traverse thousands of miles without moving their physical body, possessing an incredibly keen sense for all varieties of fiends and monsters."

"Once a cultivator reaches the Solar Spirit Realm and attains the Spirit Walk state, they can leave the Everlands and venture into the extraterrestrial realm to hunt down Sky Fiends."

"In both the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea, the first act of a cultivator who has condensed their Solar Spirit is to shatter the terrestrial bounds and delve into the extraterrestrial."

"The Solar Spirit, while wandering the extraterrestrial, is prone to encounters with the malevolent entities of the outer realms, known as Sky Fiends."

"I've heard that the very moon hanging above us is infested with such creatures, referred to as Moonfiends."

"It is said that the Moonfiend was once nearly eradicated in a massive siege."

"Why would there be a Moonfiend presence in the Silvermoon Empire?"

Yu Yuan inquired with a hint of bewilderment.

In his past life, despite not pursuing cultivation, his exceptional talent in alchemy forged strong ties with the sects of both Quiescence and Euwrea, granting him access to many secrets.

The intelligence he gathered indicated that the Moonfiend was not among the mightier factions of the Sky Fiend.

Rumors even suggested that the Moonfiends on the moon had been completely exterminated.

Naturally, for the inhabitants of Aetherius, the concept of a Moonfiend was utterly alien.

The reason was simple: sightings of the Solar Spirit were exceedingly rare on Aetherius.

Cultivators who had achieved the Solar Spirit level likely ventured to Quiescence or Euwrea long ago, seldom lingering in Aetherius.

As a result, the cultivators of Euwrea and Quiescence were isolated from the battles against the Sky Fiends of the outer realms.

Lacking any interaction, they were, of course, oblivious to the intricacies involved.

"Moonfiends, the Sky Fiends from beyond!" Zhan Tianxiang declared, his expression darkening, "Exactly, they must be the kind of fiends that originate from the extraterrestrial."

"Have you forgotten what this place is called?"

"Moonfall Sanctuary!"

Zhan Tianxiang proclaimed emphatically.

"Oh." Yu Yuan realized, "I had forgotten that ages ago, the Moon Shard fell here, creating the Moonfall Sanctuary. Legend has it that the Moonfiend was in hibernation, so it must be somewhere within the forbidden area. For some reason, the Moonfiend has awakened from its slumber."

"That's exactly it!" Zhan Tianxiang exclaimed.

"The Moonfiend, a branch of the Sky Fiend that was nearly wiped out in its native land and on the moon." Yu Yuan pondered, stroking his chin, "These creatures can only wreak havoc in the Aetherius Continent and the Silvermoon Empire. Near the Devil Palace, they would've been devoured and turned into soul threads by those dark adepts long ago."

"It seems you're quite knowledgeable about the Land of Quiescence," Zhan Tianxiang remarked quietly.

"Yes, you've noticed I practice the dark arts." Yu Yuan, having understood the origins of the alien souls, became more at ease, "Go and let Han Hui and the others know to get ready. If the Moonfiend within the trial-taker's body approaches, we'll have to kill it."

"Understood!"

...

Lee Yu came to an abrupt halt.

The Soul Orb he had concealed in his sleeve suddenly floated out and began spinning in front of his chest.

All eyes were immediately drawn to the Soul Orb.

Within the Soul Orb, numerous intricate soul threads writhed and twisted, as if whispering secrets to Lee Yu.

Initially, Lee Yu remained composed.

After several seconds, his gaze intensified, as if he discerned immense danger within the Soul Orb.

Eventually, the Soul Orb began to vibrate violently, the soul threads inside clumping together into knots.

"Brother Yu, what's happening?"

The Lee family members, unaccustomed to seeing Lee Yu so perturbed, grew increasingly anxious and tense.

"This is unlike any alien soul I've encountered before," Lee Yu said, not taking his eyes off the Soul Orb. "They're both alien souls, but this one is far too powerful."

"How powerful?" Yan Lu asked, his face turning pale.

"I can't say for certain," Lee Yu replied gravely. "My Soul Orb likely can't handle it. Unless we severely wound it first, causing the alien soul to fragment and weaken, any attempt to absorb it forcibly would cause the orb to burst."

"So strong?" Van Le grew anxious. "The alien souls we've come across were never as formidable as the one you're describing. Otherwise, I wouldn't be alive today."

"He's drawing nearer," Lee Yu observed, gazing in a particular direction. "But not too quickly."

...

Meanwhile.

Zhan Tianxiang, as if bracing for a formidable foe, was taken aback when he noticed the astonishment on Yu Yuan's face.

"It seems to be moving away from us, as if it has found a new target."

Yu Yuan's heaven soul delved into the sword light, capturing a faint and indistinct message. Through it, he discerned that the distance between them and the Moonfiend was increasing.

"Van Le? Is it going after Van Le?" Zhan Tianxiang said with a hint of schadenfreude.

"Then let's seize the moment and make our escape!" Han Hui urged urgently.

"At our pace, it's only a matter of time before we're targeted again," Yu Yuan mused gravely. "If it's not after Van Le, what about the rest of the main forces?"

A hush fell over the group.

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