Translator: AnubisTL
Li Qing, like everyone else, stared intently at the Moonchase Palace Holy Maiden as she gracefully glided through the night sky.
But he wasn't captivated by her beauty. Instead, a tempest of emotions surged within him.
He recognized her. They had shared a significant connection.
"How could it be her... Liu Hanyue?!"
Yes, it was Liu Hanyue!
The Liu Clan's radiant pearl, whom Li Qing had first met when he entered the immortal cultivation world.
Memories flooded his mind like a tidal wave.
Images of their past flashed through his mind: their first meeting at the Liu Clan, their joint refinement of the foundation establishment pill, Liu Hanyue's later joining the Heavenly River Sect, and finally, the sect's destruction, forcing her to seek refuge with the Lingyun Sect.
Li Qing's last memory of Liu Hanyue was during the Lingyun Sect's collapse, when Ancestor Devourer of Heaven casually sent a large group of foundation establishment realm elders onto a giant spirit boat.
Liu Hanyue had been among them!
From that day forward, Li Qing had never seen her again.
He never imagined he would encounter her in the Great Wilderness Domain, let alone that Liu Hanyue would have transformed into the Moonchase Palace's holy maiden—a truly remarkable change in status!
Beside him, Shen Ningbing frowned deeply. Her memories of Liu Hanyue were vague, and seeing her now only stirred a faint sense of familiarity.
As she struggled to recall where she had seen this familiar woman before, Shen Ningbing noticed the undisguised shock on Li Qing's face.
"Senior brother Li, do you know her?" Shen Ningbing asked through a secret divine sense transmission.
Hearing Shen Ningbing's voice in his mind, Li Qing nodded slightly, acknowledging the connection.
While Li Qing pondered what Liu Hanyue had experienced over the years to become the Moonchase Palace's holy maiden, the Moonchase Grand Assembly had already begun.
Liu Hanyue didn't notice Li Qing. After her grand entrance, she strode confidently through the awestruck gazes of the crowd, her destination clear: the milky-white moonstone summoned into existence.
The cultivators present, seeing the Moonchase Palace Holy Maiden for the first time, were utterly captivated by her breathtaking beauty.
Many murmured in awe:
"The Moonchase Palace Holy Maiden truly lives up to her reputation. Her peerless beauty is so otherworldly, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a celestial being descended from the heavens."
"Holy and ethereal, she seems untouched by the mundane world. She's simply too beautiful."
"No wonder so many powerful cultivators have sought to become the Moonchase Palace Holy Maiden's dao companion over the years. Now I finally understand why."
"..."
Even Li Qing couldn't help but marvel. After so many years apart, Liu Hanyue had indeed grown even more beautiful. This was precisely why Shen Ningbing hadn't immediately recognized her.
Liu Hanyue's beauty had always been legendary, capable of toppling kingdoms. Now, having advanced to the core formation realm and ascended to the position of holy maiden, she radiated an aura of sacredness and otherworldly grace that only enhanced her natural allure.
Soon, a daring cultivator burst into laughter:
"Hahahaha! May I ask this fairy's name?"
The moment those words were spoken, they instantly drew astonished gazes from the crowd.
To dare utter such outrageous remarks at Moonchase Palace—was this man courting death?
But as they recognized the speaker, their astonishment quickly turned to understanding.
It was Gui Fan, the young master of the Ghost Sword Sect! No wonder he dared to speak so boldly.
Demonic cultivators were known for their recklessness, and with Gui Fan's formidable background, his audacity was hardly surprising.
Liu Hanyue, standing near the moonstone, turned to cast a calm glance at Gui Fan before gracefully uttering two words:
"Yue Han."
This was the daoist name she had chosen for herself—a simple inversion of her given name, yet perfectly embodying the Moonchase Palace's refined style.
Seeing Liu Hanyue respond, Gui Fan's interest only intensified. He pressed on relentlessly:
"I'm curious, Fairy Yue Han, do you have a dao companion or someone you fancy? Or do you intend to follow in the footsteps of past Moonchase Palace Holy Maidens and live out your days in solitude?"
Gui Fan's audacity was truly breathtaking. To ask such a question so openly, before such a large crowd at the Moonchase Grand Assembly!
Although Moonchase Palace had no rule forbidding its holy maidens from marrying, Gui Fan's brazen question was still remarkably rare.
Yet Liu Hanyue remained unfazed, responding calmly:
"Young sect master, you needn't concern yourself with such matters. Perhaps you should focus your attention elsewhere?"
Everyone understood the hidden meaning in her words: a subtle reminder that Gui Fan faced a life-or-death battle ahead, and that dwelling on such trivial matters at this critical juncture was inappropriate.
But Gui Fan merely laughed heartily twice before continuing:
"Fairy Yue Han, are you worried about me?"
"Ha ha ha! Rest assured, Fairy. After the grand assembly concludes, I'll personally claim the head of that Pure Yang Physique."
His words radiated unwavering confidence, suggesting he held the Pure Yang Physique in utter contempt.
This raised a crucial question: what was the source of Gui Fan's arrogance?
The cultivators of the righteous path wore grim expressions, some even scoffing in response:
"Hmph, such boastful words will only cut your own tongue."
The speaker was a supreme elder of the Taiyi Sect, his cultivation at the mid Core Formation Realm, making him a formidable opponent.
Yet Gui Fan remained unfazed by his opponent's superior cultivation, his laughter growing even more maniacal:
"Hahahaha! If you're not convinced, then come and try me! I wouldn't mind warming up with your blood before killing True Yang Daoist!"
As the words left his lips, a terrifying killing intent erupted from Gui Fan's body, sending a bone-chilling cold through the surrounding cultivators.
It was clear that Gui Fan had spilled countless lives during his years of war against the righteous path, cultivating such a dense aura of slaughter.
The Taiyi Sect elder in the Core Formation Realm, sensing himself enveloped by this overwhelming killing intent, flew into a rage.
But before he could retaliate, a terrifying qi mechanism surged forth from the rear mountain, instantly locking onto both the elder and Gui Fan.
The two who had been on the verge of a major confrontation immediately froze, daring not to make another move.
From within the Moon Disc, True Monarch Yue Xuan spoke in a chilling voice:
"This is a sacred ground of Moonchase Palace. If you wish to duel, please leave this place to avoid disrupting the Moonchase Grand Assembly."
Only after these words did True Monarch Yue Xuan gradually release the oppressive aura she had been exerting on the pair.
Gui Fan then let out an effeminate laugh.
"My apologies for my rashness, Senior Yue Xuan. Please forgive me."
To be fair, though Gui Fan was usually arrogant, he still possessed some self-awareness.
Offending someone to the point of no return here would be disastrous. Even as the young sect master of the Ghost Sword Sect, he would gain nothing.
If True Monarch Yue Xuan were to kill him on the spot, even Gui Li would have little recourse.
Moreover, Gui Fan was keenly interested in the upcoming Moonchase Grand Assembly and had no intention of missing it.
After all, the spiritual objects brought from Moonlit Ridge were enough to stir even his heart.
Even Gui Fan lowered his head. The core formation realm elder of the Taiyi Sect had no choice but to suppress his displeasure and remain silent.
With this minor interruption resolved, the Moonchase Grand Assembly resumed its normal course.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, True Monarch Yue Xuan extended a delicate, pale hand from the Moon Disc and lightly tapped the pristine white moonstone several times.
The surrounding space rippled like the surface of a lake.
Buzz!
This seemingly insignificant gesture caused the entire moonstone to tremble, as if it were brewing something.
A soft, white light then began to spread outward.
Before this moon-like radiance could fully disperse, True Monarch Yue Xuan moved again. With a single hand, she formed an arcane spiritual seal resembling a crescent moon.
With a flick of her fingers, she released the crescent moon seal, sending it to land upon the moonstone on the ground.
Boom!
The soft moonlight that had been dispersing suddenly coalesced into a pillar of light that shot skyward!
The pillar of light shot skyward, stretching to an immeasurable distance, its end beyond the horizon.
"It's starting," someone said eagerly. "This pillar will draw Moon Energy from Moonlit Ridge, and with it, some spiritual objects will be drawn out as well."
Hearing this, Li Qing prepared himself, intending to compete with the others for the good fortune emanating from Moonlit Ridge. This was likely the safest way to obtain opportunities and treasures from the ridge.
Legend had it that thousands of years ago, someone at the Moonchase Grand Assembly had obtained an 8,000-year-old spiritual herb, causing a sensation throughout the Great Wilderness Domain. Even the Moonchase Palace had attempted to reclaim the ancient herb, but the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty, then at the height of its power, outbid them, securing the prize.
Everyone hoped to be that lucky. Even if the Moonchase Palace later sought to reclaim the herb, they would undoubtedly have to pay a steep price.
The people still held strong faith in this power, as it had never used its influence to bully others in all these years.
In the far western reaches of the Great Wilderness Domain, a pillar of moonlight shot skyward, arcing across the heavens before descending into an uncharted region.
Here stood a mountain range, its peaks aligned perfectly with the Bright Moon in the night sky.
Moonlight cascaded down, bathing the area in an even deeper stillness, as if the very air carried a faint chill.
From the distant horizon, a beam of moonlight pierced the void, plunging directly into this peculiar mountain range.
Rumble!
The mountain range, silent for countless years, finally stirred to life.
As the moonlight pillar landed, the entire range trembled faintly, as if awakening from a deep slumber.
Loose rocks tumbled down the steep slopes, resembling a minor earthquake.
Yet, if a feng shui master skilled in geomancy were present, they would immediately sense that the terrain and energy field of this place had undergone a profound transformation.
Soon, invisible currents of qi began to rise around the entire mountain range, drawn toward the pillar of moonlight.
This was evident because even the soil, rocks, and dust from the mountainside were lifted into the air along with the currents.
Upon closer inspection, faint spiritual light could be detected hidden within the swirling dust and debris. These wisps of light quickly merged into the pillar of moonlight, soaring along its radiant path toward Moonchase Palace.
Returning our gaze to Moonchase Palace, Palace Master Yue Xuan, having successfully activated the moonstone, softly reminded the assembled cultivators:
"Fellow Daoists, the spiritual objects you obtain will depend entirely on your good fortune."
Before long, keen-eyed observers noticed radiant spiritual light shimmering within the path of the moonlight pillar.
"They're here!"
The spiritual objects from Moonlit Ridge had been drawn forth!
Upon confirming this, the hearts of everyone present skipped a beat as they braced themselves for the coming competition.
Li Qing glanced at Liu Hanyue, who was sitting cross-legged near the moonstone in a meditative posture, her palms facing upward as if receiving a spiritual energy infusion.
But this wasn't the time to dwell on such matters. His gaze returned to the river-like pillar of moonlight, a fervent glint in his eyes.
He, too, was deeply intrigued by this spiritual object unearthed from Moonlit Ridge.
The first spiritual object had appeared!
Boom!
Gui Fan surged forward, his speed unmatched as he darted toward the leading edge of the moonlight river and reached out his hand.
"Hmph, you won't have it your way!"
Now was the time to seize the spiritual object. Since ancient times, treasures have belonged to the virtuous. Who cared if you were the young master of the Ghost Sword Sect? Everyone would rush forward to claim it.
Spiritual energy handprints shot out from all directions, each vying with Gui Fan for the first unknown spiritual object.
At this moment, even Gui Fan, the young master of the Ghost Sword Sect, dared not flaunt his status or use his influence to intimidate others. Offending so many rogue cultivators in the Core Formation Realm would have dire consequences.
Amidst the clash of true essences, vibrant spiritual energy erupted in all directions.
Finally, the first spiritual object drawn forth by the moonlight pillar revealed its true form!
True Lord Wood Dragon seized the object, and countless eyes remained fixed on the spiritual light in his palm.
"What is this?" True Lord Wood Dragon slightly opened his hand, revealing the object in its entirety.
It was a fragmented jade pendant, carved with a bizarre demon beast, now half-missing and nearly unrecognizable.
"Hmm, this style of jade pendant must be an ancient artifact dating back at least tens of thousands of years."
"Indeed. For such an object to emerge after enduring millennia without decay, it must be crafted from exceptional materials."
"Fellow Daoist Wood Dragon, I'm quite interested in this fragmented jade pendant. I'd be willing to trade several spirit herb seeds for it. What do you say?"
(End of the Chapter)
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