Chapter 1660: Chasing Stars and Reaching the Moon

Furthermore, even all the low and mid-level disciples regained their freedom in that instant, though they remained in a daze. Amidst the earth-shaking explosion, the entire Ghost-Severing Sect shook several times, and the six mysterious cultivators charging toward the sect were blasted back by the shockwave.

“It’s you!”

“Hmph! I’ve been chasing you for a long time!”

Almost simultaneously, two voices echoed from the sky. Then, two figures appeared one after another before streaking away into the distance. At the same time, a transmission reached the hearts of the six mysterious cultivators.

“I will lead him away. You must capture all the Nascent Soul and Spirit Transformation cultivators in the shortest time possible!”

The six were startled. They were about to succeed when this sudden change occurred. Furthermore, the newcomer was someone even the grey-robed elder feared enough to lead away. They knew exactly how strong the elder was, yet they hadn’t sensed when this newcomer had arrived either.

‘Is he also an upper-realm cultivator?’ This thought occurred to all of them at once.

In the same moment, a majestic voice rang out through the Ghost-Severing Sect. “I shall deal with that person. You must hold off these six!”

Gu Jiuqi was also blasted back by the shockwave. ‘Who is this? The voice is so strange, and his cultivation is higher than mine. Is he also from the upper realm?’ He was stunned. The newcomer had broken the seal and forced the hidden enemy to reveal himself with a single strike. This person’s control over the mortal world’s Heavenly Rules was exceptionally masterful—not something these local Spirit Transformation cultivators, who hid all day, could ever grasp.

The sudden turn of events allowed the Ghost-Severing Sect cultivators, who had been filled with despair, to feel the pressure lift. Then, they were pushed back by the shockwave. Although they didn’t know what had happened, they knew from the majestic voice that someone was helping them.

“Another Chimera Emissary?”

“Which Spirit Transformation expert is this…”

But these thoughts were fleeting. In the next moment, the formidable enemy auras approached again, giving them no time to think. The six attackers knew that once the elder’s seal was broken, the chaotic Spirit Transformation auras would no longer be hidden from the rest of the Barren Moon Continent. The local Spirit Transformation cultivators would sense these strange, powerful auras and would eventually arrive. Although the distance was great, top-tier experts didn’t always fly; they could use teleportation arrays at will. Thus, they had to finish the battle quickly. Even if the grey-robed elder didn’t return, they could search the souls themselves and complete the mission.

“Activate the Sect-Protecting Array! All disciples retreat into the array! No one is allowed outside!” Yan Longzi roared. Everything happened too fast. The disciples, who were still in a daze, finally woke up and realized that powerful enemies were attacking. Those outside the gate scrambled to get back in.

From within the gate, many figures flew toward them—a dense crowd of Golden Core disciples. Their expressions were mixed, mostly filled with tension. Upon waking, they found that all their ancestors were outside the gate. Even the legendary Chimera Emissary had appeared immediately.

“Where did these enemies come from?”

“Is this more terrifying than the demon invasion of the past?”

“Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation…”

One thought after another surfaced. But what left these cultivators in despair was that the aura of the enemies outside was so overwhelming that their own strength seemed utterly insignificant…

Dong Fuyi was streaking through the chaotic flow. While searching for news of Li Yan, he had been tracking the grey-robed elder for years, and the man had finally shown himself. He was a step late, though; Li Yan’s two wives had nearly fallen into the man’s hands. Although Li Yan wasn’t at the sect, Zhao Min and Gong Chenying knew some things, such as the shape of Li Yan’s natal artifact and the existence of the Earthen Patch. If the enemy suspected anything, he wouldn’t let them go. He might even use them as bait to lure Li Yan or others.

However, the fact that the grey-robed elder fled into the chaotic flow as soon as he was discovered showed that he still feared the Ghost-Severing Sect would identify his techniques. Appearances could change, but in a life-or-death struggle, he wouldn’t be able to hide his true methods. For this, Dong Fuyi felt relieved. He didn’t want his own techniques to be seen either.

‘In the mortal world, besides Xiao Yunzong, he is the only one from the Yin-Yang Primordial Chaos Sect. Xiao Yunzong might still be in seclusion after being heavily injured. He likely doesn’t know the current situation. If I can kill this fellow, I can resolve a lot of future trouble…’ Dong Fuyi thought.

He had never found Li Yan and was filled with anger. It was all because of these thieves from the Yin-Yang Primordial Chaos Sect; otherwise, he would have brought Li Yan back to the Immortal Spirit Realm long ago. This time, he felt that even if he were squeezed out of the mortal world, he would make this person vanish, removing a great threat from the Ghost-Severing Sect. He knew these rivals well; they were all greedy for credit. The grey-robed elder likely found a clue about Li Yan and kept it from Xiao Yunzong while the latter was healing to claim all the glory. Dong Fuyi had deduced the truth.

At Qing Shan Pass, in a valley overgrown with weeds, water suddenly surged in a clear pond near the southern side. Then, a figure flared and took to the air!

In the sky, Li Yan saw a familiar yet strange sight. After several centuries, the valley was almost completely abandoned. The ruins that had stood on the northern side hundreds of years ago were now gone, replaced by wild grass as tall as a man and a few scattered large stones. Within Li Yan’s Divine Sense, he could still see faint traces of building foundations beneath the grass.

‘Time can wash away everything. I don’t know how many times Military Counselor Ji has reincarnated, yet I still possess those original memories…’ Li Yan thought silently, feeling the ruthlessness of the ages.

He felt fortunate that upon entering the Hellsoul Clan’s area, the broken statue of the Second Ancestor near the pond at the cliff still existed. However, the sense of decay emanating from it was much heavier. If it weren’t a statue carved by an immortal and made of special material, Li Yan believed it would have been smashed to pieces by now, given the environment and the frustrated cultivators who occasionally came to test it.

Li Yan proceeded to set up an array around the area. Inside the array, he placed a spell seal and several types of concentrated “Limb-Severing Poison.” Many people knew of this place, and Li Yan couldn’t easily move the statue; his mastery of arrays was far inferior to the Second Ancestor’s. If he moved it and couldn’t enter the subterranean long alley, it would be a disaster. He would wait for Master Lan to come and see if it could be moved.

The outer array he set up was an illusion array mixed with a large amount of hallucinatory poison to strengthen the effect. Thus, anyone approaching would still see the cliff and the pond, but the broken statue would be gone. No matter how they walked, they would just be circling the pond. Those familiar with the place would likely think some frustrated cultivator had finally taken the useless statue. If they tried to investigate further, they would only fall into the illusion. Li Yan believed that even without the outer array, the seal he set would be difficult for a local Spirit Transformation cultivator to break.

In the valley, Li Yan looked at everything. Memories flooded in like a tide. After returning to the Ghost-Severing Sect, he had only visited this place once. That was when he couldn’t find the insight to reach the Nascent Soul stage and wondered if it was due to a mental block. After that, he never came back. First, he felt he wasn’t strong enough to explore the bottom of the pond; second, he didn’t want to see the scenery here. This was where his entire life had begun to change…

This time, after entering the subterranean long alley again, his greatly increased cultivation allowed him to make many more discoveries. Looking at the valley, Li Yan didn’t want to stay long. He wouldn’t even touch the mountain village of his distant memories. He had to return immediately to Zhao Min’s side, and then go to the Wind God Continent to find Gong Chenying…

At the Ghost-Severing Sect, after a brief retreat, both sides pounced forward again. Gu Jiuqi’s eyes were filled with killing intent. He launched three spells toward the three enemy Spirit Transformation experts, intending to stop them all single-handedly.

“Senior Brother Gu… Chimera Emissary, we will deal with that one!”

Just then, Wei Zhongran’s voice came over. Seeing the familiar face, he had almost called out “Senior Brother Gu” in a daze. As he spoke, he and Mo Qing charged toward the initial-stage Spirit Transformation expert who had tried to capture them earlier.

“Be… be careful, focus on defense!” Gu Jiuqi was startled, but he quickly understood. These two were the strongest Nascent Soul cultivators here. The three enemies were Spirit Transformation cultivators from the mortal world. Although he was more proficient in the Heavenly Rules, he couldn’t use his full power. He might not have much of an advantage against three at once. If he were defeated or injured, the Ghost-Severing Sect would truly be finished. Wei Zhongran and Mo Qing had clearly thought of this. The enemy might be Spirit Transformation powerhouses, but they too dared not use their full power. Thus, the two intended to risk their lives to stall one of them, allowing the Chimera Emissary to drive the others back or at least stabilize the situation.