Moonlight Mystique

Chapter Sixty

"Mu Mu!"

At the base of the city wall, a pair of lifeless hands suddenly shot toward Bai Shuo's neck. She let out a scream and shut her eyes in terror.

The hands that had reached her shoulders were severed mid-air. Bai Shuo was yanked backward, stumbling a few steps before landing beside Hua Da Tie.

Hua Da Tie was behind her—so who had saved her? Bai Shuo turned her head and saw a young man holding a silver chain, standing between her and the thing that had attacked her.

"Damn it, kid, have you lost your mind? You broke the Restriction to save her, even at the cost of damaging your Spiritual Vein?!" Hua Da Tie's face darkened as he couldn't help but shout.

Bai Shuo quickly turned to look. A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of the young man's lips—a horrifying sight.

"Mu Mu..." Bai Shuo's heart trembled, but before she could speak, Hua Da Tie's astonished voice rang out.

"What the hell is that thing?"

At the same time, deep within the stone hall beneath the Yiren King's palace...

The Yiren King hovered above a blood pool, gripping a stone Sword that pulsed with a powerful black aura. Suddenly, the aura transformed into countless sharp claws that lunged at the Fairy and Demon Disciples in the hall.

The claws morphed into sinister Qi, burrowing into the space between their brows. Agonized screams filled the stone hall as streams of Spiritual Qi were forcibly extracted from their foreheads and continuously drawn into the blood pool.

Back at the city wall, Bai Shuo's breath hitched as she finally got a clear look at the monster that had attacked her.

It resembled a human—except its eyes, nose, and mouth were bleeding, its face deathly pale, its eyes blood-red, and bulging veins ruptured beneath its skin. The severed fingertips on the ground oozed with dark, sinister Qi. This was a Yiren completely saturated with malevolent energy.

The Yiren raised its broken arms, hunched over, and let out a fearful growl toward Fan Yue.

"A Yiren?"

Bai Shuo froze as the creature roared and lunged at Fan Yue again, arms raised.

"Mu Mu, watch out!" Bai Shuo cried in panic. Fan Yue swung his silver chain downward.

"Wait!" Hua Hong's expression changed as she tried to stop him, but it was too late. The Yiren's legs were severed at the knees, and it collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Hua Hong hurriedly lifted the Yiren to check its wrist. Suddenly, the fallen creature twisted its neck unnaturally and snapped its jaws at her.

A foul stench of sinister Qi assaulted her senses. Hua Hong's pupils contracted as she leaped back several steps. The silver chain flashed again, and a head rolled to the ground. The Yiren's eyes remained wide open, its mouth still gnashing madly even in death.

Even Hua Hong was stunned by the sight, her face paling.

"Mu Mu..." Bai Shuo, still immobilized, called softly to her disciple. Strangely, though she usually bossed Fan Yue around without hesitation, today she felt unusually timid.

The young man didn't turn around. Instead, a surge of spiritual energy flew from his palm and landed on Bai Shuo's forehead, breaking the Restriction. Freed, Bai Shuo rushed to stand behind him.

"Mu Mu," she called again, but Fan Yue ignored her.

Bai Shuo shrank back, not daring to speak. She had promised her disciple she would never abandon him—but she had been going to her death. She couldn't drag him down with her. Her disciple was far too precious!

Nearby, Hua Hong crouched to examine the Yiren's corpse, but Fan Yue coldly stopped her. "Don't touch it. The sinister Qi on its body can devour spiritual souls."

Hua Hong froze and immediately withdrew her hand. Though Fan Yue had lost his memories, if he said so, it must be true.

"There's actually sinister Qi that can consume spiritual souls?" Bai Shuo asked curiously, taking two steps forward—only for her arm to be grabbed by her disciple. Delighted, she was about to speak when Fan Yue turned his wooden expression toward her.Bai Shuo's eyes dimmed as she couldn't help but look at Hua Hong. "Hua Da Tie, how could the Yiren be tainted with evil Qi?"

Hua Hong shook her head and was about to speak when a low, beast-like growl suddenly echoed from all directions, as if it were everywhere.

"What was that sound?"

Bai Shuo looked around, but in the darkness, she could see nothing. However, an even stronger stench of decay filled the air.

Hua Hong frowned, while Fan Yue gathered a ball of spiritual energy in his palm and flung it into the air. The energy exploded, instantly illuminating the surroundings like daylight and revealing the entire street. Bai Shuo looked up, her spine chilling and hairs standing on end.

The streets of Yiren City were now filled with Yiren shrouded in evil Qi—hundreds, thousands of them, densely packed.

The Yiren stood motionless, their expressions vacant. The moment the spiritual light flared, they suddenly turned and charged toward the trio with furious roars.

"Holy shit!" Bai Shuo screamed, barely registering what was happening before Fan Yue and Hua Hong simultaneously unleashed their spiritual energy at the attacking Yiren. The Yiren were knocked down but, just like before, dragged their shattered bodies back up and lunged again.

"Move!" Hua Hong barked coldly, sweeping her staff to momentarily halt the horde. Seizing the opening, Fan Yue grabbed Bai Shuo by the waist and soared into the air.

Mid-flight, Bai Shuo's leg was suddenly yanked downward. She looked down to see a Yiren flying up, trying to pull her down.

"Ahhh! Mu Mu!"

A flash of silver spiritual energy severed the hand gripping Bai Shuo, and she clung to her little disciple like an octopus. Another wave of foul wind surged as more Yiren took to the air, howling toward Fan Yue, while Hua Hong remained trapped on the street below.

Suspended in midair, Fan Yue's silver chains dripped with blood, making him look like a god of slaughter. Yet the frenzied Yiren showed no signs of stopping, pouring endlessly from the streets and buildings toward the trio.

Even Fan Yue paled at the sight of the Yiren horde, resembling a sea of corpses.

"Mu Mu, over there!" Bai Shuo suddenly pointed and shouted.

She was indicating the city walls. Strangely, though the maddened Yiren rampaged through the city, none dared approach the walls.

Fan Yue unleashed another burst of spiritual energy, carrying Bai Shuo as they landed atop the wall.

The frenzied Yiren rushed toward them but abruptly halted the moment they neared the wall.

Bai Shuo stared in shock at the Yiren below, howling yet refusing to come closer. "Why won't they climb the wall?"

"The walls of Yiren City were forged from one of Mu Guang's Dragon scales. They carry the aura of a Dragon," Hua Hong explained, landing beside them, covered in blood.

Golden Dragons could vanquish evil across the Three Realms—no wonder the tainted Yiren dared not approach.

"What's wrong with these Yiren?" Bai Shuo asked Hua Hong.

Hua Hong, her face pale, shook her head. "I don't know."

"Their spirits have been hollowed out by the evil Qi," Fan Yue said, retracting his silver chains as he surveyed the city. "I fear every Yiren in the city has been infected."

"Could it be the Yiren King?" Bai Shuo blurted. "That so-called god-making formation of his—does it require the spirits of the Yiren?"

"Impossible!" Hua Hong snapped. "Hua Lin is the Yiren King. He would never sacrifice his entire people!"

Silence fell over the wall. If not the Yiren King, who else could turn an entire city's populace into this state overnight?

As the three exchanged uneasy glances, the dazed Yiren below suddenly stirred, frantically surging toward one spot. Bai Shuo pointed. "Look!"On the street, a woman was running frantically with a child in her arms, chased by countless mutated beings.

"It's Aunt Xiao Qiugua, the one we saved yesterday! Quick, Mu Mu, save her!"

Before Bai Shuo could even speak, Hua Hong beside her had already leaped off the city wall. In a few swift movements, she cut through the crowd of mutants, grabbed the woman and the child in her arms, and vaulted back onto the ramparts.

The woman, still shaken, brightened at the sight of the trio. Bai Shuo hurried forward to question her, but Fan Yue suddenly pulled her back.

"Wait!"

Before Fan Yue's voice faded, the child in the woman's arms broke free and charged at Bai Shuo with a roar.

Fan Yue's eyes turned cold, and the silver chain in his hand was about to strike down Hu Er.

"No!" The woman yanked her son back, swiftly binding his hands and shielding him behind her.

"Spare him, Immortal! Hu Er still has his senses!"

The three looked over to see Hu Er's small face flushed red, his entire body tinged with a sickly green. He was violently banging his head against the city wall while crying out in agony for his mother.

Bai Shuo immediately pulled a immobilization talisman from her Qiankun Bag and slapped it onto Hu Er. His eyes closed as he collapsed to the ground.

The woman quickly gathered the child into her arms.

"What exactly happened? What's going on with the people in the city?" Hua Hong asked urgently in a low voice.

"I don't know," the woman replied, her eyes filled with terror. "Today was supposed to be the Mengyu Festival. We were all going to the palace to celebrate, but the king suddenly ordered everyone to stay home. I didn't go anywhere, staying with Hu Er the whole time. Then... then Hu Er went berserk. I thought he was having another episode and wanted to take him to the Yiwang Palace to find you for treatment. But when I stepped outside, I realized... I realized everyone in the city had gone mad, biting anyone they saw. Hu Er became like this too..."

Clutching her son helplessly, the woman looked up and froze when she saw Hua Hong's face, suddenly recognizing her. "Y-Your Highness... You're Princess Hong..."

Though a century had passed since Hua Hong left Yi City, without makeup, her face only bore a colder, more detached expression compared to her youth.

"Your Highness, please save Hu Er! I beg you, save Hu Er!" The woman grasped Hua Hong's hand as if clinging to her last hope.

Hua Hong abruptly turned to Bai Shuo, her gaze falling on the Qiankun Bag at her waist.

"I... I only know how to treat illnesses and antidotes, not how to dispel evil Qi!" Bai Shuo said anxiously.

Hua Hong's face paled as she suddenly asked, "Why hasn't she been affected by the evil Qi?"

Though the young man hadn't regained his memories, Hua Hong didn't hesitate to look at Fan Yue.

Only then did Bai Shuo realize that in the entire Yi City, Aunt Xiao Qiugua was the only one untouched by the evil Qi.

"She bears Rong Xian's mark. A celestial blessing protects her spirit platform."

Hua Hong was stunned, recalling the old man who frequented the woman's tavern for drinks daily, her eyes growing warm.

Just then, the child in the woman's arms let out a heart-wrenching scream. Hu Er trembled violently as the evil Qi surged from his chest toward his brow. A transparent spirit seemed on the verge of tearing through his forehead.

"Bad news—that evil Qi is trying to seize his spirit!" Bai Shuo cried out.

As the evil Qi threatened to invade his brow, Hua Hong could no longer hold back and turned to shout at Fan Yue.

"Hall Master!"At the moment Hua Hong pleaded, Fan Yue felt a sharp pain between his brows, as if something was struggling to break free from his will. The young man trembled, gripping the silver chain with all his might as he leaned against the city wall, casting a cold gaze at Hua Hong.

No matter who he was, he only wanted to be Bai Shuo’s disciple!

"Rong Xian... Rong Xian..." Bai Shuo, who had been intently watching Hu Er, didn’t notice the anomaly between Hua Hong and Fan Yue. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "I have a way! I have a way to save him!"

The three of them turned to look at Bai Shuo, who was hastily unfastening her Qiankun Bag and pulling out something. The object shimmered with golden light, its Spiritual Qi pure—it was none other than the Golden Core they had subdued from Rong Xian.

"If Senior Rong Xian’s mark could protect Aunt Qiu Gua, then this Golden Core at the Peak of the Upper Realm should also be able to purge the evil Qi from Hu Er’s body!"

As she spoke, Bai Shuo decisively placed the Golden Core into Hu Er’s mouth.

As soon as the Golden Core entered his body, pure Spiritual Qi instantly coursed through Hu Er’s meridians. Countless tendrils of black evil Qi seeped out from his fingertips, howling as they dissipated into the air. The child’s agonized screams ceased, and his purplish complexion gradually regained its rosy hue.

"It actually worked!" Bai Shuo exclaimed in delight, while Hua Hong sighed in relief.

The woman, overjoyed at her son’s recovery, was about to speak when suddenly the ground trembled violently. The city wall beneath their feet shook with such force that a dragon’s roar echoed through the heavens, followed by a blinding explosion of golden light.

Hua Hong swiftly shielded the woman and her child with his body, while Bai Shuo was sent flying by the shockwave. Fan Yue leaped forward, catching her in his arms.

As the light faded and the city returned to silence, everyone looked up to see a magnificent golden array materializing in the sky, enveloping the entire strange city.

Bai Shuo gaped in astonishment. "What the heck is that now?"

"Is this... the Spirit-Sealing Array?" Hua Hong murmured, staring at the colossal formation.

No—she had once entered the eye of a Spirit-Sealing Array. Divine arrays were gentle in power, yet this golden formation radiated nothing but killing intent.

"Heavenly Fire." A cold voice suddenly rang out from atop the city wall. Bai Shuo and Hua Hong stiffened simultaneously and turned their heads.

Outside the strange city, the assembled Sect Leaders of immortals and demons stared at the golden array with equal shock.

"The Divine Execution Array? How could such a small city possess the Divine Execution Array?" the Head of Yunxiao muttered in disbelief.

For a thousand years, since the Divine Realm of Shang Gu had closed, no gods had walked the Three Realms. Even Jin Yao, who ruled the Nine Heavens, had only reached the half-god realm. Though rumors claimed Fan Yue, the master of the Haoyue Palace, had also attained half-god status, none had witnessed him perform divine feats.

"Someone has altered the array’s consciousness, turning this city’s protective formation into a divine execution array," Jin Yao said grimly.

"Who could have done this? The King of the Strange Ones?" Chang Huo demanded angrily.

"Not him," Jin Yao replied, his expression dark. "Once the Divine Execution Array reaches Major Achievement, all life within the array—and for a thousand miles beyond—will turn to ashes. The King and tens of thousands of his people are inside the city. He has no reason to do this. Moreover, altering a divine array’s consciousness requires at least half-god power. He isn’t capable."

A half-god? First, evil beings infiltrated the city, and now a hidden half-god appeared out of nowhere? The Three Realms had known peace for centuries—how had such calamity erupted from this chaos?"Rest assured, everyone. The Spirit Locking Array is, after all, a divine formation left by His Majesty Mu Guang. The divine formation has its own spirit. Even if that person has altered the array's consciousness, he cannot destroy the Dragon Soul left by His Majesty Mu Guang in the array's core. He cannot activate the God-Slaying Array."

Upon hearing this, the crowd visibly relaxed.

"Not necessarily." Elder Feng Xian, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke. "Immortal Lord, the disciples of both clans are within the city. If they are used as sacrifices..."

"That still wouldn't be enough..."

"What if we add the entire foreign race to it?"

Feng Xian's solemn words caused Jin Yao's expression to shift slightly.

At that moment, the golden dragon array blazed with light, the roar of dragons echoing endlessly within the formation as an overwhelming tide of black Death Qi engulfed the entire array.

The instant the sinister energy covered the formation was precisely when Fan Yue invoked the name of Demon Lord Hua Hong.

On the city wall, Bai Shuo turned her head in shock, staring incredulously at her young disciple beside her.

Fan Yue was half-kneeling on the ground, his face contorted with a trace of painful struggle, yet his eyes were eerily calm and indifferent.

Meeting that gaze, Bai Shuo's breath hitched, and for some reason, her heart ached fiercely.

"Mu Mu..." she called softly, but the half-kneeling youth seemed not to hear.

"Lord Hall Master! You've finally awakened?!" Hua Hong rushed excitedly toward Fan Yue, kneeling beside him.

"Stop the Foreign King! He's using the God-Slaying Array for a blood sacrifice—the disciples of the immortal and demon clans, along with the foreign race, are all offerings!"

"What?" Hua Hong's joy vanished, replaced by shock.

Bai Shuo couldn't make sense of Fan Yue's words. She only stared blankly at the icy eyes of the youth, utterly lost.

"Lord Hall Master?!"

A sharp cry rang out. Bai Shuo, already unsettled, was startled and stumbled backward.

A pair of hands caught her waist, pulling her tightly into an embrace.

"Master." The low voice of her disciple whispered in her ear. Bai Shuo suddenly broke free from Fan Yue's grasp and looked at him.

"Mu Mu?!" Bai Shuo's voice trembled.

"It's me." The youth nodded, his gaze pure and clear.

Bai Shuo suddenly smacked the boy's shoulder.

"Thank heavens! You scared me to death!"

She bent over, gasping for breath. "Thank goodness, my old life is spared."

Then, as if remembering something, she jolted and turned to Hua Hong.

"What did the big demon just say this thing is?"

"The God-Slaying Array."

Hua Hong uttered the words, casting a protective spiritual barrier over Hu Er and her child before leaping into the air without a backward glance.

"Stay here. I'm returning to the Foreign King's palace!"

"Mu Mu, follow them!" Bai Shuo shouted without hesitation. The youth hesitated briefly, unlike his usual self.

"Mu Mu! A-Zhao is still in the Foreign King's palace!" Bai Shuo turned, her expression frantic. The young disciple hesitated no longer, wrapping an arm around Bai Shuo and soaring into the sky after Hua Hong.