Chapter 548: Thieving Moon Team

The captain blinked.

"That's not important; we'll discuss it later. Let's talk about the Red Moon first. Junior Brother, you need to think the opposite way. If we don't devour Her this time, once She awakens, finding us will be much easier than before. She'll locate us instantly the moment the thought crosses Her mind! You possess Her divine source, and I have Her aura. To Her, we are thieves, and we are doomed. So, we must kill Her before She awakens! She's just a woman; we're not afraid!" The captain took out a peach and bit into it fiercely.

Xu Qing's breathing quickened slightly, his mind racing, and his eyes became bloodshot. He knew the captain was planning something monumental and had already guessed it was significant, but he hadn't imagined it would be this immense.

"Senior Brother, please elaborate," Xu Qing said, gritting his teeth.

Hearing this, the captain's expression brightened with excitement, and he quickly began to speak.

"Little Ah Qing, the Sacrificial Moon Domain is a very unique place. Within the Black Sky Clan, it's considered a sacred site, or rather, it *is* the sacred site. Because... the Sacrificial Moon Domain is the Red Moon's destined path! The Red Moon is the Red Moon; the Crimson Mother is the Crimson Mother!" The captain looked at Xu Qing, his expression serious.

Xu Qing nodded, listening intently.

"First, you need to understand a concept: the Crimson Mother resides and slumbers *on* the Red Moon, while the Red Moon itself is a celestial body – a star, a moon, a unique heavenly object! Therefore, to devour the Crimson Mother, we must first enter Her dwelling place – we must enter the Red Moon! However, the Red Moon is in the sky. Although it follows a certain trajectory, its whereabouts are ultimately elusive. Even if we see it, it's hard to approach.

"But it's different in the Sacrificial Moon Domain. In the center of this domain, on the Plain of Repentance, stands a colossal, awe-inspiring statue!" As he spoke of the statue, the captain's expression became strange, filled with emotion and a sense of wistful regret.

Xu Qing, seeing this, fell into contemplation.

"This statue is incredibly tall. Although it's in a kneeling, penitent posture, it still appears to support the heavens and earth. Its height is indescribable, reaching infinitely close to the zenith of the sky. Each time the Red Moon passes by according to its trajectory, it roars over the statue's head. Therefore, standing on the statue's head, the Red Moon is within reach. It's also the lowest point of the Red Moon, and the intelligence I've gathered confirms this. So, from there, at the moment the Red Moon sweeps past, we can ascend with all our might and step onto the Red Moon."

Having finished speaking, the captain took out another peach, bit into it, and looked at Xu Qing. "As for what we'll do once we're on the Red Moon, I have plans and preparations. The Crimson Mother... I'm absolutely going to devour Her this time!" The captain's eyes were bloodshot, and his madness intensified.

Xu Qing pondered upon hearing this and asked, "Senior Brother, what is the identity of this statue?"

Hearing this, the captain fell silent for a few breaths. He casually tossed a peach to Xu Qing and spoke in a hoarse voice. "That statue belongs to a human sovereign from the era of the Ancient Emperor Xuanyou, who refused to follow the Ancient Emperor when he departed. The original Sacrificial Moon Domain was his territory! He and the Crimson Mother fought a world-shattering battle there in ancient times. The sovereign ultimately died in battle, but there must have been other grievances between him and the Crimson Mother, so She punished his body to eternally kneel in repentance. At the same time, She cast a curse, transforming his territory into a grazing ground.

"Thereafter, every so often, when life in the Sacrificial Moon Domain flourishes, the Red Moon arrives to devour all living beings, both mortals and cultivators alike. They are all food. Cultivators, especially, are devoured in descending order of their cultivation. Those in the Soul Return realm are always eaten first. The curse also prevents any life born in the Sacrificial Moon Domain from leaving it by even half a step; any violation results in instant death. Thus, cultivators in the Sacrificial Moon Domain live in constant pain and dilemma. The culmination of their cultivation is death, yet living in such a harsh environment, it's difficult to survive long without cultivating. It's a true Catch-22." The captain's voice was low as he took another fierce bite of the peach.

"After all, the Sacrificial Moon Domain has no real sun. There are only artificial light sources and occasional sky-fires passing overhead, illuminating the entire domain, but these also cause immense harm. Moreover, the Crimson Mother's dependents are there, tending to this 'flock.' As a result, many high-ranking members of various clans refer to the Sacrificial Moon Domain as the 'Red Moon Spirit Pasture'."

Xu Qing remained silent. Combining this with the information he had previously found, he could well imagine the tragedy within the Sacrificial Moon Domain. He also knew that the various races living in such an environment would undoubtedly display the darkest aspects of their nature to the extreme.

"A living hell," Xu Qing murmured. As he instinctively raised the peach in his hand to take a bite, the captain suddenly looked up, surprised, at Xu Qing.

"How do *you* have a peach?"

"You gave it to me."

Xu Qing was also surprised.

The captain quickly snatched the peach away, then placed an apple in Xu Qing's hand instead. Xu Qing glanced at the captain, bit into the apple, and remembering the sky-fire, he inquired about it.

"Sky-fire? I haven't paid much attention to that area, but there's some scattered information," the captain said, pausing to organize his thoughts. "It's said that the core of the sea of fire, that rift in the sky, has existed since ancient times. It wasn't large initially, but it has grown bigger and bigger over time. Few know what lies inside the rift. Many races have investigated it over countless years, but seemingly to no avail. All they know is that it seems to be an boundless realm of fire, and entering it means death. Junior Brother, are you planning to go to the Sea of Sky-Fire?" the captain asked curiously.

Xu Qing nodded.

"That works out well. According to my estimation, while the Red Moon's arrival is imminent, it won't be *that* soon. And for this major undertaking, I still have some arrangements to complete within the Sacrificial Moon Domain. This will ensure we have a greater chance of success when the Red Moon arrives. So, you have ample time. Here's the plan: we'll quietly leave in the next few days. You take care of your business, and I'll take our weapons to complete the other arrangements. Then, we'll rendezvous at Mount Wei'yang Tianniu, right here." As he spoke, the captain pulled out a map of the Sacrificial Moon Domain and pointed to a specific area. "So, Little Ah Qing, are you in or out on this?"

Xu Qing's breathing quickened slightly. After a long moment, he nodded. "Let's go there first. As for whether we ultimately act, Senior Brother, we'll decide based on the situation. Also, Senior Brother, you still haven't told me: have you ever done something similar before?" Xu Qing looked at the captain.

The captain coughed. His finger, which had been resting on the map, lifted, then pointed back to the same spot. "Think carefully about the name of this mountain."

"'Mount Wei'yang Tianniu'?" Xu Qing's expression was peculiar. Wei'yang meant "never-ending" or "unfinished." Tianniu...

The captain's expression was smug. "That's a mountain I named! I can't believe it actually became widely known in later generations. Little Ah Qing, the remains of one of your Senior Brother's past lives are buried in that mountain. Back then, I had bad luck and failed to devour a deity. It was all my unreliable teammates' fault. Although I escaped, I didn't live much longer. The reason I said we'd meet there is because I plan to take you on a grave robbery first."

Xu Qing didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Rob your own grave?"

The captain's eyebrows danced with excitement. "Just thinking about something like that is exciting! Besides, it's part of the preparations for devouring the Crimson Mother."

And so, the captain discussed more details with Xu Qing. They finalized their plans, agreeing to depart in three days. They also reached a consensus on how to leave. Xu Qing's identity was rather special. If he were to leave Feng Hai County, there might be hidden dangers, so the best method was for no one to know of his departure. Therefore, Xu Qing only informed his master and Zi Xuan. While they initially disagreed somewhat, they eventually acquiesced, providing Xu Qing with some protective items.

Afterward, Xu Qing publicly announced that he would enter seclusion. Before entering seclusion, he also visited Zhang San, who had moved to the county capital with the Seven Blood Eyes sect. Zhang San had been crafting a spiritual wheel for Xu Qing during this time, and it was now complete. After retrieving it, Xu Qing disappeared from public view.

Time flew by, and a month passed. Everything in the county capital remained normal, without any changes. The construction of the Qingxuan Sect was also complete, and under Zi Xuan's guidance, everything was orderly and development had begun. Feng Hai County, too, slowly recuperated and entered a period of stability after all major events had ceased. With Old Man Seven and Marquis Yao presiding – especially after Marquis Yao demonstrated his fourth-stage Soul Return realm power – the various clans in Feng Hai County reined in their ambitions and sharpness.

Meanwhile, on the western fringes of the Sacred Ocean Domain, a caravan of mortals was traveling along the main road. This was a convoy from a Sacred Ocean Clan escort agency. While transporting goods, they also took on some private jobs, escorting traveling merchants to several small states near the Siyin River.

Within the long convoy, a freckled teenager, about seventeen or eighteen years old, sat dejectedly on a carriage. Like a coachman, he held the horse's reins, occasionally giving them a weak tug and issuing a few half-hearted shouts. It was Ning Yan.

Beside him stood a young man, hands behind his back, head held high, gazing at the distant landscape with an air of arrogance. The sunlight gleamed upon him, as if bestowing a halo, subtly hinting at something sacred.

"The world's crossing awaits my arrival, heaven and earth welcome me with drums!"

Ning Yan heard this and felt utterly disgusted. How had his shouts become drums? He was thoroughly annoyed by the person next to him, who had been incessantly reciting nonsensical poetry the entire journey. So, he cast a sideways glance and muttered, "What's wrong with him?!"

Wu Jianwu heard him, his eyes widened, revealing disdain, and he spoke flatly. "A gentle breeze brings the cackling of fowl, but a closer look reveals it's just a child!"

Ning Yan glared furiously. Wu Jianwu remained arrogant.

At this moment, the captain's very enthusiastic telepathic voice came from inside the carriage. "That's a good poem, full of the Ancient Emperor's lingering charm. As expected of the great prodigy from Seven Blood Eyes' First Peak, whom I personally invited after three visits, and who is hailed as the strongest successor to the Ancient Emperor Xuanyou! Give us another one!"

Wu Jianwu was thrilled and incredibly smug upon hearing this. Ning Yan, however, pursed his lips, lowered his head in silence, and vented his frustration by forcefully lashing the reins in his hand.

Inside the carriage, Xu Qing glanced outside. He had somewhat expected the captain to bring Ning Yan along, but Wu Jianwu's presence left him a bit puzzled. At this moment, Ling'er poked out from Xu Qing's collar, hung on his ear, and looked towards the captain. The captain winked at Ling'er and whispered to Xu Qing. "That fool, we'll humor him for now. He's going to be very useful in my plan!"

With that, the captain announced to the outside. "From now on, we are the Moon-Thieving Squad! Let's go, brothers!"