Chapter 549: Yin Yang Flower Sect's New Disciple Xu Qing

Along the border between the Saint Lan Domain and the Moon Sacrificial Domain, there are scattered small mortal nations and marketplaces prepared for travelers crossing the river. After all, outsiders entering the Moon Sacrificial Domain are not affected by its curse as long as they don't stay too long, so some trade exists between the two regions.

The border itself is actually a majestic, long river. This river is named Siyin, and it encircles the entire Moon Sacrificial Domain, enveloping it within its embrace. The river water is perpetually reddish, like fresh blood, and even smells the same. Occasionally, a breeze stirs the river's surface, carrying this bloody scent towards the banks, permeating all directions.

For those unfamiliar with this phenomenon, the scent would instinctively make them wary. However, as one approaches this area, most passersby are accustomed to it. The caravan in which Xu Qing and his group traveled was no exception. The traveling merchants and bodyguards within it clearly traversed this road frequently, so their expressions remained normal.

Xu Qing took a sniff, lost in thought. Besides the bloody scent, there was also a faint trace of the Crimson Mother’s aura. However, this aura was extremely faint; had Xu Qing not possessed the Purple Moon, it would have been difficult to detect.

“There’s a curse here,” Ling’er suddenly spoke, her voice clear and pleasant.

Inside the carriage, the captain stretched, lifted the curtain, looked outside, and smiled. “This is the scent emanating from the Siyin River. That river was not naturally formed; it was created by the Crimson Mother, gathering the beings of the Moon Sacrificial Domain and transforming them from their fresh blood, further imprinting it with curses.”

“This river poses no danger to outsiders; as long as enough offerings are given, they can enter and exit. But for the various races within the Moon Sacrificial Domain, it is the door to a cage.”

“Calculating the time, we should reach the shore by dusk today. Then, after crossing the river for several days, we can enter the Moon Sacrificial Domain.” The captain’s eyes showed anticipation.

After leaving Feng Hai Commandery, their group had remained hidden throughout the Deep Blue Domain, even more so after entering the Saint Lan Domain. Finally, at Xu Qing’s suggestion, they blended into this caravan and traveled with it. Traveling in the mortal world was easier to conceal oneself than traveling by magic. And so, over the past month, they had arrived here.

Soon, dusk fell. The sky was filled with red clouds, the same color as the river water reflected in Xu Qing and the others’ eyes. This scene of the sky and river being one color did not feel beautiful but rather eerie and grim.

Here, Xu Qing’s group left the caravan and stopped by the Siyin River. The vast river surged southwards, its bloody scent incredibly dense. Faintly, skeletons could be seen bobbing in the river—those were the remains of people who had died trying to escape the Moon Sacrificial Domain. Under the river’s corrosion, their former appearances were no longer visible, but from the size of the skeletons, it was clear that many children were among them.

“The beings of the Moon Sacrificial Domain are food from the moment they are born,” the captain said calmly.

Ling’er looked at all this, sighed softly, and said nothing, but moved closer to Xu Qing, as if the warmth from Xu Qing’s body made her feel safer. Xu Qing remained silent, looking up at the partial face of the deity in the sky. Compared to the Moon Sacrificial Domain, the entire Wanggu Continent was also not much different.

Ning Yan, behind the two, who already had a long face, became even more bitter. He didn’t want to come; he felt he was doing well in the county capital, very comfortable, but he was forcibly brought to such a dreadful place. He knew about the Moon Sacrificial Domain. It was precisely because he had heard about this domain that he was very afraid of it and unwilling to approach.

“That damn Chen Erniu is too much!” Ning Yan cursed in his heart, but dared not show any on his face; he was afraid of being bitten.

In contrast to Ning Yan’s unwillingness, Wu Jianwu was extremely willing to join this time. Even though the river water looked eerie, it would not affect the pride in his heart. Standing on the bank now, he took a deep breath and spoke loudly.

“I see the setting sun gaze upon a lonely smoke,The great river’s waves have surged for seventy thousand years!”

“Good poem!” The captain heard this, his eyes lit up, and he praised it.

Wu Jianwu coughed, raised his chin, and was just about to speak again when he saw Xu Qing frowning. He quickly fell silent. Xu Qing was a little annoyed by listening; the other party’s poems on this journey had already exceeded a hundred. Now, with a wave of his hand, his spirit vessel appeared and landed on the river.

Xu Qing’s spirit vessel was primarily designed by Zhang San, with the combined efforts of the Six Peaks elders to forge it for him. Its form was completely different from his previous magic vessel; it had even moved beyond the category of a boat. This was a genius design by Zhang San. Its appearance was like a hunchbacked old woman, a full five hundred zhang tall, wearing a wide black robe. On its hunched back, terraces were built to serve as cabins. Its robe spread out on the river surface, creating layers of ripples—these were the sails.

What was even more bizarre were the old woman’s hands. Its right hand carried a lantern emitting a faint green light; flames burned within it, and occasionally horrifying screams emanated from it. This was the power source. As for its left hand, a red eye floated, constantly looking in all directions. This was a replica of the Seven Blood Eyes’ forbidden magical artifact.

Even Xu Qing was surprised when he first received such a spirit vessel. Now, as it descended upon the long river, both Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu felt their hearts stir after seeing it.

“Is this your Seventh Peak’s spirit vessel?” Wu Jianwu took a breath and spoke normally.

The captain smiled nearby. “It seems Zhang San has some thoughts about Ju Ying.” The old woman’s form was very similar to Ju Ying, the deity of Mermaid Island.

Xu Qing nodded, said nothing more, his body swayed, and he stepped directly onto the old woman’s back. From within its terraces, he looked into the distance. The others quickly boarded as well. Soon, with the lantern in the old woman’s hand glowing, the surrounding sail-like black robes instantly fluttered, and its figure sped away across the river surface.

The Siyin River was quite vast, and its width was similarly great. At the speed of Xu Qing’s spirit vessel, it took five days to cross only a small portion of it. During this time, they also encountered some dangers, but under the detection of the Seven Blood Eyes’ forbidden artifact replica eye, most of them were avoided. However, there were still some unexpected situations.

For example, at this moment, countless bloody long hairs rushed out from the river, coiling around the spirit vessel and rapidly spreading towards Xu Qing and his group. But there was no need for Xu Qing and the captain to act. Wu Jianwu had long been waiting to show off his skills; there had been no opportunity on the road before. So on this long river, he flung his large sleeve, and immediately dozens of ferocious beasts with terrifying appearances appeared around him.

Some of these fierce beasts flew into the sky, some directly plunged into the river water, and there was also a parrot, emitting a piercing cry, spreading its wings and landing on Wu Jianwu’s head. The parrot stiffly raised its head, looked in all directions, and spoke in a human voice.

“My father emerged above and below heaven,Who among spirits and immortals would dare defy!”

Wu Jianwu’s expression was proud, and he spoke lightly.“The Wu family has eight hundred sons,Who in the vast sky and nine provinces dares to be arrogant!”

Xu Qing’s expression was strange, Ling’er’s eyes widened, Ning Yan gasped, and the captain’s eyes sparkled. As Wu Jianwu spoke, a bear also flew out from his sleeve, transformed into dozens of zhang in height with a shake of its body, stood before Wu Jianwu, and let out a loud roar. The sound was like thunder rumbling; its arms stretched out, grasped the spreading hairs, and tore them apart. Those fierce beasts were all quite remarkable; though their appearances varied, their bloodlines seemed to share a common origin, their coordination with each other was also perfect, and they ignored evil entities, seemingly having a high bloodline status. Thus, quickly, with their intervention, after some of the hairs shattered, they returned to the river water.

Wu Jianwu was proud; the parrot on his head fully raised its head. This action was very uncoordinated, but it was clearly trained many times, so it seemed accustomed to it. At this moment, they both opened their mouths simultaneously, about to deliver their lines.

But the danger was not over. The next moment, the entire river surface suddenly churned violently, the bloody scent became even denser, and countless bloody long hairs, one by one, burst from the river surface, soaring into the air. In a blink of an eye, with the gathering of these countless bloody long hairs, they outlined a massive figure hundreds of zhang tall. This figure was only a silhouette, without flesh and blood. It looked like a skeleton, emitting terrifying pressure. Now it lowered its head and looked down at Xu Qing and his group.

“Offerings!” A blurred voice accompanied by a low roar came from the mouth of that giant bloody figure. While echoing through heaven and earth, the surrounding blood river also began to churn. The second, third, fourth… A total of thirty-seven identical figures appeared one after another, surrounding Xu Qing and his group. Each one, after appearing, would utter the same two words.

“These are the river spirits of the Siyin River, and it’s the rule here that offerings must be given.” The captain had already prepared for this. Now, with a wave of his hand, a storage bag was thrown out and fell into the river. As for what was inside, Xu Qing didn’t know, but as the storage bag fell, these figures slowly blurred until most of them disappeared. The remaining few, just as they were about to dissipate, suddenly all looked at Ning Yan.

“Offering!” Ning Yan’s expression changed.

The captain also frowned. He knew Ning Yan’s bloodline was extraordinary, but he didn’t expect that here, it would actually cause the river spirits to demand offerings a second time. “I wonder if these river spirits taste good…” The captain looked around, feeling that perhaps there were more river spirits here than just these few, and he sighed. Fortunately, he was very well prepared this time. Though he was displeased inwardly, he still took out another storage bag. Just as he was about to throw it, Xu Qing suddenly spoke.

“Senior Brother, I’ll try?”

The captain mused and nodded. “Alright, the offerings I prepared will also be useful within the Moon Sacrificial Domain.”

Hearing this, Xu Qing walked a few steps forward, gazing at the bloody figure directly ahead, and calmly spoke. “Make way.”

As soon as he spoke, purple light appeared in his eyes. The Purple Moon Nascent Soul within him opened its eyes at that instant, emitting pressure and fluctuations, transforming into a display of divine rank, manifesting a hint of divine authority. In an instant, the fluctuations of the Siyin River quieted, the winds from all directions paused; everything, at the moment Xu Qing’s Purple Moon power appeared, seemed to solidify.

The bodies of those river spirits suddenly trembled. They quickly bowed their heads and all knelt down. “Greetings, Divine Emissary!”

The same sound, at this instant, also emanated from the surrounding river surface, and more river spirits emerged. From dozens to hundreds, until they reached thousands, as far as the eye could see. They all knelt down with utmost reverence.

This scene, though Ning Yan was prepared for it, still made his heart beat faster. Ling’er’s eyes widened, somewhat bewildered. The captain’s eyebrows danced with delight, thinking to himself that this trip to the Moon Sacrificial Domain, with Little Ah Qing present, the chances of success for their great undertaking would be infinitely great. As for Wu Jianwu, he gasped, and even the parrot on his head trembled, forgetting to maintain its head-raised posture.

And so, after a brief silence all around, Xu Qing’s calm voice echoed out. “Escort.”

“We obey the divine decree!” Thousands of human-skeleton-like river spirits, formed from bloody long hairs, spoke in unison, walking one by one to surround Xu Qing’s spirit vessel in a mighty formation, with overwhelming momentum, escorting them forward. The river water rippled on its own, accelerating them; the river surface twisted as if prostrating itself. This scene made Wu Jianwu’s body tremble as he watched. In a daze, the captain came to his side, put an arm around his neck, and spoke in a low voice.

“Big Sword, I didn’t lie to you before, did I? Do you want to be like this one day?”

Wu Jianwu definitely wanted to, and was destined not to escape the captain’s grasp. So soon, he was pulled aside by the captain, and they whispered for a while. Wu Jianwu’s eyes showed struggle and excitement, but ultimately, excitement surpassed everything.

“Fool!” Ning Yan saw this scene and scoffed inwardly.

Xu Qing ignored all this; he was sensing the river spirits. They were different from the Saint Lan clan’s Black Heaven statue; more like living beings, because in the aura of these river spirits, Xu Qing sensed their reverence. Even faintly, there were wisps of fragrance, which Xu Qing detected after he unleashed the power of his Purple Moon Nascent Soul.

So Xu Qing’s eyes flashed. The Purple Moon Nascent Soul rose above his head. While emitting waves of pressure, it also gently inhaled towards the river spirits. Immediately, those fragrances flowed along the river spirits and poured into the Purple Moon Nascent Soul’s mouth. With the swallowing, a feeling of immense comfort emerged in Xu Qing’s mind, and his Purple Moon Nascent Soul also trembled, visibly growing somewhat. At the same time, the river spirits from whom the fragrance was absorbed showed expressions of piety.

Xu Qing’s heart beat slightly faster. He instinctively felt that this fragrance was a good thing. Just as he was about to continue, a sense of crisis arose in his mind, which made him immediately restrain his actions. “This is the Red Moon Pasture. Theoretically, the Red Moon can absorb it, and so can I. But this kind of plunder is more easily detected by it. What if excessive stimulation leads to premature awakening…” Xu Qing felt regretful inwardly and did not continue to try. He planned to enter the Moon Sacrificial Domain first and then decide after assessing the situation.

And so, under the escort of thousands of river spirits, Xu Qing’s spirit vessel sped across the Siyin River, getting closer and closer to the shore. And this grand scene was incredibly astonishing, naturally attracting attention. Those traveling to the Moon Sacrificial Domain were not only Xu Qing’s group. In fact, due to the uniqueness of the Moon Sacrificial Domain, monks from neighboring domains would occasionally enter on normal days to trade items within it.

At this moment, on the Siyin River, there were dozens of such boats. After offering sacrifices, they were allowed to pass, and thus witnessed this scene that left them incredulous and utterly terrified. All the boats instinctively stopped. The cultivators within them all had varying thoughts, and countless conjectures arose.

“To be escorted by thousands of river spirits… What kind of status is this!”“Could it be from the Red Moon Temple? And a high-ranking member at that!”“There’s only one answer left. Only the Red Moon Temple can possess such status.”“The Red Moon Temple rarely appears on normal days. This is the first time I’ve seen them.”

These conjectures made everyone’s hearts tremble. They, who frequently traveled to the Moon Sacrificial Domain, were very clear that within that cursed domain, all beings were lambs, and only the Red Moon Temple stood supreme, herding for the deity. So they all bowed their heads until the thousands of river spirits went far away, before resuming their journey.

And so, another two and a half days passed. Xu Qing and his group finally crossed the sea-like Siyin River, seeing the shore and the Moon Sacrificial Domain. The land here was dark black. The sky was dim; there was no sun, only moonlight with no visible source, falling throughout the Moon Sacrificial Domain, dressing this black land in a veil of mystery. Where Xu Qing and his group landed was a barren, chaotic mountain ridge. There were some birds hidden in the night sky, emitting mournful cries. As for the ground, decaying skeletons could occasionally be seen.

Xu Qing put away his spirit vessel. The moment everyone stepped onto this land, the thousands of river spirits in the Siyin River bowed towards the shore, and then disappeared into the river. The captain looked around, his expression carrying some reminiscence, and spoke with emotion. “After many years, I’ve returned to this domain.”

“Little Junior Brother, now that we’re here, we are relatively safe. The Crimson Mother is asleep, and as long as we don’t overly expose our identities, we should be fine.”

Xu Qing nodded. Here, there was virtually no one who knew them. The captain patted Xu Qing’s shoulder. “Then let’s part ways here. You go handle your matters. I’ll take Little Ning Ning and Big Sword to do some business.”

Ning Yan heard this and looked bitter, while Wu Jianwu’s face was filled with excitement; he felt very respected. Xu Qing’s gaze swept over them, silently wishing them well in his heart, then he looked at the captain again.

“Senior Brother, take care!” This was their agreement made on the road. Their current location was on the eastern border of the Moon Sacrificial Domain. Traveling further east from here was not very far from the Sea of Heavenly Fire that Xu Qing wanted to reach.

“I’m fine. With Little Ning Ning and Big Sword protecting me, who would dare touch me.” The captain winked at Xu Qing, then raised his right hand and slapped his forehead. His body instantly transformed into a graceful middle-aged cultivator, his appearance also becoming considerably handsome. Especially the smile on his lips and the complacency in his expression made him appear somewhat more mischievous.

With a half-smile, the captain’s right hand smoothly patted Ning Yan’s long-faced belly. Ning Yan’s body trembled, his appearance also changed, transforming into a maid. He clearly knew this would happen, so there was no surprise; it was just that his original bitter expression, now as a maid, gave the impression of someone frequently bullied. As for Wu Jianwu, his face was full of anticipation at this moment. The captain didn’t show favoritism and also patted him, obscuring his appearance, and he became a boy attendant. Seeing the captain and the two change like this, Xu Qing wasn’t curious. As the captain’s seals were lifted, his methods gradually became diverse.

“Little Junior Brother, I’ve also prepared your identity for you.” The captain waved his hand and threw a jade slip to Xu Qing. “From now on, you are a traveling disciple of the Yin-Yang Huajian Sect in the Moon Sacrificial Domain, named Tian Qingzi.”

“This is an identity jade slip; it can serve as a travel permit. The various countries and races in the Moon Sacrificial Domain are in chaos, so a travel permit is required to go anywhere. The Yin-Yang Huajian Sect here is responsible for the Red Moon Temple’s sacrificial dances, so it’s considered a major sect—a powerful cover!”

Xu Qing glanced at the captain, took the jade slip. He could feel that the captain was extremely well-prepared this time; presumably, the captain was determined to devour the Heart of the Red Moon. “Then let’s part ways here for now. Afterwards, we’ll rendezvous at Weiyang Tianniu Mountain. No matter who arrives first, they should wait there for a period of time.”

“If the other party doesn’t arrive, we’ll go into hiding and head to their destination to search.”

After the captain finished speaking, he raised his right hand and grabbed at the air. A fan appeared, which he snapped open with a swish and fanned himself a few times, looking entirely at ease. “Little Junior Brother, remember this: my current identity is Wei Yangzi, also a disciple of the Yin-Yang Huajian Sect, your Senior Brother! In the coming months, this name will surely become famous throughout the Moon Sacrificial Domain; you’ll probably hear about it on the way.”

“Let’s go!” the captain said, waving at Xu Qing. As Xu Qing bowed in farewell, he took Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu and walked into the distance. Ning Yan was somewhat reluctant to part, occasionally looking back at Xu Qing, his expression utterly helpless. Xu Qing pretended not to see and watched the three depart.

The captain walked over ten zhang, then paused, turned back as if remembering something, and shouted loudly. “Little Ah Qing, that Yin-Yang Huajian Sect, you can visit it if you have time. Your identity is real. This sect emphasizes the harmony of Yin and Yang and mutual replenishment. I think, Little Ah Qing, you could really go and learn. With your aptitude, you should learn quickly. That way, if you ever encounter a demoness, you’ll have defensive techniques and won’t be taken advantage of!”

Ling’er heard this and quickly poked out from Xu Qing’s collar, speaking loudly. “With me around, Brother Xu Qing won’t encounter any demonesses!”

Seeing the captain about to speak again, Xu Qing remained expressionless, took out a peach, and took a bite. The captain glared, muttered a few words, and pulled the two people beside him away. Xu Qing watched them go until the captain and the two disappeared into the night. Ling’er’s expression filled with anticipation, and she spoke shyly. “Brother Xu Qing, does this count as a date for just the two of us?”

Xu Qing smiled and nodded. His body swayed, and he sped off into the distance, his appearance also changed somewhat, becoming less striking and more ordinary. And so, time passed.

A night passed. Throughout this night, Xu Qing sped across the land of the Moon Sacrificial Domain. He saw many skeletons on the ground, from various races, most of whom had died from outbreaks of anomalous substances. Some others had died from fighting. All this was not beyond Xu Qing’s previous expectations; the unique environment of the Moon Sacrificial Domain meant that death and malice were bound to permeate this place. There were even a few places that Xu Qing, after seeing, fell silent for a moment. Those were bone pits.

In the area near the shore, Xu Qing discovered dozens of massive deep pits, each spanning ten thousand zhang, each filled with countless bones. From the sharp instrument scratches on the bones, it could be seen that the flesh had been stripped off while still alive, evidently to make it easier to eat. Ling’er also fell silent.

Looking at these, Xu Qing silently departed, his vigilance increasing infinitely. Until morning arrived, after several dim artificial light sources appeared in the sky, the ground was no longer pitch black but had turned a dim yellow color. This color was the normal state of the Moon Sacrificial Domain.

Xu Qing stood on a barren hilltop, gazing into the distance and identifying his direction. He took out the map jade slip given by the captain and began to examine it. “This area is called Small Altar. A half-month journey across from here is a two-race alliance territory, and beyond that is the Sea of Heavenly Fire.”

Xu Qing put away the jade slip, and in the dim yellow light of the sky, he sped forward. And so, days passed one by one.

Half a month later, after traversing the area called Small Altar, Xu Qing, who was about to enter the border of the two-race alliance, gained a deeper understanding of the name of the area behind him. The bone pits there numbered over a thousand. They were arranged in the shape of a crescent moon, and in the center, there was an ancient altar the size of a city. Xu Qing did not approach. From afar, he sensed more residual aura of the Red Moon there.

“Spirit Pasture,” Xu Qing murmured, and stepped into the two-race alliance territory.

But the moment he stepped into the border, Xu Qing paused and looked ahead. Soon, on the ground ahead of him, streaks of dim light appeared. Irregularly shaped mirrors rose from the ground, all shining on Xu Qing. Most of these mirrors were taller than a person, their surfaces blurry, with some cracks, but they still reflected Xu Qing’s figure. What was strange was that Xu Qing’s figures within these mirrors now had malice in their eyes and emitted chilling voices.

“Travel permit!”