Before Wang Lin, the assembled cultivators felt a tempestuous wind buffet them, then a shocking blow that stole their senses and plunged them into oblivion.

Wang Yue, the Moon Beast, a colossal behemoth, charged forward with a furious momentum, each impact threatening to collapse the very starfield, echoing with thunderous booms that splintered the void.

The mortals who sought to ensnare Wang Lin were largely disciples of Ascendant Zenith or the Shadowed Void, few of the Solid Yang, and fewer still who had glimpsed Nirvana.

Misfortune befell those who stood in the Moon Beast’s path. Its touch shattered their mortal shells, reducing them to crimson ruin, their nascent souls extinguished, their fates sealed in a cataclysm of power.

Piercing cries of agony ripped through the ether, and the survivors, gripped by a chilling fear, fled into the cosmic night, desperation lending speed to their escape.

“This fiend is beyond our strength! To forfeit life for a petty bounty from the Yao Clan is a fool’s bargain!”

“Enough! This Xu Mu wields its power as if it were an extension of his will! Better to abandon this folly than to invite our doom. Let us vanish before he notices our presence!”

“The Ancestors spoke true! Only cultivators below the Shadowed Void were permitted to hunt this Xu Mu, for he is no ordinary mortal.”

Whispers of doubt and apprehension coursed through the ranks, and one by one, the warriors turned their backs upon the fray.

The Moon Beast paused, its vast head, adorned with colossal fangs, cleaved open, as if to sunder its very being. A piercing shriek, born from the depths of its primal soul, echoed from the abyss, resonating with unimaginable force.

Waves of sonic energy radiated from Wang Yue, shattering the stars. Any who lingered too long was blasted into nothingness, their bodies and spirits annihilated by the monstrous sound.

Driven by a burning wrath, the Moon Beast prowled the starlit sea, its myriad tendrils whipping like living whips of destiny. Those unfortunate enough to be ensnared were drained of their essence, fading into oblivion with each agonizing touch.

A scene of unparalleled horror unfolded. The Moon Beast, a body the size of a lesser world, swayed and writhed amidst the stars, and all about it, terrified cultivators, unable to summon the power of instantaneous travel, fled in abject terror.

Panic etched itself upon every face. It was a slaughter, a merciless culling fueled by the Moon Beast’s fury. The survivors cursed their sluggishness, their hearts flooded with regret.

Even the mighty Lords of the five great planets of the Northern Luo Tian, trembled in their star fortresses, sealing their domains in arcane wards and refusing to offer aid, their courage withered by the sight of the raging Moon Beast.

With a final, shuddering roar, the Moon Beast stilled. Then, from its cavernous maw, a spectral light gleamed, as smaller versions of itself poured forth. Moon Beasts of a thousand, a hundred, even a mere ten zhang in size spewed out from the beast.

Though minuscule compared to their titanic progenitor, they were still beings of unimaginable power to the fleeing mortals.

The massacre reached its zenith. A swarm of Moon Beasts surged across the battlefield, engulfing and devouring the remnants of the Yao Clan and its allies. All but a handful of the Nirvanic, all who managed to cling to life by a thread, were wiped away in a torrent of carnage.

A thick pall of blood and death choked the starfield, yet the Moon Beast’s rage remained unsated. It moved again, guttural and oddly articulate noises issuing from its maw, reminiscent of human speech.

This chilling display shattered the last vestiges of hope. The remnants of the army had heard tales of this. To think that such a monster wielded sorcery that could obliterate everything in the area was the stuff of nightmares.

Wang Yue’s awakening was indeed, a calamity of cosmic proportions.

Far removed from the horror, three figures stood watch over the distant maelstrom. Their forms flickered and wavered, suggesting great age and power. Their presences emanated strength, each possessed a unique and terrifying aura.

Yan Leizi was among them.

“I confess that I did not foresee him leading them to the Moon Beast, but if he had not, I would have missed the chance to take advantage of his presence,” Yan Leizi said, a smile twisting his lips.

“Venerable Brothers, I have pondered this scheme for many years, and the Moon Beast lies at its heart. I have brought you here so that you may witness its power.”

Yan Leizi paused, his smile fading. “Now that you have seen it, do you still consider my plan worthy of consideration?”

“Yan Leizi, your plan is… mad!” said one of the men standing beside him. His words were soft, though the black and purple robes that covered his body swirled around him in an intimidating manner.

“While I must admit that I find your scheme mad, should it succeed, it could increase our odds of success!” The third man was an old man covered in red robes. Though his smile seemed gentle and soft, his eyes shone with an insidious glow.

The second man said nothing in return, opting to stay silent.

“It is mad, but the people of Luo Tian want to go to war with the Alliance. Without power that can match their own, it is a war that we cannot win.

“They have been sheltered too long, not nearly as accustomed to fighting for their lives as the Alliance are. Even between teacher and student, there is cunning and malice. They are survivors who have sharpened their blades in the art of intrigue.”

Yan Leizi paused, glancing towards the battle. “Xu Mu has most likely seen this more clearly than any of us.”

The purple-clad man nodded slowly, a thoughtful expression on his face. But the red-robed man only chuckled, saying, “Xu Mu is quite impressive, someone I would gladly welcome to my Eastern Reach!”
“We seek those amongst the one hundred and eight chosen who possess a decisive hand in battle!” boomed Yan Leizi, eyes gleaming with a predatory light. “Only with such leaders can we usher the cultivators of the Luo Tian Starfield through a baptism of fire!”

A crimson-robed elder, surnamed Xiang, chuckled, “It seems old Blood God is resolute indeed! To think he’d sacrifice such a treasure to ensure his kin are prepared for the coming Alliance Wars, offering it in exchange for a family-wide blood ritual!”

“Blood God merely seeks to profit further in the Alliance Wars,” Yan Leizi countered, shaking his head, though a flicker of admiration danced in his eyes. “Still, I confess, I did not expect such alacrity. That enchanted artifact possessed but a single use remaining; I never imagined he would deny it to himself.”

A black-robed man, silent until now, finally spoke, his voice a cold rasp. “This Xu Mu, as our inquiries reveal, hails from the Alliance Starfield. Yan Leizi, you place great stock in this individual. Do you not fear he will betray us once he returns to his own kin?”

Yan Leizi’s gaze turned glacial as he fixed the man with a stare. “Gongsun, my friend, I, too, originated from the Alliance Starfield. Do you fear that, having orchestrated this scheme, I shall turn against you all once I return?”

Gongsun met his gaze, then turned away without another word.

Yan Leizi scoffed inwardly. *This Xu Mu’s origins are an open book. Hunted and driven here, his plight mirrors my own from years past. Such a man is unlikely to betray us, given his nature. And if he does… I shall simply extinguish him! The ancient families of cultivators hold little sway in my eyes!*

“Enough,” Elder Xiang interjected. “Since Yan Leizi has such confidence in this matter, we shall table it. Our immediate concern is the Moon Beast! Too many deaths would weaken the Luo Tian Starfield. But how shall we manipulate this beast to our advantage?” His gaze pierced the void, as if able to see beyond the veil of space to the monster lurking ten thousand leagues distant.

“That is easily resolved. Together, with the aid of those ancient horrors, we shall drive the Moon Beast into the Alliance Starfield once the passage is open!” Yan Leizi’s eyes blazed with a manic intensity. With a blur, he vanished. The other two followed swiftly, swallowed by the void.

Meanwhile, the Moon Beast raged. Its countless tentacles swept across the cosmos, reaping the lives of cultivators, its roars shattering the very fabric of space, rendering the terrified survivors unable to teleport.

No matter how swiftly they fled, the Moon Beast was faster.

And its brood of smaller spawn gorged themselves on the dying, filling the hearts of the surrounding cultivators with despair.

The stench of blood hung thick in the void as the monstrous form of the Moon Beast lumbered forward. Suddenly, above it, a crimson octagon materialized, pulsing with immense power. As waves of energy radiated from it, they evoked an irresistible sense of dread.

Upon the octagon stood Elder Xiang, his face a mask of concentration. He descended with the magical formation, the waves enveloping the Moon Beast, creating a prison around its colossal form.

“Hurry!” Xiang roared. “I cannot hold it for long!”

Beneath him, the Moon Beast bellowed its fury, the sound echoing into the void as its immense form thrashed against its ethereal cage.

Then, with a single step, Yan Leizi emerged from the void. With a flick of his sleeves, he gathered a multitude of cultivators, their forms dissolving into the aether as he hurled them into the starry abyss.