"What do you mean by…that?" Yue Yao tilted her head ever so slightly, her face growing even more serious as her expression hardened, and she inquired with a firm tone.
"You will come to understand in due time. For now, you simply need to inform the sect leader to make preparations." Del Mo replied softly, her lips curling into a faint smile.
They continued flying swiftly through the clouds, their speed fast. With Yang Zhai now traveling alongside Del Mo and the others, the journey felt noticeably smoother for him. Whenever problems or dangers appeared along the way, it was always the elders who confronted and resolved them, while he simply rested atop Chila with the other disciples, letting the elders shoulder the burden.
In this manner, their long journey stretched on, and before long, they finally managed to reach the Recn continent.
Even after arriving, however, they did not pause to rest. Without halting for even a brief moment, they pressed onward. Compared to the turbulent and merciless ocean they had crossed before, the path over land was much calmer and far smoother, making their progress easier.
At last, after continuous travel, they reached the area that marked the entrance to the Moonlight Sect.
Night had already descended, and darkness firmly ruled the land. High above, the moon shone brightly, its pale silver light reflecting perfectly upon the surface of a vast and restless lake. The waters rippled and moved ceaselessly, yet the reflection of the moon remained whole and unbroken, as though untouched by the lake's disturbance.
When Chila descended and landed at the edge of the water, four cultivators appeared from different directions, approaching respectfully before bowing to Del Mo.
She gave a calm nod and extended her foot, letting it gently touch the lake's surface.
In an instant, the waters calmed and became still. A ripple emerged from the very center of the lake, where the moon's reflection lay, and spread outward slowly across the entire surface. Then, without warning, Del Mo's figure was drawn into the water, her body vanishing completely as she disappeared into the depths.
"You all saw what just happened. Do exactly as Elder Mo did—step into the water." With those words, another elder also walked forward into the lake, and just like Del Mo, disappeared within it.
The other elders chose not to go in immediately. Instead, they waited in silence for the disciples to enter first.
One by one, the disciples followed the instructions, stepping into the lake and vanishing from sight.
Yang Zhai also did the same and walked calmly into the water.
The moment he entered, his surroundings shifted, and he emerged into an entirely different place. He found himself standing on a small grassy plain, the cool blades swaying lightly under the wind. In front of him rose two colossal mountains, their peaks so tall they disappeared into the clouds above. At the foot of the mountain, between these towering giants stretched a lively and bustling market, filled with people moving about in constant motion.
On the closer side of the mountains, he saw several residences scattered about. On the right mountain, a long spiraling staircase wound around its body, climbing all the way into the distant clouds. On the left mountain, a clear stream spiraled down its slope before crashing into a waterfall that echoed at its base.
Suspended high in the sky, just beneath the clouds, a lengthy, sturdy wooden bridge connected the two mountains together, like a thread stretched between giants.
But even the majesty of such peaks was not the most striking sight.
Above the mountains, spanning across the heavens, was a vast circle of shadow, so enormous it seemed as if the very moon had descended from the sky to drape itself across the land like a shadow.
Moonlight Lake, known also as the Lake of Impartiality. A natural wonder, not created by human hands, without grade or classification, yet carrying power unlike any other. Its ability is impartiality itself. Anything that entered its domain is forced into balance. If a material of rank six and another of rank seven were thrown inside, the higher-ranked material would immediately have its strength, properties, and even its rank diminished down to six. But it would return back after leaving the lake.
Its influence extends far beyond mere materials. Even cultivators cannot not escape its laws. Should a rank six and a rank seven enter together, the rank seven would be dragged down, forced to the same level. Even techniques and attacks were affected. If a rank seven launched a method against a rank six, its power would be pulled down to match, leaving both sides equal. Likewise, weaker attacks would be elevated to balance the clash.
For extreme differences, such as a rank three facing a rank nine, the lake's impartiality revealed its harshest form. The higher-ranked cultivator would be reduced by several ranks, while the weaker one would be violently elevated, the sudden surge too overwhelming for their body, causing them to burst apart.
These thoughts rose clearly in Yang Zhai's mind as he studied the mystical lake.
"As for why it is called the Moonlight Lake," he reflected quietly, "at night, the waters flow as though they are moonlight itself. To any who gaze upon it, the water seems to vanish, replaced entirely by moonlight that streams endlessly, pure and serene, flowing in a cycle without end. It would seem as if it would turn into moonlight and then go back to start from the beginning. This, along with its impartial nature, is why it stands as one of the defining symbols of the Moonlight Sect."
"In truth, it was this lake that gave the sect its very name. Its affects spreads outward like the glow of the moon, partially influencing the land around it as well."
The knowledge surfaced naturally in Yang Zhai's thoughts, needing no effort or time to recall.
He then raised his gaze to the vast, shadowy moonlike circle that loomed high above the clouds.
The Sacred Moon. Some named it the Pure Moon, while others also called it the Moon of Purity.
It too was extraordinary. Its power lay in purification—not a sudden or explosive growth in strength, but a slow and inevitable cleansing. Everything touched by its glow would, over time, be refined, purified, and made stronger. Almost nothing was beyond its effects.
I am impressed that the Moonlight Sect had managed to bring such a natural wonder into their domain was astonishing. It stood as their second great symbol, paired with the impartial lake below.
Yang Zhai stood silently, his gaze steady upon the shadowy moon above, his mind filled with steady contemplation.
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