252: Chapter 252: Igniting the War Between Humans and Demons

Deep within the Moon Palace, the starlight from the four shattered phantoms had not yet completely dissipated.

On the high platform, the lunar star fragment floated quietly, emitting a soft silver-white glow like a miniature moon.

The surrounding taiyin essence was so dense it nearly condensed into liquid, flowing slowly through the air.

A cold, crisp aura permeated the air; a single breath felt as if it made one's Divine Soul tremble.

Everyone stared at that small moon, but not a single person moved.

The atmosphere was so heavy it felt as if it might drip water.

The Human Race and Yao Race occupied opposite sides of the hall, separated by dozens of yards of empty space.

Traces of the recent battle remained on the silver-white jade floor.

Deep gouges, cracks, bloodstains, and several corpses that no one had time to collect.

Zhao Wudi gripped his saber, its edge still stained with wet blood. His gaze fell on the lunar star fragment before sweeping over the Yao Race opposite him.

Sword Dust's frost frost sword had returned to its scabbard, but his fingers remained on the hilt, ready to strike at any moment.

Li Qingyun stood with his hands behind his back, eighteen Prodigies from the City Lord's Mansion lined up neatly behind him, their auras steady.

Shi Haokong's golden vertical pupils stared at the lunar star fragment, the golden flames on his mane burning silently.

Chi Hanyuan's nine heads were raised high, sixteen eyes staring in unison at the small moon. As his forked tongues flicked, black poisonous mist spread through the air.

Feng Qingyin stood upon five-colored auspicious clouds, her amber eyes reflecting the silver-white light.

Quae Wangmang crouched on the ground, his blood-red eyes full of greed, his giant beak making clicking sounds as it opened and closed.

Lei Qianjun was surrounded by arcs of lightning, and the ground beneath his feet was scorched black.

Chi Hanyuan was coiled to the side, his Profound Ice Cold Qi freezing the surrounding ground into ice.

Inside the hall.

Dozens of people and dozens of Yao, yet no one made the first move.

"Treasures belong to those with the ability to take them."

A voice rang out, though it was unclear if it came from the humans or the Yao.

The moment the words fell.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly tightened like a string pulled to its limit, threatening to snap at any second.

Zhao Wudi was the first to move.

He turned into a streak of golden light, lunging straight for the lunar star fragment.

But his target wasn't the small moon; it was a silver-white longsword floating beside it.

The characters 'Yuehua' were engraved on the blade, and a faint silver light flowed along its edge. It was clearly no ordinary item.

"It's mine!"

Zhao Wudi reached out to grab the hilt.

Shi Haokong moved as well.

His speed was even faster than Zhao Wudi's. His golden figure flashed like lightning, a claw striking toward Zhao Wudi's back.

Sensing the gust of wind behind him, Zhao Wudi was forced to abandon the sword and turn to parry.

Sword and claw collided, sending sparks flying in all directions.

Both were knocked back simultaneously, landing on opposite sides of the high platform.

"I saw this sword first."

Shi Haokong's golden vertical pupils glared at Zhao Wudi, his mane bristling.

"Just because you saw it first means it's yours? I could say this entire Moon Palace is mine."

Zhao Wudi sneered.

The two locked eyes, sparks of tension flying between them.

But they didn't strike again, for more humans and Yao were already surging forward.

Sword Dust didn't go for the sword; his target was a Jade Slip.

The Jade Slip floated atop a stone pillar on the left side of the platform, emitting a faint golden light.

His movement was like lightning as he wove through the crowd, reaching out for the Jade Slip.

A jet of black venom shot from the side, forcing him to pull back his hand.

One of Chi Hanyuan's heads faced him, its vertical pupils cold, venom still dripping from its mouth.

"Human, this Jade Slip is mine," Chi Hanyuan hissed.

"Then let's see if you have the skill to keep it."

Sword Dust drew his blade; the frost frost sword unsheathed, his Sword Intent clear and bright.

He slashed at one of Chi Hanyuan's heads.

Chi Hanyuan couldn't dodge in time and was grazed by the sword light, leaving a deep, bone-deep wound on one head.

He shrieked in pain as his other eight heads simultaneously spat venom, poisonous fire, and ice spikes, raining down upon Sword Dust.

Sword Dust swung his sword to parry, fighting while retreating.

Li Qingyun did not participate in the scramble; he simply led the eighteen Prodigies of the City Lord's Mansion to hold a specific area.

In that area were several bottles of taiyin essence and a few Earth Rank Magic Treasures. They weren't overly precious, but the position was secure.

His strategy was to play it safe and steady—taking what he could without getting into unnecessary fights.

Feng Qingyin descended from her five-colored auspicious clouds, lightly fluttering her wings to drive away several Yao Prodigies who drew too close.

She didn't snatch for the lunar star fragment, but instead walked toward a Spirit Medicine on the right side of the platform.

It was a sapling of a Moon Laurel tree, entirely silver-white and emitting a faint fragrance. It was a top-tier Material for refining Medicinal Pills.

Lei Qianjun and Chi Hanyuan were also searching for their own treasures—one snatching Magic Treasures, the other grabbing Spirit Medicines.

Quae Wangmang was the most direct; he opened his giant beak and swallowed several Magic Treasures in one gulp without even chewing.

In the hall, the humans and Yao fought their own battles. The competition was fierce, yet everyone maintained a certain level of restraint.

There were no large-scale conflicts or life-and-death struggles.

Because everyone knew that the time to scavenge treasures in a ruin was limited; wasting time on internal strife was the foolish choice.

This was a tacit understanding formed between the humans and Yao over countless generations of ruin exploration.

Take the items first, then settle the scores later.

However, this time there were two exceptions.

Xiao Ran and Li Changsheng did not move.

Xiao Ran stood near the entrance of the hall, watching the chaotic scene inside.

The yellow spring banner was tucked into his waist, the Tiger Tally held in his hand, and over a thousand soldiers of the Yellow Spring Army stood by within the banner.

Li Changsheng stood on the other side, followed by over a hundred Jade Rabbit statues.

Red eyes, silver-white bodies, lined up in a perfectly neat phalanx.

Silver-white ghost fires flickered in the eye sockets of the Jade Rabbit Army as they stared at the crowd in the hall, ready to strike at any moment.

"You're not going to snatch anything?" Li Changsheng asked quietly through the Soul Link.

"No rush."

Xiao Ran said calmly.

"The truly good stuff hasn't come out yet. No one dares to touch the lunar star fragment on the platform; whoever moves for it dies."

Li Changsheng nodded.

Indeed, as tempting as the lunar star fragment was, whoever took it would become the target of everyone else.

Going up to take it now wasn't bravery; it was seeking death.

Xiao Ran spoke through the Soul Link, his voice very steady.

"Changsheng, do you want to pull off something big?"

Li Changsheng was taken aback. "What?"

Xiao Ran's gaze swept across the hall and landed on Quae Wangmang.

That Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow was currently opening its giant beak to swallow a High Grade Earth Rank Magic Treasure without chewing, its blood-red eyes full of greed.

"The two of us have been transmigrated into this world for so many years. You haven't forgotten our original goal, have you?"

Li Changsheng was silent for a moment before his voice turned serious.

"Of course I haven't forgotten. Who could resist the urge to dominate the Cultivation World?"

"The opportunity has come."

Hearing this, a smile curled on Xiao Ran's lips.

"I have a plan that can stir up a great war between humans and Yao."

"The two of us are about to enter the Void Refinement Stage. Once the war breaks out, we can profit from it and fight for dominion over the world."

Hearing this, Li Changsheng wasn't afraid; instead, he looked excited.

"How do we do it?"

Xiao Ran glanced at him sideways before his gaze returned to the hall.

"Wipe out the entire Yao Race, right here."

Li Changsheng's pupils shrank slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

He looked at the seventy or eighty Yao Prodigies in the hall, then at the thousand-plus Yellow Spring corpses in Xiao Ran's banner and his own hundred-plus Jade Rabbit statues, calculating rapidly in his mind.

"Wipe them all out? Are you sure?"

"Ninety-nine percent."

Xiao Ran held up a finger.

"The remaining zero point one percent is just for fear of being too arrogant."

Upon hearing this, Li Changsheng immediately nodded.

"Let's do it. Tell me how."

Xiao Ran continued, "Haven't you already obtained the Moon Palace Legacy? Seal the exit of the Moon Palace now; don't let a single Yao escape."

Li Changsheng sensed the Legacy information in his mind and found that the Moon Palace did indeed have a method to seal its entrances and exits.

It was a Restriction set by the Moon Fairy to prevent outsiders from intruding, and only someone who had obtained the Legacy could control it.

"I can seal it, but it will take time."

Xiao Ran gripped the Tiger Tally.

"No matter. No one is paying attention to us right now."

"You seal the entrance first; I'll make the opening move."

The two exchanged a look and moved simultaneously.

Li Changsheng closed his eyes and formed hand seals. Silver-white light surged from his palms and sank into the ground.

The stone doors at the hall's entrance began to close slowly, emitting a dull rumble.

Runes within the hall lit up one by one, forming a massive Restriction that sealed the entire Moon Palace tight.

Ten breaths.

The final rune on the stone door lit up, and the Restriction was complete.