169: The Secrets of the Illusion Moon Sect

As soon as this thought arose, Lin Feng suppressed it.

His memory was incredibly sharp; the spirit in those eyes, that unique cold temperament, and especially the aura of the Cultivation Technique Origin he sensed at this moment, which was identical to the one from back then, all pointed to the same answer.

Then, only one possibility remained.

That "Foundation Establishment Stage" team leader from back then was simply in disguise.

Her true cultivation level had long since surpassed the Foundation Establishment Stage. She must have used some Heaven-Defying secret technique to perfectly deceive the Secret Realm's Restriction, suppressing her cultivation to the Foundation Establishment Stage to sneak inside.

Such methods were already beyond Lin Feng's understanding, and the motives and schemes behind them, upon careful thought, were unfathomable.

The Saintess's gaze also fell upon Lin Feng. Deep within her calm and waveless eyes, a faint ripple, like that of an old acquaintance meeting again, seemed to flash, but it instantly returned to stillness.

She did not expose the past, only nodding slightly, her voice cold and ethereal: "Fellow Daoist Lin, long time no see. I trust you have been well?"

The four words "long time no see" fell into Lin Feng's ears, causing his breath to hitch suddenly.

Her words sounded ordinary, yet they clearly acknowledged that the two of them had indeed met before.

This almost confirmed his astonishing guess.

Lin Feng forcibly suppressed the raging waves in his heart, pushing his guess and doubts regarding the Saintess's true cultivation level deep down.

He knew very well that since he was currently in the core territory of the Illusory Moon Sect, facing a Mid-Stage Core Formation Cultivator with unfathomable thoughts, any questioning about this matter would be extremely unwise and could even invite unpredictable risks.

He took a deep breath, using the act of bowing to quickly conceal all his exposed emotions. When he straightened up, his expression had returned to calm, and he met the Saintess's gaze with a steady look, decisively pulling the topic back to the most urgent matter at hand.

"Senior Saintess, this Junior's visit is presumptuous, but it is truly because I was entrusted by someone to report an urgent matter to you in person."

He took out the moon shadow token, presented it with both hands, and said in a deep voice: "Senior Saintess, this Junior's visit is presumptuous, but it is truly because I was entrusted by a Fellow Daoist on their deathbed to personally deliver this token and a message to you. This matter concerns the survival of your Sect."

The Saintess's gaze fell upon the token. She did not take it immediately but looked calmly at Yun Qingyao, who was to the side.

Yun Qingyao immediately bowed slightly and reported: "Just now, Junior Sister Qingxue hurriedly reported that she encountered Fellow Daoist Lin, who was holding a moon shadow token, outside the Sect gate. Because the situation was urgent and there were spies from the Heavenly Demon Palace harassing him, she brought him into the Sect for safety first and informed me immediately."

"Qingxue has already gone to find the Grand Elder to report the details. Upon hearing that the moon shadow token had appeared, this Junior Sister did not dare to delay and immediately brought Fellow Daoist Lin here to see you."

The Saintess then nodded slightly, her gaze returning to Lin Feng: "The moon shadow token is extraordinary. Where is the person who held it? What is the message?"

Lin Feng's expression dimmed: "I dare not hide anything from you, Senior. When this Junior met that Fellow Daoist, she had already been struck by evildoers and was on her deathbed."

"She used her last ounce of strength to entrust this token to me and left an eight-character message: 'The moon shadow slants westward, the Gui water flows in reverse.' She claimed this matter concerned the survival of your Sect and urged this Junior to personally inform you."

"'The moon shadow slants westward, the Gui water flows in reverse!'"

As soon as these eight words left Lin Feng's mouth, the air in the courtyard seemed to suddenly freeze.

The color instantly drained from Yun Qingyao's face. She gasped, covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes filled with unbelievable horror, and she whispered involuntarily: "Highest alert! Could it be that the Moon Guardian, she..."

Meanwhile, the Saintess, who had been sitting quietly, felt her harmonious aura fluctuate violently for the first time.

She stood up abruptly and stared intently at Lin Feng: "She... what else did she say? What was the situation when you saw her?"

Lin Feng concisely added the key details: "When this Junior arrived, that Fellow Daoist's Meridians had already been completely eroded by an icy and vicious power. After she finished conveying the message and the token, she passed away. The Cultivation Techniques of the attackers were strange, and this Junior could not discern their Origin."

The courtyard fell into a brief silence.

The Saintess cast her gaze once again toward the cold, illusory moon in the courtyard, as if weighing a heavy decision.

A moment later, she withdrew her gaze and looked at Lin Feng: "Fellow Daoist Lin, do you know why our Sect is named Illusory Moon? And why we have lived in seclusion here for generations, rarely interacting with the outside world?"

Lin Feng was slightly taken aback; he had not expected the Saintess to ask this. After a moment of thought, he answered cautiously: "It seems your Sect's Cultivation Technique is closely related to the power of moonbeams. As for living in seclusion... this Junior does not know the details."

"Being related to moonbeams is only the surface," the Saintess shook her head slightly. "The name Illusory Moon originates from an entrance to an ancient Secret Realm suppressed here—the Profound Yin Rift."

"Under the reinforcement of the Formation, its form is like an illusory moon suspended over an abyss. When our Illusory Moon Sect's Ancestral Master established the Sect here, the primary duty was to guard this rift for generations, preventing the Profound Yin Evil Qi that has accumulated for ten thousand years from leaking out and wreaking havoc on the world."

She paused, then continued: "Precisely because this duty of guardianship is heavy, and the Sect's 'Illusory Moon True Art' requires invoking extreme Yin moonbeams, a female Physique is more easily compatible. Thus, throughout the generations, the core Legacy of the Sect has mostly been female Cultivators, which gradually became the norm. As for remaining in seclusion, firstly, it is to avoid outside disturbances and focus on guarding; secondly..."

A flash of complexity appeared in her eyes. "The matter of the Profound Yin Rift is of great importance; the fewer people who know about it, the safer it is."

Lin Feng realized in his heart; so this was the Origin behind the Illusory Moon Sect's seclusion and Sect rules.

He immediately associated this with the message and asked: "Senior, you told me these secrets; could it be... that the message from that Fellow Daoist is related to this Profound Yin Rift?"

"You are quick-witted," the Saintess gave Lin Feng an approving look, her expression turning grave. "Correct. Guarding the rift relies on our Sect's supreme treasure, the 'grand yin pearl'."

"This treasure contains the most refined and pure Yin power, which can harmonize and purify the Evil Qi leaking from the rift, maintaining balance."

She reached out and pointed to the illusory moon in the sky. "The 'moon shadow' refers to the trajectory of the grand yin pearl's spiritual power circulation."

Lin Feng immediately grasped the key point: "The moon shadow slants westward... does that mean the spiritual power circulation of the pearl is deviating from its proper path?"

"Exactly," the Saintess said in a heavy tone. "If the power of the pearl loses balance, it cannot effectively suppress the rift. And the Gui water..."

She looked sharply at Lin Feng. "Refers to the extreme Yin power at the Origin of the grand yin pearl. 'The Gui water flows in reverse' means that this extreme Yin power is becoming violent, about to backfire on its master, and even impact the rift it is supposed to suppress!"

Yun Qingyao, who was to the side, added with a trembling voice: "Once the pearl loses control and the Profound Yin Rift loses suppression, the Evil Qi accumulated for ten thousand years will erupt. Not only will the Sect be destroyed in an instant, but everything within ten thousand miles will likely be devastated. The duty of the Moon Guardian lineage is to constantly monitor the state of the pearl and issue warnings... Her desperate message means the crisis is imminent."

Only now did Lin Feng finally understand what kind of earth-shattering crisis lay behind that message, and he understood why the Illusory Moon Sect was so nervous.

"'Icy and vicious... carrying a sense of chaotic erosion...'" The Saintess repeated Lin Feng's description, an icy coldness rising in her eyes, even carrying a trace of sharp killing intent. "It is the Heavenly Demon Palace's 'Soul-Eroding Devilish Qi'!"