The Moon Star Banquet was one of the most joyous and festive occasions in the Moon Goddess Palace.
A ten-thousand-year birthday was a tremendous joyous event for any cultivator.
In the mortal realm, such an occasion was celebrated with dazzling lanterns, fireworks, and miles of red dowry; in the cultivation world, it was grander still.
Trees of lamps shone with a thousand lights, and blossoms of flame unfolded in seven tiers.
Though it was night at the Moon Goddess Palace, it was bright as day.
Streaks of flowing light flashed across the sky from time to time as cultivators arrived from other war zones. Clad in wide-sleeved robes and carrying congratulatory gifts, they made for a lively spectacle.
The host of this Moon Star Banquet wore a red, cicada-wing outer robe with a symmetrical lapel over a sapphire-blue camisole, looking radiant with joy, elegant, and magnificent.
She sat at the seat of honor with an unbroken smile upon her face.
"Please extend my gratitude to Guardian Hong Jun!"
The guest who had just presented a birthday gift was Guardian Hong Jun's younger brother.
In the Demonic Abyss, aside from Yang Gods, Guardians were the supreme rulers of a territory.
Unless something extraordinary happened, a Guardian would not leave the lands under their charge.
Now that Guardian Hong Jun had dispatched his brother to present a gift, it naturally gave Yu Tiao, the host of the Moon Star Banquet, immense prestige.
"Of the nineteen territorial Guardians, half have already sent representatives to offer congratulations. Sister Yu Tiao truly makes people envious!"
"If I were to turn ten thousand years old and host a Moon Star Banquet, I'm afraid scarcely anyone would come. Those Guardians wouldn't even send an envoy."
Inside and outside the main hall of the Moon Goddess Palace, clamorous voices and chatter rose and fell in waves.
The others did not conceal their envy of Yu Tiao in the least.
In a secluded corner, the moonlight pooled serenely, quiet and still.
Yueshuang glanced at the woman beside her. "When your Moon Star Banquet arrives, it will surely be ten times, ten thousand times livelier than this."
The woman remained silent, poised, gentle, and quiet.
Yueshuang looked at her once more and could not help voicing her admiration. "With just a touch of dressing up, you outshine the entire crowd. Don't go offer Yu Tiao your congratulations, or she'll probably curse you in her heart."
Perhaps because it was her birthday, or perhaps coaxed by Yueshuang, Jin Li had broken all precedent today and shed her plain white robe.
Across Jin Li's snow-fair visage lay a faint, delicate veil of makeup. Her coiled hair was slantingly fastened with a gold hairpin, highlighting her fresh, exquisite beauty.
She wore a light-yellow gown embroidered with golden thread, a pale yellow gauze draped over her shoulders, lined with a sheer lotus-colored undergarment. A red-bird jade sash cinched her waist, adorned with the hanging Exquisite Jade Tide. The patterned pleats of her skirt cascaded downward, occasionally revealing woven golden threads.
Her towering, tremulous bosom formed a striking contrast with her slender waist.
With a jade-carved nose and cherry lips, lightly adorned in rouge and powder, she possessed beauty capable of overthrowing realms.
"This... is unsuitable for slaughter in battle formations," the stunning woman murmured, her voice carrying a faint edge of murderous aura.
Seeing this, Yueshuang could not help but remark, "Among all the Yue Nü, you have the fewest pursuers. With an aura of killing like that, you frighten people away."
Though a Yue Nü was forbidden from marrying, they had no shortage of admirers.
If they indulged in a night of intimacy, the Moon Goddess Palace would simply turn a blind eye.
Jin Li said nothing in response. The gentle moonlight fell over her, making her look exceptionally enchanting.
"By the way, I heard that Heavenly Venerable Mochi of Duanyue Abyss once declared he took a fancy to you and would snatch you to be his Dao companion," Yueshuang teased.
Yue Nü Jin Li's expression did not change. She sat quietly to the side in isolation, gently stroking the Exquisite Jade Tide.
The birthday congratulations continued, and more and more guests arrived.
Cultivators at the Great Venerable rank no longer drew much attention; only those at the Mythological rank caused many to look their way.
"Zhegui congratulates Senior Sister, and specially presents three wisps of Primordial Innate Qi, wishing Senior Sister an early ascent to a Venerable Position in the Astral Realm!"
At that moment, a female Mythological cultivator offered her gift, drawing the eyes of numerous ordinary Yin Gods.
Yet among the sea of illustrious guests, it seemed relatively ordinary.
A smile surfaced in Yu Tiao's eyes as she offered polite words in return. "May Junior Sister also ascend to the Astral Realm soon and attain a Venerable Position."
Hearing this, Zhegui wore a faint smile and exchanged a few pleasantries.
This scene fell into Yueshuang's eyes, and a complicated gleam flickered within them.
"Something is wrong with this person."
"Hmm?" Jin Li looked surprised.
"I received word that she appears to harbor thoughts of betrayal. Today, she might flee the Moon Goddess Palace to join the Moluo Clan," Yueshuang said coolly.
Unlike Jin Li, she belonged to the covert operations unit, specifically in charge of intelligence.
"Interested in intercepting her and her contact?" Yueshuang said indifferently. "That counts as merit, too."
This was the Moon Goddess Palace's territory. As long as Zhegui was prevented from leaving, the sky would not fall.
With the Youhuang Waning Moon present and Heavenly Venerable Longyue overseeing the region, this place was secure.
Traitors like Zhegui existed not only in the Moon Goddess Palace, but also within the Moluo Clan.
"Very well," Jin Li nodded.
"Making you work on your birthday—I really am a bit cold-hearted," Yueshuang said with a laugh.
On the banquet stage, figures bustled about, guests gathered like clouds, and laughter drifted everywhere.
It seemed a world apart from Jin Li sitting quietly in the corner.
"Sigh, you should have been enjoying this boundless splendor just like Yu Tiao," Yueshuang could not help sighing again.
Jin Li was a Yue Nü Highness, after all, holding an exalted status in the Moon Goddess Palace comparable to a Yang God.
For other Yue Nü, even if it were not a grand Moon Star Banquet, a regular birthday would see countless guests arriving. Those unable to come would write letters and send gifts.
Yet today was nearly over, and aside from herself, no one had given Jin Li a birthday present—not even a single letter.
Yueshuang oversaw the intelligence department and had not received any letters addressed to Jin Li either.
She understood that ever since Jin Li's return, she had remained in the Demonic Abyss, risking her life for military merits, rarely interacting or associating with fellow disciples.
Otherwise, her doorstep would never be this deserted.
"None of that matters," Jin Li shook her head.
Those were things she had never cared about.
"You... what am I to do with you?" Yueshuang sighed, then added, "Come on, let's follow her."
The suspicious Zhegui had already departed.
"Alright."
Both hid their presence and slipped away from the bustling, boisterous Moon Star Banquet.
The Moon Goddess Palace's domain remained immensely lively, filled with various dazzling lights.
Yet none of it appeared glaring or chaotic.
"She really is up to something—sneaking around with such suspicious movements!" Yueshuang followed from a distance, excitement flickering in her eyes.
Rooting out a traitor like this, especially one at the Mythological rank, was definitely a big catch.
Yue Nü Jin Li stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Yueshuang. Concealed within the dust of the void, they shadowed Zhegui from afar.
"Choosing to betray us despite reaching the Mythological rank... sigh," Yueshuang remarked. "I wonder who her contact is. A Great Venerable, or another Mythological?"
Moonlit shadows flickered as the two Yue Nü followed closely behind Zhegui. Yueshuang looked calm.
"Hopefully, someone stronger," Yue Nü Jin Li said.
The stronger the target, the greater the military merit.
"Great minds think alike," Yueshuang chuckled.
This was the Moon Goddess Palace's territory. Even if they encountered an adversary they could not defeat, escaping would pose no problem.
The two kept close pursuit, traversing ten thousand li in a short while.
The former clamor of the Moon Goddess Palace vanished entirely. The wilderness around them was dead silent; the array of vibrant colors disappeared, leaving only cold, desolate moonlight.
Zhegui came to a halt beside a lake.
Suddenly, Yueshuang's expression turned surprised. "Huh? There's more than one person waiting for her?"
In the distance, a figure entirely cloaked in black appeared. Judging by the figure's silhouette, it seemed to be a woman.
A look of wariness surfaced in Yueshuang's eyes.
"A Mythological," Jin Li said, her delicate brows slightly furrowing.
"Who is she? A Mythological from Jueyue Abyss?" Yueshuang frowned, pondering the figure's identity.
The black-robed woman and Zhegui stood by the lakeside, seemingly conversing.
At that moment, Yueshuang suddenly paused in surprise. "Huh, it seems someone besides me remembered your birthday after all. A letter for you just arrived at my post."
Yueshuang managed the intelligence division in the Demonic Abyss.
Letters from the outside world passed through special channels into her master jade slip.
Just now, she had received several transmissions.
Among them, the recipient of one letter was none other than Jin Li.
"Oh." Yue Nü Jin Li stared at the black-robed woman, deep in thought.
After all, there were only so many Mythological cultivators in Jueyue Abyss. Whoever chose to defect, it made her feel somewhat displeased.
As for the letter... she paid it little heed.
Just as Yueshuang had said, she was a Yue Nü; on her birthday, there would always be people seeking to curry favor.
"Want me to open the letter?" Yueshuang asked.
For cultivators at their realm, doing two things at once was simpler than breathing.
Jin Li's heart remained untroubled, and she said nothing.
"Huh, you actually know someone from the Second Heaven? This letter seems to have been sent from the Second Heaven. Did it take three full years to reach here?" Yueshuang sounded astonished.
This letter must have been held at the previous relay station half a month ago, scheduled to be delivered to Yue Nü Jin Li on the seventeenth of the seventh month.
Beneath the moonlight, the heart of the woman in the light-yellow gown suddenly skipped a beat.
Yueshuang extracted the message, placed it into a jade slip, and handed it to Jin Li.
"Take a look. It seems to be a cultivation method."
"Sending a cultivation method all the way from the Second Heaven to the Sixth Heaven... how interesting."
Ripples stirred within Jin Li's limpid, autumn-water eyes. She felt a surge of anticipation, yet also fear.
Her slender, jade-like hand settled upon the jade slip.
In that moment, the second stanza brought to her by the bridal-robed female knight echoed in her ears:
"Once I saw you not, sorrow piled like drifts of snow, thoughts ancient and modern running deep.
Now I see you not, gazing like nectar drops, drunk from drinking through all the ages.
In time I shall surely see you, with no regret for meeting late, no grievance for fleeting light."
"Seeing You..."
The name of this cultivation technique was none other than Seeing You.
At this moment, Jin Li's eyes blurred with moisture.
Beside July Lake, the figure of that Faceless Sword God fishing alone in winter snow surfaced in her mind.
He had been waiting for her all along.
Back then, she had not yet known him.
And he had not realized that the little Yue Nü from back then was the very person he had been waiting for.
Yue Nü Jin Li gripped the jade slip tightly.
From the technique's name alone, she was certain, absolutely sure, that it had come from him.
He was still alive!
He had come to see her!
He was in the Second Heaven!
Immense joy surged through her. Urgently, she turned an entreating gaze toward the woman beside her. "Yueshuang, I want to go to the Second Heaven!"
She did not wish to stay in this Sixth Heaven for even another moment.
The smile on Yueshuang's face froze as realization seemed to dawn on her. "It's a letter from him?"
She did not want her dear friend to leave the Moon Goddess Palace.
"Wait until this matter is... oh no."
Suddenly, Yueshuang's expression changed drastically.
The black-robed Mythological had lifted the hood over her head, revealing an intimately familiar face.
"The Vice Guardian!"
That woman was none other than Jueyue Abyss's Vice Guardian, a Mythological cultivator who held partial authority over the Youhuang Waning Moon.
A Vice Guardian defecting was on an entirely different level from an ordinary Mythological defecting.
Yueshuang's heart plummeted to the depths of an icy abyss, and her face drained of color in an instant. "The Youhuang Waning Moon here... has been disabled!"
She understood better than anyone what that implied.
It meant that if a Mythological from the Moluo Clan came here, Jueyue Abyss's Yang God would not even be able to react in time.
How could the Moluo Clan possibly pass up such an opportunity?
She caught the thick scent of a conspiracy, accompanied by endless regret.
They should not have followed her!
A Yang God Heavenly Venerable from Jueyue Abyss must have already arrived here.
Yue Nü Jin Li frowned, but her hand continued to grip the hem of her skirt unconsciously, betraying the turmoil within her.
"What do we do?" Yueshuang asked, her thoughts completely tangled.
Even if they sent a distress message now, it would be too late.
Just then, a sudden gust of cold wind swept past, and Yueshuang felt a chill.
With that gust of cold wind, the world seemed to blossom with pear flowers.
Snowflakes drifted across the sky. Looking up, the snowflakes beneath the moonlight were translucent and crystalline, dancing like classical beauties fluttering in the air.
Yueshuang froze in shock, her mind tightening sharply in an instant.
At the far end of heaven and earth, the snowfall thickened, and a blood-red silhouette appeared.
He cradled a sword in his arms and wore a faceless mask. Snowflakes settled upon his shoulders and tucked themselves into his dark hair.
By the lake, the two Mythological cultivators immediately bowed low in salute, not daring to look directly at him.
Yueshuang clenched her teeth, sensing a terrifying threat.
A Yang God!
This was definitely a Yang God!
It's over...
Yet before she could think further, she saw the flash of light-yellow beside her sprinting through the dancing snow toward that faceless figure.
Resolute and unstoppable, leaping across everything.
Yueshuang was stunned for a moment.
Beneath the drifting expanse of heavy snow, the man in the blood-colored robe halted his footsteps.
"I came from Tianjue, and have waited long for you."
His voice was complex, profound, and lingering.
Yueshuang seemed to see an illusion: beneath the lakeside, a faceless figure cradled a sword, sitting upon a blue stone, as though waiting for someone.
Years turned, and the Ancient Qi Toon Tree gained several more rings of time.
The man in the blood-colored robe wore a tender expression. He looked upon the moonlit beauty amid the snow, fluttering like a dancing butterfly.
He knew this was the Yue Nü Jin Li he had waited for all along beside July Lake.
A promise of the past had bridged time and space. Now right before his eyes, within arm's reach, yet feeling like a dream.
"Qi! Yuan!!"
Yue Nü Jin Li came to a halt. Tears blurred her eyes as she stopped three paces away.
She felt anxious, fearful, as though trapped in a dream.
Then, the man in the blood-colored robe removed the mask from his face, revealing a delicate, bright, yet unfamiliar and familiar face.
Like jade born of stone, peerless in his radiance.
Cradling his sword, he came honoring his promise, stepping toward Yue Nü Jin Li.
"Seeing your graceful dance is like drinking fine wine."
These words seemed to answer the second verse he had once spoken for Jin Li.
*Now I see you not, gazing like nectar drops, drunk from drinking through all the ages.*
*Now seeing your graceful form, it is like drinking fine wine.*
Yue Nü Jin Li looked at the man before her. In her sight, he was the only thing in heaven and earth.
Her body trembled, her shoulders quivering as endless longing, piled high over time, erupted like mountains and seas.
"Jin Li, I have found you."
Qi Yuan looked at the woman before him. He pulled back his wide sleeve, revealing his fair arm.
Upon his formerly clean arm, a faint crescent moon imprint was slowly forming.
This imprint had been left behind by the Yue Nü.
After slaying the extraterrestrial demon in Dijue, the mark had disappeared when Qi Yuan woke.
Now, the imprint appeared once more.
Jin Li stood quietly, gazing at his face.
Though she wore a more lively, light-yellow gown, at this moment she seemed exceptionally pure and serene.
"Qi Yuan, I've finally waited for you, too!"
She reached out, cupping Qi Yuan's face in her hands—just like, long ago in that dilapidated divine temple, she had cupped the face of the faceless statue.
At this moment, time and space merged as one, their figures overlapping across the span of years.
Divided in life like Shen and Shang,
Finally seeing you.
Chapter 419