Chapter 22: Falling into the Valley of Sun and Moon

Elder Shadow Moon gazed at Zhao Jingcheng, his eyes filled with a mix of admiration and regret.
"You managed to re-enter the Treasure Body realm even while being hunted like this. That truly exceeded my expectations."
As he finished speaking, his tone grew somber, almost reproachful.
"I'm well aware of the uniqueness of our sect's techniques. But to dare attempt a breakthrough in the Treasure Body here in the Sun and Moon Gorge—such courage, indeed.
If you wish to avenge Yaoyue, this foolishness will not suffice."
Now, what time is it, really?
Hongyun felt a slight relief at these words, but also a puzzlement. Elder Shadow Moon had been one of his master’s few friends in life. The fact that he was speaking so calmly signaled that Hongyun was, for the moment, safe.
But as for what had happened to cause this urgency, he truly did not know.
Elder Shadow Moon saw the confusion in Hongyun’s expression and understood he was unaware of recent events. He shook his head gently. Between his brows, a hazy crescent moon slowly rose, emanating murderous intent.
"Enough. Words are useless now. Let me see what skills Yaoyue’s last disciple has inherited."
He was about to make his move!
Hongyun’s heart sank as he saw the other's aura gathering. He braced himself, summoning his own murderous energy, shaping it into a waning moon that shielded him.
Shadow Moon Elder’s eyes flashed with nostalgia. He raised himself, grasped the moon disk circling him, and gathered a clear radiance, sending it toward Hongyun.
At that moment, Zhao Jingcheng’s instinct sensed a strange feeling of impending death.
In this moment between life and death, he could only muster all his murderous energy, condensing it before his Treasure Body to defend himself.
With the sound of rushing water, the phantom of rivers appeared. A waning moon rose slowly, gradually transforming into a full moon.
Hiss, hiss, hiss—
The clear radiance emitted from Shadow Moon’s moon was not stopped by Hongyun’s invocation of Zhao Jingcheng’s techniques. It tore through as if it were mere paper, overwhelming everything and imprinting itself on Hongyun’s chest.
Yet as the radiance reached his chest, it solidified bit by bit, slamming against him.
Hongyun’s body trembled. Hearing the secret message transmitted, his eyes narrowed, and he fell toward the depths of the Sun and Moon Gorge.
"The Supreme Elder Withered Moon, who once supported the sect leader, has perished. Now the sect has issued the Blood Moon Execution Order against all disciples like you. Be careful!"

...
Elder Shadow Moon stood above, gazing distantly at Zhao Jingcheng, who had fallen into the Sun and Moon Gorge. His eyes narrowed, but he did not pursue.
About the time it takes two sticks of incense to burn passed before a figure flew over from afar, alighting nearby, speaking bluntly.
"Shadow Moon, I sensed the Treasure Body anomaly here just now. Did you notice anything unusual?"
Shadow Moon Elder looked at the newcomer with a flat voice, clearly uninterested.
"Zhao Jingcheng was here. He escaped."
He escaped?
The newcomer’s tone rose sharply.
"Zhao Jingcheng is the disciple of the traitor Yaoyue, and so he too is a traitor. Why did you let him go?"
Shadow Moon Elder narrowed his eyes, turned to glare at the person behind him, and squeezed out his words through clenched teeth.
"Zhao Jingcheng had a murderous treasure, which allowed him to withstand my attack. I knocked him into the Sun and Moon Gorge, where survival is near impossible.
And if I hear you slander Yaoyue again, I’ll grind your bones to dust!"
With that, he ignored the other’s reaction, flicked his sleeve, and vanished into the distance.
The newcomer watched Shadow Moon Elder depart, standing motionless for a long while before regaining his composure. By then, his back was drenched in sweat.
What a humiliation!
He growled inwardly, leaving with a face like iron; though his cultivation matched Shadow Moon’s, he could sense the deadly intent that just reached his very core.
He had only just entered the Nirvana realm, while the other already had disciples at Nirvana level. There was simply no comparison!
Damn it, the whole business of raising a cup to the bright moon—Shadow Moon, Yaoyue, all of you deserve to die!
He roared silently, casting a deep glance at the depths of the Sun and Moon Gorge before turning away.
After all, this was the Sun and Moon Gorge—in its depths, countless have died unjustly. If Zhao Jingcheng fell and only had Condensed Murder cultivation, it was safe to assume he was dead.
...
The Sun and Moon Gorge, the greatest boundary in the Bottle World, was said to have been cleaved in two by a powerful master’s sheer strength.

This gorge was bottomless, seeming to reach the heart of the earth, connecting the eastern and western seas.
Were it not for the ongoing conflicts between humans and demons, this place would be a rare and beautiful sight.
But as it marked the border between the two races, battles have raged here for countless years.
It was said that the bones in this gorge alone had raised the water level by an unknown amount.
Deep in the Sun and Moon Gorge, after Hongyun—transformed as Zhao Jingcheng—fell, he managed at the crucial moment to push himself against the descent, reducing the impact, and finally landed steadily atop the water.
No sooner had he landed than large fish leapt from the water to attack him.
Clang—
With the sound of sword scraping armor, Hongyun sliced one open, spilling blood that instantly stirred the waters.
Knowing he needed a place to settle, he tossed the fish as bait.
Using his murderous energy, Hongyun carved a two-yard-deep cave into the steep stone walls of the gorge. To prevent flooding during tides, he even fashioned several steps and slopes.
He used himself as bait to catch several carnivorous fish, settled into the cave, and quietly prepared for what was to come.
There was no way to make a fire here, but he did not mind. With his crescent moon blade, he slit open the fish, used his murderous energy to remove the parasites, and swallowed them raw to stave off hunger.
As night fell, Hongyun, having eaten over a dozen big fish, stopped, picking his teeth with a thin fish bone, his brows creased.
Postnatal, Innate, Condensed Murder, Treasure Body, Nirvana—the next realm was ‘Metamorphosis.’
From what he remembered, his master once said that the Moon Surge Sect had three Supreme Elders: Withered Moon, Blood Moon, and Autumn Moon.
Of these, Autumn Moon had always been in seclusion, rarely seen. Blood Moon supported the Grand Elder, and opposed Withered Moon, who backed the sect leader.
Now that Withered Moon had fallen, it seemed the Moon Surge Sect was about to face great upheaval.
Hongyun pondered this briefly, then set it aside, quietly reflecting on his fall from the top of the Sun and Moon Gorge.
In that moment, he distinctly sensed the presence of a calamity.