Night Illumination

The eldest brother, carrying the Old Method fortune of Southern Reach, used the [Kan] to aid the [Fu], causing the Mirror Moon Lake to increase significantly, making it appear much larger than when he was young.

Hu Yueqiu revisited the place and was filled with emotion.

Xue Yang led Hu Yueqiu directly to the center of Mirror Moon Lake, pointed downwards, and said, "Fellow Daoist Hu, please look, this is the place."

Hu Yueqiu nodded slightly and focused her gaze.

There is a striking area in the lake that is a deep turquoise color, and a colossal creature can be vaguely seen underwater.

Above the water, there were still some persistent Rogue Cultivator trying various methods to get in.

Several whale sharks were swimming underwater; they were likely sea monsters guarding the secret realm.

The Rogue Cultivator and the demons were so close yet remained peaceful, probably both hoping the other would find a way to enter the secret realm.

Ideally, they could also serve as cannon fodder to scout out dangers.

Hu Yueqiu activated the [Fu Water] Law Power to connect with Mirror Moon Lake and sense the lake's divine water palace.

"It was just an illusion!"

Hu Yueqiu was somewhat surprised.

The underwater area was empty; there was no snail-shell-shaped underwater palace.

Xue Yang showed no surprise upon seeing this.

So many cultivators and demons have tried all sorts of methods to open the secret realm.

Unfortunately, none of them succeeded.

Hu Yueqiu withdrew her Law Power and spiritual sense, pondered for a moment, and said, "I'll come back to take a look tonight."

Xue Yang nodded in agreement. "I will follow your arrangements, fellow Daoist."

Back at the low mountain camp, Hu Yueqiu asked the cultivators from the Immortal Alliance and learned that her senior brother had gone fishing by the lake again.

"Senior Brother seems so carefree and relaxed, without any pressure at all." Hu Yueqiu was quite envious, but didn't disturb him. Instead, she found a quiet place to stroke her sword and meditate.

I just went to the lake, and it wasn't a complete waste of time.

A thought flashed through Hu Yueqiu's mind, but she couldn't quite grasp it.

Just then, a refined and elegant female cultivator stood a foot away, bowed, and said, "Fellow Daoist Hu, please forgive my intrusion."

Aside from his senior brother Liu Zhijian, Hu Yueqiu only had some connection with Xue Yang here.

Unexpectedly, cultivators from the Immortal Alliance also came to visit.

Hu Yueqiu stood up and glanced at the person, recognizing him as the head of a cultivation Lineage. She replied softly, "Fellow Daoist, you are too kind. Please come closer to speak."

The female cultivator stepped forward slowly and introduced herself, "My name is Dongfang Qingyin, and I am a cultivator from Jade Edge Mountain."

"So it's Fellow Daoist Dongfang." Having experienced the trials of life, Hu Yueqiu was quite adept at handling people and asked, "Fellow Daoist, do you have any guidance for me?"

"I dare not presume to offer guidance." Dongfang Qingyin, true to her name, spoke with a clear, jade-like voice. She smiled and said, "I have a younger brother who trained in the mortal realm before entering the Dao, and he has some connection with Fellow Daoist Hu."

"I have come today to apologize to him."

"A mortal... surname Dongfang..." Hu Yueqiu thought for a moment, then suddenly realized, "So the Cult Leader Dongfang is a member of the Immortal Clan."

"No wonder even when my friend and I joined forces, we were still no match for them and nearly died from the flying needles."

"My younger brother is young and impetuous, and I have already punished him severely." Seeing that she had successfully started a conversation, Dongfang Qingyin explained, "My family has a tradition of cultivating [Xin Metal]."

"[Xin Metal] is Yin Metal, symbolizing gentleness, refinement, and elegance, representing hairpins, bracelets, and ornaments. It also possesses a sharp and pungent nature, representing needles, scissors, and nails."

"Most of the robes and hairpins worn on the Southern Edge Continent are from my family."

After introducing her lineage, Dongfang Qingyin looked at Hu Yueqiu and said, "Xin represents autumn, when all things mature and ripen; its nature is cool and conducive to harvesting."

"Although you cultivate the [Fu Water] style, you possess the aura of autumn and the hidden essence of metal."

"Therefore, when I first met Fellow Daoist Hu, I felt a great sense of closeness."

Female cultivators are already rare in the Immortal Alliance.

"Now, it's just the two of us by Mirror Moon Lake, which is why I thought of coming here to make some acquaintances. Even if we don't support each other, at least we'll have someone to talk to."

"I only hope that my fellow Daoist will not find my humble profession or my rash and presumptuous actions offensive."

Upon hearing this, Hu Yueqiu shook her head and said, "Since you know about my mortal experiences, you should know that I will not look down on myself, nor will I look down on others."

"Then I'm relieved." Dongfang Qingyin hesitated for a moment, ultimately not daring to pull him away, but her tone became more intimate. "My younger brother is down the mountain, with an old friend of yours, surnamed Ximen. Should we call them both up?"

Hu Yueqiu remained silent for a moment, then shook her head and said, "No need."

Dongfang Qingyin knew the importance of the matter at hand, and that the important thing was the secret realm. So she immediately changed the subject and talked about her discovery. "I also went to the lake, and I always felt that the illusion of the water mansion was extraordinary."

"I tried my family's [Golden Needle Dispels Illusions] technique, but it was completely ineffective."

"That senior lake god was once a [Confluence Water] Purple Mansion True Person; perhaps he placed the snail shell into the Great Void."

"What is reflected in the water now is nothing more than a mirage."

"It shouldn't be." Hu Yueqiu shook her head slightly.

If that's the case, then Elder Xue from Rosy Clouds Resting Mountain wouldn't have needed to specifically ask me to make the trip.

Could I, a mere Qi Refining, possibly shake the very fabric of existence?!

Perhaps only Child of Fate of the eldest disciple could achieve this.

The real key, I'm afraid, lies not in the Purple Mansion, not in the Great Void, and not even in illusions.

But in Divine Dao!

At night, on Mirror Moon Lake, the moon is bright, the stars are few, and the lights are illuminating the scene.

Whether Rogue Cultivator or demons, they all came to watch the spectacle, hoping that the True Disciple of the [Fu Water] sect from Supreme Mystery Mountain would break the illusion and allow them to enter the secret realm.

Liu Zhijian was vaguely worried.

Despite trying every method, the cultivators of the Immortal Alliance and the sea monsters were still unable to enter the secret realm.

Now everyone is counting on Xiao Hu alone.

If Xiao Hu fails to achieve anything, he will likely face slander and criticism, which will only disrupt his resolve.

Hu Yueqiu paid no attention to anything else at this moment. She looked up at the bright moon in the sky and tried to sense the lake god's water palace again, but it was still just an illusion, like the moon in the water. However, a certain thought in her heart grew stronger and stronger.

"Deacon Xue," Hu Yueqiu said softly, turning around, "Please extinguish the lights around us."

Xue Yang didn't understand why, but he still did as instructed.

The cultivators of the Immortal Alliance complained, but seeing that the sea monsters had also put away their luminous pearls, they had no choice but to comply.

After all the commotion, on Mirror Moon Lake, the world was shrouded in darkness, with only the moon shining brightly.

The moon reflected in the water and the moon in the sky reflect each other's beauty.

The bright light of heaven and earth fell upon one person, making him appear like an immortal or a god; it was none other than Hu Yueqiu.

Hu Yueqiu once read a Daoist scripture that described the sacrificial rites of the [Human Emperor].

"The royal palace is also used to celebrate the sun."

"At night, it is also time to worship the moon."

"Youzong is a place for worshipping the stars."

"The moon shines alone at night, hence the sacrifice is called 'Night Brightness'."

"Sacrifices were offered to the sun at the altar, and to the moon at the pit, to distinguish between the living and the dead, and to regulate the order between heaven and earth."

"The terms 'yin' and 'ming' refer to the sun shining during the day and the moon shining at night."

The "kan" here does not refer to "Kan Water," but rather to a low-lying or confined area.

Before Hu Yueqiu arrived, she specifically consulted with her senior brother Duanmu about the theory of Divine Dao.

Compared to the Dao of Immortal Dao, the Divine Dao of Gods, besides distinguishing between the pure and the impure, also has a strict hierarchy and numerous constraints. Not only must one attain a divine status, but one must also be granted a divine position; otherwise, it is considered unorthodox and immoral worship.

Hundreds of years ago, the snail demon of Confluence Water landed on the shore. The Heavenly Court and the Human Emperor had long since perished, so they could not be deified.

Heaven and earth can also bestow divine titles, which are called gods of nature, less bound by the constraints of the Divine Dao, and closer to the Immortal Dao.

However, Heavenly Dao does not agree, and this path is blocked.

Finally, even primordial deities can bestow titles upon lower gods.

If we're talking about ancient and revered deities whose worship continues to this day, then it's undoubtedly the gods of the sun and moon.

The Fu Water has been closely associated with the Taiyin (the Greater Yin) since ancient times.

Mirror Moon Lake, named after the moon, is naturally an ideal place for moon worship and ascension to the gods.

Hu Yueqiu then used her Law Power and Divine Sense to connect and sense the connection.

Sure enough, they discovered that the illusion of the water palace was located precisely at the lowest point of Mirror Moon Lake.

Without hesitation, he leaped into the lake, ignoring the illusion of the snail shell, and went straight to the bottom of the lake. He bowed to the bright moon above, and his figure suddenly became illusory and disappeared without a trace!