Chapter 4: The Holy Body of the Moon – Jiang Ningshuang.
On top of the cliff, dawn’s light pierced the thin mist, casting dappled shadows on the smooth rock face.
The biting cliff wind whipped up Jiang Ningshuang’s plain white robe, making it flutter loudly.
The silver-haired beauty sat cross-legged in meditation, the Lunar Ancient Scripture flowing gently within her, drawing in the sparse lunar energy between heaven and earth.
Days of recuperation had finally stabilized the injuries from the beast tide in South Ridge.
Her chaotic origin energy, guided by lunar power, had settled back into her meridians, and beneath the scabs of her external wounds, faint pink new flesh began to show.
She lowered her gaze, her calm eyes sweeping over the tidal beach below, her delicate face clouded with an unshakable worry.
“This trip was kept secret from most in the clan, and few in the holy land knew the details.
South Ridge’s path has been safe for a thousand years—why did I run into a beast tide the moment I arrived?”
Jiang Ningshuang murmured to herself, her thoughts churning.
Her guards scattered, protective treasures destroyed, communication artifacts malfunctioning—it all made her suspect someone was pulling strings behind the scenes.
If her suspicions were correct, she was likely still in grave danger.
Whoever acted would surely ensure the job was finished, leaving no loose ends.
If not for that man who appeared out of nowhere, she’d likely be dead in a beast’s belly by now.
And he, too, seemed to be hunted…
Speaking of him, if not for his voice, she’d have mistaken him for a woman dressed in men’s clothes.
His dark hair flowed like a waterfall, his skin smooth as polished jade, his features as finely crafted as a master painting.
Those long, narrow phoenix eyes, framed by thick lashes, shimmered with a clarity that seemed otherworldly.
Speak of the devil, and he appears.
Tap… tap… tap…
Steady footsteps, carrying an invisible pressure, cut through the howling wind, approaching from behind.
Li Tianxing’s figure emerged like a phantom from the sparse shadows of ancient trees, stopping a few yards behind Jiang Ningshuang.
Her long lashes trembled almost imperceptibly.
She slowly ceased her meditation, the faint chill mist around her quietly receding into her body, before standing.
Her snow-white sleeves fluttered lightly in the wind.
She turned, her ice-blue eyes like a frozen lake, calm and unrippled:
“Have you eaten?”
Her cultivation was only at the Acquired Realm, not yet free from the need for food.
Earlier, he’d eagerly carried a large iron pot and gathered meat from beasts killed along the way.
“Uh…”
Li Tianxing’s brows furrowed slightly, a complex, unreadable emotion flickering in the depths of his deep eyes.
He gave her a subtle glance:
“It’s still early. I need your help with something. Follow me.”
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and moved.
His steps seemed ordinary, but in a few flickers, he vanished into the dense forest below, thick with primal, savage aura.
Jiang Ningshuang stood still, her silver hair dancing lightly in the wind.
A trace of wariness lingered in the depths of her ice-blue eyes.
“Li Tianxing…” she whispered his name.
This man’s origins were unclear.
Though he’d saved her, she couldn’t fully trust him.
If not for her sheer luck, she’d have died a thousand times over.
In this perilous South Ridge, teeming with dormant beasts and roaming great demons, how could a mere Qi Induction cultivator survive unscathed?
Could he be the one sent to finish the job?
No, that didn’t add up—if so, he could’ve stood by during the beast tide.
She knew nothing about this man.
The unknown meant danger.
No! She had to find a chance to slip away.
The girl took a deep breath of the cool air, laced with the scent of rotting leaves and damp earth, and lightly tapped her toes.
Her white robes fluttered as her figure turned into a streak of light.
The forest light dimmed abruptly.
Towering ancient trees with gnarled branches blotted out the sky, thick vines like giant pythons draped over moss-covered, jagged rocks.
The heavy scent of decaying wood and plants assaulted her senses.
From the shadowed depths came the low, guttural roars of unknown beasts.
Li Tianxing stopped in a small clearing, where a black boulder etched with strange patterns stood at the center.
He turned slowly, his gaze locking onto the silver-haired girl approaching.
Jiang Ningshuang stepped across the wet, heavy ground, drawing closer.
The innate effect of her Lunar Saint Body—chilling energy—flowed naturally.
Where she walked, fallen leaves quietly frosted over, and the air crackled faintly with the sound of freezing.
Scattered morning light filtered through the canopy, spilling onto her.
Her spotless white robe, untouched by dust, accentuated her snow-like skin.
Her tall, graceful figure, with long, straight legs and a slender waist, exuded an almost divine perfection.
Her silver hair cascaded to her waist, complementing her pure, ice-lake-blue eyes.
“What’s the matter? Why come to a place like this?”
Jiang Ningshuang stopped five steps from Li Tianxing, her voice neither warm nor cold, carrying the reserved dignity befitting a pearl of the Jiang Clan.
Her jade-like fingers, hidden in her wide, silky sleeves, quietly tightened, forming a complex ice-crystal defense technique without a sound.
The limited lunar divine power within her was forcibly channeled, surging through her meridians, forming a barely visible layer of protective ice energy shimmering with moonlight beneath her skin.
She held her breath, her gaze fixed on the man’s every move, not daring to relax for a moment.