Yu Guanhai and the others raised their eyebrows slightly at the clansman’s words.

"So, they’ve arrived."

Yu Guanhai said, his expression calm.

"Who are the Martial Artists Donghua sent this time?"

The short, stocky middle-aged man beside him, Yu Ze, spoke up. Members of the Moon Race were generally beautiful and fair-skinned, but he was an exception.

"Four Martial Artists of the younger generation: Jiang Jiushan, Zhang Zhizhen, Ji Yunzhou, and... Zhou Yuanjue. The oldest among them isn’t even thirty."

Yu Guanhai replied.

"Zhou Yuanjue..."

Yu Ze’s expression tensed slightly, as if he was once again recalling that young man from the Kunlun Mountain Range who had unleashed terrifying power in a fit of rage.

"They’re all from the younger generation. Is this the new era Daoist Bailong wanted us to witness?"

Behind the three of them, a tall elder with white hair and a matching beard, dressed in a white robe and wearing a silver mask, spoke up.

This was the Third Clan Elder, the youngest of the Moon Race’s three clan elders.

"For ordinary people to reach the Spirit Level at such a young age... one could be considered an anomaly, but for so many to appear at once, it seems the times are indeed changing..."

Another elder spoke in a hoarse voice. He was a stooped figure in a white robe, his face obscured by a hood. In his hand, he held a long silver staff topped with a crescent moon ornament.

This was the Second Clan Elder of the Moon Race.

"Seeing is believing. Guanhai, have you informed the other families of all the arrangements?"

The last man was tall and completely enveloped in a loose white robe. No part of his body was exposed, and his face was perpetually shrouded in shadow, rendering his features invisible and making him seem incredibly mysterious.

"Great Clan Elder, as you instructed, I have spoken with the various families. They raised no obvious objections, but they did not voice their support either. However, they all saw fit to send their clan’s elite. I imagine they’re also waiting to see the outcome of this baptism ceremony."

Yu Guanhai said.

"Is that so?"

The Great Clan Elder’s voice was ethereal and elusive, making one feel as if they were in a dream.

"Great Clan Elder, are we really going to push for cooperation between the Spirit Guardians and the Officials? But... the ancestral edicts..."

Yu Guanhai finally asked after a moment of hesitation.

He knew that while he was the patriarch of the Moon Race, the one whose word was law in the clan was the Great Clan Elder before him—a man whose origins were untraceable.

Furthermore, the Great Clan Elder’s stance held significant sway over the entire world of the Donghua Spirit Guardians.

This time, although Daoist Bailong had initiated the visit under the name of the Gua Race, without the Great Clan Elder’s approval, the people from Donghua Official would never have been able to set foot in Longyue Valley.

"In the past, ordinary people were pathetically weak. Even the might of an entire dynasty posed no threat to us. Though it was possible for an ordinary person to reach the Spirit Level through bitter cultivation, such cases were exceedingly rare—seen only once every few hundred years. Furthermore, in order to break through to that realm, they often had to exhaust their very essence and overdraw their potential. That is why the Spirit Guardians of that era could stand aloof from the world, looking down upon all of creation."

"More recently, things began to change. The technology of ordinary people advanced, and within Donghua Country, several Spirit Level masters emerged. Some of them even touched upon a higher realm. But this was still not enough to force us Spirit Guardians to change our ways."

"But the world is ever-changing, in ways no one can predict. Look at how the times have shifted in this past year alone. Young Spirit Level masters are emerging one after another from the common populace. The number of individuals at or above the Spirit Level among Donghua’s ordinary people has skyrocketed to over a dozen, and it is foreseeable that this number will only continue to grow."

"Truth be told, when Daoist Bailong first proposed cooperating with the Officials, he sought my opinion. I did not believe in the ’new era’ he spoke of. But now, it seems he has, to some extent, proven his predictions correct."

"You must remember that we do not stand in opposition to ordinary people. We are not immortals, nor are we Gods. On the contrary, we are a part of them. In ancient times, our ancestors were the leaders of humanity, revered by the masses. The ancestral edict forbidding us from participating in secular politics was established precisely to prevent the Bloodlines and Power we command from becoming the next sharp blade to threaten the world after the Celestial Demons."

"Now, the world is in chaos and the Celestial Demons have reappeared. We have emerged not for power or riches, but only to sweep away this demonic scourge and quell the ensuing disaster. As for the secular powers, if they stand firmly against the Celestial Demons, then they are our allies, not our enemies. Even if it means violating the ancestral edicts, we cannot afford to sever our own arm."

The Great Clan Elder spoke in his dream-like voice.

"So, you have made up your mind to cooperate fully with the Officials?"

Yu Ze asked.

"No."

"Whether we cooperate, and to what extent, will depend on whether Daoist Bailong can give me—and all the Guardian Spirit Races of Donghua—a ’reason’ to set aside our prejudices and suspicions, and willingly bear the name of one who violates the ancestral edicts."

The Great Clan Elder said slowly.

"And this ’reason’... is it whether or not they can win?"

Yu Guanhai asked.

"Yes, and no."

The Great Clan Elder shook his head.

"Then what is it?"

Yu Ze asked.

"A shock powerful enough to shatter our inherent biases. Winning or losing is of secondary importance."

The Great Clan Elder tilted his head up slightly, gazing at the opening in the cavern’s ceiling.

The full moon rose slowly, gradually climbing toward the center of the opening.

At that moment, the moonlight would shine directly down, and the power within the Moon Pool would be at its peak. That was when the baptism would officially begin.

"The baptism is about to begin. Let’s go. Time to meet our distinguished guests."

the Great Clan Elder said.

...

...

Discussions buzzed ceaselessly throughout the plaza, and Zhou Yuanjue and his companions remained the center of everyone’s attention.

Just then, several figures descended swiftly from the mountain peak, landing on a slightly raised platform at the front of the plaza. They were the five great masters of the Moon Race.

The Great Clan Elder led the group. The moment they appeared, everyone present fell silent.

The Great Clan Elder’s face remained shrouded in shadow, but the crowd could still feel an intensely oppressive gaze sweeping over them.

Finally, the Great Clan Elder’s gaze lingered for a moment on the table where Zhou Yuanjue and the others sat before moving on.

"Thank you all for traveling such a great distance. The Moonlight hangs high in the sky, and the hour has arrived. The baptism ceremony for the next patriarch of the Moon Race begins now!"

The Great Clan Elder looked up at the sky and gave a light wave of his sleeve.

At that exact moment, the bright moon in the sky reached its zenith, perfectly aligned with the peak of the mountain.

VMMMM!!

A thick pillar of moonlight descended from the heavens. In an instant, the surroundings dimmed, as if all the ambient moonlight was being drawn toward that single mountain peak.

Everyone could feel an immense Power gathering at the mountain’s summit.

The baptism in the Moon Pool had officially begun. The rite would take a considerable amount of time to complete, and it was this period that constituted the true baptism ceremony.

"Everyone, the baptism has begun, and with it, the ceremony is officially underway. As in previous years, we will get straight to the point."

"Recently, the resurgence of the Celestial Demons has grown increasingly severe. Each of our clans has suffered attacks, and the situation in foreign lands is even more critical. During this baptism ceremony, we must reach a consensus on certain matters regarding our fight against the Celestial Demons."

"Today, Daoist Bailong is in attendance as a member of the Gua Race. He has something he wishes to say to you all."

The Great Clan Elder said slowly, turning his shrouded face toward where Daoist Bailong was seated.

"Daoist Bailong, if you have something to say, please speak."