Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, they all knew those three had comprehended something incredible within the Mental Attainment Realm. So, what earth-shattering ability had the last one grasped?

After all, Zhou Yuanjue had been the fastest of the four to break through, taking less than ten seconds to do so. Logically, he’d had the most time to command the Glowing Moon Dream Realm and should have reaped the greatest rewards.

Just then, the Glow of the Hazy Moon enveloping Zhou Yuanjue finally faded, and he slowly opened his eyes.

As his vision cleared, he was met with a baffling sight.

Five pairs of eyes, plus the Great Clan Elder’s large, dark face, were all staring at him, radiating a palpable sense of expectation.

He gave them a suspicious glance.

They looked back at him with the same anticipation.

One second...

Two seconds...

Three seconds...

The chamber fell silent. The two sides stared at each other, the atmosphere heavy and deadlocked.

’This quiet? Nothing’s happening? That can’t be right.’

"Why are you... staring at me?"

Zhou Yuanjue asked, puzzled.

"Nothing happened?"

the Third Clan Elder said doubtfully.

"Impossible. Stop being coy. Show us what you’ve got."

the Second Clan Elder spoke up.

"What are you talking about?"

Zhou Yuanjue looked completely baffled.

"Ahem... It’s like this. These two are curious about what you comprehended in the Glowing Moon Dream Realm."

the Great Clan Elder said.

"That’s right, Brother Zhou! What did you comprehend? Enlighten us!"

Ji Yunzhou said curiously.

Zhang Zhizhen and Jiang Jiushan also looked over with interest.

"I did gain something, but..."

Zhou Yuanjue paused, glancing around at his surroundings.

They were surrounded by stone walls, with no view of the sky.

As much as he wanted to test out his new gains, this wasn’t the right place.

It would be difficult to summon lightning here. Besides, this was someone else’s territory. If he lost control and destroyed something important—or even just damaged the local flora—that wouldn’t be good at all.

"What I comprehended isn’t something I can demonstrate here,"

Zhou Yuanjue said in the end.

"Alright."

The Third Clan Elder said, his face a mask of disappointment. They didn’t doubt that Zhou Yuanjue had surely comprehended something from the Dream Realm, but since he’d put it that way, they couldn’t very well force the issue. They could only suppress their curiosity.

"Elders, since we have passed the test, can we now discuss our partnership?"

Zhang Zhizhen asked.

"Of course. We will not go back on our word. As for the specifics, we will discuss them with Daoist Bailong. A partnership between our two sides is not something that can be settled overnight; there are many details to iron out. After this ritual gathering, we Spirit Guardians will decide on a representative to accompany you to Shangjing Prefecture and finalize the details with your leadership as quickly as possible."

"Now that you have passed the Glowing Moon Attainment Realm, you are friends of our Moon Race. You are welcome to visit Longyue Valley as our guests anytime."

the Great Clan Elder said.

"That would be for the best."

Smiles broke out on their faces. At last, they had achieved all their goals for this trip to Longyue Valley. Not only that, but they had gained many unexpected benefits. It was a bountiful harvest, and they had fulfilled their mission.

Led by the three clan elders, the group left the stone chamber and started back the way they came.

However, when they were halfway there, a strange phenomenon suddenly appeared in the sky.

VMMMM!!

The beam of moonlight that had been shooting straight at the mountaintop suddenly expanded, cascading down like a waterfall and enveloping the entire Longyue Valley.

"This is..."

In the plaza, the guests attending the ritual gathering all looked up. The surrounding moonlight cascaded like a waterfall, shrouding everything.

Gentle, warm, delicate, and serene.

In that moment, everyone’s minds were affected. The brilliant moonlight was like a silent requiem, soothing their very souls.

On the pure white ground, sacred flowers bloomed one after another. It was impossible to tell if it was a dream or reality.

High in the sky, the full moon resembled a giant disk. From it, pure white figures descended, like elves from the moon itself—sacred and pure.

They waved their hands, and feathers of pure white light scattered down, drifting slowly around the crowd.

Everyone sensed something was off.

This was a scene that simply couldn’t exist in reality.

The moon couldn’t possibly be this close, nor could Moon Elves be flying down from it.

So, this could only be an illusion or a dream.

But it all felt too real. People could reach out, catch the feathers drifting from the sky, and distinctly feel their soft, delicate texture.

It was as if they were truly there.

"Both real and illusory... This is a True Dream Realm, manifested by Moonlight Power. The Dream Realm has overlapped with reality, influencing our five senses to make everything seem real. To have such a massive area of effect...’"

Daoist Bailong caught one of the falling feathers, a flash of amazement in his eyes.

’This Bloodline purity is beyond imagination. The Moon Race’s initiate this time is truly astonishing.’

LALALA~

Just then, a strange music echoed from the sky. Above the mountain peak, a peculiar phenomenon began to manifest.

The pure white moonlight converged, gradually taking the shape of a giant’s upper body.

The giant figure’s face slowly sharpened into focus, revealing features of extreme purity, exquisite refinement, and profound beauty. The mere sight of that face inspired a feeling that it could not be profaned.

The massive figure slowly opened its arms, as if to gently embrace the entirety of Longyue Valley.

"Is this the successor of the Moon Race? So beautiful..."

"Such Power... it’s completely unheard of! This kind of Bloodline Power is a rarity in the world..."

"This Bloodline... it seems even stronger than the Xuan Clan’s successor’s..."

"..."

The guests in the plaza couldn’t help but let out gasps of amazement.

"The Ancestor’s Shadow..."

Hong Miao looked at the enormous figure in the sky and couldn’t help but mutter to himself.

"The Ancestor’s Shadow!! It’s the Ancestor’s Shadow!!" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The Second Clan Elder, who was halfway along the path, was trembling slightly, clearly overcome with excitement.

And although the Great Clan Elder’s expression was hidden, Zhou Yuanjue and the others could sense his excitement from the trembling of his robes.

"Ancestor’s Shadow?"

Zhou Yuanjue looked up at the beautiful figure in the sky. He suddenly felt that she looked somewhat familiar.

However, he couldn’t recall who it was.

He shook his head slightly, not paying it too much mind.

’Whoever she is, it doesn’t really matter.’