Chapter 320: Familiar Yet Strange, Tangled Clues (Four-in-One) (May 12000 Monthly Ticket Bonus Chapter)

Accompanied by a scream, everyone instinctively lowered their gaze from the blood moon in the sky and fixed it on the altar a thousand meters high.

The originally tranquil altar had now fallen into extreme chaos.

Among the Hall Tier members of the Moon Spirit Clan who had obtained the Spirit Moon Festival quota and stood atop the altar, about one-tenth were writhing in pain on the ground, wailing, while the others retreated in terror to the altar's edge, watching these abnormal clansmen.

Qin Chuan and Lin Yue rose to their feet simultaneously, their faces solemn as they gazed at the altar.

At a glance, they recognized a familiar figure among the few wailing Moon Spirits.

The petite Peipei Ma'er huddled beneath the beautiful dress worn especially for the Spirit Moon Festival, painfully kneeling on the ground and constantly trembling.

That face, which always bore a smile and a hint of baby fat, was now tightly furrowed, looking somewhat ferocious from extreme pain.

"Save them!" Lin Yue shouted softly, her form flashing as she prepared to fly to the altar, but two powerful auras exploded and descended, blocking her path.

They were Mengke and Beisagela.

The two abandoned their previous politeness, their eyes toward Qin Chuan and Lin Yue almost devouring: "Human Race, is this your doing?!"

Qin Chuan flashed his form to stand before Lin Yue, his face sinking: "It seems the Moon Spirit Clan invited us to observe the ceremony."

"Mengke, Beisagela, stop!" the Purple Moon Chief Priest, reacting quickly from shock and anger, shouted softly and stepped forward: "This has nothing to do with the Human Race!"

"Chief Priest!" Beisagela's face was grim; being of lower rank, he could only suppress his own aura, but his gaze toward Qin Chuan and Lin Yue remained hostile.

Obviously, he still suspected that these changes were related to the two Human Race individuals.

After all, they were the only non-humans present.

At that moment, frightened cries suddenly erupted from the crowd.

Several Mythic Stage powerhouses sensed something, looked toward the altar, and their expressions grew even uglier.

Ferocious bone spurs protruded from Peipei Ma'er's slender back, tearing her beautiful dress and exposing her gradually distorting body beneath, while terrifying black mane sprouted from her moon‑blue skin, making one's heart palpitate.

The other few Moon Spirits who had been wailing earlier also began to distort and mutate, undergoing some unknown change.

"Enough, all of you retreat!" the Purple Moon Chief Priest snapped, violet light flickering in her eyes as the Chief Priest's aura exploded: "Let's deal with the immediate problem first!"

"I guarantee in the name of Purple Moon that these two Human Race individuals have nothing to do with this."

Having said that, the Purple Moon Chief Priest flashed back to the platform above the altar and lit the corresponding petal platform.

A purple pillar of light shot into the sky, instantly tearing apart the heavens that blocked the sunlight.

Glorious sunlight poured down, instantly obscuring the blood‑red moon that made hearts race.

The Moon Spirit Clan's secret technique could originally last about ten minutes, but with such an anomaly it was clearly impossible to keep the moon manifested; left with no choice, the Purple Moon Chief Priest was forced to terminate the technique she had cast.

"Hmph…" Upon forcibly ending it, the Purple Moon Chief Priest grunted, her brows slightly furrowed—evidently suffering some backlash—but she immediately moved downward toward the altar.

As the blood moon was covered by the sun, the speed of bodily mutation in those unfortunate Moon Spirits slowed, but did not stop.

Seeing this, the Purple Moon Chief Priest furrowed her brows even tighter.

She raised both hands before her, gathering hazy violet light; a full purple moon appeared in her palm, and its radiance swiftly spread to envelop the altar below.

Purple Moon Authority—Growth! As the light surged, the mutation of the Moon Spirits below was finally checked.

Yet the Purple Moon Chief Priest's complexion did not ease.

Even using the power of her authority, she could not restore her mutated clansmen to their original state.

All she could do was suppress the growth, pausing the mutation.

Lin Yue hovered in the void, watching the suffering Peipei Ma'er, whose appearance had become especially ferocious, her eyes filled with reluctance and pity as she lightly grasped Qin Chuan's hand.

Qin Chuan let out a soft sigh.

If the altar were filled with Moon Spirits they didn't know, it would be fine.

Having met Peipei Ma'er twice before, even though she wasn't of their kind, they had already grown fond of this kind-hearted Moon Spirit girl.

Now Peipei Ma'er had become like this, and both of them were filled with worry and reluctance.

"Go." Qin Chuan knew what Lin Yue wanted to do, spoke softly with a hint of warning, and glanced at Mengke and Beisagela.

Lin Yue flashed her form and hurried toward the altar.

Mengke and Beisagela had wanted to stop her, but Qin Chuan stared them down, and recalling the Purple Moon Chief Priest's words, they remained unwilling yet stayed put.

"Cooperation·"

Lin Yue lightly parted her lips; as misty life‑force brilliance blossomed, her aura shifted instantly, and in the void a myriad of blooming flowers appeared, clustering together into a swaying sea of blossoms in the wind, their fragrance surging with a soothing power.

Clad in a lotus‑pink robe, she lightly tapped a foot upon the flower sea, appearing beside the Purple Moon Chief Priest, and with a slight lift of her hand the fragrance swiftly swept down to envelop the Moon Spirits below.

Under the powerful healing force, the painful expressions of the mutated Moon Spirits below quickly eased; though their bodily abnormalities remained, they were no longer in excruciating agony.

"Sea of Flowers Lotus Dance."

The Purple Moon Chief Priest glanced at Lin Yue with some surprise and said softly, "Thank you."

Lin Yue shook her head slightly, merely watching the Moon Spirits below with concern.

Including Peipei Ma'er, the Moon Spirits whose pain had been alleviated quickly fell into unconsciousness.

This too is a good thing, for to see one's own body transformed like this while fully conscious is unbearable for any living being.

Qin Chuan, Mengke, and Beisagela also came to stand beside the two women.

Perhaps because Lin Yue's intervention had indeed eased the Moon Spirits' pain, the attitudes of the two male Moon Spirits improved somewhat.

"I and Yueyue are not skilled at healing," Qin Chuan said in a deep voice, "Do you Moon Spirits have a way to cure them? For instance, could the other eight Chief Priests each emanate a power avatar?"

"After a power avatar dissipates, it cannot be split again in a short time," the Purple Moon Chief Priest said softly, brows furrowed, "As soon as the anomaly appeared, I contacted the other eight Chief Priests; they are now discussing it."

"The Purple Moon Authority is Growth; I can suppress their mutation from worsening."

"But that's all I can do."

"Given the current situation, we may need Kelai and Salens to descend simultaneously in order to possibly restore them."

"Who is Salens?" Qin Chuan's eyes showed doubt.

He knew Kelai, but he could not yet match the names and identities of the other seven Moon Spirit Clan Chief Priests.

"The Yellow Moon Chief Priest," the Purple Moon Chief Priest explained softly, "the Blue Moon Authority is Restoration, and the Yellow Moon Authority is Consciousness."

I already scanned earlier; the problem these clansmen are experiencing isn't just a simple bodily mutation—their souls are also undergoing some unknown transformation.

So even if they delete and restart, this influence cannot be completely dispelled.

"Yellow Moon Chief Priest..." Qin Chuan's mind conjured the image of the yellow-robed figure who had just appeared; when their eyes met, he indeed felt a stir in his soul.

So, the Moon Spirit Clan is about to have two Second Realm powerhouses descend? Qin Chuan frowned slightly, gazing at the mutated Moon Spirits on the altar below.

The descent of those two Second Realm powerhouses still poses a significant threat to him and Lin Yue.

But he still intends to stay.

It's not because of Pepe Mar.

Just now, he had a new discovery.

When the Moon Spirits underwent mutation, the first thing Qin Chuan thought of was an ominous aura.

But after arriving beside Lin Yue, Qin Chuan secretly used a one-second time stop.

Within the time-stopped space, no ominous power appeared, indicating that this has nothing to do with an ominous force.

Unrelated to an ominous force, yet it can cause such a strange mutation.

This is quite unusual.

And the fact that time stop could be used normally also gave Qin Chuan considerable confidence.

Besides that, there is another important reason for Qin Chuan's decision to stay.

That is, the situation before him feels familiar.

He has some impression of the situation, but for the moment he cannot recall the specifics.

A flash of light flickered across the crystal necklace on Purple Moon Chief Priest's chest, and a hint of delight appeared in her eyes.

"Lord Krali and Lord Sansen have already made preparations for their descent!"

She couldn't help but glance again at Qin Chuan and Lin Yue.

Seeing that they had no intention of leaving, she let out a slight sigh of relief.

Although the current situation can be confirmed to have nothing to do with the two humans, for now they still cannot be allowed to just leave like that.

Purple Moon Chief Priest lightly raised her hand, and two crescent-moon-shaped jade pendants, one blue and one yellow, were flung out, landing in midair.

The two jade pendants rapidly burst forth with blinding light.

In the next instant, two figures descended simultaneously.

Unlike the previous incarnations of power, the Blue Moon and Yellow Moon Chief Priests' strength now is mighty, far exceeding the scope of the Mythic Stage First Realm.

Although not yet at their true selves, they are also of the Mythic Stage Second Realm.

This is the descent.

Although the cost is far greater than that of a power incarnation, their strength is also far greater.

Upon descent, the Blue Moon Chief Priest's gaze immediately fell upon the clansmen on the altar, her eyes filled with pity and concern as she spoke softly.

"The situation is really terrible."

"Lord Krali, can you heal them?" Purple Moon Chief Priest said, her eyes tense.

"I'll give it a try." Blue Moon Chief Priest slowly descended, landing on the altar, and lightly placed one hand on a mutated Moon Spirit's body to sense its condition.

Afterward, she took out several vials of potion, administering them one by one into the spirit's mouth, while raising her hand to summon a blue moon, showering its light upon the spirit.

Watching the mutated Moon Spirit's body recover its original form at a visible speed, everyone couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

It works!

Not long after, the mutated Moon Spirit's outward appearance had returned to normal, yet it remained unconscious.

"Sansen." Blue Moon Chief Priest called out.

With arms crossed, the silent Yellow Moon Chief Priest nodded, activating her authority in silence.

Under the shine of the yellow moonlight, an illusory figure separated from the Moon Spirit's body.

That was its soul, but at this moment it had become identical in form to the previously mutated body.

As Purple Moon Chief Priest said, this special mutation affects not only the body but also the soul, as if seeking to completely rewrite the species of living beings.

The Yellow Moon and Blue Moon authorities took effect simultaneously; the mutated soul also began to recover, eventually becoming as normal as the body.

When the soul temporarily separated from the body returned, the unconscious Moon Spirit gradually awoke, its eyes regaining clarity.

Seeing this miracle, countless Moon Spirits burst into cheers.

Qin Chuan and Lin Yue marveled at the miraculous chief priest's power, and also couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

At last he could see Pepe Mar's smile again.

With the first successful case, subsequent treatment became much easier.

Not long after, all the Moon Spirits present who had been affected recovered.

Having completed the task of healing her kin, Yellow Moon Chief Priest nodded to Blue Moon and Purple Moon Chief Priests, then flashed away, lingering not even a second.

From beginning to end, she never spoke a word, a rather aloof individual.

"Lord Krali, when will you return to the Second Level?" Purple Moon Chief Priest grabbed Blue Moon Chief Priest's hand, her eyes showing a hint of reluctance; it was clear the two were close.

"My descent still has some time left." Blue Moon Chief Priest smiled, "My true self is in an absolutely safe place; I'm not in a hurry to return."

"The last time I descended to the First Level was over six hundred years ago." Her eyes held a hint of nostalgia, "Power incarnations ultimately cannot compare to a true descent."

"Sansen's personality is just like that; it's not rude." Blue Moon Chief Priest glanced at Qin Chuan and Lin Yue, gave a light chuckle, "Don't mind him."

Qin Chuan shook his head slightly, indicating he didn't mind.

Or rather, the other party's swift withdrawal actually made him feel much more at ease.

That fellow gave him a feeling far more dangerous than Krali.

"I've always wanted to chat with you guys, and finally I found the chance." Blue Moon Chief Priest thought for a moment, "The moonlight brew from Goreen Territory is quite good; shall we have a drink together?"

"Good." Qin Chuan did not refuse.

He and Lin Yue also planned to thank each other for their previous help in person.

He had already figured out where the familiar feeling from the recent incident came from.

Speaking of which, that also has something to do with Kulai. —"Corpse Wolf·Sossali?"

Hearing Qin Chuan mention that name, the Blue Moon Chief Priest's eyes narrowed."It seems you've thought of it too."

"Red moon, Moon Spirits turning into monsters…" Qin Chuan shook his head helplessly."Only Sossali fits both."

Milian Demon Forest.

That was the first dungeon Qin Chuan cleared after the dungeon era arrived, and also the place where he first met Kulai.

In the description of that dungeon, there is this line.

"The Moon Spirit Clan of Milian Territory will forever remember that on the night the red moon descended, the old chief Sossali turned into a ferocious giant wolf……"

Since it's just a dungeon description, not Qin Chuan's experience inside the dungeon, his memory of it isn't clear.

Until he saw the descended Kulai, the memory of Milian Demon Forest became clearer, and this detail was only then unearthed by him.

Likewise, it's a red moon, and likewise Moon Spirits turn into something else.

Although the manner of change differs, other aspects are very similar.

"Lord Kulai, has something like this happened before?" Purple Moon Chief Priest's expression tightened as she couldn't help asking, "Why have I never heard of it?"

"It happened once." The Blue Moon Chief Priest's eyes held a hint of recollection."About five thousand years ago, you weren't born yet, and I hadn't become Chief Priest."

Qin Chuan's face showed an expression of surprise.

He still thought that becoming a dungeon meant it was a recent event.

"The dungeonification of the Heavenly Stairway mainly draws on real‑world background," the Blue Moon Chief Priest explained, "but it also brings up historical background that once occurred in that place."

"Because my power avatar appeared in the Demon Forest, the timeline after its dungeonification there was also affected, showing a scene from five thousand years ago."

Qin Chuan heard this and nodded thoughtfully.

Since Kulai's true form was at that spot five thousand years ago and has now returned as a power avatar, it triggered the historical background dungeon—this isn't hard to understand.

"So what exactly happened back then?" Qin Chuan asked curiously.

Five thousand years ago, Kulai was a member of the Milian Territory Moon Spirit Clan, an eyewitness and survivor of the incident in which Sossali turned into a giant wolf, and also the successor to the chief.

She should know the exact circumstances.

"Back then…" the Blue Moon Chief Priest's eyes flickered with a memory.

"The Moon Spirit Clan has a subgroup in most territories; these subgroups are relatively autonomous, each with its own leader, namely the chief."

"Five thousand years ago, before the Spirit Moon Rite existed, the Moon Spirit Clan possessed a special treasure called the Moonlight Jewel, which had an effect similar to the Spirit Moon Rite's secret technique, allowing the Moon Spirit Clan to see the moon on the Heavenly Stairway."

"The Moonlight Jewel is rotated among the Moon Spirit subgroups of each territory, cycling once a year, so that every subgroup can bathe in the moonlight of the Heavenly Stairway."

"This tradition has continued for over a thousand years, and everyone is almost used to it."

"But one day, the use of the Moonlight Jewel went wrong." A complex shade crossed the Blue Moon Chief Priest's eyes."At the time, I, as chief of the Milian Territory Moon Spirit subgroup, Sossali, activated the Moonlight Jewel, yet the moon in the sky turned blood‑red."

"Unlike the usual peaceful moonlight, the blood‑red moon was filled with a strange power that made the Moon Spirits feel oppressed and uncomfortable."

"Chief Sossali tried to shut down the Moonlight Jewel, but it was already too late."

"In a short time he lost his reason and became a wolf‑like monster." The Blue Moon Chief Priest's eyes filled with pain."He became indiscriminate, slaughtering most of the subgroup, with only a few members surviving."

"Afterward, Chief Sossali perhaps regained a sliver of reason, or perhaps for other reasons, he gave up the killing and entered the Demon Forest alone, carrying the Moonlight Jewel."

"Wait." Qin Chuan couldn't help interrupting the Blue Moon Chief Priest."Did Sossali bring the Moonlight Jewel?"

Why had he never heard of or seen anything like that when he cleared it?

"The rewards of past‑background dungeons depend on what's currently there." Having guessed Qin Chuan's doubt, the Blue Moon Chief Priest explained,"The Moonlight Jewel is no longer in the Demon Forest."

"So you can't obtain it by clearing the dungeon."

"Actually, if it weren't for the passage of too much time, the Demon Forest would originally have been an S‑rank dungeon."

"I see." Qin Chuan realized."So you lot later took the Moonlight Jewel away?"

"Of course." The Blue Moon Chief Priest nodded slightly."The Moonlight Jewel is our clan's great treasure; it must be reclaimed."

"Sossali seemingly knew that; he dropped the Moonlight Jewel while fleeing, we found the Jewel but not him."

"With such a mishap, the Moonlight Jewel could no longer be used; it was sealed away by the Ancestor, and only then was the Spirit Moon Rite created as a substitute."

"So that's how the Spirit Moon Rite came to be." Purple Moon Chief Priest's expression showed realization.

"And after that, what happened to Sossali?" Qin Chuan pressed.

"Later, after I reached the Mythic Stage and became the new chief of the Milian Territory Moon Spirit Clan, I personally entered the Demon Forest and found him." The Blue Moon Chief Priest sighed softly."But his mutation has lasted too long; I cannot restore him to his original state."

"In the end, I could only kill him myself."

After hearing the Blue Moon Chief Priest's account, everyone fell silent.

"Is this appearance of a blood‑red moon related to the Moonlight Jewel?" Lin Yue asked softly.

"No." The Blue Moon Chief Priest shook her head slightly."I've already confirmed with the Ancestor that the Moonlight Jewel is fine."

"It remains sealed by the Ancestor; it absolutely cannot affect the Spirit Moon Rite."

"Then…could it be related to the medicine from back then?" Qin Chuan said in a low voice."Not every Moon Spirit undergoes mutation under a red moon."

"That was true then, and it's still true today."

"Sossali's transformation into a giant wolf wasn't only due to the red moon; he also long‑term consumed a medicine that comes from the Half Demon Clan."

"The red moon is more like a trigger."

"Half demon?" Besagula's eyes, which had never spoken before, flashed with killing intent."So all this was caused by the half‑demons?"

"Mong Ke has already gone to investigate the common factors among the clansmen who just mutated." Purple Moon Chief Priest spoke softly."We'll have results soon."

The fact that only a few clansmen had mutated, she naturally noticed as well.

Therefore, after the treatment was finished, all clansmen who had participated in the Spirit Moon Rite were temporarily detained.

Mong Ke is now questioning them one by one, trying to find their differences and similarities.

In her purple-crystal-like eyes, a similarly chilling light surged.

If it were really the Half Demon Clan up to something in the shadows, she would certainly not let them off! "Not necessarily the Half Demon Clan." Seeing everyone's reaction, the Blue Moon Chief Priest spoke softly, "I investigated the situation afterward."

"The potion that caused Suo Sa Li's mutation was indeed given by the Half Demon Clan."

"But this potion does not originate from the Half Demon Clan."

"The raw materials used to make it involve both the Nether Ghost Clan and the Half Demon Clan; at that time, the Heavenly Stairway had only three clans: the Moon Spirit Clan, the Nether Ghost Clan, and the Half Demon Clan."

Qin Chuan: "…"

"So you're saying other clans were involved as well?"

"That's one way to understand it." The Blue Moon Chief Priest nodded slightly, and her expression grew a bit more complex, "But such things are actually quite common on the Heavenly Stairway right now."

"The Race War hasn't even started yet; it's impossible for the clans to meet and immediately start fighting."

"Between us, we also cooperate and trade."

"Putting other things aside, even the potions I concoct often require materials from other clans."

"So a potion involving multiple clans isn't unusual." The Blue Moon Chief Priest shook her head helplessly, "If we were to say this is someone's plot, likely both clans are involved."

Several people looked at each other.

It seems we can only wait for Meng Ke to find out the result.

"Found out."

Not long after, Meng Ke hurried over to the group, his face rather grim.

"Those members who underwent mutation had entered the same tavern before attending the Spirit Moon Festival, while those who did not mutate had not gone there."

"A tavern?" The crowd's faces slightly changed.

Just moments ago they had suggested the mutation might be caused by some potion, and now they have obtained such a clue.

Could it be that someone with ill intent mixed the potion into the drink given to the Moon Spirit Clan?

"Where is that tavern?!"

The Purple Moon Chief Priest rose abruptly, her eyes flashing with a hint of killing intent.

"Um…" Meng Ke looked a bit embarrassed, "When our people arrived, that tavern was already deserted."

The crowd fell silent.

This pretty much confirms that the tavern is problematic.

"Let's investigate." The Blue Moon Chief Priest spoke softly, "Any tavern that opens will inevitably leave some traces."

"Besides, we also need to look into the cause of the Red Moon."

"This obvious anomaly targeting our Moon Spirit Clan must be clarified."

"My Descent time is limited, Ma Xi Ya; make sure to handle these two matters."

"Yes!" The Purple Moon Chief Priest said in a deep voice.

After seeing off the Purple Moon Chief Priest, the Blue Moon Chief Priest smiled at Qin Chuan and Lin Yue, "This incident involves you two; I'm truly sorry."

"It's fine." Qin Chuan shook his head slightly, "Being able to learn some secrets from five thousand years ago has cleared up many of my doubts; it's also a gain."

"At least for now, the Moon Spirit Clan will not be an enemy of the Human Race." The Blue Moon Chief Priest spoke softly, "In some aspects, we do not begrudge cooperating with the Human Race."

As her words faded, the Blue Moon Chief Priest's form turned illusory, and in the next instant she vanished from the spot.

"If that's the case, we'll take our leave as well." Qin Chuan pulled Lin Yue to her feet.

He could tell that, with the Blue Moon Chief Priest's departure, whether it was the Purple Moon Chief Priest or the two Moon Spirit Clan Mythic Stage beings, they all now felt a rising killing intent.

For them to stay here any longer would be improper.

It's time to leave. —After finally meeting Peipei Ma'er, Qin Chuan and Lin Yue departed from Goen Lord City, strolling across the plains outside.

"What do you think— which clan would be behind an attack on the Moon Spirit Clan?" Lin Yue turned to look at Qin Chuan, asking curiously. "It might not be a single clan's plot." Qin Chuan shook his head slightly, "Perhaps, as Ke Lai Yi said, multiple clans are involved in this, or even the other five clans acting against the Moon Spirit Clan."

"But… this seems somewhat hard to accept." Qin Chuan furrowed his brows slightly.

"Other clans shouldn't have our special circumstances; they don't know what happened ten thousand years ago, so from their perspective the Moon Spirit Clan should be the least threatening."

"No matter which of the other five clans, none would prioritize attacking the Moon Spirit Clan, let alone multiple clans setting aside their grudges to join forces against it."

"Also, the appearance of the Red Moon." Qin Chuan's brows locked tight, "If the Moonlight Treasure Pearl truly lies in the hands of the Moon Spirit Ancestor, then the Red Moon likely has nothing to do with it."

"Is it a natural phenomenon that occurs regularly, or is it man‑made?"

The Red Moon causes members of the Moon Spirit Clan who have taken a special potion to mutate.

For the time being, it can be regarded as unrelated to any ominous portent.

If it is man‑made, then it must be closely tied to the source behind the potion.

But we cannot rule out the possibility that it follows a natural pattern.

After all, whether it's the Red Moon or a normal moon, both are obscured by the sun on the Heavenly Stairway, so no one knows how many times the moon turns blood‑red under the sun.

Perhaps the Moon Spirit Clan merely happened to coincide with the moment the moon turned blood‑red, blocking the sunlight and causing those who had used a specific potion to mutate? "There are still many secrets on the Heavenly Stairway that we don't know," Lin Yue said softly, holding Qin Chuan's hand.

"After all, other clans arrived here long before we did." Qin Chuan nodded slightly.

Currently, there are seven clans on the Heavenly Stairway.

The Moon Spirit Clan calls itself the first chosen clan, but in fact, those from the previous ten‑thousand‑year era did not occupy the slot for the first chosen clan; the true first chosen clan was likely dealt with by the Moon Spirit Clan without anyone's knowledge.

After the Moon Spirit Clan comes the Half Demon Clan, which is the second chosen clan.

The Moon Spirit Clan's support for other clans' Descent onto the Heavenly Stairway means the Half Demon Clan's Descent encountered no obstruction.

After the Half Demon Clan comes the Nether Ghost Clan, which is the third chosen clan.

As for the fourth chosen clan, its Descent failed under the joint assault of the Half Demon and Nether Ghost Clans, and the World Source was devoured by the Half Demon Clan.

It is said that the grudge between the Half Demon and Nether Ghost Clans was also forged at that time.

Having learned from the fourth clan's failure, the Moon Spirit Clan heightened its guard against the Half Demon and Nether Ghost Clans; the Crystal Clan, as the fifth chosen clan, possessing great strength, successfully Descended and became the fourth clan on the Heavenly Stairway.

The sixth chosen clan is the Dragon Clan.

Relying on the strongest individual combat power among the six major races, the opposing side passed the copy stage with an almost invincible advantage and successfully ascended despite the encirclement and slaughter of multiple races.

The seventh selected race, facing encirclement and slaughter by the alliances of half-demons and dragon clan and of nether ghosts and crystal clan, ultimately failed despite the Moon Spirit's aid, and the world's source was devoured by the Nether Ghost Clan.

The eighth selected race was the Dwarf Demon.

Because they possessed the most special ability among all races—forging ability—the Dwarf Demon clan encountered the least resistance in their ascension.

Almost all races turned a blind eye to their ascension.

After all, they all needed to conduct forging-related trade with the Dwarf Demon.

From a long-term perspective, having one more Dwarf Demon brings more benefit than harm.

The ninth selected race barely managed to ascend, but was quickly slain by the Gatekeeper; no clan member successfully entered the Third Level, ultimately ending in dismal failure and withdrawing early from the Race War.

Finally, it was the Human Race.

In this grand stage known as the Heavenly Stairway, the recent races have also been operating for nearly two thousand years.

Thinking about it, the Human Race is indeed at a disadvantage.

(End of chapter)