The silver moon hovered above the sky like a silent sentinel, casting soft light upon the sleeping Crimson Moon Sect. Most disciples had retreated to their quarters, leaving the sect bathed in stillness. But Li Tianming found himself on the move.
He had not slept since his meeting with Lin Xuelian.
The scroll she gave him still pulsed faintly with lunar qi, vibrating slightly every hour as though echoing a silent signal.
> [Moonforge Core Reactivity: 7%. Unknown Resonance Source: Nearby. Triangulation Suggested.]
That message from the system had repeated twice already.
He stood at the edge of the Spirit Fountain Garden, where wind chimes danced softly and starlight refracted through the mist, waiting.
A presence stirred behind him. Tianming turned sharply, hand on his sword, only to relax an instant later.
Leng Shuang'er.
She stood as if grown from the frost itself—serene, pale, elegant.
"I thought you would be resting," she said.
"I don't rest much lately," he answered. "Why are you here?"
She paused. "Feng Qingxue said you were acting strangely. I came to see if you were still alive."
Tianming chuckled. "So, she sends you as a scout?"
Shuang'er's eyes narrowed slightly. "She's concerned. And so am I. Something changed in you."
He met her gaze. "The world changed first."
For a moment, they stood in silence.
Then, a chime rang—a low, resonant sound from the scroll.
The signal was closer.
He turned sharply and started moving.
"Wait," Shuang'er said. "Where are you going?"
"Following a ghost," Tianming replied. "Stay behind if you wish."
She didn't. Without a word, she fell into step beside him.
---
The Girl in the Forest
They crossed through the outer gardens and into the veiled woods beyond the sect's boundary. The mist grew thicker, and Tianming's system alerts increased.
> [Proximity: 90 meters. Energy Signature: Similar to User. Lunar Echo Detected. Category: Incomplete Star Embryo.]
He slowed his pace.
"She's here," he said.
In a clearing ahead, beneath an old magnolia tree, sat a girl no older than fifteen. Her long black hair was tangled with leaves. Her robes were simple, almost tattered, and her eyes—silver with a golden rim—held an otherworldly light.
When she saw them, she didn't move. But her gaze locked on Tianming's blade.
"I've seen that sword in my dreams," she whispered.
Shuang'er tensed beside him.
Tianming stepped forward slowly. "Who are you?"
The girl's eyes fluttered. "They called me Mei'er. But I don't know my true name."
He kneeled to her level.
"Why are you here?"
She touched her chest. "The moon called. I followed the light. Then I saw your shadow."
> [Lunar Soul Affinity: 91%. Genetic Signature: Fragmented. Echo Pattern: 3 of 7 Identified. Mei'er Qualifies as 'Crescent Vessel.']
Tianming exhaled slowly. The system had never used this classification before.
"Are you in danger?" he asked.
"Yes," she whispered. "They're hunting me."
"Who?"
She looked skyward.
"The ones with broken stars. They burn without warmth. They sleep beneath the Black Sky Mirror."
The Court of Stars.
Shuang'er stepped forward, her voice low. "Tianming. We should not leave her alone."
He nodded. "We won't."
The girl swayed. "They're coming."
Tianming turned.
The trees behind them shuddered.
And from the dark came three figures—cloaked in tattered robes, with masks made from bleached bone and energy that pulsed with corrupted lunar essence.
> [Warning: Unknown Hostiles. Estimated Power Level: Mid to High Inner Disciple. Energy Pattern: Star-Bleed Corruption.]
---
Duel Beneath Starlight
The first attacker moved like a ghost—arms flickering, blade curving in a perfect arc toward Tianming's back.
But the system had already warned him.
> [Combat Mode Engaged: Dual Target Lock. Lunar Reflex Bonus Activated. Blade Efficiency +21%]
He turned and parried, sparks flying.
The second attacker went for Shuang'er, but she was not an idle spectator. Her hands glowed with frost qi, and her Ice Petal Blossom arts ignited—each gesture sending petals of freezing light in deadly trajectories.
The air became a battlefield of contrast: moonlight and shadow, fire and ice.
Mei'er watched silently, her small hands trembling.
Tianming struck fast and clean, each blow targeting pressure points. But the masked enemies were unafraid of pain. Their blood hissed black and their bones snapped only to realign unnaturally.
"They've been altered," Shuang'er gasped. "No human could fight like this."
One enemy turned its attention to Mei'er. It charged.
She screamed.
Tianming threw his blade—an act of desperation and precision.
> [Lunar Tempest Blade – Form V: Starburst Requiem. Efficiency: 103%]
The sword exploded in radiant crescents, striking the enemy mid-charge. The figure howled as its mask shattered.
A face was revealed—one Tianming recognized.
"Jin Huai?" he breathed.
But the man was dead. His eyes were hollow. His mouth opened—and starlight leaked out like smoke.
Reanimated.
Before Tianming could react further, the remaining enemy tackled him, pressing him to the earth.
He reached deep into his core.
> [System Override Approved. Unlocking Lunar Surge Protocol. Power Surge +36% for 60 seconds. Caution: Post-use exhaustion risk critical.]
He released the surge.
His aura erupted like a moon breaking through storm clouds.
The enemy above him screamed as its body shattered.
Silence returned.
Only the rustling leaves remained.
Tianming staggered to his feet, breath ragged.
Mei'er crawled to him and placed her hand on his forehead. "You shine… so loud," she whispered.
> [Synchronicity Detected. Temporary Bond Formed. Mei'er's Lunar Core Now Linked to Host. Passive Buff Activated: Spirit Regeneration +8%, Reflex Delay -0.5s.]
Shuang'er stared at them both. "She's one of you."
"No," Tianming said quietly. "She's the reason they fear me."
---
The Pact
That night, they returned to the sect—Mei'er hidden under Shuang'er's cloak.
Tianming filed a report only to Elder Su Lanyin, revealing minimal details.
Later, in a private chamber, he sat with Shuang'er.
"She needs protection," he said. "But if the Court is sending undead… we need more than strength. We need allies."
Shuang'er tilted her head. "You mean Qingxue?"
He nodded. "Her, and others. There are factions within the sect. Not all loyal to the elders."
"And you?" she asked.
"I want the truth. And I'll tear the sky apart to find it."
Mei'er peeked in then, clutching a moon-shaped pendant.
"Is it time?" she asked.
Tianming stood.
"Yes. We're forming the alliance. Under the moon. And in shadow."
He unsheathed his blade and drove it into the stone floor.
"We will no longer wait for fate. We forge it."
---
[End of Chapter 10: The Moonlit Alliance]