Demon Sword Maiden

Book 12: Chapter 61: The Cold Moon Turns Into A Starry Soul

The heavens churned as an influx of memory fragments surged forth. Though merely remnants of an ancient consciousness, they carried the powerful fluctuations of that era, nearly causing Lily to faint.

In these chaotic memory fragments, attacks came at her from all directions—countless spells, ghostly claws, and fangs.

Lily found herself shifting from relentless attack to frantic defense. Every enemy that assailed her was doomed to perish; every formation that ensnared her was destined to break!

Yet, the stream of enemies, formations, and treasures attacking her seemed endless!

The memories grew increasingly chaotic, switching at a dizzying speed! The sky and earth darkened around her. A sudden pain gripped Lily’s soul, threatening to tear it apart.

Why? Why did she feel such agony, even though these memories were not her own?

In the current scene, everything quieted down, and the woman in the memory fragments lowered her head. A sword pierced through her body from behind, staining her white, tattered feathered garments red…

The sword—ancient and black—a straight, double-edged blade Lily had rarely seen, passed through Tsukuyomi’s body.

Gradually, Lily’s vision turned scarlet… She couldn’t tell if the world was colored red by the enemies' blood or the blood shed by the woman herself.

The world spun as Lily felt her consciousness ripped from that memory fragment and thrown into another.

Here, Lily’s vision was entirely tinted red, and she felt stifled, consumed by a sense of despair… From deep within her soul, it felt as though the owner of these memories had reached the end of their conquest.

Before the vast Land of Yomi, swarms of demons numbering in the millions gathered.

Meanwhile, behind the woman, an army of deities descended from the cracked sky like a black swarm of locusts. Yet this army of deities harbored a killing intent far more vicious than that of the demons!

“Even if… I fall here, you demons and devils shall not cross the Scar of Heaven! In life, I could vanquish heaven and earth; in death, I will shatter the three realms with a single strike!”

A single sword slash cleaved through heaven and earth. It cut across the vast Land of Yomi, forming an insurmountable chasm!

The demonic army, from the smallest hunchbacked imps to the mightiest Yomi gods, would perish if they dared to cross the chasm alone!

This was the Scar of Heaven.

Lily felt Tsukuyomi’s vision gradually darken.

Amidst the eternal darkness blanketing her vision, she saw the black mass of deities flying toward her. Among them were ancient and strange deities, ones Lily found difficult to describe, never seen before even in legends…

“You seek to capture me? Then accompany me.”

The world turned white, and everything vanished from sight. In an instant, it felt as though Lily’s senses had disappeared. She didn’t know how long it lasted…

Lily’s vision gradually recovered. Her ears rang for a while before everything slowly returned to normal…

She sensed something approaching her, but it was too distant or obscured to see clearly.

A small, translucent lunar crystal flew from the distant dark world and landed in Lily's hand. It was cold and sacred, a fragment that would rather shatter than succumb to the darkness—just like the soul of its owner.

The lunar crystal melted in Lily’s hand like snow.

“Sister…”

This was the last thing Lily heard. The voice was faint and mournful, yet filled with endless longing. It drifted away like stardust, leaving an indelible mark on her memory…

Lily's hands supported her frail body as she lay powerlessly on the ground.

Though the memories were fragmented, she understood… Tsukuyomi no Mikoto had died in battle.

In her final moments, she unleashed a power that shook the three realms, guarding the Scar of Heaven and preserving millennia of peace on earth. Because of her actions, the archdemons of Yomi, no matter how powerful or ferocious, could not cross over and wreak havoc in the mortal realm.

After her final outburst, her power to vanquish heaven and earth scattered across the world, forming into a lunar crystal.

Lily’s tears, however, carried an intensity that even the strongest of men would find hard to match.

She slowly rose and knelt down in the desolate land of Yomi. This was likely the place where Tsukuyomi no Mikoto had fallen.

Her soul, which shone like the cold moon, was buried in the darkness of Yomi, yet it preserved prosperity on earth, allowing the Heian Dynasty to enjoy a thousand years of peace.

Reflecting on her life, since arriving in this perilous world, she had received the mirror, the power of moonlight, the Tsukuyomi Swordstyle, and the lunar crystals…

Regardless of where she came from, if not for Tsukuyomi’s inheritance, she would have long since become one of the many miserable and desperate women of this world.

If not for Tsukuyomi no Mikoto’s blade mark inheritance and the lunar crystals, which had transformed into a sea of stars upon her passing, Lily might have been captured by the fifteen powerful experts in the ancient battlefield. Had that happened, her fate would have been a thousand times worse than anyone else’s in Yomi.

Lily prostrated herself on the desolate land of Yomi.

"No matter who I am, no matter where I truly come from…"

"Tsukuyomi no Mikoto, those ancient Celestial Maidens called me ‘Your Highness.’ Perhaps they were confused or mistaken because I possess some power of moonlight. Or maybe, I was once a maid who knelt before you, secretly worshiping you from afar…"

"But, Tsukuyomi no Mikoto, I truly don’t know, nor can I recall any relevant memories. I only know that I am a lonely soul from another world."

"However, I do understand that I have received your power."

"If you are still alive in Takamagahara, please return and reclaim your power. How could I be worthy of wielding the power to preside over heaven and earth? I only wish for you to awaken Senior Rinne and keep my sisters safe and happy…"

"However, Tsukuyomi no Mikoto, if you… have truly fallen and can never return, then…" Lily’s hair fluttered, her eyes flashing with cold determination and sorrow. "I will avenge you."

A drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring. Lily understood this simple truth. Moreover, the blessings bestowed upon her by Tsukuyomi no Mikoto exceeded even the heavens.

Tsukuyomi no Mikoto was not just a deity revered by Lily; she was her mentor and closest kin! Because… Tsukuyomi no Mikoto's power flowed through her very being!

Without the gifts she had received, Lily wouldn't have come this far. If she understood her debt and didn't repay it, Rinne likely wouldn't forgive her, even upon awakening!

Lily swore in her heart to uncover the truth behind the fall of this great celestial battle maiden of Takamagahara! She would avenge her, no matter how treacherous the journey!

"I'll awaken Senior Rinne and avenge Tsukuyomi!"

The statue of Tsukuyomi no Mikoto stood tall at the top of the cave within the mirror space, while Rinne's soul slept within a nearby stone chamber… Lily felt that these two were connected!

She couldn't help but raise her head and gaze up at the Scar of Heaven.

All the answers may lie there, she thought.

At that moment, Jamako and the female demon on the other side of the trench watched Lily cry on her back, faint, and then get up to inexplicably kowtow to the air.

"Has this woman absorbed too many lunar crystals and gone mad? What is she doing?" Jamako wondered suspiciously. Although he dared not approach, he was reluctant to leave. After all, they had seen how much Lily had absorbed and how much she kept in her storage jade. Jamako and the female demon were keeping a close watch on her.

They might pass if they took a detour, but they feared Lily would escape. And there was another, more troublesome problem. If they took a detour and Lily crossed back over, what then? Wouldn't the two of them be made fools?

However, neither was willing to act separately, fearing the other would monopolize everything. It was no longer just about catching a woman. The credit could be shared, but who would willingly share these countless lunar crystals? Who would take them and hand them over to the Lord?

They didn't even want to notify other experts for support. They simply eyed Lily from across the Scar of Heaven.

Meanwhile, Lily stood up as her consciousness finally returned. Now more certain than ever that the two couldn't cross, she looked at them coldly but didn't leave, as her memory vaguely told her there was only a dead end ahead.

This chasm blocked the passage between Yomi and the mortal realm, preventing any Yomi demon from crossing over. This meant that this side was inaccessible from other parts of Yomi.

However, Lily didn’t yet know how to ascend the Scar of Heaven, so she fearlessly sat cross-legged, facing the two powerful experts on the other side of the chasm.

"What is she up to now?" Jamako wondered, puzzled.

"I don't know… I can't sense any fluctuations, but from her expression, it looks like she's… practicing1?" The female demon was equally bewildered.

"Practicing!? This woman is unbelievably audacious!"

Just as the two powerful experts suspected, Lily was indeed practicing.

Having crossed the blade mark with her body, Lily experienced firsthand the true essence of the Lunar Heavenly Path. This revelation enlightened her on many aspects that had troubled her during her practice of the Lunar Blossom manual.

She began to comprehend the profound blade mark while simultaneously practicing Lunar Blossom. There was no doubt that this blade mark embodied the ultimate power of the moon! It was an ultimate goal Lily thought beyond her reach, yet she relentlessly pursued it!

A single slash that could rend the three realms! How magnificent was that feat?

Only the final attack of Tsukuyomi no Mikoto, the foremost celestial battle maiden of Takamagahara, could reach such heights! There was likely no second person in the world who could achieve such a feat!

The insights Lily gained from understanding this blade mark were immense.

Many aspects of Lunar Blossom's breakthrough process, once difficult to grasp—like breaking through to the Big Dipper Stage—were now easily resolved by comprehending this blade mark.

Although Lunar Blossom was a top-tier spiritual energy training method that transcended the heavens, and although Lily was exceptionally talented, all the celestial maidens in Takamagahara who practiced it before had guidance, while Lily practiced alone. Despite her talent, it was impossible to progress without obstacles. Without sudden enlightenment, her progress would likely have been halted.

But now, after encountering this blade mark, Lily not only received enlightenment but also gained greater determination from the grandeur of this slash!

What she inherited was no ordinary power! From now on, she would face enemies beyond her imagination! She must, and could only, grow stronger! Even stronger!

Despite the dire situation, Lily unexpectedly found herself calm and serene… Guided by the blade mark and the statue of Tsukuyomi no Mikoto in the mirror space, she contemplated, understood, and successfully executed the complex instructions of the Lunar Blossom secret manual on how to break through to the Big Dipper Stage.

At this moment, Lily’s cultivation speed reached an unimaginable rate2! She might even achieve a breakthrough in her Lunar Blossom practice today!

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