Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

Thinking back to what the Four Claws said about this particular set of ruins, she was intrigued by it. Both the danger and the peculiarity of it were alluring and to some degree, she felt as if she could find something there. 

"I wonder if those ruins are connected somehow."

Ming Yue muttered to herself while studying the map. 

"I shouldn't even bother going for it now. Getting there would take a month at least, maybe even longer. The whole journey might take several months, I don't think I can leave Hongyu alone for that long", she thought. 

Apart from caring for the young child, she also had to protect her home. After all, those decapitated heads weren't a full-proof solution, there were sure to be beasts who would take it as a challenge. 

And then there was another problem. 

"The Expedition Division also keeps watch of the ruins... I'd have to sneak in and out. Escaping would be simple but then I'd risk getting discovered. Hm, I should put it off for later then."

As much as she wanted to go, she knew that it was not the right time. 

"I should explore the area around us, see what's nearby", she muttered. 

Since she was close to the heart of the Savage Lands, much of it had been unexplored by the Expedition Division. Chances were, there could be some undiscovered ruins or lucky opportunities just for her. She may even find more clues about Hongyu. 

Despite the time she spent with the child, there wasn't much that she could learn from her. 

Hongyu's memory was faint after having slept in that room for thousands of years. There were many mysteries surrounding her, questions that hopefully she would find answered eventually. 

Thinking about her, she stood up and peered into the house. The little girl was still asleep, covered by the blanket. Ming Yue could see the outline of her body curled up for more warmth. She furrowed her brows just a tad and walked into the house, taking another blanket out from her spatial ring to cover the girl. 

Gently layering it onto her, Hongyu squirmed a bit, nestling deeper into the blankets. 

She smiled, watching for a few more moments before leaving the hut. 

"Keep watch over her and no matter what, don't come near me." 

As Ming Yue walked out, she spoke to the three beasts, all of which responded knowingly. After that, she moved away. Both the hut and the garden were located on one side of the waterfall so the young cultivator moved to the other side. 

She sat down and crossed her legs, seated across the pond. 

Closing her eyes, the young cultivator started to meditate, slowly cycling her energy through her entire body. It was a process that she's done thousands if not hundreds of thousands of times. The sound of water flowing down the cliff face echoed whispered into her ears and soon she was lulled into sleep. 

And again she found herself standing in the shallow waters. Without even waiting for her, they rippled and gushed up, forming a doppelganger. It was already armed with Blood Moon and the Zephyr Claws. 

Ming Yue stared back before opening her hand. The water rose up towards her palm, forming Blood Moon. 

"Alright, again."

The next day, Ming Yue shuddered awake, looking around before staring at the rising sun. Releasing a heavy sigh, she looked around to find the grass shaved off or flattened. 

"Agh, still lost at five doppelgangers, I did better but still... damn it, I'm missing something, but what is it?"

She contemplated her experience for a bit before moving on to different things. Ming Yue stood up and scanned the surrounding areas before revealing a satisfied look.

"So the boundary works, good."

There was no point in obsessing over her dream when there were things that needed to be done. Despite that, Ming Yue still thought about it as she went through her morning training. 

"It has to be related to the Sky Realm, if I cannot overcome a dream, how will I overcome my breakthrough?" she thought. 

As she trained, Hongyu soon awakened, exiting the house with a yawn and rubbing her eyes. But the little girl soon began her training, swinging the wooden practice sword that Ming Yue made for her.

Then it was breakfast which whatever fruits Ming Yue could find outside.

There were a few strange- looking ones but for the most part, she was happy to find ones she could recognize. Grabbing an apple from the pile, she took a crisp bite, tasting it. 

"Oh, how sweet!"

Giving a look of surprise, she saw Hongyu take another fruit and eat it happily, savoring the honey-like sweetness. 

"Hongyu, after this I'll be checking the surrounding areas. I'll only be gone for a few hours so I'll be back soon, okay?" 

She said to the girl. 

Hongyu looked up from her meal and nodded while there was still a bit of juice dribbling down her chin. Ming Yue couldn't help but chuckle, wetting her hand in the pond to wipe the girl's chin clean. 

"Alright then, I'll be off after this. Xiao Yin, come with me but Hei Yue you stay with them okay? Liang Wei is still injured so you help him protect her."

The fox whined a bit but ultimately nodded, accepting his assignment. 

And after breakfast, the young woman took another pass around this little clearing before going out. Xiao Yin flew above her before landing on her shoulder, barely fitting on. The Star Owl blinked a few times before cooing, looking at Ming Yue happily. 

The pair stepped out and entered the Savage Lands. 

Walking past the skulls she put up, Ming Yue kept her senses alert, watching and listening for anything strange. At first, it was quiet, there was little sound except for her own steps and perhaps the rustling trees. But as they moved further and further away from her home, it returned to what she was used to, roars and screeches every now and then. The ground trembled from either an ending fight somewhere or just the steps of a great beast. 

Whatever the case, Ming Yue and Xiao Yin made their way around quietly, slipping through the trees and avoiding any unwanted trouble. 

"Xiao Yin, I just need to check the surrounding areas, see if there's anything strange around us. Don't start a fight, okay?"

The owl hooted, flying low and moving from one tree to the next. 

Scanning the area, she took the time to forage as well, gathering anything from food to materials. While doing that, she mapped out the areas that the map didn't show, what the land was like, and any features like rivers and hills. 

"Hmm, it gets more mountainous if I go north, past the waterfall. And the cliff face... it expands for quite some distance, definitely more than just a few days worth of travel. Actually, wait..." 

At this point, she stood on a rocky path, further north where there were fewer trees and more rock. Looking around, she walked towards the highest point around her, standing on the tallest tree. She narrowed her eyes and looked into the north.

"Are those ruins? Out in the open?" she muttered in surprise. 

It was far from her but not far enough to escape her eyes. Not to mention, she wasn't expecting the landscape either. Although it seemed rockier now, there weren't any mountains waiting for her but plateaus, massive plateaus that were overflowing with massive trees that grew into the clouds. It seemed as if giant tracts of land were just pulled up from the ground.

But there was one in particular that was very sparse with those trees and it was the one with the ruins. 

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