Ming Yue, who was engrossed in culinary experiments at the stove, cursed the baby for being disloyal while ruining ingredients.
At that moment, her heart stirred. A restriction from the summit of Yunmeng Mountain seemed to indicate someone had entered the Wu Clan's divine hall.
However, it quickly subsided, with no further fluctuations, returning to normal.
"It must be that the baby doesn't want to eat my cooking and has hidden inside. Let's see where you can run this time!"
Ming Yue picked up a dish she had recently developed, a bowl of hand-pulled noodles resembling疙瘩汤 (ge da tang), and walked towards the mountain summit, covered in flour.
After the great battle that day, Ji Shiyou had given her the Cang Lan, Jing Sha, and Fu Yao that he had seized.
Coupled with the Cui Wei in her possession, the recognized Wang Shu, and the baby's Fu Guang,
The seven great sacrificial artifacts of the Wu Clan, except for Xian Yun, were all gathered on Yunmeng Mountain.
She had tried to have Wen Qingtian and the others communicate with the artifacts, attempting to make them recognize masters, but none succeeded.
It seemed that making artifacts recognize masters was not as simple as in the Primordial Era.
She didn't know what method Zhao Wumian had used to find Yuan Que, Yue You, and Gu Nanquan, who could make artifacts recognize masters.
In fact, Ming Yue did not know that Zhao Wumian had also spent centuries searching among billions of people to find three suitable candidates.
And he himself would not have been chosen by the man in white if he hadn't been able to make Fu Yao recognize him as master.
If an artifact could not recognize a master, it meant it could not be used and could only serve as a decoration.
These were the sacred artifacts of the Wu Clan, revered in divine halls in the Primordial Era.
Ming Yue did not want to casually put them away and desecrate the sacred objects, which troubled her.
Knowing Ming Yue's predicament, Ji Shiyou had built a Wu Clan divine hall on the summit of Yunmeng Mountain.
This served as a solace for Ming Yue's homesickness and also as a place to house the four artifacts, Cui Wei and the others.
This divine hall was a one-to-one replica of the divine hall in the Primordial Era, which made Ming Yue very happy.
She solemnly placed the artifacts in the divine hall and, for safety, set up a restriction using witchcraft.
To prevent anyone from breaking in and stealing the artifacts, she had specifically copied the restriction from the Wu Clan divine hall in the Primordial Era.
In this world, she believed no one could break it. She had just assumed that the baby had entered the divine hall.
This was because Fu Guang had recognized the baby as its master, and the restriction did not reject it.
Within the entire base, only she and the baby could freely enter and exit the divine hall.
"Baby, come out quickly and eat your noodles!"
Carrying the bowl of noodles, Ming Yue entered the divine hall and began to entice the baby.
However, the baby did not appear, nor did it respond. Ming Yue was not discouraged.
She placed the bowl on the altar, intending to find the baby. As she glanced at the altar, her expression changed drastically.
The place where the artifacts should have been was empty; the four artifacts were gone.
Ming Yue immediately extended her divine sense. The entire divine hall was empty, and the restriction was intact, showing no signs of damage.
She immediately ran out of the divine hall, and with a thought, Wang Shu appeared.
The cold moonlight enveloped an area of a hundred miles. Wang Shu, also one of the Seven Treasures, could sense the auras of other artifacts when activated by a secret method.
However, she still could not find any trace of the other artifacts. This was illogical.
From the moment she sensed someone entering the divine hall to discovering the theft of the artifacts, less than ten minutes had passed.
Under normal circumstances, a thief could not have escaped that far in such a short time.
Ming Yue summoned Qing Luan and ascended to a high altitude to search for suspicious targets from above.
At this moment, her heart gave a sharp pang, and a wave of sadness washed over her.
It felt as if a close relative had left her.
"Baby!"
Ming Yue clutched her chest and involuntarily called out the baby's name.
The baby's blood flowed within her. In this world, the baby was the only one connected to her by blood.
Something must have happened to the baby, for her heart to ache so intensely and for her to feel the loss of a loved one.
She rode Qing Luan, following the feeling in her heart, flying towards the south of the base.
Her heart was filled with anxiety because after the intense chest pain, the blood connection between her and the baby had vanished.
She dared not think further, as this blood connection would only be severed if one of them died.
Just then, Wang Shu on her body suddenly sensed the aura of the artifacts, and it was very strong.
Ming Yue hurriedly urged Qing Luan to fly in the direction of the artifacts, which was the same direction she had previously sensed the baby.
Standing on Qing Luan, she saw a vast expanse of desert ahead, bathed in a crimson hue, appearing desolate.
However, a powerful energy surged from the center of the desert. As Ming Yue approached, she saw that the stolen artifacts were all there.
Fu Guang was among them. Six artifacts were arranged in a hexagram formation, but the baby was nowhere to be seen.
The six artifacts pulsed with light, forming a hexagon, and in the center stood a figure in white.
"Ci Shi? Was it you who infiltrated the divine hall and stole the artifacts? What did you do to the baby?"
Ming Yue was surprised to see Ci Shi, the one who had offered many suggestions when Hope City was being built.
However, now that she had caught him red-handed, there was no room for denial. She was certain that Ci Shi was the thief.
But she couldn't see the baby, and Ming Yue was worried about the baby's safety. Before getting close, she shouted from atop Qing Luan.
"Little sister, don't you recognize your brother?"
Hearing the shout, the person on the ground raised his head and immediately changed his appearance. His work clothes transformed into white robes.
Two bone spurs, three inches long, grew from the sides of his forehead. His face was handsome and refined, and he smiled at Ming Yue and said.
"Brother Xuan Ming!"
Seeing the face of the man in white, Ming Yue was filled with surprise and joy, and tears involuntarily streamed from her eyes.
She never expected to see Xuan Ming, one of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, in this world.
She quickly jumped off Qing Luan, landed on the desert, and ran towards Xuan Ming.
This was her true kin, of the same origin, and the one she was closest to among the Twelve Ancestral Witches.
"Brother Xuan Ming, it's great that you're not dead. I thought you and your other brothers and sisters had perished in that great war.
Why did you disguise yourself as Ci Shi and not reveal yourself to me?
By the way, did you enter the divine hall on Yunmeng Mountain and take the artifacts?
Fu Guang is also here. Have you seen a little girl, about three or four years old?
She's thin and dark, with long hair. Fu Guang has already recognized her as its master."
Ming Yue could feel Xuan Ming's familiar aura; there was no mistake.
Although she had many questions in her heart about why Xuan Ming had disguised himself and not revealed himself, and why he had taken the artifacts,
Ming Yue was concerned about the baby, so after a brief reunion with Xuan Ming, she inquired about the baby's whereabouts.
"Little sister, don't forget that the Golden Crow clan is our mortal enemy.
You shouldn't be so concerned about her. That Golden Crow has completed her mission and was devoured by me.
I took the artifacts to lure you here.
With our brother and sister working together, we can resurrect your other brothers and sisters."
Xuan Ming looked at his youngest sister with affection. With a wave of his hand, the six artifacts glowed brightly.
They merged into a ball of golden energy and flew into Xuan Ming's body.
"What? Brother Xuan Ming, you devoured the baby? Why?
She's not a Golden Crow; she's just a little sparrow. She had nothing to do with that war and isn't a demon.
Why did you kill her? And what do you mean by resurrecting the other brothers and sisters?"
Upon learning that the baby had been devoured by Xuan Ming, Ming Yue's heart was pierced with pain. Although the baby called her sister, she was no different from her own child.
Furthermore, the information in Xuan Ming's words was overwhelming, and she couldn't understand it.
However, sensing the dangerous aura emanating from Xuan Ming, Ming Yue instinctively retreated and questioned him loudly.