Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

"The Nuwa Clan? Are you one of the top hundred demon bloodlines?"

Ming Yue asked aloud, facing this mystical clan directly. 

"Top hundred demon bloodlines? I suppose you can consider us that. The purpose of our clan is to help bring life back to the world after the end of a cycle. By gathering the life energy around us, it is stored within this tree, nurtured before being sent through its roots", the spirit explained.

"And you are the spirit of this tree?" she asked. 

There was a brief pause before the spirit spoke. 

"You could say that. In truth, I am the collective thought of the entire Nuwa Clan. Those that are here and those that have passed long ago, Their selves are pulled into the tree, coalescing into myself."

"That's just like-"

"-the Idol of Chaos."

As Xuan Yin spoke, Ming Yue finished the line. Indeed, it seemed similar to that very being. whose will was formed with hundreds of Hundun Clan members. But upon the mention of it, the air grew very still. 

"The Idol of Chaos? So the Hundun Clan has managed to successfully create their champion?" the spirit said.

Ming Yue looked at the tree in surprise.

"You know about them?!"

"Of course, we're mortal enemies with the Hundun Clan."

Just like that, the spirit replied with such a nonchalant tone. 

"I- wha- can you explain, please?" Xuan Yin sputtered before asking, trying to absorb what she had just heard.

"I could but it would take a bit to explain. Are you not pressed for time?" the spirit asked. 

The eyes of both cultivators widened as they remembered their original purpose for coming here. 

"Right, we need to collect more medicinal herbs!" Xuan Yin blurted out. 

Ming Yue knew just as well but she was also incredibly curious. It had been quite some time since she had let her curiosity come loose. Not to mention an opportunity such as this? It was far too good to pass up. 

But an idea soon appeared in her mind.

"Would it be possible to have an exchange with you?" she asked. 

"An exchange, you say? What sort of exchange would this be?"

The spirit was curious as was the rest of the clan, whose eyes were all on her. 

"I will let you take some of the energy from my ring in exchange for the medicinal plants growing around you", she said. 

Once said, the fairies all started to flutter with excitement! With the Eternal Heart Ring exuding such pure life energy, they could not help themselves. But only the spirit could have the final say. 

Ming Yue waited for an answer to which the spirit reformed, stepping forward with her hand out. 

"The Nuwa Clan will accept this. We will take enough to match this amount of herbs, this is the most we can spare."

Moving her arm to the side, she raised her hand up, causing a giant bush to grow. As it grew to its full size, matching that of a large cow, numerous colorful flowers and berries sprouted from its leaves. 

Both cultivators walked up to it, each plucking a flower or a fruit from it only to see another one sprout in its place. 

"This bush will provide you all of the herbs that we are willing to exchange with. It is grown from the collective power of our realm." 

"I see. Then, here is the ring."

Ming Yue took the Eternal Heart Ring off of her finger and gave it to the spirit. Holding it with both hands, the spirit walked towards the tree and inserted the ring into one of the many crevices. 

"Once we have drawn the energy needed for this, we will return the ring to you", the spirit said. 

They nodded before going on to harvest the herbs from this bush. During this time, Ming Yue sought to ask questions about the Nuwa Clan. After all, with this exchange, she did not have to leave this realm to search for herbs in the Primeval Forest. Now, she had plenty of time to learn more and the spirit responded in kind, answering all of her inquiries. 

"Have you always been here? On this continent, by the lake?" she asked. 

"No, the Nuwa Clan moves around as we are tied to another being. Wherever they go, then we will go. After all, our purpose is the same as their's to revitalize the lands."

"Your purpose? Then does that mean the being you are all tied to is the World Serpent, Yin Bing?"

The spirit's eyes widened with a bit of surprise as Ming Yue mentioned the serpent. 

"Yes, it is the World Serpent but how do you know such a thing?"

She then explained her connection with the serpent to the spirit, who listened very closely. 

"I didn't think there would be such an occurrence. Perhaps, it is fate or luck that brought you to us", said the spirit. 

"I suppose so... What can you tell us about the Hundun Clan?"

This Ming Yue wanted to know. With the Hundun Clan coming for them at any time, any information about them would be good to know. 

"The Hundun Clan? This we would have to start from the beginning. Of course, it shouldn't take too long to explain." 

The spirit then broke down into the branches, forming a small sphere.

"In the beginning, only chaos reigned and from that chaos, stability and peace were born. From there, more and more things were born from either side, from the laws of our world to the beings that tread upon them. The first to walk these lands and explore the skies are known as the Primordials. There were few but each and every one of them was incomparably powerful."

As the spirit explained, the sphere turned into various figures, whose features varied from wings to numerous arms and other things. Each of them was vastly different from the last, going as far as even exuding a different aura. 

"However, these Primordials, as powerful as they were, all of them had perished, battling each other to the death. And in their wake were their descendants, each primordial gave rise to a race or a clan if you want to call it. Even for humans like yourselves, you all originated from a Primordial. And for the Hundun Clan and the Nuwa Clan, we came from a pair of primordials who had fought each other from the very beginning. That conflict has passed on to us as clans."

It then changed to two figures clashing with each other. 

One was a four arms figure with four wings on their back, each arm carried a cleaver large enough to cut his enemy in half. The other was closer to a woman, one resembling the spirit herself. Unlike the other, she had a single pair of wings that looked like the fairie's wings. On top of that, her weapon was a simple sword. 

"The Hundun Clan seeks to destroy while the Nuwa Clan is the opposite, looking to rejuvenate and revive. Strangely enough, our forms are quite similar."

The roots shifted once more as the figures of the two primordials shifted to that of what their descendants looked like. The Nuwa Clan were chubby and cute.* And the Hundun Clan, while similar in size, their form was completely different. 

They were thinner and lanky with much sharper wings, matching the shape of lightning. 

"When they make their move, we are to make ours, to stop them and to fix what they had destroyed." 

Both Ming Yue and Xuan Yin looked closely at the figure of the Hundun Clan member, studying it closely. 

"Is that what they look like?" Xuan Yin asked.

The roots then broke apart before reforming back into the spirit's form. She looked at them and nodded,

"Yes, their appearance is largely obscured by the aura of lightning they cover themselves in."

Hearing this confirmation, Xuan Yin and Ming Yue looked at each other with a bit of excitement. 

"This information would be incredible for the two commanders! With this, we might be able to defend against the Hundun Clan?"

Once Xuan Yin spoke those words, the spirit burrowed her brows. 

"What do you mean, defend against the Hundun Clan?"