Chasing The Moon (Moonlight Mystique) - Chapter 89-Final Chapter

Chapter 89

How had she never noticed before?

Her great demon—so powerful, so invincible—could still be hurt.

“Fan Yue, my feelings for Chong Zhao have only ever been that of family. In this lifetime, I have only ever loved one person, and that person is you.”

Fan Yue was momentarily stunned.

Then, he smiled.

Never before had the Master of Haoyue palace smiled so joyously.

He lifted his chin proudly.

“Of course, I already knew that.”

He coughed lightly and added, “Don’t worry. Chong Zhao is not a devil, and I have no reason to return to Purple Moon Mountain. If he wants to be the Demon Emperor, I’ll let him have it.”

Joy flashed in Bai Shuo’s eyes.

With a loud “smooch”, she planted a kiss on Fan Yue’s cheek.

“Big demon, you’re the best!”

Fan Yue was stunned for only a moment before he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply, possessively.

As the sun set, Fan Yue stepped out of the hall—only to find Hua Hong waiting outside.

“Master, are you really going to forfeit the battle for  Purple Moon Mountain?”

Hua Hong’s face was filled with worry.

“My decision is final.”

Fan Yue didn’t intend to explain further and turned to leave.

“If you don’t obtain the final piece of  Bodhi Wood, even with the Gathering Demon Banner, you’ll only have one year left to live.”

For the first time, Hua Hong dared to overstep, blocking Fan Yue’s path.

“Hua Hong!”

Fan Yue’s gaze darkened, a warning in his eyes.

“Why did you deceive Bai Shuo? The Gathering Demon Banner can’t dispel the Soul-Suppressing Fire in your body! If you die in a year, what will happen to her?”

“At least this way, I still have a year to be with her. If I obtain the last piece of Bodhi Wood, the world will no longer have the Master of the Haoyue Palace.”

Fan Yue spoke coldly.

Hua Hong was confused.

“Your divine body is reforming—clearly, you’re alive. How could that…?”

“Because I was never Bodhi Wood.”

The revelation struck like a thunderclap, leaving Hua Hong frozen in shock.

“The Gathering Demon Banner was formed from the Demon God’s primordial power. Do you think anyone in this world could truly restore it?”

Hua Hong was completely stunned.

After a long silence, she murmured, “Master… are you saying… you are…”

“The Demon God Tianqi.”

A trace of exhaustion flickered across Fan Yue’s face.

“Hua Hong, the power of a true god can move mountains and seas. Do you really think my mere demigod consciousness could resist the will of the Demon God? Tianqi has searched for the Goddess Yue Mi for a thousand years—his heart is bound to her. If the Demon God returns, Bai Shuo to him would be nothing more than dust beneath his feet. I…”

Fan Yue let out a long sigh.

“I can’t afford to gamble. As long as I can stay with her, even if only for a day or an hour, I will. Even if I die, I will never allow anyone to abandon or harm her—not even the True Gods of Heaven and Earth.”

Hua Hong fell silent as Fan Yue stepped away.

Neither of them noticed Bai Shuo standing behind the corridor, holding a plate of pastries, her face already streaked with tears.

The last piece of Bodhi Wood that Fan Yue sought lay sealed within Purple Moon Mountain.

Only the new demon emperor could break the barrier and step into Purple Moon Mountain.

And only by becoming the demon emperor could Fan Yue survive.

In the small medicinal garden of the Piaomiao island in the Eastern Sea, Bai Shuo sat beneath a tree, hugging her knees. As the wind stirred, a figure emerged from the shadows beneath the tree.

Bai Shuo didn’t need to look up to know who it was.

“You wanted to see me.”

“Ah Zhao.”

Bai Shuo stood up and turned to face Chong Zhao.

Since their parting at Phoenix Island, every meeting between them had been fraught with tension.

It had been a long time since they had stood together like this, speaking peacefully.

“I…” Bai Shuo’s lips moved, but before she could speak, Chong Zhao had already spoken.

“Zhen Yu once saved my life, yet he fell at Fan Yue’s hands,” Chong Zhao said as he gently pushed Bai Shuo’s hand away.

“Ah Shuo, in this battle, I can die, but I cannot retreat.”

As his words settled, he lightly tapped Bai Shuo’s forehead.

Her vision went black, and she collapsed.

Chong Zhao caught her in his arms. Just then, a streak of light flashed across the sky and landed beneath the tree—it was Fan Yue.

Seeing Bai Shuo unconscious in Chong Zhao’s arms, Fan Yue’s expression darkened.

Before he could speak, Chong Zhao tossed Bai Shuo toward him.

Fan Yue swiftly caught her.

“What did you do?” Fan Yue demanded.

“She came to ask me to put down my weapons and not fight you,” Chong Zhao replied coolly.

Fan Yue frowned.

“What happens between you and me has nothing to do with her. I will not go to Purple Moon Mountain.”

He turned to leave, but Chong Zhao’s voice rang out behind him.

“Fan Yue, I’ve always wondered—if the day came when only one of us could live, who would she choose?”

Fan Yue’s brows furrowed as he turned back.

He saw thick black mist rising from Chong Zhao’s body, and his expression changed drastically.

“Have you become a devil? Why choose this path?”

“And so what if I am a devil? You are a demon, aren’t you also deemed a vile being by the immortal clan? Only the strong walk the righteous path. If you do not come, I, the true lord, will unify the demon clan and lead them to slaughter the Nine Heavens, overturning this world!”

Chong Zhao transformed into a shadow, slowly vanishing, mocking as he spoke.

“Perhaps she has feelings for you now, but don’t forget, I grew up with her. We lived and died together, our fates entwined. When it comes to a choice between life and death, she may not choose you.”

As the black mist dissipated, Fan Yue’s gaze turned cold.

Fan Yue carried Bai Shuo back to the Haoyue Palace.

Hua Hong rushed over and, seeing Bai Shuo unconscious, asked, “What happened to Little Bai?”

“She’s fine. I injected divine power into her spiritual core, causing her to fall into a deep sleep.”

“Why put her to sleep?”

“She already knows everything.”

Fan Yue lowered his eyes.

“She went to see Chong Zhao and asked him to withdraw from the contest for the Demon Emperor.”

Hua Hong let out a sigh of relief instead: “This is actually good. If you ask me, forget about becoming a demon god for now; surviving is the real way. With Chong Zhao and her bond, he won’t refuse a little half-immortal…”

“This battle, I will not hold back. Chong Zhao must die.” Fan Yue spoke coldly.

“Why? If you truly kill Chong Zhao, Bai Shuo will never forgive you.”

“He has already become a devil.”

Hua Hong was stunned: “What?”

“He harbors a deep hatred for the immortal clan. Once he becomes the Demon Emperor, not only the demon clan, but the entire Three Realms will face catastrophe again. Whether I am the master of Haoyue Palace or a demon god, I cannot allow such a thing to happen.”

Fan Yue turned his gaze toward the full moon in the sky.

“After all, the peace of this world was bought with her life.”

Hua Hong fell silent, her eyes cast downward as she gazed at the sleeping Bai Shuo on the bed, letting out a deep sigh.

In the blink of an eye, the day of the Demon Emperor contest arrived, and Bai Shuo remained in deep sleep.

Fan Yue stayed by Bai Shuo’s side throughout the night.

When he stepped out of the palace doors, the sky had already brightened.

“Palace Master, are you truly going to let her stay asleep like this?”

Hua Hong couldn’t help but speak out from outside the door.

Chong Zhao had become a devil and was now demigod.

The battle today was fraught with danger.

No matter the outcome, it would be too much for Bai Shuo to bear.

“If I didn’t return, erase her memories of becoming an immortal and send her back to the mortal realm.”

Fan Yue spoke indifferently, casting one last glance at the hall before turning to head toward Purple Moon Mountain.

“Palace Master!

The Demon Emperor contest is under the gaze of the Three Realms, but when two demigods fight, they can destroy heaven and earth.

Three days have passed, and divine power is surging outside Purple Mountain. The demons have gathered within a hundred miles of the mountain, waiting for the result, but they do not dare approach.”

Bai Shuo remained in a deep sleep within the Haoyue Palace.

The night wind suddenly rose, and a figure appeared by Bai Shuo’s bedside.

It was Fu Ling. She moved her palm, summoning a faint black light.

Hesitating, she looked at the sleeping Bai Shuo.

A memory flashed in Fu Ling’s eyes.

In the Cold Spring Palace, Zhen Yu handed a strand of devil energy to Fu Ling.

“Chong Zhao has already become a devil, and heaven and earth seek his destruction. Whether he lives or dies depends entirely on your choice.”

Fu Ling took a deep breath, no longer hesitating, and poured the black light into Bai Shuo’s spiritual core.

Deep within Bai Shuo’s spiritual core, a deeply hidden strand of black energy merged with the black light.

Bai Shuo’s eyes snapped open, and the black energy retreated even further into the depths of her gaze.

Bai Shuo suddenly sat up from the bed, feeling as if she had been asleep for a long time.

“You’re awake.”

A familiar voice sounded. Bai Shuo turned her head and saw Fu Ling, stunned.

“Fu Ling? How did you get here?”

Bai Shuo looked around and murmured, “Wasn’t I at the Piaomiao? How did I return to Haoyue…?”

“You’ve been asleep for a month.”

Fu Ling spoke.

“A month!”

Bai Shuo’s face changed.

“The big demon…”

“They are already at Purple Moon Mountain. The Demon Emperor contest began three days ago.”

Fu Ling lowered her head and looked at Bai Shuo.

“This battle will be a fight to the death. You don’t want either of them to fall, do you? Bai Shuo, only you can stop them.”

Before Fu Ling could say more, Bai Shuo transformed into a streak of light and headed straight toward Purple Moon Mountain.

Inside the palace, Fu Ling watched Bai Shuo disappear, her expression complicated.

“Bai Shuo, don’t blame me. You have someone you need to protect, but all I want is for Chong Zhao to live.”

Above Purple Moon Mountain, two divine powers, one black and one red, intertwined, and two figures landed simultaneously at the mountaintop.

Chong Zhao and Fan Yue both coughed up blood from the corners of their mouths, staring heavily at each other.

“I didn’t expect, in just a few days, you have already reached the peak of demigod.”

Fan Yue slowly stood up.

“It seems you really did swallow Zhen Yu’s divine soul.”

“The Master of Haoyue Palace is nothing special,” Chong Zhao sneered, letting out a long roar.

His demon blade grew several times in size as he leaped again.

The sword and blade clashed in mid-air, their immense divine powers colliding.

Dark clouds covered the sky above Purple Moon Mountain, and the earth shook violently.

At that moment, a faint immortal light flew directly into Purple Mountain, cutting through the intertwined divine forces.

“Stop!”

A figure in white flew in, holding an immortal sword as she landed between the two, attempting to separate them.

However, the immortal energy was too weak and was instead repelled by the divine forces.

Both Chong Zhao and Fan Yue’s expressions changed simultaneously.

Fan Yue raised his hand and sent a surge of divine power to catch the falling Bai Shuo, creating a barrier to keep her at a distance.

In that moment, the demon blade seized the opportunity, leaving a blood mark on Fan Yue’s shoulder.

“Big demon!”

Bai Shuo’s heart tightened, and she tried to break through the barrier, but Fan Yue added another layer of divine power to reinforce it.

“Don’t come near!” Fan Yue shouted angrily.

Chong Zhao paused his attack and silently hovered in the air.

“Ah Shuo, in this battle, you cannot stop it.”

Bai Shuo stared at Chong Zhao, whose body was surrounded by dark, swirling energy, unable to believe what she was seeing.

“You’ve cultivated the devil body? Ah Zhao, how could you be so foolish!”

“When I was an immortal, could the Three Realms truly accommodate me? Since heaven and earth reject me, what difference does it make if I become a devil?”

Chong Zhao spoke coldly, his gaze shifting to Bai Shuo.

The last trace of warmth flickered in his eyes.

“We’ve reached this point… I want to ask you, who do you want to live?”

Fan Yue also looked at Bai Shuo.

Inside the barrier, Bai Shuo’s eyes turned red as she looked at the two critically injured men.

“Why does one of you have to die? Isn’t living good enough? What nonsense Demon Emperor’s throne, what immortals demons, what Three Realms’ paths! Why does it have to be a fight to the death?”

Bai Shuo was furious, hitting the barrier with all her strength.

“Let me out!”

But Chong Zhao’s eyes showed a hint of a smile.

“At this point, only you seem to think my life is worth living, and that’s enough. Whether I live or die today, whether I win or lose, coming to this world has been worthwhile.”

Chong Zhao gripped his curved blade and walked toward Fan Yue.

“Master of Haoyue Palace, fight me!”

Chong Zhao’s voice echoed through the heavens, and the demon blade grew several meters long, rushing straight toward Fan Yue.

“Fight!” Fan Yue responded, rising to meet the challenge.

His weapon clashed against the demon blade in mid-air, their divine powers colliding.

The curved blade and long sword cracked and shattered from the impact.

Though Chong Zhao had entered the demigod realm, he had done so only recently, and even with Zhen Yu’s divine soul, his spiritual core still wavered, on the verge of breaking apart.

Fan Yue’s eyes flashed with a sharp light.

His sword stabbed forward, shattering the demon blade, heading straight for Chong Zhao’s forehead.

Red divine light illuminated the sky, and as the sword drew nearer, Chong Zhao showed no fear in his eyes.

Instead, he revealed a hint of resignation.

Whether he won or lost today, he had already given his all. Life or death no longer mattered. He was merely a mortal in this vast world, yet he had once stood at the pinnacle of the Three Realms and walked this path alongside Bai Shuo.

His journey had not been in vain.

Ah Shuo, if I die today, you will remember me for many years to come… won’t you?

Chong Zhao slowly closed his eyes.

A dazzling divine light flashed, yet the expected shattering of his soul never came.

Chong Zhao opened his eyes—what he saw was beyond belief.

A long sword had pierced through Fan Yue’s chest.

Suspended in midair, Fan Yue was equally stunned.

He slowly turned his head, his gaze meeting a pair of cold, emotionless eyes.

“No one can hurt Ah Zhao.”

Behind him, Bai Shuo stood with the sword in hand, her voice icy.

The immortal sword she wielded was forged from the half of Fan Yue’s spiritual essence that he had once given her. The only weapon in the world that could wound him was one he had personally gifted away.

The person who struck him down was Bai Shuo—the one for whom he had willingly given up his divine throne, sacrificing his life and memories.

Blood dripped from his chest, each drop vivid and heavy.

Countless words seemed to linger in Fan Yue’s eyes.

He slowly reached out toward Bai Shuo’s face, but the moment his fingertips brushed against her, his body began to turn transparent, little by little.

Just then, the coldness faded from Bai Shuo’s eyes.

The dark energy at the center of her forehead vanished.

As she looked down at the immortal sword in her own hands, her face filled with disbelief.

“So in the end, the one you chose… wasn’t me.”

Fan Yue let out a loud, bitter laugh, tears of blood streaming from his eyes, filled with boundless sorrow.

“Big Demon!”

A voice filled with unbearable grief echoed across the mountaintop.

Bai Shuo rushed toward Fan Yue, but his body was already fading, turning into dust before her very eyes.

In Bai Shuo’s vision, all that remained were Fan Yue’s silent, self-mocking eyes, steeped in the deepest sorrow.

She stood dazed atop the mountain peak, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

She had actually… killed Fan Yue with her own hands.

As if her very soul had shattered, Bai Shuo lost all will to live.

Without hesitation, she turned the sword in her hands and thrust it into her own chest.

“Ah Shuo, no!”

Chong Zhao lunged to stop her, but he was too late.

Blood gushed from Bai Shuo’s lips as she fell toward the ground.

Chong Zhao flew forward, catching her tightly in his arms.

At the very moment of Fan Yue’s death, the barrier around Purple Moon Mountain shattered.

The devil energy Chong Zhao had suppressed could no longer be concealed, and countless immortals lights surged from the immortal Realm.

“Chong Zhao! The people from the Nine Heaven are here! The barrier of Purple Moon Mountain is broken! You must go now—open the Nine Nether Purgatory! Only the return of the Devil God can save you!”

Fu Ling appeared in a flash, her voice urgent.

But Chong Zhao only held Bai Shuo tighter, his focus solely on the dying woman in his arms.

“Why? Why would you do this?”

“Ah Zhao, Master gave his life so you could live—not so you would live for hatred. This is my final wish as well.”

Bai Shuo suddenly grasped Chong Zhao’s hand, pouring all the spiritual essence that Fan Yue had once gifted her into Chong Zhao’s spiritual core.

A surge of devil energy erupted from Chong Zhao’s core, sending him into unbearable agony.

Fu Ling tried to intervene, but the overwhelming divine light forced her back.

Bit by bit, the evil energy was stripped from Chong Zhao’s body.

Within moments, the devil energy around him had vanished, and clarity returned to his eyes.

But in his arms, Bai Shuo was covered in blood.

When the immortals finally arrived at Purple Moon Mountain, they saw  Chong Zhao free of devil energy—and a Bai Shuo on the verge of fading away.

“Ah Shuo… Ah Shuo…”

Chong Zhao clutched her in terror, desperately channeling his spiritual energy into her core, but Bai Shuo’s life force was already extinguished.

“It’s no use, Ah Zhao… my spirit core is broken.”

Bai Shuo smiled faintly, warmth and nostalgia filling her gaze.

“I miss my parents and Ah Xi… Take me home, will you?”

Chong Zhao nodded, holding her tightly in his arms.

“Chong Zhao!”

Fu Ling called out to him from behind, but he did not seem to hear.

Holding Bai Shuo in his arms, he walked step by step away from the mountain peak.

Among the immortals, some wanted to stop him, but Jinyao raised a hand to prevent them.

“Let him go. The devil energy in him has been purged.”

Chong Zhao glanced down at Bai Shuo, then transformed into a streak of light, descending toward the mortal realm.

Fu Ling, overwhelmed with grief, tried to chase after him, but Jinyao sealed her in place with a beam of immortal light.

“Child, don’t make another mistake. You cannot keep him here.”

Fu Ling let out a bitter laugh and fell to her knees.

One day in the heavens was a year in the mortal world.

Time moved on, dynasties rose and fell, and the world changed beyond recognition.

Chong Zhao carried Bai Shuo to the Bai family’s ancestral graves.

Bai Shuo seemed to have long anticipated this outcome.

Her eyes held sorrow, but also deep guilt.

Summoning the last of her strength, she stood up and poured three cups of wine before her family’s graves, then bowed three times.

Finally, she leaned against Bai Xun’s tombstone.

“Father, I’m home.”

Bai Shuo’s vision blurred, and she could barely see anymore.

In a daze, she seemed to see Bai Xun standing before her, asking gently, “Child, have you ascended to immortality?”

“My heart was never steadfast, I fell into demonhood… Father, I still failed. I’ve shamed you.”

“What does it matter?” Bai Xun sighed softly, placing a warm hand on her forehead.

“Whether mortal or immortal, you will always be my child.”

“Father, I’m coming to join you, to be with Mother and Ah Xi.”

Bai Shuo felt the warmth of his touch, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

She lay in Chong Zhao’s arms and slowly closed her eyes.

Chong Zhao gently caressed her forehead, watching as she faded away, bit by bit, in his embrace.

Finally, a single tear slipped from his eye.

The battle of Purple Moon Mountain left heaven and earth in silence.

Two demigods had clashed.

The Master of Haoyue Palace had fallen.

The Master of Cold Spring Palace, Chong Zhao, had disappeared without a trace.

With Chang Mei as the only remaining demigod of the demon clan, she became the new Demon Emperor.

Peace and tranquility returned to the realms of the immortals and demons.

*****

In the god realm’s Star-Picking Pavilion, Shanggu looked toward the goddess sitting not far away and could not help but advise her.

“Are you really leaving? Won’t you see him one last time?”

“There’s no need. I once fell because of him, dissipating for tens of thousands of years. And in the end, he died by my sword. Between us, all debts are settled. The life of a god is long—why dwell on the past?”

Shanggu let out a soft sigh.

“This was the tribulation written in your fate. Only by enduring it could you return to your divine position. Perhaps… I shouldn’t have let it unfold.”

Yet, Yue Mi merely smiled faintly.

“You are the Primordial Lord of Chaos—you must uphold the laws of heaven.”

She rose and walked toward the gates of the god realm.

Just as she was about to step through, she hesitated and turned back.

“Shanggu, if becoming Bai Shuo was my tribulation… perhaps it wasn’t so bad after all.”

Shanggu was momentarily stunned.

Before she could respond, Yue Mi had already transformed into a streak of divine light and left the realm of the gods.

As divine power rippled through the air, Tianqi appeared.

Seeing that only Shanggu remained and sensing that the distant divine presence of Moon star goddess had vanished, he gave a bitter smile filled with sorrow.

“In the end… she still refuses to see me.”

“Not necessarily.”

Shanggu suddenly spoke.

“Just now, she said… becoming Bai Shuo wasn’t so bad after all.”

Tianqi was momentarily stunned, but then a sudden brightness returned to his eyes.

“You have searched for her for tens of thousands of years. Now that she has finally returned, are you really going to give up again?”

Tianqi turned around and began to leave.

“Where are you going?”

“To the lower realm.”

“That’s the direction of your divine palace.”

“The three carts of wine in my palace… they’ve been waiting for their owner for a very, very long time.”

With a smile, Tianqi vanished from sight.

Shanggu burst into laughter and leaned back into a familiar embrace.

“With Yue Mi’s temperament, Tianqi is bound to suffer a little.”

Looking up, she met a pair of warm, smiling eyes.

The two of them exchanged a glance, and at last, tens of thousands of years of worry faded away.

As time flowed on, countless years passed once more.

Yue Mi walked through the bustling streets of Nanhai City, gazing at the familiar yet distant scenery, an inexplicable sense of nostalgia welling up in her heart.

“Lady, would you like a fortune reading?”

She turned her head and met a pair of eyes that had accompanied her for tens of thousands of years.

“Can you divine the whereabouts of someone?”

“Of course.”

Tianqi’s eyes carried a smile as he swirled the wine jar in his hand.

“Wind and thunder bring fortune, withered trees bloom anew. An auspicious sign. The one you seek—no matter how long it takes—you will meet again.”

【The End】

(T/N: Huhu…finally…I managed to complete this novel…actually I prefer this ending compared to the drama ending because Chong Zhao, Fuling, the little fox, and Tianhuo died…huhu…)