Chapter 326: Chapter 326: Unexpected Incident
There are several ways to gain entry into the temple.

Becoming a Priest of the Moon is one way. This career is unique to Ancient Elves.

An upgraded version of the Priest class, it is a premium occupation that doesn’t require much evidence. All that is needed to become a Priest of the Moon is to complete the temple’s trial.

Alternatively, one can also become a Moon Guardian. This premium occupation can be pursued by both Hunters and warriors, although the promotion process is slightly different.

Knowing either a Priest of the Moon or a Moon Guardian and forming a team with them can also grant access to the temple.

The temple is renowned for its beautiful scenery, making it a popular gathering spot for friends and couples.

When Li Yao, a lone Hunter with a bow, walked in, other players who were entering the temple were taken aback. Despite their curiosity, they dared not approach due to the presence of the Moon Guardian by Li Yao’s side.

Without a sideways glance, Li Yao followed the Moon Guardian straight into a small temple.

“Esteemed Priestess, this young one has obtained a blueprint of the temple and wishes to receive the Moon God’s blessing, what do you think?” the Moon Guardian said with a reverent bow.

She turned her head slowly, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight, and replied, “Temple blueprints… it’s been years since we’ve had one. Let me see.”

After prostrating himself, Li Yao handed over the blueprints. Even up close, he couldn’t make out the figure shrouded in the hazy moonlight, but he could tell she was beautiful. Only female Ancient Elves could become Priestess of the Moon, just as only male elves could become Moon Guardians. This was a rule.

“I sense a touch of decay. The blueprint indeed needs to be purified and blessed,” the Priestess of the Moon said calmly. “Fortunately, your faith in the Moon God is unwavering, and you’ve brought it here. Otherwise, the temple you build might only communicate with the Ancient Gods or Blue Child.”

Li Yao rejoiced. He had merely used the blueprint as an excuse to access the temple; he didn’t expect it to have a problem. The priestess was its last resort.

“Good, you’ve done well. You may rest in the temple tonight. Only the most devout believers are allowed into the temple. You are free to choose a treehouse to your liking,” the Priestess of the Moon said dismissively. “You can come back for the blueprint tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Li Yao bowed, then left the small temple.

Now alone, Li Yao revealed a smirk. Now he had free rein, a perfect opportunity.

The temple was incredibly serene, giving off a fairy-like aura. Along the way, Li Yao saw many couples.

After a leisurely stroll, he took nearly two hours to find a suitable treehouse. It was situated high up a tree and was unoccupied. More importantly, it offered a direct view of Blue Moon Lakeside.

The lakeside was crowded with couples and patrolling Moon Guardians. The Moon God Lake was illuminated by a bright moon in the first half of the night. Around midnight, a vast amount of moon essence would scatter, causing the lake to exhibit a faint fog. That was when the temple received the daily blessings from the Moon God.

This blessing not only reinforced the temple but also nourished the entire semi-plane city.

Before the fog started to form, the Moon Guardians would disperse all the crowds, leaving only some Priests of the Moon and Moon Guardians to patrol and guard.

Meanwhile, Li Yao observed the situation at the lakeside and browsed the forum from his treehouse.

Li Yao chuckled when he saw the news that the Blue Moon Bow was sold. The forum’s players were gambling on when the new buyer would resell it.

Li Yao scoffed in amusement. They were likely to be disappointed; he planned on using the Blue Moon Bow for quite some time.

“Well done, you’ve successfully brought Wind Flower Snow Moon into the guild,” Li Jie’s message came through.

“Not really. Joining the guild was probably out of respect for Feng Yi. It won’t be easy to make her stay,” Li Yao replied with a frown. He found such women particularly difficult to deal with.

They had their own opinions, had been at the peak before, and most importantly, they were not in need of money. Li Yao could only hope that the environment at Starfire Guild would make her feel at home.

“Rest assured, I have absolute confidence in Starfire,” Li Jie’s message exuded confidence. “We have several older members, and some of the newcomers have great potential. Considering her situation, she won’t join a big guild, and after the previous incident, she probably won’t start her own guild or club. She’s pretty much left with finding a developing guild. In that aspect, which other guild can compare with ours?”

“Hopefully.” This matter was uncertain; who knew what she was really thinking.

“Just concentrate on exposing our guild more. Leave everything else to us. We cannot miss out on Wind Flower Snow Moon. She must stay.” Li Jie’s message was full of confidence. “By the way, your friend has mailed me those items. They conveniently fill some gaps in the guild’s supplies. It would be great if you could get some goods from the Light Faction after a while.”

“I’ll try my best.” Li Yao saw that the players had been dispersed, and the mystical fog had started to appear. He quickly replied, “That’s it for now. I’m going to start a task.”

“Alright, you do what you have to.” Li Jie ended the call.

Taking advantage of the light fog, Li Yao continued to observe the on-ground patrol situation.

Surprisingly, those performing patrol duties below were players.

Li Yao activated his passive ability in the treehouse, entering a stealth mode. But before he came close to the lake, he saw a regional announcement.

“Twin Moon Lake: An enemy from the Dark Camp has infiltrated the temple. All entrances and exits to the temple have been sealed. The intruder should be within the range of Twin Moon Lake. The Senior Priest has ordered all priests and guards on duty tonight to hunt down this person. Whoever captures and kills the intruder will receive a reward from the Senior Priest.”

Li Yao’s expression changed. While he knew the wanted individual wasn’t him, he couldn’t help but feel irritated.

Another player from the Dark Camp had infiltrated the temple without transforming and had been put on the wanted list.

Initially, Li Yao planned to evade the guards in the nature-made and scroll-created fog, then stealthily obtain the Water of Blue Moon Lake.

But now it didn’t seem as easy. However, since he’d already made it this far, Li Yao had no choice but to forge ahead. Once the blueprint was blessed tomorrow, it would be much harder for him to legitimately reenter the temple.

Li Yao quickly returned to his dwelling. Shortly after he got back to his treehouse, a Moon Guardian knocked on the door.

“Pardon the interruption, a rogue from the Dark Camp has infiltrated our grounds. Please be extra cautious,” The guardian reminded Li Yao as he entered, his hand firmly gripping his weapon as he took in the arrangement of the treehouse.

Li Yao pretended he hadn’t noticed and feigned surprise, “How bold! I might be of some help in finding them.”

The guardian gave a smile and said, “No need, it’s a minor trial the Senior Priestess has set for the new priests and guardians. We are only tasked with securing the temple and preventing his escape. We won’t take any other action.”

“I see. In that case, I’ll return to my rest,” replied Li Yao with a nod.

“Yes, sorry for the disturbance.” The guardian turned and left.

Li Yao closed the door again and watched as the guardian disappeared into the distance, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. “This journey just got a lot more interesting.”…