"This is a crystallized power left behind by the Nether Crystal Clan," Mu Xiaoxiao said reverently, stroking the crystal's surface. "It can help your pupil technique break through its limits."

Aya Ikegami unconsciously took a step forward. Something seemed to be calling to her from within the crystal, a frequency that acted directly on the depths of her brainstem, sending shivers down her spine yet strangely reassuring her.

"Come closer," Mu Xiaoxiao encouraged, "Put your hand on it."

The world collapsed the moment Aya Ikegami's fingertips touched the surface of the crystal.

She stood in a blue desert. Three suns hung in the sky, illuminating the sand like shattered diamonds. In the distance, a crystal city swayed in the heat, its architecture strikingly similar to the headquarters of the Moon Goddess.

"This was once the home planet of the Dark Crystal Clan."

Aya Ikegami turned around abruptly. The speaker was a semi-transparent blue figure with indistinct facial features, only a pair of silver-white eyes were clearly visible.

"Who are you?" Aya Ikegami instinctively assumed a defensive stance, only to find that her illusion magic was useless here.

"You can call me Moon Enchantress." The figure's voice resounded directly in his mind. "To be precise, I am the Moon Enchantress consciousness trapped within this crystal."

Aya Ikegami's moon-shaped pupils burned intensely. Through her pupil technique, she saw countless fine threads extending from behind the figure, connecting to a core within the crystal.

"Mu Xiaoxiao said this is from the Youjing Clan..."

"What a joke." Moon Demon sneered. "The Nether Crystal Clan did create these crystals, but they don't know that we've planted a seed of Moon Demon Clan consciousness within each one."

The surrounding scenery suddenly changed. Aya Ikegami saw the scene of the Crystal Clan's army sweeping across the stars—they were turning the beings of each planet into blue crystals and extracting their life essence. This included the home of the Moon Demon Clan.

"Unable to confront them head-on, we dispersed ourselves into countless fragments of consciousness, infiltrating the energy network of the Nether Crystal Clan." The Moon Spirit's figure began to flicker, "Waiting for the opportunity for revenge."

The scene shifted again. This time it was a holographic projection of Blue Star, marked with dozens of red dots.

"The Nether Crystal Clan is awakening. And Mu Xiaoxiao..." Yue Mei's voice suddenly twisted, "She doesn't serve the true Nether Crystal Clan, but..."

A powerful repulsive force suddenly struck. Aya Ikegami felt herself being abruptly pulled back to the real world; her fingers were still pressed against the surface of the crystal, but the inside of the crystal had become a raging vortex.

"It seems your talent is even greater than I imagined." Mu Xiaoxiao looked at her thoughtfully, "You were able to trigger deep resonance in the crystal on your very first contact."

Aya Ikegami, enduring a headache, withdrew her hand: "I saw... the memories of the Ghost Crystal Clan."

"Really?" Mu Xiaoxiao's smile was somewhat subtle. "That's good. For the next three months, you'll need to come here to meditate every day. The energy within the crystal will gradually transform your Moon Eyes."

As she left the hall, Aya Ikegami couldn't help but glance back. A flash of silver light seemed to pass through the depths of the crystal, like a silent warning.

The cold touch of the crystal had become a daily ritual for Aya Ikegami. By the thirty-second time she placed her palm on the blue crystal, she was able to calmly cope with the initial tearing pain.

"Relax, let the energy flow into your eyes," Mu Xiaoxiao's voice came from behind. "The transformation should be complete today."

Aya Ikegami nodded gently, her silver-white hair falling on either side of her face. Over the past month, her hair color had gradually lightened, now almost the same color as the moonlight. The most noticeable change was in her eyes, which were gradually losing all their impurities—the irises were turning a pure silver-white, and the pupils were shrinking to a thin line, like a crescent moon.

Energy surged from the crystal like a tidal wave. Aya Ikegami gritted her teeth, feeling the chill rush through her meridians to her eyes. The intense pain made her vision go black, but soon, an unprecedented clarity replaced the pain.

She opened her eyes, and the world had changed.

The walls of the laboratory became translucent in her eyes, revealing the energy pipelines flowing inside; Mu Xiaoxiao was shrouded in a strange blue mist, traces of the Nether Crystal Clan's energy; but most astonishing was the crystal itself—in Yue Tong's vision, countless silver threads coiled within it, forming a complex symbol.

(The Mark of the Moon Demon Clan!)

Suppressing her shock, Aya Ikegami pretended to examine her palm. She had long noticed that after each contact with the crystal, Mu Xiaoxiao would ask her in detail about the illusions she saw, but would never mention the silver threads. This convinced her that Mu Xiaoxiao couldn't see these markings at all.

"How is it?" Mu Xiaoxiao approached, her fingers tracing Chi Shangling's cheek. "Has the Moon Eye formed yet?"

Aya Ikegami looked up, deliberately letting the silver light shimmer in her eyes: "It seems... a little different."

Mu Xiaoxiao smiled with satisfaction: "Very good. As expected, the energy of the Nether Crystal Clan has awakened your Moon Eyes." She turned and fetched a mirror. "Look at your new eyes."

The girl in the mirror was so unfamiliar that it made Aya Ikegami's heart pound. Those silver-white eyes lacked any human warmth, yet contained a power that saw through all illusion. She blinked, her pupils contracting and dilating like a feline's.

"From today onwards, you must learn to control this ability." Mu Xiaoxiao put away the mirror. "We don't have much time left."

For the next period of time, Mu Xiaoxiao took Chi Shangling to various secret locations. Each location had a similar blue crystal device, and without exception, they all contained silver markings in Yue Tong's vision. Chi Shangling silently memorized these locations while pretending to be completely obedient to Mu Xiaoxiao.

In an underground facility in Hokkaido, Aya Ikegami finally witnessed the complete truth. When she touched the largest crystal, the consciousness of the Moon Demon spoke directly to her:

"It seems you have fully awakened. Now I will tell you the secret of the Nether Crystal Clan," said the illusion of the Moon Demon Clan. "Our Moon Demon Clan and the Nether Crystal Clan were originally a community of shared interests, but one day, something changed."

Then, it summoned an illusion.

In her hallucination, Aya Ikegami witnessed a bloody coup—in a palace made of blue crystals, a smaller member of the Ghost Crystal Clan attacked their king, devoured his consciousness, and then impersonated royalty to issue orders. The true Ghost Crystal Clan royalty, however, were originally a moderate faction that coexisted peacefully with the Moon Demon Clan.

"We need you." Moon Enchantress's voice was filled with madness. "When that traitor is fully awakened, use Moon Eyes to see through his disguise and then destroy him. In this way, our Moon Enchantress clan can directly descend upon Blue Star, and you will become the Holy Maiden of our Moon Enchantress clan."

When the hallucination ended, Aya Ikegami was drenched in cold sweat. Mu Xiaoxiao thought she was just too tired lately, so she considerately let her rest for a day.