Face-Turn and Tear

Su Nuo's smile stiffened for a moment before quickly returning to normal. "Oh, that was just an old friend of mine passing through Notting City to visit me. Why does Grandmaster suddenly ask about this?"

"It's nothing, just asking." Zhu Shen smiled. "I just felt the aura on that person was a bit familiar, as if I had seen someone similar in the Soul Hunting Forest."

Su Nuo's eyes flickered. "Is that so? It must be a coincidence. Who did Grandmaster meet in the Soul Hunting Forest?"

"A few blind Evil Soul Masters; I took care of them."

Su Nuo's smile became somewhat strained. "Grandmaster has great skills. However, my old friend is just an ordinary merchant; he shouldn't have anything to do with Evil Soul Masters."

"That's good." Zhu Shen nodded. "If Dean Su notices anything unusual, remember to tell me. Evil Soul Masters are no small matter."

"Certainly, certainly." Su Nuo nodded repeatedly and turned to leave.

Zhu Shen watched his back and narrowed his eyes.

This old thing, his fox tail will show sooner or later.

That night, as Zhu Shen was calculating his next plan in his room, the system suddenly chimed.

[Triggered Opportunity Mission: Expose the mole in Notting Academy. Mission Requirements: Find evidence of Su Nuo's collusion with the Evil God Temple. Reward: One Ten-Thousand-Year God-Given Soul Ring, Evolution Points +100.]

[Mission Time Limit: Seven days.]

Zhu Shen's eyes lit up. A Ten-Thousand-Year God-Given Soul Ring—this was good stuff.

However, to investigate Su Nuo, he first had to find evidence. This old thing hid deep; asking directly definitely wouldn't work.

"San, are you asleep?"

Tang San's voice came from next door: "Not yet."

"Come over for a moment."

Tang San pushed the door open and entered, still holding a few needles he was polishing.

"Teacher, what is it?"

"Help me investigate someone." Zhu Shen lowered his voice. "Su Nuo, this dean has problems. I need to know who he has been in contact with lately, especially people wearing dark red clothes."

Tang San nodded. "Understood."

"Be careful, don't alert the enemy." Zhu Shen cautioned. "This old thing might have an Evil Soul Master backing him; you can't beat them right now."

"Don't worry, Teacher, I will be careful."

Tang San turned to leave after speaking, but Zhu Shen called him back: "Wait, take this soul bone."

He pulled the Ten-Year Lone Bamboo Left Leg Bone from his robes and handed it to Tang San.

Tang San felt a bit embarrassed. "Teacher, I already have four pieces..."

"One more doesn't hurt." Zhu Shen shoved the soul bone into his hands. "The sooner you collect all seven, the sooner you trigger the set effect. By then, even if you can't beat an Evil Soul Master, you'll be fast enough to run away."

Tang San's mouth twitched. He took the soul bone and went back to his room to absorb it.

Zhu Shen lay on the bed, running through recent events in his mind.

The Evil God Temple, Su Nuo, Lord Blood Shadow, the Notting City Black Market... there must be a connection between these things. His strength wasn't high enough yet; he had to raise his soul power first.

Thinking of this, Zhu Shen closed his eyes and began to circulate his soul power.

Early the next morning, Zhu Shen took the work-study students for training as usual.

After Tang San finished his laps, he quietly said to Zhu Shen: "Teacher, I saw the dean go out last night. At two in the morning, he left alone through the back door and headed toward the south side of the city."

"The south side?"

"Yes, it seems to be the slum area over there."

Zhu Shen thought for a moment. "Keep watching tonight; I'm going out to take a look."

"Teacher is going alone?"

"Don't worry, your teacher can fly now. Even if I can't beat them, can't I at least run away?"

Tang San wanted to say more but eventually just nodded.

The day's training proceeded as usual. Zhu Shen worked the work-study students to the point of exhaustion, but the results were obvious. In just three days, the physical fitness of these children had improved significantly, and a few had already begun to feel the rhythm of their soul power circulation.

At night, Zhu Shen waited until midnight, changed into night-travel clothes, and climbed out the window.

He spread his Dragon Wings and flew silently into the air, heading toward the south side of the city.

The south side of Notting City was indeed a slum, with dilapidated houses and narrow streets. Zhu Shen landed on a roof and observed his surroundings.

Soon, he noticed an abandoned warehouse. Two people stood at the entrance, wearing dark red clothes, dressed exactly like the three Evil Soul Masters in the Soul Hunting Forest.

Zhu Shen felt a surge of joy; he had found the place.

He approached quietly, landed on the rafters of the warehouse roof, and looked down through a hole.

A few oil lamps were lit inside the warehouse, casting dim light. A long table sat in the center, and on it rested a black box covered in twisted runes.

Su Nuo stood before the table with three other people. One of them was tall and wore a dark red cloak, with a hood obscuring his face.

"Lord Blood Shadow." Su Nuo's voice trembled slightly. "That Yu Xiaogang has already started to suspect me. Yesterday, he asked about you, saying he had seen our people in the Soul Hunting Forest."

Blood Shadow?

Zhu Shen held his breath, peering closely at the cloaked figure.

"Yu Xiaogang?" Blood Shadow's voice was low, as if squeezed from his throat. "That trash Grandmaster?"

"He isn't trash anymore." Su Nuo swallowed hard. "His Martial Soul evolved into a Golden Dragon. Furthermore, he possesses two ten-thousand-year soul rings; his strength is formidable. Yesterday, Xiao Wanshan brought three soul masters to cause trouble for him, and he drove them away in a single exchange."

Blood Shadow fell silent for a moment. "Interesting. Martial Soul evolution? That is rare indeed."

"My lord, what should we do?"

"No rush." Blood Shadow walked to the table and opened the black box. Inside lay a Dark Red Bead, radiating an evil aura. "How is the plan progressing?"

"It is nearly complete. We have collected twenty-three orphans from the city, and with those sent from outside, there are forty-seven in total. The blood and souls required for the ritual are sufficient."

Zhu Shen's pupils constricted.

Orphans? A ritual?

He recalled the Evil God Temple mentioned by the system earlier; these guys were truly dabbling in dark arts.

"Very good." Blood Shadow closed the box. "Three days from now, on the night of the full moon, we shall hold the ritual in the Soul Hunting Forest. We will drain these children of their blood to summon the projection of the Temple. Once successful, this continent will welcome a new order."

Su Nuo hesitated. "My lord, that Yu Xiaogang..."

"I will handle him." Blood Shadow's voice turned cold. "He is merely a four-ring Soul Ancestor; he cannot stir up any trouble. Just focus on your own tasks."

"Yes, yes." Su Nuo nodded repeatedly.

Listening from the rooftop, Zhu Shen felt his heart burning with rage.

Forty-seven children? Draining their blood? A ritual?

These Evil Soul Masters were truly scum.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. Charging down now would not be wise; Blood Shadow's strength was unknown, and the enemy had numbers—he might not win in a direct confrontation.

He had to return and plan carefully.

Zhu Shen rose quietly, preparing to leave, when his foot accidentally stepped on a loose tile.

Crack.

The sound was faint, but in the silence of the night, it was piercingly loud.

"Who?!" Blood Shadow snapped his head up, his gaze like lightning, staring straight at the roof.

Zhu Shen's heart sank as he unfurled his Dragon Wings, ready to flee.

A beam of dark red light shot out from the warehouse, aiming directly at him. Zhu Shen dodged to the side, and the light struck the roof, blasting a large hole with a thunderous boom.

"Trying to run?" Blood Shadow's voice came from behind.

Zhu Shen did not look back, flapping his wings with all his might and turning into a streak of golden light as he flew toward the city outskirts.

Behind him, Blood Shadow gave chase relentlessly. His speed was astonishing; stepping on a cloud of dark red mist, he closed the distance in just a few breaths.

"A four-ring Soul Ancestor dares to eavesdrop?" Blood Shadow sneered. "You're courting death!"

He waved his hand, and a dozen dark red light blades flew toward Zhu Shen.

Zhu Shen made a sharp turn in the air, narrowly avoiding them. However, one blade grazed his shoulder, tearing a gash. Blood surged out, and a burning pain radiated from the wound.

<strong>[System: Host detected corruption by evil energy. Automatically initiating purification... Purification complete.]</strong>

Zhu Shen breathed a sigh of relief; the system was reliable.

He glanced behind him; Blood Shadow was getting closer. This guy's speed was too fast; he couldn't shake him off.

Time to go all out!

Zhu Shen spun around in mid-air and released his Dragon God Martial Soul. Two purple and two black soul rings swirled around him as he unleashed his third soul skill, Dragon Might Intimidation, at full power.

An invisible pressure erupted from within Zhu Shen, crushing toward Blood Shadow like a physical force.

Blood Shadow's figure faltered, his speed slowing down.

"A bit interesting." There was a hint of surprise in Blood Shadow's voice. "But is that all you've got?"

He formed hand seals, and dark red light condensed in his palms, manifesting into a giant blood-colored wolf. The giant wolf opened its maw and lunged at Zhu Shen.

Zhu Shen dared not take the hit head-on and dodged to the side, but the giant wolf actually banked and continued its pursuit.

"It can track?"

Zhu Shen gritted his teeth, activating his first soul skill, Dragon Scale Possession, and his second soul skill, Dragon Claw Rending, simultaneously. Golden scales covered his entire body, his hands transformed into dragon claws, and he turned to face the blood-colored wolf.

"BOOM!"

The golden and dark red lights collided, erupting in a shockwave. Zhu Shen was sent flying backward, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

The blood-colored wolf shattered, dissipating into dark red specks of light.

Blood Shadow hovered in mid-air, looking at Zhu Shen with a playful tone. "Not bad, to be able to take one of my moves. Are you really Yu Xiaogang?"

"The one and only." Zhu Shen wiped the blood from his mouth. "What are you? From the Evil God Temple?"

Blood Shadow did not answer, merely staring at Zhu Shen for a moment. "Your Martial Soul... it's quite interesting. Dragon bloodline, and a pure one at that. No wonder you could purify my evil energy."

"What, are you afraid?"

"Afraid?" Blood Shadow laughed. "I'm just curious about how you came to possess such a bloodline. But it doesn't matter; once the ritual is complete, all the secrets on your body will belong to me."

After saying this, Blood Shadow turned and flew away, disappearing into the night.

Zhu Shen let out a sigh of relief, landed on the ground, and leaned against a tree to catch his breath.

That guy's strength was at least at the Soul Saint level, if not higher. He was simply no match for him right now.

He had to improve his strength quickly.

[Congratulations to the host for discovering the Evil God Temple's ritual plan. Hidden reward triggered: Evolution Points +50, one random Lone Bamboo Soul Bone.]

[Current Evolution Points: 110/100, Dragon God Bloodline purity can be upgraded. Upgrade?]

"Upgrade!"

Zhu Shen did not hesitate.

A surge of heat welled up from within his body, rushing through his meridians. His Dragon God Martial Soul released automatically, and the phantom of a Golden Dragon circled behind him, letting out a heaven-shaking dragon roar.

Zhu Shen felt his bones restructuring, his muscles being torn and reborn, and his blood boiling. His aura climbed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and his soul power soared all the way from level 40 to level 45.

[Bloodline purity increased to 40%. Dragon God Set effect enhanced. New Soul Skill added: Dragon Breath.]

[Dragon Breath: Exhale flames containing the pressure of the dragon race, dealing additional damage to targets with evil attributes.]

Zhu Shen opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

Refreshing!

He stood up and stretched his body, feeling filled with power.

Right, there was also a soul bone.

Zhu Shen looked at the system panel and discovered it was a Ten-Year Lone Bamboo Skull Bone.

"This thing is quite suitable for Tang San to use."

He put away the soul bone, spread his Dragon Wings, and flew toward Nuoding City.

When he returned to the academy, the sky was already beginning to brighten.

Tang San was still waiting in the room. Seeing Zhu Shen return, he let out a sigh of relief. "Teacher, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just had a fight with someone." Zhu Shen waved his hand and told Tang San about what he had discovered tonight.

After listening, Tang San's expression turned grim. "Forty-seven children? They want to use the children's blood for a ritual?"

"Correct," Zhu Shen said in a deep voice. "Three days from now, on the night of the full moon, in the Soul Hunting Forest."

"Teacher, we have to save them."

"Of course we have to save them." Zhu Shen patted his shoulder. "But we can't act recklessly. That Blood Shadow is very strong, at least at the Soul Saint level. I can't beat him right now."

Tang San frowned. "Then what should we do?"

"Find help." Zhu Shen thought for a moment. "Your father should still be nearby; I will go find him. Additionally, we must notify the people at the Nuoding City Spirit Hall. The Spirit Hall will not ignore the matter of an Evil Soul Master."

Tang San nodded. "And what about me?"

"You stay at the academy and keep an eye on Su Nuo. But remember, don't alert the enemy, and don't take any risks."

"Understood."

Zhu Shen stood up and stretched his limbs. "Alright, the sky is almost bright, you go get some sleep for a while. I'm going to find your father."

"Be careful, Teacher."

Zhu Shen nodded, pushed the door open, and disappeared into the night.

Tang San stood by the window, looking in the direction Zhu Shen had left, his eyes firm.

The teacher was carrying so much on his own; he could not be a burden.

He touched the needles hidden in his robes, turned back to his room, and began to sharpen them.