Night of the Full Moon

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the evening before the night of the full moon, Zhu Shen called the work-study students to the open field.

"You have a day off tomorrow, so get some good rest." Zhu Shen looked at the nine children before him. "Wang Sheng, take everyone to the eastern outskirts of the city for a picnic. I'll cover the costs."

Wang Sheng's eyes widened. "A picnic? Teacher, we still have training!"

"Training can wait for one day." Zhu Shen pulled a small pouch from his robe containing a dozen silver soul coins. "Buy some meat, buy some vegetables, and find a safe place to start a fire and cook. Remember, do not go to the south of the city."

The children's eyes lit up. For work-study students like them, being able to eat a meal with meat was the greatest happiness imaginable.

Xiao Lian asked timidly, "Teacher... are you not coming?"

"I have matters to attend to." Zhu Shen patted her head. "You all have fun. Be back for training at six o'clock the day after tomorrow, sharp. Whoever is late will run twenty laps."

The children replied in unison, "Yes!"

After the children dispersed, Zhu Shen returned to the dormitory. Tang San had already packed his gear and was sitting on the edge of his bed, polishing a few needles he had just finished grinding.

"Is everything ready?" Zhu Shen asked.

Tang San nodded. "Teacher, are you really not letting me go with you?"

"What could you possibly do if you went?" Zhu Shen rolled his eyes. "That Blood Shadow is at least a Soul Saint. I can't even beat him right now; you'd just be throwing your life away."

"But..."

"There are no 'buts'." Zhu Shen pulled the final soul bone from his robe—the ten-year Lone Bamboo skull bone rewarded by the system yesterday—and handed it to Tang San. "This is the fifth one. Absorb it tonight. With the previous four, you'll only be two pieces away from the set effect."

Tang San took the soul bone and hesitated. "Teacher, have you given all your rewards to me?"

"Nonsense, who else would I give them to?" Zhu Shen patted his shoulder. "Once you collect all seven soul bones and trigger the set effect, you'll be able to help. For now, just stay put."

Tang San said no more, sat cross-legged, and began to absorb the soul bone.

Zhu Shen looked at the sky outside the window. The setting sun gradually sank below the horizon, staining the sky a dark red.

Tonight was the night of the full moon.

He had gone to find Tang Hao yesterday and explained the situation regarding the Evil God Temple. Tang Hao remained silent for a long time after listening, only saying one thing at the end: "I will go."

As for Spirit Hall, Zhu Shen had entrusted Wang Sheng to deliver a message. The letter was addressed to the branch head of the Nuoding City Spirit Hall Branch, detailing the Evil Soul Master's sacrificial plan. Whether that fat old man believed it or not was no longer his concern.

"Teacher, I've finished absorbing it." Tang San opened his eyes, a flash of emerald light flickering within them.

Zhu Shen looked back and noticed that the aura around Tang San had grown stronger. With the addition of five soul bones—even though they were all ten-year grade—the quantitative change had led to a qualitative one; the boy's physique had far surpassed his peers.

"How do you feel?"

"Very good." Tang San stood up and stretched his body. "My soul power circulation speed has increased quite a bit, and my meridians have widened."

"That's good enough." Zhu Shen pulled a small cloth bag from his robe and tossed it to him. "There are ten poison needles in here that I bought at the black market yesterday. The toxicity isn't strong, but it can paralyze anyone below the Soul Venerable level for half an hour. Keep them for self-defense."

Tang San took the bag, a warmth spreading through his heart. "Thank you, Teacher."

"Don't thank me yet." Zhu Shen smirked. "Once this matter is settled, Teacher will 'train' you properly."

Tang San's mouth twitched; he had a bad premonition.

Night fell.

Zhu Shen changed into night-traveling clothes, vaulted out the window, and spread his dragon wings to fly silently into the air. He did not head straight for the Soul Hunting Forest, but instead circled above Nuoding City.

The abandoned warehouse in the south of the city was empty, and the Evil Soul Masters who had been standing guard at the door were nowhere to be seen. The slums in the west were deathly silent, with several figures in dark red clothing searching house to house for something.

Zhu Shen narrowed his eyes. It seemed that for tonight's sacrifice, the Evil God Temple had mobilized everyone to the Soul Hunting Forest.

He flapped his wings, turning into a streak of golden light as he flew toward the Soul Hunting Forest.

The Soul Hunting Forest was over thirty miles away from Nuoding City, and at Zhu Shen's current speed, he arrived in the time it took for a stick of incense to burn.

The Soul Hunting Forest on the night of the full moon was different from usual.

Moonlight spilled onto the treetops, which should have been a silvery white, but the depths of the forest were shrouded in a faint, dark red mist. From within the mist came the faint sound of children crying, along with the low chanting of Evil Soul Masters.

Zhu Shen landed on a large tree at the edge of the forest, suppressed his aura, and looked toward the depths of the woods.

In the center of the forest was an open clearing, which had originally been a water source where soul beasts gathered. Now, a crude altar had been built in the clearing; it was constructed from black stones carved with twisted runes.

More than twenty Evil Soul Masters in dark red robes stood around the altar, forming a circle, each holding a black oil lamp. Dark red flames burned within the lamps, the flickering light reflecting off their fanatical and distorted faces.

In the center of the altar, forty-seven children were tied together with ropes, huddled in a pile. The oldest were twelve or thirteen, while the youngest were only six or seven; they were all trembling with fear, and several had already cried until their voices were hoarse.

Su Nuo stood before the altar, holding a black scroll and chanting something loudly. His voice was raspy and unpleasant, like fingernails scraping against a slate.

Directly in front of the altar, Blood Shadow stood with his hands behind his back. He was still wearing that dark red cloak, his hood obscuring his face, leaving only a vague silhouette visible. Yet, Zhu Shen could feel that the evil energy radiating from this guy was much stronger than it had been three days ago.

"System, scan Blood Shadow's strength."

[Scanning... Scan complete. Target: Blood Shadow. Soul power level: 73. Martial Soul: Blood Wolf King. Concentration of evil energy in the body: High.]

A level 73 Soul Saint.

Zhu Shen's heart sank. He was currently a level 45 Soul Ancestor; although he possessed a soul ring configuration of two purple and two black, along with the augmentation of the Dragon God bloodline, his chances of winning against a Soul Saint-level opponent were still slim.

Unless...

He looked at the black box on the altar. Three days ago in the warehouse, it was from that box that Blood Shadow had retrieved the dark red bead. The evil aura emitted by that bead had even triggered a warning from the system.

If he could destroy that box, perhaps he could weaken Blood Shadow's power.

Just as Zhu Shen was calculating, the ritual on the altar reached a critical moment.

Su Nuo finished reciting the final line of the incantation and threw the scroll into the bonfire at the center of the altar. The dark red flames surged upward, transforming into a pillar of fire that shot straight into the night sky.

Blood Shadow stepped forward and pulled the dark red bead from his robes.

Under the moonlight, the bead emitted an eerie glow, with blood-like veins flowing across its surface. Blood Shadow held the bead high above his head and began to chant an even more ancient incantation.

As the chanting progressed, the light from the bead grew brighter and brighter. The Evil Soul Masters surrounding the altar responded in unison, their voices merging to form a strange resonance.

Zhu Shen felt his Dragon God martial soul begin to stir restlessly within him.

It was the martial soul's instinctive repulsion toward evil things.

"I can't wait any longer."