Zhu Shen grabbed Tang San, who was about to give chase. "Don't move. Something's wrong!"
He stared hard at the red dot on the map. The source of the evil aura was moving fast.
"Teacher, what's that pink light?" Tang San had barely finished asking when a nonhuman roar came from deep in the forest.
The ground shook violently, and trees snapped in droves.
Zhu Shen's expression darkened. "The evil aura's drawn the love letter over there!"
He grabbed Tang San and ran in the opposite direction. "Fall back! We can't take that thing on!"
Tang San ran while looking back. "We're just leaving the love letter?"
"Staying alive comes first!" Zhu Shen's heart bled. That item was crucial to boosting affection.
They had barely run a hundred meters when the bushes ahead rustled apart.
A man in a dark red robe stood in their path, his face pale as paper.
He held the pink love letter in his hand. The evil aura around him was so thick it made them want to retch.
"Found... you..." The man's hoarse voice trailed off as he stared at the purple mark on the back of Tang San's head.
Zhu Shen shielded Tang San, releasing his Dragon God Martial Soul in an instant.
Two purple and two black Soul Rings blazed brightly.
"Give me back the love letter!" Zhu Shen roared, though his heart was pounding.
This Evil Soul Master was at least a Soul Emperor. He couldn't beat him.
The man tilted his head and held the letter up to his nose, sniffing it.
"The Pope's aura... Interesting..." He grinned, showing a mouthful of black teeth.
"What's your relationship with Bibi Dong?"
Zhu Shen's mind raced. "None of your business! Give it back!"
The man tucked the letter into his robe. "Come with me to the Holy Temple, and I'll let you die quickly."
He raised a hand, and dark red evil aura turned into a giant claw that came slashing at them.
Zhu Shen unleashed Dragon Breath. Golden flames collided with the evil claw, bursting into a shower of sparks.
"Xiao San, run!" Zhu Shen shoved Tang San away and charged forward himself.
Tang San didn't run. The Clear Sky Hammer appeared in his hand, and he swung it at the man's side.
The man didn't even look at him. A casual wave of his hand sent Tang San flying.
Tang San crashed through two trees before coming to a stop, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"Xiao San!" Zhu Shen panicked and unleashed Dragon Claw Rending at the man's face with all his might.
The man caught the dragon claw as easily as if he were plucking a leaf. Evil aura spread along Zhu Shen's arm.
Zhu Shen felt as if his Martial Soul itself were being corrupted, and hastily pulled away.
"Teacher, don't worry about me!" Tang San scrambled to his feet, and Blue Silver Grass grew wildly, coiling around the man's feet.
Evil aura shook beneath the man's feet, and the Blue Silver Grass withered in an instant.
The gap between them was too great.
Zhu Shen gritted his teeth. "System! Is there anything you can do?"
[Host has encountered a powerful enemy. Emergency mission triggered: Escape Alive]
[Mission reward: Evolution Points +200, one drop of Dragon God Essence Blood]
[Failure penalty: Death]
"Thanks for stating the obvious! I know I'll die!" Zhu Shen cursed inwardly.
The man advanced step by step, and evil aura sealed off the space around them.
"The Holy Child needs nourishment... You two will do nicely..." He reached out a withered hand.
Just then, the love letter in the man's robe suddenly burst into a blinding pink light!
"What?!" The man jolted in surprise as the letter burned against his chest, sending up wisps of smoke.
He hurriedly pulled it out. The envelope unfolded on its own, scattering countless pink specks of light.
The specks gathered in the air, forming a line of text:
"I'm watching you."
The elegant, ornate handwriting carried a cold, imposing authority.
The man's expression changed drastically. "The Pope's mark?!"
He snapped his head up to look at the sky, as if someone really were watching him.
Seizing the chance, Zhu Shen grabbed Tang San and ran.
"Don't think you can escape!" The man recovered and sent a giant hand of evil aura reaching after them.
The love letter lit up again—and this time, it exploded!
A pink shock wave scattered the evil aura and shoved the man back three steps.
Zhu Shen glanced over his shoulder. The love letter had turned to ash and drifted away.
"My item!" His heart ached, but his feet ran even faster.
The two of them sprinted through the forest, with evil aura hot on their heels.
Tang San panted as he ran. "Teacher, why did he call someone the Holy Child?"
"How should I know!" Zhu Shen roared. "Whatever it means, it can't be good!"
A cave appeared ahead. Zhu Shen didn't hesitate and darted inside.
The cave ran deep, its interior pitch-black.
The two hid behind a boulder, holding their breath.
The evil aura lingered at the entrance for a while, then gradually faded into the distance.
"Did he leave?" Tang San asked quietly.
Zhu Shen shook his head. "He might be waiting outside to catch us when we come out."
He checked Tang San's injuries. Fortunately, they were only superficial.
"That love letter saved our lives," Zhu Shen sighed. "Too bad it's gone."
Tang San hesitated. "Teacher, what exactly is going on between you and the Pope...?"
"Stop right there!" Zhu Shen cut him off. "Now's not the time to talk about that."
He opened the system map. The red dot was still near the cave entrance.
"He's waiting for us," Zhu Shen said with a frown. "We need to find a way out."
Tang San thought for a moment. "I can use Blue Silver Grass to scout ahead."
He released his Martial Soul, and several strands of Blue Silver Grass crept along the ground and out of the cave.
A few minutes later, the Blue Silver Grass sent back information.
"There's evil aura behind three trees to the left of the entrance, and behind two rocks to the right," Tang San said. "We can't go straight out."
Zhu Shen looked toward the depths of the cave. "Then we can only go farther in."
The two felt their way forward in the dark. The cave was cold and damp, and the ground was covered in gravel.
After walking about a hundred meters, they reached a fork.
A breeze blew from the left, while the sound of dripping water came from the right.
"Take the left," Zhu Shen said. "The breeze means there's an exit."
They chose the left passage. It grew narrower and narrower until they had to crawl.
After crawling for more than ten meters, the passage suddenly opened up.
They had entered a natural cavern, with moonlight filtering through a crack in the ceiling.
A pool of crystal-clear water lay in the center of the cavern.
"Let's rest for a bit." Zhu Shen plopped down on the ground.
Tang San sat down to catch his breath as well. That last blow had left his insides churning.
Zhu Shen opened the System Panel. He had 240 Evolution Points, enough to upgrade his bloodline twice.
"Upgrade!" he thought.
Warmth flowed through his entire body, and his Dragon God Bloodline purity rose to 23%.
His bones cracked and popped, and his strength surged again.
[Congratulations, host. Bloodline upgraded. New form unlocked: Dragon-Man Transformation]
[Dragon-Man Transformation: Temporarily become a half-dragon, increasing all attributes by 50% for ten minutes. One-day cooldown]
"Now that's useful!" Zhu Shen's eyes lit up.
That gave him a little more confidence.
He then looked at the Dragon God Essence Blood he'd received as a reward. It was a golden droplet, floating in the system inventory.
[Dragon God Essence Blood: Permanently increases Dragon God Bloodline purity by 5% when consumed. Only effective the first time]
Zhu Shen consumed it immediately.
An even stronger wave of warmth coursed through his body, and his bloodline purity jumped to 28%.
He felt his Martial Soul grow more solid, and his dragon might strengthen considerably.
"Teacher, what's wrong?" Tang San saw a flash of golden light across Zhu Shen's body.
"Nothing. I had a bit of a realization." Zhu Shen brushed him off.
He estimated they'd been in the cave for nearly half an hour.
"That guy might still be waiting at the entrance," Zhu Shen said. "We need to come up with a plan."
Tang San looked around the cavern. "It doesn't seem like there's another exit."
Zhu Shen looked up at the crack, where moonlight shone down.
It wasn't wide, but it was big enough for a person to squeeze through.
"Can you get up there?" he asked Tang San.
Tang San tried to use Blue Silver Grass as a pole to vault up, but couldn't reach.
"I'm just a little short," he said.
Zhu Shen thought it over. "I'll give you a boost, and then you can pull me up."
Tang San nodded.
Zhu Shen crouched so Tang San could step onto his shoulders, then slowly stood up.
Tang San wrapped Blue Silver Grass around the edge of the crack and hauled himself up.
He made it.
"Teacher, give me your hand!" Tang San leaned over the crack and reached down.
Zhu Shen was about to jump when footsteps suddenly sounded in the cave.
"Found you..." That icy voice rang out.
The Evil Soul Master emerged from the passage, a cruel grin on his face.
"You two are pretty fast." He advanced step by step.
Zhu Shen shoved Tang San upward. "Go! Don't worry about me!"
"No!" Tang San refused to let go.
The Evil Soul Master raised his hand and clawed at Zhu Shen's back, evil aura surging toward him.
Zhu Shen turned and met the attack with his dragon claw. A blast of air exploded with a bang.
He was knocked back three steps and slammed into the stone wall.
"Teacher!" Tang San panicked and started to jump down.
"If you come down, I'll kick you out of my school!" Zhu Shen roared.
He activated Dragon-Man Transformation. Golden dragon scales covered his body, and his eyes became slitted pupils.
"Oh? That's interesting." The Evil Soul Master raised an eyebrow.
Zhu Shen roared and charged, his dragon claws tearing through the air.
The two fought fiercely in the cavern, sending gravel flying.
Tang San watched from above, frantic with worry.
He looked around. They were on the other side of the forest, a hundred meters from the cave entrance.
"I have to help Teacher..." Tang San gritted his teeth and took the last few poison needles from his robe.
He aimed at the Evil Soul Master's back and threw them with all his might.
The poison needles flew silently toward their target.
The Evil Soul Master sensed them. A ripple of evil aura sent the needles flying away.
"Don't get in the way, you little bug!" He swept his hand back, sending a bolt of evil aura toward the crack.
Tang San hurriedly dodged. The evil aura grazed his cheek, leaving a bloody line.
Zhu Shen seized the opportunity to rake the Evil Soul Master's shoulder with a claw, tearing away a chunk of flesh.
"You're asking for death!" The Evil Soul Master erupted with rage, blasting Zhu Shen away with a burst of evil aura.
Zhu Shen crashed into the pool, sending up a spray of water.
He struggled to his feet. Three minutes remained on his Dragon-Man Transformation.
"That's about enough..." The Evil Soul Master grinned cruelly and formed a hand seal.
Dark red patterns lit up across the cavern floor. It was a formation that had been laid in advance.
"I meant to take you alive, but now... I'll just sacrifice you!"
The formation activated. Evil aura surged in from all directions and wound around Zhu Shen.
Zhu Shen felt his Martial Soul being suppressed, and his dragon scales began to fall away.
"Teacher!" Tang San tried to jump down again.
"Don't come down!" Zhu Shen roared. "I have a way!" He looked at the System Panel. He still had enough Evolution Points to upgrade his bloodline once more.
But it would take time.
The evil aura tightened around him, making it hard to breathe.
Tang San paced anxiously above, then suddenly spotted a light in the distance.
Was that... a camp?
He looked closely. It was a Spirit Hall patrol!
"Help! There's someone down here!" Tang San shouted at the top of his lungs.
The patrol heard him and hurried over.
The Evil Soul Master's expression changed. "People from Spirit Hall?"
He glanced at Zhu Shen, then at the light drawing closer.
"Lucky you..." he scoffed, dissolving into black mist.
The formation stopped, and the evil aura dispersed.
Zhu Shen collapsed to the ground, his Dragon-Man Transformation undone, his body covered in wounds.
Tang San jumped down and helped him up. "Teacher, are you all right?"
"Still... not dead..." Zhu Shen panted.
The patrol reached the edge of the fissure. Its leader was a Soul Saint.
"Who's down there?" he demanded.
"Yu Xiaogang, a teacher at Notting Academy, and his disciple, Tang San!" Tang San replied. "We were attacked by an Evil Soul Master!"
The Soul Saint jumped down. Seeing Zhu Shen's injuries, he furrowed his brow.
"Let's get up there first. We can talk afterward."
Everyone returned to the surface. The patrol had a healing Soul Master, who treated Zhu Shen's wounds as best he could.
"Where's the Evil Soul Master?" the Soul Saint asked.
"He got away," Zhu Shen said. "He went north."
The Soul Saint immediately sent people after him, then turned to the two of them.
"What are you doing here?"
Zhu Shen explained the mission the Pope had given him, leaving out the part about the love letter.
"The abnormal energy in the Soul Hunting Forest was caused by that Evil Soul Master," he said.
The Soul Saint nodded. "We'll report this to the Pope Palace. Go back to the city and recover."
He assigned two Soul Masters to escort them back to Nuoding City.
On the way, Tang San asked quietly, "Teacher, what do we do about the love letter now that it's gone?"
Zhu Shen smiled bitterly. "We'll figure something out... But it came in handy this time."
He thought of the last line in the letter: "I'm watching you."
Was Bibi Dong really watching him?
When they returned to the academy, the work-study students crowded around as soon as they saw Zhu Shen was injured.
"Teacher, what happened to you?"
"Nothing. I took a tumble." Zhu Shen waved them off.
Wang Sheng gave him a sharp look. "A tumble did all that?"
Zhu Shen glared at him. "You sure have a lot to say!"
That night, as Zhu Shen lay in bed, the system's notification sounded.
[Emergency Mission Complete: Escape Alive] [Reward Received: Evolution Points +200, Dragon God Essence Blood Issued] [Current Evolution Points: 440/1000, Bloodline can be upgraded consecutively] Zhu Shen grinned. The ordeal had been dangerous, but the rewards were substantial. He upgraded his bloodline twice in succession, raising its purity from 28% to 32%. A new skill unlocked: Dragon God Body Protection.
[Dragon God Body Protection: Passive skill. When attacked, automatically generates a dragon-scale shield to absorb some of the damage.]
"Now I can take a lot more hits." Zhu Shen was pleased.
He looked out the window. The moon shone clear and bright.
The Evil God Temple, the Holy Child, Bibi Dong's love letter...
There had to be a much bigger conspiracy behind all this.
"I have to get stronger as soon as possible." Zhu Shen clenched his fist. "Next time I run into that guy, I'll tear his skin off!"
In the room next door, Tang San was also cultivating.
He sensed the External Soul Bone at the back of his head. His mental power was several times stronger than before.
"Teacher almost got screwed over again today..." He sighed. "But I've gotten stronger too."
He looked out the window, his gaze resolute.
He had to protect his teacher. He couldn't keep letting him stand in front.
The next day, someone from Spirit Hall arrived.
It was a Cardinal from the Pope Palace, bearing Bibi Dong's verbal decree.
"Master Yu has rendered meritorious service in his investigation. He is awarded ten thousand Gold Soul Coins and several rare medicinal herbs."
"In addition, the Pope summons you. Master, please proceed to Spirit City once your injuries have healed."
Zhu Shen accepted the rewards, wondering to himself, What can I do to earn the Pope's favor this time?
Zhu Shen looked toward the System Lottery Wheel.
"Maybe... I should try another draw?"