Zhu Shen stared in the direction the love letter had vanished, his heart pounding. Tang San looked completely bewildered. He'd only just finished absorbing his Soul Ring and hadn't had time to recover.
The evil aura deep in the forest grew stronger and stronger, and the ground trembled. Zhu Shen grabbed Tang San and hauled him up. "Move!"
"Teacher, what's going on?" Tang San stumbled as Zhu Shen dragged him along.
Zhu Shen had no time to explain. The love letter had flown straight toward the source of the evil aura. The red dot on the system map was closing in.
They had only run a few steps when a roar came from deep within the forest. Trees snapped one after another.
Zhu Shen glanced back and cursed under his breath. He'd really gone and messed things up this time. Bibi Dong's love letter had brought trouble right to them.
Tang San suddenly stopped. "Teacher, my senses have become sharper."
The purple diamond-shaped mark on the back of his head flickered. The Mandala Eye External Soul Bone had taken effect, and he could clearly sense the evil aura.
"There's something up ahead. It's very strong." Tang San's face went pale.
Zhu Shen gritted his teeth. "Go around!"
But it was already too late. A pink streak of light flew back through the forest, the love letter's envelope smeared with dark red blood.
The envelope hovered in front of Zhu Shen, trembling slightly. The blood on it gave off a familiar evil aura.
[Warning! "Bibi Dong's Love Letter" has come into contact with a high concentration of Evil God energy. Item mutation in progress...]
Zhu Shen reached for it, but the envelope jerked out of his way. It spun in a circle, then pointed toward the depths of the forest.
"Is it leading us somewhere?" Tang San frowned.
Zhu Shen's expression darkened. Had this stupid item come to life? But he didn't dare throw it away. It was the key to raising Bibi Dong's favorability.
As he hesitated, the ground split open. Black vines burst from the earth and curled around their ankles.
Tang San's Blue Silver Grass erupted in an instant, launching them both into the air like a pole vault. Zhu Shen spread his Dragon Wings and grabbed Tang San.
"Fly out!" Zhu Shen beat his wings with all his might.
But the black vines caught up, moving at astonishing speed. Like living snakes, they twisted together into a net in midair.
Zhu Shen unleashed Dragon Breath, golden flames burning through a swathe of vines. But even more vines surged up from underground.
"Teacher, below!" Tang San cried out.
The forest floor collapsed, revealing a gigantic cave. Dark red light flickered deep within.
The evil aura came from there. The love letter flew straight inside without hesitation.
Zhu Shen cursed and charged after it. Tang San was dragged along with him as they plunged into the depths.
The cave was deep. Zhu Shen used his Dragon Wings to slow their fall before they hit the ground. The space inside was enormous, like an underground temple.
Twisted runes carved into the walls gave off an ominous aura. An altar stood in the center, much like the one in the Evil God Temple they had seen before.
But this one was bigger and older. A figure in a dark red robe knelt on the altar, holding the love letter.
The figure had its back to them. Blood dripped from the envelope and was absorbed by the altar.
"At last... at last, I've found it..." a hoarse voice said.
The figure turned around. It was a gaunt old man. His face was covered in wrinkles, but his eyes were unusually bright.
"Are you a remnant of the Evil God Temple?" Zhu Shen asked, shielding Tang San behind him.
The old man laughed, his laughter grating. "A remnant? No. I'm the Gatekeeper. I've guarded this place for three hundred years."
He raised the love letter. "It carries the aura of the pope... and the pure soul power yearned for by the great Evil God."
Zhu Shen's heart sank. How had Bibi Dong's love letter gotten mixed up with the Evil God?
The old man's eyes burned with fanaticism. "With it as the medium, the ritual can be completed! The Holy Child is about to descend!"
The altar began to glow, its runes lighting up one by one. The love letter floated in midair, its pink light interweaving with the dark red evil aura.
"Stop him!" Zhu Shen charged forward.
His dragon claws struck at the old man, but a layer of light blocked them. The old man paid him no mind and continued chanting.
Tang San flung out his Blue Silver Grass, trying to ensnare the love letter. But the grass withered as soon as it touched the envelope.
The love letter's power was running wild. It absorbed the altar's evil aura and released waves of the pope's Soul Power.
The two forces clashed, and the cave began to shake. Debris fell from the ceiling.
The old man spat out a mouthful of blood, but his laughter grew even more frenzied. "Almost... just a little longer..."
Zhu Shen attacked the barrier with everything he had, alternating between Dragon Breath and his dragon claws. Cracks appeared in the light.
Tang San switched to the Clear Sky Hammer and smashed it against a crack. The barrier shattered.
The old man turned around, a cruel glint in his eyes. He waved his hand, and black vines surged from beneath the altar.
These vines were thicker this time and bristled with thorns. They wrapped around Zhu Shen's Dragon Wings and dragged him toward the ground.
Tang San pole-vaulted out of the way and shot poisoned needles at the old man. He didn't dodge. The needles melted three feet away from him.
"It's no use... the ritual has already begun..." Blood streamed from the old man's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, yet he stood tall.
The love letter suddenly burst apart, and a mass of pink light swelled outward. A phantom appeared within it.
A resplendent robe, a Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown, a face of peerless beauty. It was a projection of Bibi Dong!
The old man fell to his knees. "I welcome... I welcome the medium of the Holy Child..."
Bibi Dong's phantom opened her eyes, her purple gaze cold. She looked at the old man, then at Zhu Shen and Tang San.
"Yu Xiaogang?" the phantom said.
Zhu Shen froze. Was this projection conscious? Before he could answer, Bibi Dong's phantom raised a hand.
A beam of purple light shot toward the old man. He screamed as his body began to disintegrate. Yet he was still laughing. "It's done... the Holy Child... has descended..."
The altar exploded, and dark red light shot into the sky. The cave ceiling cracked open, revealing the sky above.
Within the light, the shape of an infant slowly took form. Its eyes were closed, and pure evil aura radiated from its body.
Bibi Dong's phantom frowned and reached for the infant. But her hand passed through the light. She couldn't touch it.
"Evil God Reincarnation... the ritual..." the phantom murmured. She looked at Zhu Shen. "Destroy it!"
Zhu Shen snapped out of it and unleashed Dragon Breath at the infant with all his might. Golden flames engulfed the light.
The infant opened its eyes. Its pupils were pitch-black. It opened its mouth and let out a silent shriek.
The shriek became a shock wave that blasted Zhu Shen and Tang San away. Bibi Dong's phantom flickered and grew transparent.
"Yu Xiaogang... bring my love letter... and come find me..." the phantom said, then vanished into thin air.
The envelope of the love letter re-formed and fell in front of Zhu Shen. The bloodstains were gone, replaced by several purple patterns.
The infant emerged from the flames. It had grown a little, now resembling a three-year-old child. Its skin was pale, and its eyes were vacant.
"Mama... Mama..." it said, its voice overlapping as if countless people were speaking at once.
Tang San shuddered. Zhu Shen snatched up the love letter and grabbed Tang San. "Run!"
They rushed out of the cave. The infant didn't chase them. It stood where it was, tilting its head as it watched them leave.
Back on the forest floor, Zhu Shen slumped down. Tang San gasped for breath, cold sweat covering his back.
"Teacher... what was that...?"
"Something the Evil God Temple cooked up." Zhu Shen stared at the love letter in his hand. Its patterns were glowing.
[Mutation of "Bibi Dong's Love Letter" complete. New effect: Can sense Evil God energy fluctuations. Favorability bonus increased to 30%.]
Zhu Shen gave a bitter smile. His connection with Bibi Dong had grown even deeper, but so had the trouble.
That infant was the Evil God Reincarnated Body. Had it called Bibi Dong "Mama" because her aura was on the love letter?
The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed. Zhu Shen decided to return to Spirit City at once. He had to tell Bibi Dong about this.
The two gathered their things and left the Soul Hunting Forest. On the way, the system notification sounded.
[Ding! Major plot event detected: "Evil God Reincarnation." Reward obtained: Evolution Points +500! Dragon God Bloodline purity increased to 25%! Special item obtained: Evil God Bane (one-time use).]
Zhu Shen looked at the 500 Evolution Points, his feelings complicated. He'd earned that reward with his heart in his throat.
Tang San suddenly said, "Teacher, my Soul Power has reached level thirty-five."
Absorbing a five-thousand-year Soul Ring beyond his level, along with the External Soul Bone, had made him jump two levels at once. But Tang San couldn't feel happy about it.
What had happened just now was too bizarre. The Evil God, the pope, and that strange love letter of his teacher's.
He looked at Zhu Shen, seeming to want to say something but holding back. Zhu Shen patted him. "We'll talk when we get back."