Suppressing Evil: Chu Jin Serves as Temporary Commander

Night had yet to fully fall.

Inside the training room on Consecration Mountain, Chu Jin sat cross-legged.

The soul power accumulated through a year of grueling cultivation continuously circulated through his meridians. The final bottleneck had become so thin it was nearly transparent.

He had used no medicine, nor had he consumed any materials that forcibly increased soul power.

His breathing was steady.

His mind gradually settled into calmness.

His father's bloodstained identity token lay before him.

Chu Jin did not keep staring at it.

He knew very well that the more he wanted to break through immediately, the more likely his emotions were to fluctuate.

Blood Butcher was in River Valley Town.

In an hour, he would naturally go there.

For now, he only needed to do one thing.

Push his soul power to level twenty.

Xiao Jin lay on the other side of the room.

For once, it was not gnawing on any materials. Its eyes were tightly shut as it absorbed the surrounding light energy using the method it had gradually figured out over the past year.

The two streams of soul power slowly converged through their Martial Soul connection.

Half an hour later, a soft sound came from within Chu Jin's body.

Crack.

The soul power that had been stalled at the peak of level nineteen broke through the barrier.

Level twenty.

Without absorbing a second soul ring, his soul power could not yet continue to manifest, but the remaining strength could be accumulated in advance.

Chu Jin opened his eyes.

The dark golden gleam in his Double Pupils slowly receded.

He picked up his father's identity token and pushed open the door to leave the training room.

Outside the Consecration Hall, a team had already assembled.

The leader was Qin Yue, a level sixty-eight assault-type Battle Soul Emperor. His Martial Soul was the Mountain-Splitting Rhino, and he had long been responsible for suppressing evil around Spirit City.

The four accompanying Soul Ancestors specialized in defense, long-range attacks, control, and speed respectively.

There were also twelve elite guards from local branch halls, most with soul power between level twenty and thirty.

Qian Renxue stood at the front of the group.

The Six-Winged Angel was not manifested behind her, but she held a platinum longsword in her hand. Her expression was even more serious than during her usual training.

When Qin Yue saw Chu Jin approach, his gaze first fell on the identity token at Chu Jin's waist.

"You broke through?"

"Level twenty."

"Without a soul ring, the increase in combat strength is limited."

Qin Yue's tone was very blunt.

"I'll serve as captain for this mission."

"You may take part in commanding the local guards, but you are not allowed to leave the team and act alone."

"I'll deal with Blood Butcher."

Chu Jin nodded.

"Understood."

Qin Yue had originally worried that Chu Jin would refuse to obey arrangements because of the importance the Consecration Hall placed on him.

Seeing him answer so decisively, his expression eased slightly.

"Move out."

The group did not ride ordinary carriages.

Spirit Hall had prepared several swift wind-horned horses, and they traveled day and night toward River Valley Town.

Guang Ling did not appear openly.

Yet Chu Jin knew that he had been following in secret all along.

The strongest person listed in the Bloodfang Group's intelligence was only level fifty-four.

To prevent accidents, Guang Ling was responsible for dealing with enemies beyond the mission team's capabilities.

Under normal circumstances, he would not act.

During the journey, Chu Jin and Qin Yue examined a detailed map of River Valley Town together.

"The Bloodfang Group occupies the sacrificial grounds at the center of town."

Qin Yue's finger landed on the center of the map.

"The branch hall is on the eastern side of town and has already fallen."

"There is a cemetery north of town, a river to the west, and underground waterways running throughout the entire town."

"According to intelligence from the steward who escaped, Blood Butcher excavated a blood pool beneath the sacrificial grounds. Most of the corpse puppets are hidden in the cemetery and the underground waterways."

Chu Jin asked, "How many living people are still in town?"

"At least two thousand."

"Why hasn't the Bloodfang Group simply killed them all?"

"They need to conduct blood sacrifices in batches."

Qin Yue's expression darkened.

"The fear and fresh blood of living people are more effective for Blood Butcher's cultivation."

Killing intent flashed through Qian Renxue's eyes.

The Seraphim Martial Soul was extremely sensitive to evil auras.

Merely hearing about such a cultivation method made the holy light within her stir on its own.

Chu Jin continued, "How many local soul masters are near River Valley Town?"

"There were originally thirty-seven people in the branch hall."

"Nineteen died in battle, seven were captured, and eleven broke out."

"The number of civilian soul masters in town is unknown. Most only have one or two rings."

Chu Jin took out a blank sheet of paper and began planning anew.

"After entering River Valley Town, the first priority is the civilians."

"The defense-type Soul Ancestor will lead four guards in from the east to meet up with the branch hall survivors."

"The speed-type Soul Ancestor will circle around to the northern cemetery and confirm the number of corpse puppets. Do not attack yet."

"The long-range Soul Ancestor will take the bell tower in the south of town, responsible for observation and transmitting signals."

"The control-type Soul Ancestor will follow the main team."

Qin Yue looked at the map.

"The main team goes straight to the town center?"

"No."

Chu Jin pointed to the river west of town.

"Control the water source first."

"Both the blood sacrifice array and the blood pool require vast amounts of blood and yin energy to flow. The underground waterways run through the town, so the Bloodfang Group has likely placed the blood array's nodes near the waterways."

"Cut off the connection between the waterways and the sacrificial grounds before entering the town center."

Qin Yue did not agree immediately.

"The intelligence did not mention an array in the waterways."

"Blood Butcher had not appeared for three years, yet the moment he appeared, he took control of an entire town."

Chu Jin looked at the map.

"He cannot be relying on merely level fifty-four soul power."

"The blood pool can help him break through, and it can also help him recover."

"Destroy his greatest support first."

Qin Yue pondered for a moment.

"Fine."

"Once we reach River Valley Town, you will be responsible for commanding the local guards and civilian soul masters."

"I will still decide the main force's actions."

Chu Jin did not fight for full command.

Qin Yue was experienced, and his cultivation was sufficient to suppress Blood Butcher.

It was unrealistic to have a level-twenty child directly command a Soul Emperor and four Soul Ancestors.

What he truly needed was control over a portion of the battlefield.

Two days later.

The team arrived outside River Valley Town.

Before they even entered the town, a thick stench of blood drifted over on the night wind.

The distant sky had been dyed dark red by firelight.

Black smoke from burning houses rose without cease. Screams and the laughter of evil soul masters occasionally came from within the town.

Qin Yue did not charge in immediately.

He led everyone onto a hillside and observed the situation in town from above.

Chu Jin activated his Double Pupils.

The darkness could not completely conceal the fluctuations of soul power.

Strands of dark red evil soul power flowed through the streets and underground, all converging toward the sacrificial grounds at the center.

Meanwhile, the life auras of ordinary people were concentrated in the town center and several cellars.

The Bloodfang Group had not concealed themselves.

They seemed well aware that Spirit Hall would send people, and they were using the civilians to set a trap.

"Do you see it?"

Qian Renxue asked softly.

"More than seventy evil soul masters in the town center."

Chu Jin's gaze slowly shifted.

"Some of them are corpse puppets. There are probably around fifty actual living evil soul masters."

"There are four soul power nodes in the underground waterways."

"The corpse aura in the northern cemetery is the heaviest."

Qin Yue immediately began assigning tasks.

"Act according to the plan."

"In half an hour, attack simultaneously at the sound of the bell."

The four Soul Ancestors each departed with their people.

Only Qin Yue, Chu Jin, Qian Renxue, and the control-type Soul Ancestor remained with the main team.

They quickly approached along the river west of town.

The river had already turned pale red.

Several corpses floated on the water.

A large number of black bone stakes had been planted along the shore, with fine blood threads linking them together.

"Array nodes."

The control-type Soul Ancestor was about to release his Martial Soul when Chu Jin raised a hand to stop him.

"Don't touch them directly."

Within the vision of his Double Pupils, the evil soul power inside the bone stakes was extremely unstable.

Once attacked, they would likely explode at once, spreading all the nearby blood and corpse aura.

"Qian Renxue."

Chu Jin looked at the girl beside him.

"Use sacred flame to burn from the outer edge of the blood threads."

Qian Renxue nodded.

Two yellow and one purple soul rings rose beneath her feet.

The phantom of the Six-Winged Angel unfolded behind her.

She did not use her third soul skill.

She merely condensed pure Angel Sacred Flame onto her longsword and gently touched the outermost blood thread.

Hiss!

Black smoke rapidly rose from the blood thread.

The Angel Sacred Flame spread along the evil soul power into the bone stake, purifying the unstable energy bit by bit.

The bone stake did not explode.

One after another, they turned to ash.

Qin Yue's gaze toward Chu Jin gained a trace of approval.

Had they attacked directly just now, the blood array's explosion might not have injured a Soul Ancestor, but it would have alerted the entire town.

When the fourth bone stake was burned away by sacred flame, a piercing bell suddenly rang out from the town center.

Dong!

This was not Spirit Hall's signal.

At the sacrificial grounds, a group of evil soul masters dragged dozens of civilians onto the high platform.

The blood-red formation had already lit up.

The lead evil soul master burst into loud laughter.

"Spirit Hall's people are here!"

"If you want to save them, come in through the front gate!"

Qin Yue's expression changed.

"They discovered us early."

Chu Jin's Double Pupils looked toward the southern side of the town.

An evil soul master responsible for patrolling the perimeter lay on a rooftop, a Spirit Hall arrow lodged in his chest.

The distant Soul Ancestor had exposed his position.

The Bloodfang Group immediately activated the blood sacrifice ahead of schedule.

"There's no time to wait half an hour."

Qin Yue made a swift decision.

"Frontal assault."

Chu Jin looked at Qian Renxue.

"Destroy the altar first."

"Can you do it?"

The six wings behind Qian Renxue fully spread open.

Golden holy light illuminated the riverbank.

"Yes."

"Captain Qin, suppress the high-level evil soul masters."

Chu Jin gripped his heavy halberd tightly.

"I'll lead the guards to save the people."

Qin Yue glanced toward the ritual grounds, then looked at Chu Jin.

"We'll do as you say."

With a beat of her wings, Qian Renxue shot into the sky.

The golden longsword rapidly expanded in the night sky.

Just as the evil soul masters in the town center placed a blade against the first civilian's neck, a dazzling holy sword tore through the black smoke and descended from above.

Boom!

The blood altar was split in two by a single sword strike.

Countless blood-red patterns rapidly shattered within the Angel Sacred Flame.

The evil soul masters in the center of the ritual grounds all looked up.

Beneath the golden radiance, Qian Renxue spread her six wings, her voice icy.

"Spirit Hall, suppress evil."