Final Preparations

Moisture hung in the air, carrying a faint, rank smell.

Little Green led the way with a candle. Its dim light illuminated the path ahead but cast shadows behind him, where Xia Lun and the others followed in silence.

Mind Fasting Sect followers were everywhere along the way, but they were all busy. None paid the group any attention.

They left the docks and headed north into a tunnel. After walking for a little over ten minutes, they reached the area around the Book Cave.

"We're here. The Book Cave is on our right," Little Green explained in a low voice as he walked. "It's open to everyone, but first we need to get a pass from Rahu. Once we have it, we can pay Yin Longevity Pills to go in. We're all educated people. If we look for books together, we should be able to find information about the ritual in less than three hours."

As Little Green spoke, Xia Lun turned to look at the so-called Book Cave.

It did not look large; he could see straight to the back. Through the bars and past the guards at the entrance, he caught a few glints of milky-white light—the distinctive sheen of the Evil Flesh Codex!

Xia Lun narrowed his eyes and was about to look more closely when a sudden feeling made him shift his gaze toward the guards at the entrance.

There were many guards outside the Book Cave, and the man leading them was staring blankly at him.

He was thin, wore a hood, and had an enormous, outlandish crossbow slung across his back. It was the Manhunter!

He seemed to have noticed something amiss.

Xia Lun's heart sank, but he neither looked away nor showed any panic. He simply held the Manhunter's gaze.

A moment