Level Seventy-Seven

The Blood Market's next Gate was in an abandoned tea warehouse south of Heaven Dou Old City.

The place was a wreck. Rain leaked through the roof, plaster peeled from the walls, and half an old Clearwind Tea House sign still hung above the Gate. By the time Bai Jin arrived, rain was pouring hard, streaming off the eaves like a curtain hung across the entire alley.

Shrek had not come in full force.

Tang San, Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong came along. Oscar and Ma Hongjun stayed at the academy to handle support. Grandmaster had made Xiao Wu stay behind for a simple reason: the enemy was watching for Blue Silver Emperor Blood, and they might also be watching for what was unusual about her.

Xiao Wu was not happy.

Before leaving, Bai Jin tried to comfort her. "You're in charge of guarding the place. That's important."

Xiao Wu sneered. "Do you think I'm three?"

"A three-year-old couldn't kick as hard as you."

Tang San nearly failed to hold her back.

Outside the abandoned tea warehouse, Tang San crouched and touched the wet mud with his fingertips. Blue Silver Grass slipped in beneath the wall and soon brought back a scattering of faint vibrations.

"At least twenty people inside. Three Soul Kings and one Soul Emperor. There are formation markings underground, too, like the ones at the Great Soul Arena."

Ning Rongrong asked quietly, "Another Formation Core?"

"Smaller." Tang San frowned. "More like a temporary Gate."

Bai Jin raised his eyes. Azure Blue gleamed for an instant in the rain.

He saw it.

Three black tablets lay buried beneath the warehouse, connected by bloodlines in a crooked triangle. At its center was a pile of Soul Beast remains and bloodstained scraps of tournament registration forms. Those people