The Essence of the Soul Is Bloodlust

When Huo Yuhao heard that Lin Chen was also going to study at Shrek Academy, he was overjoyed.

"Big Brother Lin Chen, you're going to Shrek with me too?

"That's great! We'll be able to study at the same academy."

"More or less."

Lin Chen nodded calmly.

"Does that mean I can call you my junior now?"

Tang Ya immediately leaned in with a smug grin. "Junior Lin Chen, come on, call me your senior."

"Like hell I will!"

Lin Chen rolled his eyes. He couldn't be bothered with her.

The group did not split up. They traveled together toward Shrek Academy.

That night, at the campsite.

Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao were fast asleep. Lin Chen had added something to their dinner, and neither would wake for a while.

He had not put anything in Tang Ya's food. He still needed her for the task.

Lin Chen had kept the system's task in mind all along.

Now was the best time to act. Once they reached Shrek Academy, there would be too many eyes on them.

The transformation of a Martial Soul into an evil one would cause quite a commotion.

Lin Chen slipped into Tang Ya's tent, grabbed her by one leg, and dragged her away. In moments, they vanished from the campsite.

Before long, he brought her to a secluded part of the forest.

"Couldn't you have done that with a little more dignity? Who drags a girl by the leg instead of putting an arm around her waist?"

Tang Ya had evidently woken up along the way, but she had not called out.

When she saw Lin Chen and glanced around at the unfamiliar surroundings, panic flashed across her face.

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing much."

Holding his throwing knife, Lin Chen strolled over and crouched in front of her, meeting her eyes calmly.

"Your Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, right?"

"Yes," Tang Ya said with a frown.

"You saw it when we hunted that Soul Beast today, didn't you?

"What exactly do you want?

"You're not planning to take advantage of me, are you?"

"You're too young. I'm not interested in you.

"Hah, you're pretty full of yourself.

"Don't change the subject.

"What I saw wasn't just Blue Silver Grass."

Lin Chen's tone remained even. "Your Martial Soul can devour life. It's an Evil Martial Soul."

At his words, the blood drained from Tang Ya's face. She froze.

Fear set her whole body trembling.

"How... how did you know?"

She had kept that secret for years. She had not even told Bei Bei. How did Lin Chen know?

"Because my Martial Soul is an Evil Martial Soul too."

Lin Chen looked at her, his voice perfectly calm. "That makes us the same kind."

"Your Martial Soul is clearly a blade."

Tang Ya stared hard at him.

"I never said I had only one Martial Soul."

A faint smile touched Lin Chen's lips.

Tang Ya opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words.

"Admit it, Tang Ya."

Lin Chen's words struck straight at her heart.

"You've been holding back your thirst for blood all this time. You're already close to breaking.

"The essence of your soul is bloodlust. Why suppress it?"

Tang Ya trembled slightly.

"Think of your dead parents. Think of your clan."

Lin Chen continued.

"Think of the Iron Blood Sect. They've taken over your parents' land like a cuckoo occupying another bird's nest, and no one hears you when you cry to heaven or earth for help.

"Not one person at Shrek or the Clear Sky Sect cares whether you live or die.

"With the talent you have now, you think you can take revenge?

"Impossible!

"Can you even become a Soul Saint in this lifetime?

"Your father cultivated his Blue Silver Grass until the day he died, and he only reached the level of a Soul King."

Lin Chen's words pierced Tang Ya's defenses like a knife.

Her eyes reddened at once. Of course she knew that at her rate of cultivation, revenge was out of reach. Once she graduated from Shrek Academy, the Iron Blood Sect would come after her.

After all, Shrek could not protect her forever.

And her?

With her talent, Shrek would probably cast her aside before long.

In truth, she lived every day in deep torment. The smile on her face was nothing more than a mask over her fear.

She looked at Lin Chen, seemingly waiting for him to say more.

Sure enough, after a pause, Lin Chen changed tack. "But I can help you."

He looked at her and spoke slowly.

"I can turn your Martial Soul evil. I can transform your Blue Silver Grass completely into an Evil Martial Soul and make you an Evil Soul Master!"

"You know how fast and powerful Evil Soul Masters become, don't you?

"Shrek has certainly taught you enough about them. Within ten years, you could even become a Titled Douluo.

"That beats the make-believe you're playing at now.

"And you wouldn't need to kill people. Your Blue Silver Grass could grow stronger by devouring the flesh and blood of Soul Beasts.

"There are plenty of Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest for you to devour."

Lin Chen paused and looked Tang Ya straight in the eye.

"Do you want to turn your Martial Soul completely into an evil Blue Silver Grass?

"I'll give you one minute to decide."

Tang Ya's breathing quickened, her chest rising and falling sharply.

She wanted it desperately. She craved power. She needed to grow stronger.

But the thought of becoming an Evil Soul Master frightened her.

"You're an Evil Soul Master. What are you trying to do by entering Shrek?"

"I'm not an Evil Soul Master."

Lin Chen spread his hands, looking innocent. "I only said I have an Evil Martial Soul. My other Martial Soul is perfectly normal.

"I'm a normal person."

Yes, he was a normal person.

But if her Blue Silver Grass turned evil, there would be no hiding it!

One minute was far too little time to make such a choice.

Yet that minute passed in a blink.

Lin Chen raised his head and looked at Tang Ya. "Your minute is up. Tell me what you've decided."

Tang Ya swallowed. After a few seconds of silence, she gritted her teeth and asked, "If my Evil Martial Soul awakens, can I still stay at Shrek Academy?"

That was what worried her most.

"You can't get stronger by staying at Shrek. Why would you want to stay?"

Lin Chen threw the question back at her.

"I want revenge, but I want to build up the Tang Sect even more."

There was a stubborn note in Tang Ya's voice.

"If I become an Evil Soul Master, I won't be able to keep building up the Tang Sect.

"I'll lose the one thing my parents left me to hold on to."

"Not necessarily."

At Lin Chen's change of tone, Tang Ya snapped her head up. Her eyes lit up as if she had glimpsed hope. "It's really possible?

"You can actually do that?"

"My Martial Soul can seal away any evil aura."

Lin Chen spoke slowly. "I can place my mark on you and light a candle flame deep within your soul.

"As long as that flame burns, the evil aura around you will remain suppressed.

"Even if you release your Martial Soul and fight normally, no one will notice anything unusual."

"But..."

"But what?"

Tang Ya's heart lurched. She had finally found what sounded like a perfect solution. It would be awful if it failed.

"But," Lin Chen continued, "you'll have to come to me once a week to renew the flame.

"If it goes out, the evil aura around you will surge out many times stronger. No one will be able to contain it then."

He looked at Tang Ya and spoke word by word. "As long as the candle flame burns, you'll seem like a normal person. You'll even have an air of righteousness about you.

"Even if you devour flesh and blood right in front of someone, they'll say you did well."

"That's absurd!"

Tang Ya stared at him in stunned disbelief. "So that's how you hide your own evil power."

"That's right." Lin Chen nodded calmly.

"You really are a strange Evil Soul Master," Tang Ya murmured. Then she made up her mind and dropped to her knees before him with a thud.

"Please help me turn my Martial Soul evil.

"And help me hide its aura afterward.

"I'll do anything. Please."