"Brother Xu! Look! The sky!"
Yu Wenxi pointed toward the heavens, his voice trembling slightly.
Xu Ming and the others lifted their heads.
The citizens of Baiwa City and the human cultivators also began to raise their heads one after another.
In the somewhat dim sky above, the white clouds parted, revealing a faintly visible moon hanging in the heavens.
However, this moon was different from the usual; it carried a faint red hue. Though the red wasn't very pronounced yet due to the lingering daylight, as the sky darkened, the moon's ominous tint grew increasingly apparent.
They had no doubt that tonight, the sky would host a crimson moon as red as blood.
"Blood Moon!"
The same two words simultaneously sprang to the minds of Xu Ming and his companions.
Xu Ming looked at the three of them and said, "I didn't expect the Blood Moon to appear today. Can you guys set up that formation in time?"
Miao Feng stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Brother Yu Wenxi and I studied it for an entire afternoon. While we didn't fully grasp its intricacies, we should be able to manage the basics."
"Xu Ming, that's the wrong question to ask," Qin Qingwan raised her elegant face, smiling at Xu Ming. "Even if we're not fully prepared, does it matter? Do we even have a choice right now?"
Xu Ming froze for a moment before nodding with a smile. "You're right. We have no choice. Let's get moving. Time is of the essence."
"Yes," the three responded solemnly.
Xu Ming had been wondering when he might encounter the Blood Moon.
Unexpectedly, it had arrived today.
Now, whether they were prepared or not was irrelevant. Even if they weren't ready, they had to attempt it tonight. Who knew when the next Blood Moon would appear? For all they knew, the white pillar of light might descend upon them tomorrow, erasing their existence before they even understood how they died.
Yu Wenxi took out a tool resembling a dragon-seeking ruler from his storage pouch. As Miao Feng spoke in professional jargon about the formation, Yu Wenxi infused the ruler with spiritual energy.
Half an hour later, the sky had grown dark. As expected, the crimson Blood Moon stood out starkly against the night sky.
"Here. This is the spot," Yu Wenxi said, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead and stomping firmly on the ground.
Miao Feng nodded. "I think this is the place too. What's your opinion, Miss He?"
Although everyone knew Qin Qingwan's true identity, Xu Ming hadn't brought it up, so both Miao Feng and Yu Wenxi pretended not to know.
Qin Qingwan agreed, "It matches my thoughts as well."
Yu Wenxi put away the dragon-seeking ruler and glanced at the Blood Moon above. "No time to waste. Let's begin!"
Miao Feng bowed to Xu Ming. "Brother Xu, we'll trouble you to protect us."
Xu Ming nodded. "You three focus on your task. Leave everything else to me."
"Understood."
Miao Feng unfurled a sheepskin scroll and tossed it onto the ground, chanting an incantation.
The scroll trembled continuously as the formation etched onto it began to manifest.
The sheepskin gradually disappeared, replaced by the formation inscribed on the ground.
Xu Ming stepped aside as the trio brought out formation flags and started arranging them methodically.
The formation harnessed the natural laws of heaven and earth, gathering and circulating spiritual energy.
It felt as though the principles of the universe were being broken apart and reshaped to their will.
Watching all this, Xu Ming made a mental note to study formations seriously once he left Baiwa City.
First, mastering more skills never hurt.
Second, a prepared formation master could potentially defeat an opponent an entire realm higher through sheer cunning.
Even if he didn't aim to master it, at the very least, he wanted to ensure he wouldn't be left helpless when facing formation masters in the future.
Just as the formation was being methodically set up, Qin Qingwan suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Meanwhile, in Baiwa City—
The human cultivators had already gathered together and were preparing to head toward the Toad Temple.
The demonic cultivators who had come from outside the city also got word of the situation and quickly assembled.
If the temple truly was the gateway to Baiwa City, then whoever controlled the temple would hold the lifeblood of the entire city. Even if it wasn't the gateway, the temple was bound to hold treasures. If someone else got there first, they wouldn't even get the scraps.
Thus, outside the temple, roughly 500 human cultivators and 400 demon cultivators stood facing off.
The tension was palpable. Neither side had entered the temple yet, but they seemed on the verge of clashing.
"What's the meaning of this?" Xia Donghua glared at a man in a white robe standing among the demonic cultivators.
Xia Donghua knew this demon.
He was the third prince of the White Serpent Kingdom, currently ranked seventh on the Qingyun List.
"We could ask you the same question. What are all of you doing here at the temple in the middle of the night?" the White Serpent Kingdom's third prince, She Yu, replied with a faint smile.
Xia Donghua's expression grew tense. "Let's stop beating around the bush. Since you're here too, let's agree to a truce. At least until we kill the Golden Toad, we shouldn't be dragging each other down. What do you think? If we end up slaughtering each other first, forget about seizing any treasures—we won't even make it out of Baiwa City alive!"
Xia Donghua understood that any agreement with the other side would be tenuous at best.
But there was no other choice. If he backed down now, the other side would seize the initiative.
He also believed they'd have the sense to cooperate. If human and demon cultivators started fighting, both sides would suffer, and they'd all just end up as food for the Golden Toad.
The White Serpent Kingdom's third prince snapped his fan shut with a smile. "I was thinking the same thing."
"Let's move!"
Xia Donghua led the human cultivators into the temple.
"Let's go," She Yu said, closing his fan and leading the demonic cultivators toward the temple.
"Boom!"
A loud explosion shattered the night's silence.
The temple gates were blasted open by the combined might of both groups of cultivators.
Inside the temple, the monks all opened their eyes. The temple's guardian warrior monks, armed with long staves, charged forward.
"Amitabha. May I ask why all you benefactors are visiting Golden Toad Temple so late at night?" The temple's abbot, a yellow frog, clasped his hands in greeting.
Xia Donghua stepped forward. "If you, Abbot, tell us the way out of Baiwa City and hand over your temple's treasures, we will leave peacefully."
The abbot furrowed his brow. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Benefactor."
"In that case, there's nothing more to discuss."
Xia Donghua waved his hand.
"Attack."
---
On the outskirts of Baiwa City, a flying zombie hopped along endlessly.
Around the zombie's neck hung a necklace with a gemstone strung on it.
The zombie didn't know who to give the necklace to.
It had only just entered the city, only to find no one around.
But as it continued to hop, its nose twitched. The zombie caught a familiar scent in the air.