Free Web NovelChapter 146: Chapter 146: Moonbone Settlement
The settlement appeared beside the cleansed Moonbone Spring. freewёbnoνel.com
Silver light rose from the water, flowing through the bone forest roots. The hollow trees slowly changed. Some remained bone-white, but the black stains vanished, and the flute-like wind became softer.
[Floor 27: Silver Bone Forest]
[Main Mission: Find Moonbone Spring and cleanse forest root — Completed.]
[Sub-Mission: Defeat 30 Silver Bone Beasts — Completed.]
[Sub-Mission: Collect 10 Moonbone Leaves — Completed.]
[Sub-Mission: Prevent bone curse accumulation above 40% — Completed.]
[Final Bone Curse Accumulation Average: 19%]
[Sub-Mission: Discover source of bone corruption — Completed.]
[Floor Boss: Corrupted Moonbone Wolf King defeated.]
[Hidden Foreign Source: Black Sun Bone Shard sealed.]
[Calculating final evaluation...]
The result flashed.
[Final Evaluation: SSS]
The rewards appeared.
[SSS Evaluation Rewards]
EXP +13,000
Tower Coins x180,000
S Grade Silver Bone Forest Chest x1
S Grade Moonbone Spring Water x1
S Grade Moonbone Cleansing Leaf Bundle x1
A Grade Silver Bone Wolf King Core x1
A Grade Bone Curse Resistance Fruit x3
Special Mark: Moonbone Root Cleanser
Additional hidden reward:
[Foreign Corruption Source Sealed]
SS Grade Black Sun Bone Shard x1
SS Grade Moonbone Purification Crystal x1
Qin Yuheng stared at the Black Sun Bone Shard.
The Tower rewarded the sealed corruption source.
That meant it had value.
Dangerous value.
The return to the academy triggered immediate special reporting because the settlement record mentioned foreign corruption source.
Yu Qingmei’s expression became severe.
"Black Sun?"
"Panel described compatibility with Blood Sun / Crimson Eclipse residue."
She inhaled slowly.
"Crimson Eclipse again."
Qin Yuheng nodded.
"Not a place. A ritual. That is what my father remembered."
Yu Qingmei did not ask how Qin Zhengyuan remembered. She only said, "Then this may be beyond the local Blood Sun branch."
At the Qin Estate, the Black Sun Bone Shard was inspected under maximum secrecy.
Mu Qinglan did not allow Qin Xue’er or Qin Yuze anywhere near the chamber.
Qin Wanshan, Qin Zhengyuan, Mu Qinglan, Gu Tianhe, Qin Yuheng, and Qin Mo attended.
The shard was black with faint red-gold cracks. It looked like bone burned by an eclipse. When placed on the table, it made nearby shadows bend toward it.
Qin Zhengyuan’s wound reacted.
He coughed once, and black-red lines flickered beneath his skin.
Mu Qinglan immediately placed a hand on his shoulder. Silver moon energy suppressed the reaction.
Qin Yuheng’s eyes turned cold.
"It resonates with Father’s wound."
Qin Zhengyuan nodded slowly.
"Yes. Same source family."
Qin Mo inspected from behind three barriers.
"This shard is not from a beast. It was implanted into the forest root. It turned moonbone cleansing energy into bone curse corruption."
Qin Wanshan looked at Qin Zhengyuan.
"Crimson Eclipse ritual may have used multiple carriers: blood, bone, seal, moon, sun." freeweɓnovel.cѳm
Mu Qinglan’s expression was unreadable.
"Moon corruption," she said softly.
The room became silent.
Qin Yuheng noticed.
His mother knew more.
But she did not explain.
Not yet.
The Moonbone Spring Water was enhanced carefully.
[S Grade Moonbone Spring Water]
↓
[SSS Grade Lunar Marrow Cleansing Spring Essence]
Effect:
[Cleanses marrow-level corruption, soothes bone-spirit channels, weakens sun-blood residue in skeletal pathways, supports long-term seal wound recovery.]
This was directly useful for Qin Zhengyuan.
But Mu Qinglan warned against immediate full use.
"Too strong. His wound contains blood, seal, spirit, and now bone resonance. If we cleanse marrow too quickly, deeper Blood Sun residue may awaken."
So they diluted it.
The treatment lasted one hour.
Qin Zhengyuan endured quietly.
At the end, the panel showed:
[Marrow-level corruption residue reduced slightly.]
[Bone-spirit channel pressure reduced.]
[Blood Sun Corrosion remains suppressed.]
[Crimson Eclipse resonance detected but dormant.]
Crimson Eclipse resonance.
Dormant.
That phrase chilled the room.
Qin Wanshan spoke.
"Now we know. Zhengyuan’s wound is not only an injury. It is linked to a dormant ritual trace."
Qin Yuheng clenched his hand.
Mu Qinglan looked at him.
"Do not chase the ritual blindly."
"I know."
"Say it."
Qin Yuheng met her eyes.
"I will not chase Crimson Eclipse blindly."
That was close to a vow.
But not careless.
It was chosen.
The next floor file arrived two days later.
[Floor 28: Mist Crown City]
Type:
City-state illusion / political trial / false rulers / crown authority.
Warning:
Those who accept a crown may inherit its enemies.
Qin Mo read the warning.
"No crowns."
Qin Yuheng looked at the file.
After commander authority, vow trials, and corruption clues, a crown authority floor sounded dangerous.
The Tower was testing leadership from another angle.
Command was one thing.
Rule was another.
