Free Web NovelChapter 158: Chapter 158: The Moon Counterweight
Mu Qinglan did not hide after revealing the truth.
That was her strength.
She gathered the core family the next morning and explained what she could.
Not everything about the Mu Void Moon Clan. Not its full origin, enemies, or ancient status. But enough. freewebnoveℓ.com
"My lineage carries moon-void sealing and reflection abilities," she said. "When Zhengyuan returned wounded, the Blood Sun Corrosion was spreading through blood and seal channels. Qin family methods suppressed the seal damage, but the spirit collapse was too fast. I used moon-void power to create a counter-pressure."
Qin Yuheng listened carefully.
"You saved him."
"I slowed the ritual," she said. "I did not understand all of it."
Qin Zhengyuan looked at her.
"You saved me."
Mu Qinglan’s expression softened briefly.
"Perhaps. But now that same power is woven into the anchor."
Qin Mo studied the updated map.
"So the moon counterweight is not corruption. It is a stabilizer. If removed, bad. If strengthened wrongly, maybe also bad."
"Correct," Mu Qinglan said.
Qin Mo looked miserable.
"Ritual medicine is awful."
Qin Yuheng asked, "Can we separate Mother’s moon trace from the anchor safely?"
"Not yet," Qin Mo said immediately.
Mu Qinglan nodded.
"We need to weaken Blood-Sun layer, map command-blood thread, and identify the ritual center first."
Qin Wanshan’s eyes were cold.
"The ritual center may not be inside Zhengyuan alone."
Everyone understood.
Crimson Eclipse may have left external anchors elsewhere.
A ritual site.
A blood altar.
A sealed object.
Perhaps the place Qin Zhengyuan had been injured.
Crimson Eclipse Ruins.
But Qin Wanshan did not allow immediate action.
"We continue climbing. We gather tools. We do not go chasing ruins based on enemy-fed fragments."
Qin Yuheng agreed, though it was difficult.
The next floors became preparation with sharper purpose.
Floor 36: Moonless Salt Lake.
A vast dry lake where salt statues moved at night and reflected no moonlight. The mission required restoring three water veins and defeating the Salt Wraith Matron.
The floor provided Salt Purification Crystals and Moonless Reflection Water. After evolution, the Moonless Reflection Water became useful for testing whether moon-type energy was original, corrupted, or reflected.
This helped confirm Mu Qinglan’s trace was indeed protective, not hostile.
Floor 37: Scarlet Thread Workshop.
A dangerous crafting floor filled with animated threads, puppets, and binding looms. Blood Sun traces attempted to hide among ordinary red thread traps, but Qin Yuheng’s Crimson Law Thread Revealing Eye Lens exposed them.
The boss, Scarlet Loom Matriarch, tried to weave team members into puppets through obligation threads.
The Karma-Burden Severing Chain and Vow-Cleansing Law Crystal made the fight much easier than it could have been.
SSS evaluation. freewebnσvel.cѳm
Rewards included Thread Severing Scissors, Binding Loom Core, and Puppet Thread Cleansing Oil. After evolution, the SSS Grade Fate-Thread Severing Scissors became one of their strongest tools against binding-type rituals.
Qin Mo nearly hugged them.
"These scissors are terrifying."
Qin Yuheng stored them carefully.
Floor 38: Frost Sun Ravine.
This floor combined cold and false sunlight. The main mission required crossing ravines where sunlight froze instead of warmed. Blood Sun-like energy appeared but was not the same. It was a natural Tower phenomenon.
This distinction mattered.
The team learned not every sun-like corruption belonged to Blood Sun Hall.
The hidden reward, Frost Sun Balance Crystal, after evolution became a tool for studying opposing energy pairs—sun/moon, blood/seal, fire/ice.
Qin Mo added it to the Crimson Eclipse Anchor Map.
Progress improved.
[Crimson Eclipse Anchor Map — Updated]
Blood-Sun Corrosion Layer: 64% mapped.
Seal Suppression Layer: 58% mapped.
Marrow/Bone Residue: 51% mapped.
Spirit Nightmare Loop: 72% mapped.
Command-Blood Dormant Thread: 39% mapped.
Moon Counterweight Trace: 46% mapped.
Unknown external ritual center: confirmed likely.
Confirmed likely.
That phrase changed the room.
Qin Zhengyuan’s wound was not self-contained.
Even if they cleansed all internal layers, an external ritual center might react.
Mo Cangyan’s leaked truth had pushed them forward, but not into action yet.
He observed from afar and smiled.
"Good," he said. "They know enough to prepare. Not enough to strike."
Xue Rong asked, "Is that ideal?"
"For now. Prepared prey walks farther."
At Heavenly Gate Academy, the Youth Exchange delegates finally arrived.
Their flying vessel appeared above the city like a silver cloud.
Qin Yuheng stood beside Yu Qingmei as it descended.
The wider stage had reached him.
And among the delegates was a young woman in blue-white robes, carrying the aura of a river under starlight.
Jiang Yuexuan had arrived.
But for now, she was only an observer.
The romance was still far in the future.
The first meeting would be about power, not affection.
