On a dark and windy night, a cool breeze rustled the swaying shadows of the trees. Lu Chen and Huo Yao walked side by side along the edge of the forest bordering the Academy, the moonlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves to cast mottled light and shadow on the ground.
"Look," Huo Yao said, suddenly stopping and pointing to a patch of black soil beneath a towering ancient tree not far away. "Does the color of this soil seem a bit strange?"
Lu Chen followed her gaze. At first, he noticed nothing unusual, but upon closer inspection, he saw that the patch of soil was indeed darker than the surrounding earth, with a faint, eerie dark red hue bleeding through. As they drew closer, a sickening stench of decay, mixed with the damp scent of earth, assaulted their nostrils.
Chapter 419