Chapter 62: Flaws in the Blood Sacrifice

The Crimson Moon Festival was the grandest event for the vampires. On this day, all twelve clans, except for the Refeno clan, held elaborate ritual ceremonies. All vampires of the clan had to return to their designated territories and attend the ceremonies in their finest attire.

The most crucial step of the festival was the ritual sacrifice of the vampires' natural enemies to the moon. On this day, the moon appeared blood-red, visible only to the vampires and invisible to the human eye. The vampires' powers would also increase several times, reaching their peak.

The blood sacrifice involved binding the enemies on the cross and placing them on the altar, an act considered sacrilegious towards God. The witches would cast their spells, and the Crimson Moon would infuse power into the enemies' bodies. This power, derived from nature, would weaken the enemies until their bodies could no longer endure. At that point, the elders and higher-ranking pure-blood vampires of the clan would feed on their blood, strengthening themselves.

The mysterious power of the Crimson Moon could only be absorbed by the vampires through the filtered blood of the enemies. Merely standing under the Crimson Moon had no effect because once the festival ended, any acquired powers would disappear. Only by consuming the blood of the sacrificial victims could the vampires retain these powers. And the stronger the enemies, the more and more stable power the vampires could obtain.

All the vampires of the Lesamba clan who had the privilege to partake in the sacrificial feast were dead, leaving only Alexander, the highest commander, who naturally had the sole right to feast on the Blood Blade.

However, in order to win the favor of others, Alexander had selected twelve individuals from the clan to share in his feast. These twelve individuals included older ones, reliable ones, loyal ones, prestigious ones, and those who knew how to win the favor of others.

Yuri leisurely lay beneath the altar, his hands behind his head, listening to the commotion outside. The first step was the Dance of the Moon Sacrifice, and Yuri didn't even need to look to know that a group of vampires was dancing bizarrely around the altar.

"How boring, nothing new at all!" Yuri inwardly criticized.

Finally, they reached the blood sacrifice ritual, and suddenly, silence fell outside. A solemn and grave atmosphere pervaded the entire altar, directly affecting Yuri. He put away his relaxed demeanor and listened attentively.

After a while, the outside began to stir, and someone quietly reported to Alexander that the Blood Blade was missing. Although the voice was already lowered, it was impossible to escape the ears of the vampires. The commotion outside exploded, and various voices filled the air with uproar.

"Gone?!" Yuri abruptly sat up, forgetting about the low height of the altar. With a loud thud, his head struck the stone altar, resulting in a muffled sound.

"Who?" Alexander looked alertly towards the altar, and someone immediately lifted the cloth covering the altar. Yuri greeted them with a smirk, "Hey!" Then he kicked out with tremendous force, sending the unsuspecting vampire flying off the cliff.

A hysterical scream echoed through the valley.

Emily heard the scream from afar, her heart tightening. Without waiting for Yuri's signal, she swiftly flew over, soaring above the altar. Yuri was already surrounded, turning the grand sacrificial ceremony into a bloody battle. Bodies were strewn around Yuri, countless corpses drenched in blood, forming rivers that dyed the altar red.

Emily was astonished by Yuri's fighting prowess. She had always thought that Yuri was only skilled in illusions, but now she realized that even without illusions, Yuri was invincible, capable of warding off any harm with his bare hands.

Emily noticed that among the dense crowd, everyone was rushing towards Yuri except for one person, who was moving in the opposite direction, discreetly retreating amidst the chaos.

She took a closer look and was surprised to see a female version of Benjamin!

She couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation. Benjamin always managed to do something that left people speechless.

Soon, others discovered Benjamin's retreat. At first, they berated him for his cowardice, but then someone exposed his true identity, and Benjamin was drawn into the battle.

"You should have stayed at home and not caused trouble!" Yuri angrily scolded from a distance, but he was already moving closer to Benjamin.

"Dealing with so many people must be exhausting for you!" Benjamin countered Yuri while fending off his own attackers. However, he, too, was inching closer to Yuri.

Emily initially intended to fly down and assist, but observing the situation, she decided to ascend higher and overlook the battlefield from above.

Before long, Benjamin and Yuri formed an alliance, back to back, focusing on the enemies in front of them. This way, it was clearly much easier than dealing with vampires coming from all directions.

They say that when you completely trust someone, you can confidently turn your back to them. Emily watched the two men back to back, and a smile curved her lips.

"Just to make it clear, we're not on good terms. We have a temporary alliance because our goals align!" Benjamin said as he fought.

"Likewise! Enough with the small talk! Save your energy!... Watch out!" Yuri said, just in time to help Benjamin fend off someone who almost severed his arm.

"No need to thank me!" Yuri said haughtily.

"I wasn't planning on thanking you! Mind your own business and take care of yourself! Above!" Benjamin shouted the last word loudly, and Yuri swiftly dealt with the attackers coming from above.

"We're even now, no need to thank me!" Benjamin imitated Yuri's haughty mannerisms, raising an eyebrow.

"If it weren't for your nonsense distracting me, I wouldn't have been ambushed!" Yuri snorted.

Emily watched from above as the number of vampires surrounding them seemed endless, like ants swarming around. If they continued like this, they wouldn't finish even by daybreak. She leaned forward, preparing to join the battle, but suddenly, a reflection caught her eye from the other side of the mound.

It was a beam of light, like a spotlight, not too dazzling. Emily glanced in that direction, and the light disappeared. She felt puzzled but didn't have time to dwell on it. She was about to fly down when the beam of light shot towards her again, this time gesturing as if beckoning her.

Emily hesitated for a moment, then flew towards the source of the light.

There stood a man with a stern expression, sharp chin, high nose, and thick eyebrows. He looked at Emily with a faint smile. Standing beside him was another person, standing respectfully with their hands behind their back, holding something that resembled a flashlight but was clearly not a flashlight.

"Did you seek me out?" Emily asked the man in front of her.

The man had a pale complexion, and there was a scent of poppy about him. His gaze was intense, exuding a powerful aura. His smile didn't reveal whether he was friend or foe, but his eyes carried a hint of unmistakable calculation.

"The Bloodblade is in my possession."