Do you all know the future?

Chapter 108 Soul Search
Bathed in the blood moon, Isabella, a vampire, felt incredibly comfortable; this was the perfect environment for vampires.

The Blood Moon is like sunlight for humans, and the Moon God is, in a sense, the sun god of the vampires. The Moon God is also the chief god of the vampires, just as the Lord of the Purple Sea is the chief god of the mermaids.

"Are you a vampire or a human?"

Touching her belly, Isabella smiled happily. She was naturally maternal and loved the child's father.

If the child gets older and has a physical form, they will react to the blood moon, and then it will be possible to tell whether they are human or vampire.

Isabella was fine with either way; after all, she would have another child with Diane if given the chance. Imagining Diane and her children running around her, Isabella's smile grew even wider.

"Dong dong..."

A knock on the door pulled Isabella from her blissful reverie back to reality.

"Master, the materials are ready. Shall we activate the spell?"

The maid who entered bowed and asked Isabella's opinion.

"Wait for me!"

His gaze shifted from the garden downstairs, seemingly recalling the sweet moments he shared with Diane, before slowly turning to the bottle on the table.

The bottle was shaking slightly, and the person inside was now terrified and frantically banging on the bottle.

"Why struggle? You've already disappeared."

Isabella picked up the bottle, remaining calm despite its vibrations, and simply put it down.

Isabella couldn't wait any longer. Diane's future was uncertain, and she had already prepared for the worst. Naturally, she didn't want to leave any potential problems behind.

Isabella's most important task now is to eliminate a soul that harbors hatred towards herself, Diane, and her children, and to prevent him from having a chance to rise again.

But upon hearing her verdict, the bottle trembled even more; the fear of disappearance was more terrifying than death—it was utter annihilation.

"Let's go to the ceremony platform."

Isabella regained her composure, took the vibrating porcelain bottle, and walked gracefully outside.

"Soul-searching materials are hard to collect, aren't they, Vivian?"

Isabella walked in front, and Vivian followed obediently behind, her eyes filled with nothing but obedience.

"It was a bit difficult, but my master said he would buy it for me no matter the cost."

Vivian kept her head down, adhering to the rules of a maid. Although powerful individuals disliked maids following them because their cultivation levels were incompatible, the maids never forgot this rule.

“You did very well. I was indeed anxious. It’s a pity that Xiao An didn’t ask you to serve him in bed.”

Isabella first offered a word of praise, then seemed somewhat regretful, as she considered it an honor and a reward to be able to serve Diane in bed.

"That's because I'm not lucky enough to win the master's favor. Only you can win the master's favor."

Vivian gave a humble smile, not seeking credit or making demands, even though she felt a pang of regret in her heart.

"This is not something I can enjoy alone. I would also like to share this glory with you. It's a pity, as you have all seen."

Isabella said regretfully that the Spirit Realm already knew about Diane's situation and was the medium for information transmission.

"No one expected that the Lord of Truth would reveal the Master's identity, and we didn't attract the Master's attention at the time."

The maid's tone revealed some regret; it was truly their mistake not to have been more proactive in seducing Diane.

"Given the current situation, it's probably going to be very difficult for us to squeeze in, but that doesn't affect our loyalty to you, Master."

The maid's tone was firm, and a flash of crimson light appeared in her eyes, but Isabella, who hadn't turned her head, couldn't see it.

"Loyalty isn't maintained solely by contracts. Although you are my blood slaves, you are also my disciples. I will repay your loyalty. If I die, I will send you a message: you should leave this castle. You can't defend it. You know where the spiritual materials are; divide them among yourselves."

Like entrusting her son to someone else, Isabella was also giving her maid instructions before her death; she was truly prepared to die.

"Is this ritual dangerous? The master has already thought about the future."

Vivian was puzzled, realizing that Isabella was giving instructions for her final affairs.

“It’s not dangerous, it’s the current situation that makes me feel dangerous. You have followed me for so long. I have bound your freedom and enslaved you, but at the same time, I have also nurtured you. You are the delicate flowers I have cultivated, and I hope to pick them for the people I love. If I don’t have that opportunity, I also hope that you will bloom on your own.”

Isabella was speaking from the heart. Despite her stern exterior, she was not harsh at heart. Although she could be ruthless, she was the kind of woman who was extremely selective in her relationships.

"Don't be afraid, maybe it's just my imagination. Xiao An will handle everything smoothly."

Isabella composed herself, took a deep breath, and stepped into the ceremony preparation room.

A strange fragrance filled the air, rich yet not pungent, with a calming effect.

The circular altar, crafted from obsidian, is intricately carved with patterns that guide the energy of the soul. These patterns shimmer with a ghostly blue light, formed from the powder of the Dream Flower.

At the edge of the altar, several ritual items were arranged in specific positions: a magnificent owl feather, a bottle filled with water from the "River of Oblivion", a piece of "Dragon's Saliva Stone" formed from the saliva dripping from a sleeping dragon, and a small patch of "Abyssal Moss" that exuded a faint chill.

These spiritually potent materials are quite expensive, and acquiring them is no easy feat for Isabella, especially since she cannot venture into the spirit realm. Vivian's ability to purchase them, regardless of the price, demonstrates her considerable effort.

"You can leave now."

Isabella placed the porcelain bottle on the altar, then stepped back outside and began to manipulate the implements.

"Yes!"

Vivian agreed and backed away until she reached the doorway.

"Owner!"

Vivian's voice came from behind Isabella.

"Anything else?"

"Please be careful with it!"

Perhaps it was Isabella's heartfelt confession that stirred a slight emotional response in Vivian, the head maid.

"It's just a soul-searching ritual; a broken soul poses no threat to me!"

Isabella said confidently that this was her first time performing a soul search, but its safety had been verified by countless predecessors.

Vivian fell silent, her eyes bloodshot, as red as the blood moon in the sky, and she slowly closed the door.

Isabella grasped the dragon birthstone and began chanting ancient and difficult incantations. As the incantations were chanted, the magical fluctuations in the secret chamber grew stronger, and the dark blue light on the altar shone brightly, forming bands of light.

The porcelain vase shattered, and a semi-transparent figure emerged from it. "Isabella, spare me! I am your husband. For our past relationship, please spare me..."

The departing souls tried to escape, but were blocked inside the altar by the blue band of light.

"When you were dealing with me and my son, I didn't see you showing any consideration for our past relationship. We were devoured by the Lord of Devouring, and I'm afraid there won't even be any ashes left."

Isabella looked at the face she had known for decades, her eyes growing colder. Betrayal is always the wall that isolates people's hearts, a knife that stabs them in the back.

If the other person doesn't consider you, why should you consider them? That's not love, that's being pathetic.

"I was wrong, please forgive me, I was wrong. I shouldn't have pursued such illusory power, I shouldn't have offered myself to the evil god. And it was because of my fall that you and Prince An were able to achieve your goals. For that reason, please forgive me!"

His lack of backbone only fueled Isabella's growing disgust. If he had remained steadfast and died standing, Isabella might have found it somewhat admirable. But this way, Isabella felt nothing but nausea.

"I have no desire to argue with you anymore. Even if you hadn't fallen into depravity, I would still have fallen in love with Xiao An the way you are. Isn't it better to accept reality?"

The waters of the River of Oblivion were poured into the altar, and upon contact with the remnant soul of Duke Ryan, they reacted violently, vaporizing into mist, which was then fixed by the blue light shield and turned into water droplets that fell onto the altar.

"Ah, you bitch, you slut, you adulterous whore... ah..."

The waters of the Forgotten River were scorching, and Duke Ryan understood that he would not get any benefit from praying to Isabella, so he finally broke down and cursed loudly.

"You scolded me well. It's all my fault for being so bad. I've corrupted Xiao An."

Isabella remained aloof and arrogant; such attacks had no effect on her. She had initially felt guilty towards Duke Ryan.

But the cultist husband felt no remorse and should have his wife taken away by Diane, the woman of holy blood, just like a hero slaying a dragon to win a beauty. Diane was the hero.

"Bitch...slut...vampire..."

"It's such a pity. I wish Xiao An could have seen it, so he could have held me and watched you disappear."

Isabella lamented, "What could be a better way to express loyalty?"

"It's better that he's not here. He probably won't be so well-behaved. Let me think about it. He still likes being around you. He's a little rascal with a wicked heart. But I'm pregnant, so I can't let him cause trouble."

Isabella chuckled, imagining Diane in this situation, and thinking about what Diane might say. Something like, "He's about to die, let him see that his wife is being taken care of."

"what……"

The soul dissolves, and the cursing ceases, leaving only desperate cries. The will to survive and anger in the eyes gradually dissipate, and memories flash back like a slideshow, with important events passing by.

"You probably heard about the birth of the child. I guess it was in the garden that time, when I held you in my hands. He was very enthusiastic and did it many times..."

"Oh!"

The remnant soul completely shattered, perhaps this was a relief for Duke Ryan, who died with humiliation, shame, and resentment.

"It's a shame we've lost one tool for flirting with Xiao An!"

Isabella didn't feel much regret. Women can be ruthless towards those they don't love. If the situation weren't as it is now, she might have treated Duke Ryan as a flirtatious toy with Diane, and wouldn't have been in such a hurry to eliminate him and search his soul.

When the abyssal moss was placed on the altar, the droplets that had melted Duke Ryan's remnant soul were gathered by the moss, which then grew wildly until the last drop of liquid was absorbed by the moss.

Isabella picked up the Night Owl Feather, and a flame ignited at the end of the long feather. Isabella plunged the burning end into the blue barrier, igniting the abyssal moss. Memories flashed through Isabella's mind like a movie.

There are battlefields with clashing swords and galloping horses, lavish and decadent court banquets, dark and damp dungeons, and sunny countryside fields. These are all fragments of Duke Ryan's long life, mixed and disordered.

Isabella frowned slightly. She knew this was a normal phenomenon during soul searching. She concentrated her mind, trying to capture the information she wanted from these chaotic fragments of memory. Her mental power was like an invisible tentacle, carefully trying to sort and guide them.

She saw the middle-aged Duke Ryan, and she also saw herself, surrounded by a group of nobles, while the surrounding nobles mocked Duke Ryan. Under the ridicule of the gigolo, Duke Ryan was depressed and indignant.

The images in his mind sped up again, then suddenly froze on a scene: a dimly lit room where Duke Ryan was kneeling on the ground, with a person in a black cloak standing in front of him.

Like a dream, the person's face was completely hidden in the shadow of the hood, with only a large mouth, a mouth full of sharp teeth, visible.

Unable to investigate, merely an external image, memory triggered a protective behavior.

“The contract… has taken effect… for my child…”

That husky, seductive voice came from under the hood, but the large mouth did not open to speak, as if He had countless mouths speaking from under the hood.

"I want to surpass Isabella, I want to become stronger, I want her to depend on me, instead of me depending on her."

Duke Ryan's voice sounded somewhat tired, but still carried a strong longing.

"I have kept my promise, and you must keep yours."

The illusion of the evil god manifested as a boy, whom Isabella recognized as her son, Loran.

“Raise him, destroy him, and I will descend upon him.”

"I want to become a demigod!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Duke Ryan agreed.

"Children can be reborn, surpass Isabella, surpass Isabella..."

Isabella could read Duke Ryan's mind at that time, if she wanted to.

"Yes, the price of power is never cheap."

The scene then shifts, and along with Isabella's thoughts, Duke Ryan's every scheme is transmitted to her mind without any hindrance.

She got everything she wanted, all of Duke Ryan's arrangements regarding the evil god, without him having to say a word; she had already obtained it from his mind.

"It's time to finish."

Isabella wanted to release the Night Owl Feather to gather her thoughts, but suddenly found her body stiff and unconscious. She had been so engrossed in acquiring Duke Ryan's memories that she had neglected her body.

She felt her eyelids growing heavier and heavier, as more and more memories of Duke Ryan flooded her mind, like watching countless boring movies without sleep.

Not only did his body lose control, but his consciousness also seemed to be out of his grasp. He tried to use the laws, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea, with no response whatsoever.

Isabella closed her eyes, leaned back like Sleeping Beauty, and fell into a deep sleep.

After an unknown amount of time, the door creaked open, and the maid's leather shoes clicked on the floor tiles as they approached.

Vivian walked to the unconscious Isabella and extended her fair hand.

"How can he beg me to save this beauty?"

Threatening is the most basic approach; a more sophisticated method is to take a roundabout way and make someone need your help.

(End of this chapter)