"They four are probably going to become sworn brothers!" After Zhou Huan finished speaking, the moon in the sky seemed to shine with unprecedented brightness, almost merging with Xiaoshan. Xiaoshan's waiting had reached a point of utter helplessness; she was on the verge of an explosion of rage.

Blood flowed from the moon, crimson rivers pouring into Xiaoshan's spiritual body. Looking at Xiaoshan again, her soul form was slowly growing, expanding at a speed akin to inflating a balloon.

Suddenly, a fierce gale swept through the area. The banners on the altar were nearly whipped into the sky, causing panic among the onlookers.

"Zhou Huan, where is my husband? I can't hold on any longer. Today is the day of the Crimson Moon at its peak. If he doesn't come, I'm going to erupt." In Xiaoshan's heart at this moment, she felt only helplessness and futility. Her patience for waiting was gone; she was about to lose control and intended to wreak havoc on the scene.

"Stop! You have to hold on for me. Your husband is from your own era; the fact that he hasn't been reincarnated yet means he's lost out quite a bit, hasn't he? He is rushing here now. Getting leave from King Yama isn't easy; after all, he's a merchant, and he's always useful down there. His work is quite demanding. If you explode now, it certainly won't look good when he arrives and sees you like this," Zhou Huan explained clearly to Xiaoshan.

Xiaoshan couldn't worry about any of that now. The Crimson Moon Curse had reached its zenith at this moment. The Crimson Moon Blood merged with the soul form controlling the Crimson Moon, granting it unprecedented power. At the very least, those present would need to employ some novel techniques to counter him, lest their efforts be in vain. According to Xiaoshan's understanding, this Crimson Moon Blood manifested when the moon reached a certain stage, its color transforming into energy. Its master only needed to exert a little effort, and this luminous energy would be continuously supplied to the controller, resulting in a situation even the controller couldn't manage.

In truth, Xiaoshan wasn't intentionally causing this trouble; there was no other way, as the Crimson Moon Curse was established that way from the beginning.

"Xiaoshan, don't be impulsive, you must maintain control, or the consequences will be unimaginable!" Zhou Huan kept urging her. Primarily, he did not want to harm Xiaoshan's spiritual body, and secondly, he could not stand by and watch Xiaoshan mutate and harm everyone present.

Simultaneously, Zhou Huan's Four Guardians immediately rose. Their respective deity symbols, embroidered on their robes, materialized, encircling the entire altar. The Eight Heavenly Generals and Vajras also manifested their weapons, taking positions on their respective platforms, all fearful of any unexpected incident.

"Stop preparing in vain! No one can subdue the peak of the Crimson Moon Curse. You all just wait to die! I can't control it anymore!" Xiaoshan was in extreme agony. She didn't want this, but she couldn't control the entire Crimson Moon Curse. She had to watch helplessly as she killed so many good people with her own hands; this was torment for Xiaoshan's heart as well.

Xiaoshan's size had ballooned to that of three or five grown men. Furious flames erupted around her soul form. Then, Xiaoshan began wildly swinging her arms without rhythm in all directions. Wherever her swings landed, onlookers would fall unconscious. Balls of bloody fire scattered everywhere.

Zhou Huan roared, "Guardians, establish the formation! Don't let him harm the spectators. We will resolve this within the array. Heavenly Gods, make your move!"

At Zhou Huan's command, the representative deities of the Four Guardians began to rotate, forming a cylindrical beam of light that enveloped the entire altar. Looking up, the Eight Heavenly Gods rose from their seats, weapons in hand, ready to confront Xiaoshan.

Then, Xiaoshan's severed hand suddenly flew back, the five-colored gem ring still adorning it. With a grand sweep of his hand, Xiaoshan used the ring as a weapon. At this moment, the ring displayed only that single color: red. Wherever the red light traveled, everything ignited.

"Move! What are you waiting for?" Zhou Huan was frantic this time. He leaped high off the platform, rushing in front of the Heavenly Gods, his Coin Sword and Heavenly Silkworm Gauntlets fused into one, striking fiercely at Xiaoshan.

The Eight Vajra Heavenly Gods followed Zhou Huan, each unleashing their ultimate techniques.

However, Xiaoshan's Crimson Moon Blood had already reached an uncontrollable state. He opened his mouth wide and blew towards the ring. A torrent of luminous flow shot directly toward the Eight Great Vajras and Zhou Huan. The Eight Vajras tried to block, but alas, this beam of light was ubiquitous. When it struck them, the eight Heavenly God-level Vajras were forced to retreat.

Zhou Huan, meanwhile, used his gauntlets to deflect the light, seemingly unbothered. He held his breath, and his Coin Sword blazed with a golden, fierce light, thrusting directly toward Xiaoshan's chest. Everyone present sensed a powerful divine force.

Xiaoshan was instantly stunned. She never imagined a mortal could break through the Crimson Moon Blood and injure her. It was too late for Xiaoshan to dodge. Zhou Huan's sword pierced deep into her chest. Then Zhou Huan pulled the Coin Sword out and immediately struck again. If this second strike had landed on any other part of her body, Xiaoshan's soul form would have been essentially annihilated.

As fate would have it, stories often introduce a turning point precisely at such a critical juncture. At this very moment, when the soul's survival hung in the balance, the person Xiaoshan had longed for, the one she had waited nearly a thousand years for—her husband, that Persian merchant—finally appeared before her. He lunged forward, straight toward Xiaoshan's chest, ready to take Zhou Huan's sword thrust for her.

Zhou Huan's Coin Sword was pressed right against the merchant's chest. If Zhou Huan pushed any harder, both souls would be impaled by his sword. If Zhou Huan stopped, Xiaoshan might very well unleash her killing spree, and if this chance was missed, Zhou Huan would never be able to subdue Xiaoshan's Crimson Moon Blood.

Shi Bingyuan realized what his master was facing. He withstood the assault of the Crimson Moon Blood, taking one blow himself. The poisonous blood inside his body had already reached his throat; if Zhou Huan had faltered just now, he would have collapsed on the spot and been unable to do anything.

Looking over at Xiaoshan, where the wound from Zhou Huan's thrust was, bright red light poured out like a waterfall. Seeing Zhou Huan hesitate, the Persian merchant immediately knelt on both knees, clasping his fists tightly. "Master Zhou, I apologize. I beg you, do not extinguish Xiaoshan's soul. I have just been released by King Yama, allowed to speak Han Chinese, and permitted to reincarnate. Master Zhou, we have waited a thousand years; please grant us this wish." As he spoke, tears streamed down the Persian man's face.

Zhou Huan's hand began to tremble. His feet settled back onto the ground, and he swiftly withdrew his Coin Sword, forcing down the mouthful of blood he had swallowed. But he couldn't hold it any longer. With a puchi, he spat out a mouthful of blood everywhere. Wherever Zhou Huan's blood landed, it caused a searing burn.

Zhou Huan's body instantly went limp. The four Guardians helped support him back to the altar, holding him steady in their positions. The four divine pillars in the sky vanished simultaneously.

Everyone watching understood a simple fact: Zhou Huan was gravely wounded.

The injured Xiaoshan still tried to press her attack because her soul form was no longer obeying her will, but rather following the incantation of the Crimson Moon.

Ultimately, the resolution to this problem had to come from the originator. The Crimson Moon Curse itself was the creation of this Persian merchant. He had excerpted a passage from the Quran, consecrated it, and offered the five-colored gem ring as the catalyst. Naturally, its power was extraordinary. Seeing that Xiaoshan's situation was completely uncontrollable, the Persian man sat cross-legged, positioning himself directly in front of Xiaoshan.

"Husband, I don't want this, but I can't stop it. A thousand years… perhaps this is the only time we will meet like this. Why don't you just let Master Zhou kill me? I don't want to kill innocent people anymore," Xiaoshan finally expressed her true intent, but her soul form remained beyond her control.

Over by the merchant, he reached out and took the hand Xiaoshan wore the ring on. The merchant gave her a deep kiss, then gripped Xiaoshan's hand tightly. No matter how hard Xiaoshan tried to pull away, the Persian merchant would not let go. He turned his head, his eyes full of affection, and said, "My dear, since we have waited a thousand years, let's not let this reunion turn into one of regret. My dear, if my counter-curse doesn't work, I am willing to perish with you—soul and spirit destroyed—but we absolutely cannot allow more innocent lives to be taken."