Peter Yates was standing on a piece of gneiss, which had been moved from an old altar; compared to the ancient altar, only this piece of gneiss remained preserved. The gneiss was placed in a massive stainless steel vessel, and above Peter Yates's head, seven slender stainless steel tubes hung high, suspended. When the moon rose to its zenith, the factory roof was opened, and the bright moonlight flooded the entire factory. All the dark creatures let out a dreamlike moan—this moonlight bath was simply too comfortable!

A few vampires entered the stainless steel vessel. They took off Peter Yates's clothes. The High Judge stood up; it was her turn to take the stage. Caroline came to the side of the vessel, and someone beside her presented a tray, upon which lay a gold-and-black glove. The High Judge put on the glove, recited an ancient incantation, then swiftly waved her arm in the air. One by one, gold-and-black runes flew from her fingertips, quickly attaching themselves to Peter Yates's body, then rapidly seeping into his skin. The High Judge moved with astonishing speed; in just half a minute, dozens of runes had merged into Peter Yates's body. The flying runes brought with them sharp whistling sounds—each the pronunciation of a rune—echoing the incantation from the High Judge's mouth, like a strange, dark hymn!

Finally, the eerie sound waves, somewhere between ultrasound and audible sound, suddenly ceased. The vampires, who had been lost in enjoyment, snapped to attention—the High Judge had completed her part. Caroline removed the glove and silently walked back. Those runes were ancient vampire script, representing a series of qualities an enforcer should possess: impartiality, strictness, decisiveness, courage, adherence to the law... Most of these words were pronounced in ultrasound, completely inaudible to humans, and now, very few vampires could still understand this language.

The seven Elders stood up, each followed by thirteen powerful members of their family: from the oldest to the youngest, these thirteen spanned every generation. The seven Elders each pierced their right ear, squeezing out a drop of purple blood. Someone nearby caught it in a black jar. Then, the thirteen vampires from each family imitated the Elders, squeezing out their own blood. The later the generation, the more blood was required; the lowest-ranking vampire had to squeeze out fourteen drops.

Seven ceremonial attendants, holding the black jars, slowly ascended the stairs. Inside the jars, the blood of all the clans mingled, swaying under the moonlight, shimmering with a tempting purple-blue hue! John Bennett and Baker watched, their throats burning with hunger! The seven attendants reached the upper floor, where seven person-tall stainless steel containers stood, already filled with blood. The attendants poured the vampires' blood from the jars into the containers. Below, someone carried out a golden box. Lord Patrick personally opened it; inside, wrapped in red silk, was a piece of purple crystal, said to be the blood clot of a third-generation vampire.

Lord Patrick placed the purple crystal into Peter Yates's mouth. He slowly walked around the vessel, then raised his hand and announced, "Begin!" The seven attendants simultaneously pulled the valves beside them, and seven columns of blood sprayed out from the seven stainless steel tubes. Peter Yates's body suddenly emitted a red glow, within which the runes drawn by the High Judge could be vaguely seen! The blood flowing from the seven tubes hovered above Peter Yates's head, as if held up by some force. Peter Yates opened his mouth, a beam of purple light shot out, and the blood, as if drawn by some force, transformed into a thin column and flew into Peter Yates's mouth! No one knew how much blood entered his mouth. After a crisp sound, the purple light shattered like glass. Peter Yates closed his mouth, and the red glow on his body suddenly intensified. The blood above his head lost its support and fell like a torrential downpour. The seven Elders chanted an ancient incantation in low voices, and the temperature in the hall plummeted. The blood above suddenly turned into black snowflakes, drifting down in flurries! Peter Yates spread his arms, bathing in the black snowflakes. A beam of energy shot straight down in the moonlight, a flash of golden light swept across Peter Yates's body—the ritual was complete. He had gained the recognition of darkness, obtained the right to consume flesh, and would use the power of flesh to uphold the order of darkness!

Only a flesh-eater could monitor another flesh-eater without being discovered, but even this was not absolute; there were ranks among flesh-eaters as well.

John Bennett walked alone on the street. Suddenly, he turned and shouted at the crowd behind him, "Peter Yates, come out here!" Behind him, a flamboyantly dressed young man smiled, his face transforming into the newly appointed flesh-eater Peter Yates: "John Bennett, you must understand, I have to carry out the orders of the Senate!" John Bennett snorted and asked discontentedly, "Don't forget, who commands the flesh-eaters?" "But the Elders outrank the High Judge—this is the current way to survive. Whoever can give you more benefits, that's who you support!" Peter Yates replied blankly. John Bennett snorted again to show his disdain. Although he was not an old-fashioned, rigid vampire, he had his own principles and disdained to comment on such theories!