Chen Wuya's hand stopped in midair, never touching the jade talisman. He turned and pressed his palm against Bai Zhi's lower abdomen. A faint tremor traveled through his fingertips, as though something inside were gently bumping against them.
The system immediately issued a prompt:
[Profound Ice Baleful Qi resonance detected. Immediate isolation of the source is recommended.]
Bai Zhi bit her lower lip, her body trembling slightly. Her breathing grew ragged, and cold sweat beaded across her forehead. Mo Feng snapped the compass shut, keeping his voice low. "Something's wrong with that jade talisman. It's stirring the fetal energy."
Chen Wuya said nothing. He pulled Bai Zhi three steps back. Mo Feng stayed close beside them as the three withdrew from the center of the poisonous mist vortex. As the distance widened, the floating jade talisman's red glow gradually dimmed until it finally sank into the mist and vanished.
Bai Zhi leaned against the rock wall, gasping, one hand still pressed to her stomach. "Just now... it felt like something was pulling me." Her voice trembled.
"It wasn't pulling you." Chen Wuya stared at her abdomen. "It was pulling the child."
Mo Feng crouched down and opened his pack to rummage through it. He remembered that the South Sea Dragon Maiden had stuffed a stone into his hands when they parted, saying it could protect the soul and calm the mind in places of extreme cold. He pulled out a crystal-clear Ice Marrow Stone, and the instant it touched his palm, a bone-piercing chill seeped into him.
"This is it," he said.
Chen Wuya took the Ice Marrow Stone. It felt like cold iron in his hand. He lowered his gaze to Bai Zhi, then looked at his own palm. Misaligned Force flowed slowly through his body. He