Darkness hung thick as solid matter. He looked in every direction, but there was no daylight, no stars, and no moon.
Beneath the shadows, rustling sounds never ceased, as if countless insects and snakes were scurrying about at top speed.
Yet when he listened closely, all was as silent as death.
It was as though countless furtive ghosts lurked in every direction, following close behind and surrounding them...
Pei Ling suddenly jolted awake. He found himself standing in pitch darkness, seemingly aboard a flying shuttle. One rune after another was going dark at a rapid pace, and the spiritual energy was fading away.
Clearly, the flying shuttle was falling apart.
By the faint light of the runes before they went dark, Pei Ling saw four figures standing not far from him.
Three of them had the pure aura of the Human Race. They all wore white robes and golden bands around their foreheads. The man in front was tall and straight-backed, his handsome features touched by something sinister. He stood with his hands behind his back, a pale gold gemstone set in the golden band at his brow. Obscure power flowed slowly within it.
Behind him stood a man and a woman, one on either side.
The male cultivator had delicate, feminine features and a cold, gloomy gaze like a serpent. The female cultivator was strikingly beautiful, a gemstone at her brow gleaming like the sea. Its iridescent light reflected in her eyes, lending her a slightly frosty allure.
The fourth figure stood closest to Pei Ling. She was a young woman with her hair in a lily bun, pearl-and-jade ornaments tucked at an angle, and a light pink, airy gauze dress. Her eyes and brows were lively, and her naturally upturned eyes held a hint of seduction. Yet a