Most of the ground inside the secluded valley was paved with thick bluestone slabs. Dew from the morning rain clung to them, and the air was damp, carrying a faint chill.
But Ye didn't feel cold just then. The hand holding his was warm, like a furnace. The woman beside him walked slowly, her blood-red veil blending into the clouds and mist, seeming both real and unreal. Her expression was terribly cold, as if the smile he'd seen moments ago had been nothing but his own illusion.
Ye quietly glanced back. The group that had been traveling with him had vanished without a trace at some point, and all he could see around him was impenetrable fog.
He grew fully alert and lowered his head slightly. Since he was still so young, a trace of fear inevitably showed in his eyes.
He had seen the blood-red veil the woman wore before. Everyone who wore such a veil was an Ancient God.
Among the human race, the words "Ancient God" were enough to frighten children into silence at night. Ye couldn't help suspecting that he was about to be eaten.
Shi Lan noticed the boy's somewhat uneven breathing beside her. His pulse was beating more and more rapidly, its rhythm conveyed through his slender wrist. After a little thought, she guessed the reason and stopped, releasing his hand.
Ye's pupils widened slightly, and he took half a step back. A thin sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead. His features had yet to mature, and his lips were so thin that they seemed almost bloodless.
He was undeniably afraid. The modest amount of true essence within him surged wildly, and facing death nearly made him unable to resist the urge to turn and flee.
But he couldn't run. The consequences of