That fear, so dense it seemed almost tangible, came from a scene projected before his eyes. Yet it still made him feel as if he were right there, so real that for a moment he forgot to breathe.
"What in the world is that thing? Why is it so terrifying?"
Luo Yi forced himself to take comfort in the thought that this was only a painting, not a real scene. Only then did he manage to steady his mind.
But before he could even catch his breath, the young man in Daoist robes within the painting moved.
"I am Real Person Wangchuan. By the decree of the Tianyan Sect, I have come to call the demon to account."
As his words fell, the young man reached into his wide sleeve and took out a sheet of gold foil. He carefully unfolded it, then recited, one by one, the crimes listed upon it.
After reading the contents of the gold foil in full, the young man swept his hand and sent it to the edge of the abyss.
The demon below, so enormous that its true size was impossible to discern, fixed its two towering eyes on the words inscribed on the gold foil.
Immediately afterward, a mournful wail rose from the abyss.
The cry lasted only a few dozen breaths before it seemed to give in to its fate.
No more wailing came from the abyss. Instead, a human man's voice sounded, resigned: "I confess!"
Seeing that the demon below had confessed, Real Person Wangchuan spoke as if going through the motions, his voice as calm as before. "Nine Heavens Divine Lightning, heed my command. Slay!"
As the final word fell, a sudden transformation took place.
The sky, once clear and cloudless beneath a bright, high moon, turned dark in