The heterogenous phenomenon on the Demon Manor Spirit Banner generated a tide of baleful Qi. In particular, those gradually forming human-faced tentacles, though illusory, stretched and darted about like scores of long-tailed ghosts weaving above and below the cauldron lid.
Even separated by twenty miles and despite the searing heat of the molten lava, the cultivators gathered at the edge of the cauldron lid felt an icy chill seep straight through skin and bone. Upon closer sensing, one could discover that this utterly lawless, chaotic fury was akin to ice blades exploding inside one's body; a moment of carelessness could result in countless perforations and irreversible, catastrophic injuries.
Faced with this kind of power, everyone momentarily lost their words.
After a long while, Xu Chang shook his head as if using the motion to shake off the raging power that had permeated him, finally sighing aloud, "This must be some peerless fiend within the Blood Prison Ghost Manor... Still, we are not entirely familiar with that side. Senior Brother Song, do you know which one this is?"
Song Gongyuan shook his head silently.
At that moment, behind them, Shao Changping and Luo Yuniang quietly returned. Song Gongyuan nodded slightly to the former, glanced toward the distant darkness, and lowered his voice. "Junior Sister Luo, has the Zhenjun rested?"
Luo Yuniang knew he was merely being polite according to ritual. Who could possibly rest easy with such a massive commotion going on? Yet her master had no interest in the matter, nor could she speak bluntly, so she merely nodded in acknowledgment.
Song Gongyuan gave a light laugh and fell silent once more.
With Luo Yuniang's joining, the atmosphere turned somewhat peculiar. Luo Yuniang sensed this as well, but she did not care—or perhaps she was simply more accustomed to such