When a haze crept over his consciousness, Qin An immediately grew alert.
He looked back and found that the scenery around him was twisting too.
The Pacifying Distant King and Eunuch Yang seemed to notice nothing. They kept walking ahead, their expressions grave.
Qin An frowned, his grip tightening slightly on his blade.
Something felt wrong. He stopped, sensing the haze in his mind growing thicker.
Then he felt an ancient, desolate, terrifying presence. Shrill screams and desperate cries rang in his ears.
Against that presence, the sounds stood out all the more starkly.
Qin An could even hear a trace of longing in them, and that longing was directed at him. It was as though something desperately wanted him to reach the depths of the Cave.
Seeing Qin An stop, the Pacifying Distant King and Eunuch Yang halted as well and looked at him in confusion.
They had already entered the pitch-black passage. Though the light was dim, their strength in the Sage Manifestation Realm let them see clearly.
Neither had expected something to happen to Qin An just after they entered.
The Pacifying Distant King in particular had dealt with Qin An several times and knew his temperament. Qin An would never stop suddenly at a time like this.
With that in mind, the Pacifying Distant King asked,
"Lord Qin, has something happened to you?"
Eunuch Yang looked puzzled too.
But since the Pacifying Distant King had asked, he did not interrupt. He simply watched Qin An and waited for an answer.
Qin An did not reply. He remained where he was.
The haze in his mind had vanished, and the scenery around him no longer twisted. Everything seemed to have returned to normal.
The only difference was that the longing had grown stronger, as though something desperately