Sixty-eight frames

The black-robed Demonic Cultivator led Pei Ling to a small courtyard. "The City Lord is still in seclusion. You may rest here, and summon a demon servant if you need anything. Once the Secret Realm closes, the City Lord will host a grand banquet. I hope we'll still see you there, hahahahaha..."

The black-robed Demonic Cultivator left with a wild laugh, leaving only Pei Ling and Qiao Ranran in the courtyard.

"Can I speak now?" Qiao Ranran asked cautiously.

Pei Ling chuckled, the chill in his eyes slowly melting. "Who said you couldn't?"

Qiao Ranran lifted the veil of her hat, her face still a little pale. "I was just afraid I'd say something wrong!" This was the Demon Realm. If one wrong step exposed their identities, even Pei Ling's strength would not let two fists overcome four hands, especially with a burden like her in tow.

"Do we have to come to the City Lord's Manor?" Qiao Ranran looked around. It was just a secluded little courtyard overgrown with weeds, hardly a promising place. It wasn't even as nice as the inn they had stayed at! "This place gives me a really bad feeling."

The City Lord's Manor was shrouded in a barrier, a formation barrier laid by a High-Rank Cultivator. Inside the manor, sinister drafts seemed to blow constantly, and something unknown weighed down on everything. Both the air and the atmosphere around them had an eerie, ominous quality.

Qiao Ranran was a Spiritual Cultivator, and this environment put her under immense strain. Even with Pei Ling's spell technique protecting her, the discomfort that clung to her like a shadow remained unbearable. It was as though something cold and sinister kept watching her Sea of Consciousness with a predator's hungry gaze, nibbling away at her spiritual power.

"I