In the darkness, something rustled, the sounds seeming to grow ever more frequent.
Jian Tongyao huddled on a tree trunk and looked around. There had still been a trace of light in the night sky, but somehow, clouds had swallowed that last glimmer, leaving everything pitch-black. She could not even see her fingers in front of her face.
Qian Wanyu sat cross-legged beneath the tree.
"Little Lecher, do you think those things are coming?" Jian Tongyao was a little frightened. Last time, in the Sea Region, a living dead had bitten her tail, infecting her immediately. Luckily, the potion had been applied quickly, or she would have become a living dead dragon. "Still, those potions really were useful."
Listening to her muttering, Little Lecher brushed her wrist with a vine, signaling her to be quiet.
Jian Tongyao saw several figures staggering toward them as though hypnotized. All she could see were people in black robes, swallowed entirely by the darkness. In the dead of night, they looked like soulless beings, frightening just to look at.
"They're here, they're here," Qing Mo reminded her excitedly in the soul sea. "Three-no, five Death Spirit Masters."
"Mm."
Qian Wanyu infused her intent into the thousand-thread silk and tried summoning the controlled Death Spirit Masters. To her surprise, the Death Spirit Masters nearby really obeyed and appeared. "Ninth Sister, whatever happens next, look after yourself."
"Oh."
What could possibly happen? Jian Tongyao wondered. Then she watched Seventh Sister stand and walk toward the Death Spirit Masters. All five wore long black robes and kept their heads lowered, making their expressions impossible to see. But they stood like wooden posts, looking very obedient.
Qian Wanyu reached out, placed her hand on their heads, and performed Soul Search directly. The first two went smoothly, but when