It was already late at night when they returned to their room in Quiet Serenity Residence.
The maidservants had long since made their bed and prepared their bedding, and attended them as they retired.
As usual, the two studied the secret manual together and cultivated for a while before falling asleep, continuing to contemplate its various mysteries in their dreams.
Li Ling had been busy with quite a few things lately, but all of them revolved closely around developing his dreamscape and guarding against the Blood Spirit Bride.
Shortly after he fell asleep, blood mist swirled over the bed and formed a hazy shadow.
The maidservants keeping watch looked on with alarm.
The Ninth Princess, however, seemed accustomed to the sight. She instructed them, "The Prince Consort is being pinned down by something unclean again. Check whether anything is wrong with the evil-repelling incense. Don't let her manifest."
Her composure seemed to reassure the maidservants. Chao Shu and Jie Hua hurriedly checked the incense burner, then soon reported, "There's nothing wrong."
The Ninth Princess said, "Then there's no need to worry. Put out the lights and go to sleep."
The room soon grew dark, leaving only the ghostly shadow floating in the air, constantly changing shape.
Li Ling's eyes, ears, mouth, and nose seemed soaked in blood. The mist plugged his ears, blocked his nostrils, and covered his mouth.
A mass of blood mist also seemed to shroud his chest, its invisible mental force pressing against his heart and making it difficult to beat.
But as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had a powerful physique. He could go without breathing for a short while, and even having his heart stop briefly was no great matter. At worst, he would wake up the next morning with an aching back and numb