The junior overseer in gray immediately raised a hand in signal and led the four beside him a little farther back, so they would not get in the way.
The old man's cloak began to ripple slowly, swelling as though it were being inflated. His white beard floated, and his lips murmured and buzzed, as if he were talking to himself or reciting some incantation. Echoes stirred in the silent secret chamber.
The unconscious Zhen'er's finger suddenly moved, drawing the eyes of the four beside her.
After a stretch of silence, Zhen'er's entire head became shrouded in increasingly dense demonic qi. Her finger moved again, then twice, then three times, gradually trembling and twitching until the movement spread to her body. Her unconscious form began to convulse.
Gradually, murmurs accompanied it. "Su..."
The others could not make out what she was saying, and all strained their ears to listen.
Yet their gazes slowly shifted to the white-bearded old man, for he seemed to have fallen into a nightmare as well. His whole body shook as though convulsing, as if he too were trapped in some torment.
The four exchanged glances. Something seemed wrong with this elder, but they did not understand what, so they could only watch.
Soon, however, they noticed that the elder's hands, which were directing the demonic qi, were shaking badly. Something was dripping from his white beard, though the colors cast by the flame aura made it difficult to tell what it was at first.
Only after looking closely did they realize that the liquid was flowing from the elder's nose onto his beard, then drifting off along its strands. It was blood.
The four were somewhat alarmed. He had only just begun-why was the reaction already so violent?
The junior overseer in gray could not