An unknown black substance slowly gathered in a corner of the village. Though not a ray of light reached that shadowy corner, an eerie sheen somehow surfaced on the flowing black mass.
At first, the black substance flowed like water in a single direction. But as more and more of it gathered, it slowly formed a mound, which continued to swell as the substance accumulated.
After a dozen or so breaths, no more substance flowed in from elsewhere, and the mound finally stopped quivering.
Yet a moment after it stopped, another change suddenly began. Five smaller bulges extended from the mound, stretching steadily until they gradually became human hands, feet, and a head, while the original mass became a human torso.
The black sheen vanished. Features appeared on this "person's" face, and its limbs became increasingly lifelike.
It was no longer black all over, but had become a convincing human figure.
It was an elderly-looking man, an uncanny expression lurking at the corners of his lips. He cut his own arm, and red blood ran down it, splashing onto the ground. It looked astonishingly real, no different from an ordinary person's blood.
Even a high-ranking cultivator standing here probably would not have dared claim that, before becoming human, he had been nothing more than a flowing black mass.
The "old man" looked toward the village entrance, his hoarse voice echoing faintly through the small space.
"The guests have arrived."
And welcome to my world...
As the group drew closer, the village finally came fully into view.
Two enormous ancient trees stood at the entrance, seemingly quite old. Having suffered the erosion of demonic qi, however, they did not appear to be thriving.
Su Jiu approached one of the trees and ran her hand over it. Its bark was dry,