"Ah..."
When they returned to the guest courtyard, Little Stone was clutching his head, struggling in agony.
Seeing this, Lin Shisan had barely stepped through the courtyard gate when his nostrils twitched, catching a faint, briny scent.
It was the distinctive scent of a python, cold and damp, with a cloying hint of decay.
His steps stopped short. Almost immediately, he dashed into Little Stone's room.
On the bed, Little Stone was curled into a ball, his body twitching slightly.
The pale blue Python Demon mark on his forehead had now turned a deep blue-green.
The black patterns along its edges had begun spreading again, covering most of his face like a spiderweb.
His lips were purple, his breathing rapid and shallow.
Every breath came with a faint hiss, as though something were writhing deep inside his throat.
Little Stone was being demonized, his Divine Sense devoured by the Python Demon.
"Uncle... I'm so cold... something's biting me..."
Even Little Stone's voice had changed.
It was so faint it was barely audible, carrying a child's particular helplessness and fear, mixed with resentment rising from the depths of his soul.
Lin Shisan's heart suddenly tightened, as though someone had seized it in a crushing grip.
His heart wracked with pain, he knelt beside the bed and reached for Little Stone's forehead. It was icy to the touch.
He activated the Little Black Cauldron again, and Seven-Colored Rosy Light once more poured into Little Stone's body.
But this time, its effect was clearly weaker than before. There was even some immunity to it.
The Python Demon Remnant Soul inside Little Stone seemed to have adapted to the suppression of the Seven-Colored Rosy Light.
After slowing for five breaths, it actually began spreading again, slowly but inexorably.
Bai Youyou stood in the doorway,