Gu Qingqing could barely breathe, her little face turning blue.
Li Xuan secretly sized up Yuwen Yao, a lustful gleam in his eyes that he concealed very well, merely resting his hand lightly on the shoulder of Gu Qingqing's formal dress.
Swords were drawn and bows were bent.
The Zhongmiao Sect disciples looked pleased with themselves.
Beneath a tree in the distance, a faint smile lingered at the corners of Xi Shuyan's lips as her gaze roamed over Yuwen Yao.
Zhou Liu was still watching the insects crawling across the ground, as though the dispute before him was less interesting than an ant's trail.
The atmosphere was suffocating.
"Caw-"
Just then, a crow's cry rang out.
A crow flew in from somewhere.
Its feathers were black as ink, and it landed soundlessly on Gu Qingqing's shoulder, which was trembling slightly with tension.
The little creature looked utterly ordinary and unremarkable.
It cocked its head and looked at Li Xuan.
"Hm?"
Where did this beast come from?
A trace of confusion crossed Li Xuan's mind. Looking closer, he discovered that the crow's eyes actually shone with a sharp golden gleam.
In the distance, Zhou Liu seemed to sense something. His gaze left the insects, and he looked up toward the scene.
The next instant, the crow viciously pecked at the hand Li Xuan had resting on Gu Qingqing's shoulder.
Li Xuan had sensed it coming and activated his protective Spiritual Qi.
Yet to everyone's surprise, the crow's peck instantly shattered the protective Spiritual Qi he had hastily formed.
Caught off guard, Li Xuan had his palm pierced by a sharp force.
He felt a slight numbness on the back of his hand, like the prick of a fine needle, before fierce pain struck!
"Aah-" At the same time, the faint sound