In the narrow passage, the three remained locked in a standoff. After the old man and the woman seemed to exchange a few voice transmissions, two strands of divine sense began probing Gong Chenying repeatedly.
Gong Chenying also noticed the changes in their eyes through her divine sense and guessed they were communicating in secret. They could have discussed it at the tops of their lungs for all she cared; she would not have understood them anyway.
Besides, what could their discussion accomplish? The passage was only this wide. All she needed to guard against were attacks from ahead and any unexpected developments behind her.
After another dozen or so breaths, several more people entered the narrow cave, coming to a halt one behind another.
Several dozen breaths later, the old man at the front began advancing toward Gong Chenying, while the others stayed where they were.
Soon, the old man reached a point roughly six hundred zhang from Gong Chenying, and his pace immediately slowed.
His divine sense remained firmly locked onto Gong Chenying, guarding against any sudden attack. The instant he slowed, he abruptly waved his hand.
Four black demon beasts resembling small martens flew out of a cluster of illusory shadows.
The moment they appeared, their bodies faded. In the next instant, they had crossed several hundred zhang and drifted to the bend, while the old man dissolved into a wisp of smoke and vanished from his original spot.
As soon as the four marten-like demon beasts reached the bend, they flailed their limbs. In an instant, black lines of claw marks appeared in the air, hanging down like threads from the heavens.
Seated on the other side of the bend, Gong Chenying likewise kept her divine sense locked onto the old man, watching his every move.