Free Web NovelChapter 171: Chapter 163: A Ghost Child Appears
The entire hall fell deathly silent, save for the constant clang of Li Chunfeng drawing his sword.
Just then, the feeling came.
In that same instant, every Cultivator still in the hall felt as if needles were pricking their backs.
A gaze filled with absolute malice stabbed out from the darkness, piercing each of their skins!
This feeling was completely different from their Eldest Martial Brother’s earlier gaze, which had been one of scrutiny and authority.
This gaze held nothing but unconcealed malice and a nauseating hunger.
Immediately after, a cold, damp presence pressed against the back of their necks.
Everywhere it passed, a chill soaked into their very marrow, making even their souls tremble uncontrollably.
They... were being watched by something!
And that something... was very close!
So close that Su Ling’er could even feel its cold, wet breath right behind her ear!
So close that she was certain if she turned around now, she would come face-to-face with a pair of eyes filled with ultimate hatred!
No one dared to move. No one dared to speak. Even breathing felt like it would tear their lungs apart.
In the corner of her eye, Su Ling’er saw Wang Xiedi discreetly take a step to the side, using his less-than-imposing frame to shield most of her body behind him.
She could see his hand, clenched tightly around his Wooden Sword, trembling slightly from fear and exertion.
"Stay calm! Don’t fall into disarray!"
Dong Changsheng’s deep shout broke the silence, followed by his usual impassioned, or rather, cliché-ridden speech.
Meanwhile, Li Chunfeng’s brain had completely shut down.
He could no longer think of any reason to console himself that "this was a good thing." He could only follow his body’s instincts, frantically quickening the motion of drawing and sheathing his sword.
"CLANG, CLANG, CLANG..."
The metallic scraping almost blurred into a single sound. It was his only way of fighting against the boundless terror.
’...It’s... it’s a good thing... This... is a good thing...’
He chanted unconsciously in his mind, but the mantra that had once supported him now seemed so pale and hollow.
The cornered ordinary people, with no hope of escape, began to crowd around the group of robed undercover cultivators.
A woman with a child was the first to kneel, crying and begging:
"Immortal Master! Please, Immortal Master, save us! We don’t want to die!"
"Yes, Immortal Master! We’re just ordinary people, please have mercy!"
Looking at the terrified, helpless faces before her, Su Ling’er’s heart clenched.
A wave of intense emotion washed over her reason.
’Even though she was scared to death herself, weren’t the righteous seniors in the storybooks the ones who stepped forward to protect the common people when surrounded by demons?!’
’I... I should do the same!’
Su Ling’er took a deep breath and forced herself to step forward.
"Everyone, calm down! Don’t panic! I’m here. I’ll do my best to protect you all!"
However, her figure was too slight.
The mortals merely gave her a vacant glance before turning all their hopeful gazes toward Dong Changsheng, the one who had just been making the impassioned speech.
The eyes of the crowd are always fixed on the banner, not the truth.
When panic spreads, people will even clutch at lies as if they were lifelines.
Watching this, Su Ling’er wasn’t the least bit annoyed.
In her view, as long as these ordinary people could be protected, it didn’t matter who they listened to.
As the hall sank into a strange atmosphere, Li Chunfeng, who had been silent all this time, glanced toward the dark corridor.
With just one look, his face turned deathly pale.
He saw, deep in the darkness, a child of about five or six years old.
The child was wearing a thick, padded winter coat, unsuited for the season, and its face was ashen-gray.
Its eyes were two black holes, with no eyeballs, no pupils.
Most terrifying of all, its mouth was stretched into an impossible grin, extending from the base of its left ear to its right, revealing two rows of sharp teeth inside.
At this moment, the child was tilting its head, watching him... motionless.
’This is a good thing... this is a good thing... this is a good thing... this is a good thing...’
He chanted frantically in his mind, but his body’s instinctive reaction betrayed him.
"CLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANG!"
The speed at which he drew and sheathed his sword was so fast it almost left afterimages!
The scraping sound was sharp and piercing.
"Feng... Feng? What’s wrong with you?"
The disciple closest to him was startled by his violent reaction.
"Your hand... why is it shaking like a leaf?"
Wang Xiedi also noticed his strange behavior and asked nervously, "Feng, did you see something?!"
Li Chunfeng’s lips trembled, his teeth chattering against each other.
"I... I think... I saw it too... It’s... it’s a child..."
"A child?!" Su Ling’er’s heart tightened. "What kind of child?"
"Wearing... a padded coat..."
Li Chunfeng swallowed hard. "Its face... is ashen-gray... its eyes... its eyes are two black holes... its mouth... its mouth is stretched to its ears..."
"Oh my god! Isn’t that... a Soul-Reaping Imp?!"
"Feng, don’t scare us! Miss Su... can Miss Su beat it?"
"...Why... why would I be trying to scare you!"
Li Chunfeng’s voice suddenly rose in pitch.
"I... I still want to say this is a good thing... but... but that thing... it’s... it’s smiling at me!"
Hearing this, Su Ling’er, contrary to expectations, calmed down.
"That child’s Cultivation is very weak. It’s nothing to be afraid of, so don’t worry. But I heard from Eldest Martial Brother that there seems to be a much more terrifying ghost than that child here. Everyone stay alert and be extremely careful!"
Hearing this, Su Ling’er, contrary to expectations, calmed down.
’She had seen that little ghost before. She could disperse it with a single slap; it truly was nothing to fear.’
’But perhaps this was a rule set by Eldest Martial Brother!’
’Eldest Martial Brother is playing a cruel screening game!’
’He must have set some kind of rule and is watching from the shadows, I just haven’t figured it out yet!’
At the same time, everyone else realized that with the appearance of a ghost, the "trial" had officially begun!
Standing still was clearly not an option.
So, after a brief discussion, the group bolstered each other’s courage, tightened their grips on their Wooden Swords, and began to shuffle toward the dark corridor that led to the back hall.
Su Ling’er didn’t forget to look back and remind the shivering mortals, "Everyone, keep up! Don’t fall behind!"
However, the group of mortals behind them seemed to have roots growing from their feet; not a single one dared to follow.
To them, this hall—though eerie—was at least open and unobstructed. It was their last safe zone.
What was the difference between stepping into that unknown darkness and willingly jumping into a ghost’s mouth?
"Imm... Immortal Master, can’t... can’t we just stay here?"
...
「Real World」
「News Archive」
The Ashen Heaven Group and the "Nirvana" corporation held a joint global press conference, officially naming their revolutionary product the "Life Seed" Restoration Agent and announcing that the first limited global release would take place the following day.
A spokesperson for the group also announced that this release would be deeply integrated with the game ’Ashen Heaven,’ and that veteran players would have priority purchasing rights.
