Chapter 2423

Shangguan Biao was still a menial laborer on Duzhi Mountain.

Shangguan Biao did not know his inner calculations, nor did he know that he had just narrowly escaped a great calamity; he took the large vat, lifted its lid, and poured all the fresh demon blood inside into the pit.

The clear water in the pit instantly turned red.

After waiting a dozen or so breaths, the bloodwater slowly clarified and returned to its colorless, transparent state.

Obviously, the demon blood had been absorbed by the lotus.

A gust of wind came, and suddenly two pearl-like dewdrops fell from the petals, landing precisely on the lotus leaves below, where they were caught.

The dewdrops congealed and did not disperse, also carrying a faint golden light; upon close sniffing, they emitted a refreshing fragrance that pleased the heart and spleen.

Shangguan Biao leaned in, took a deep breath, his face showing an enraptured expression, then produced a jade bottle and gently collected the two dewdrops.

Immortal Mingke deliberately asked: "Feeding this golden lotus doesn't seem difficult either, so why must it be you specifically?"

Isn't it just pouring the blood from the vat into the water pit? Anyone with hands can do this task.

Shangguan Biao glanced at him: "What you feed it, it won't eat."

This golden lotus is the treasure he raised himself; it is very spiritual and only wishes to follow its former master.

He has little interest in the few people before him, neither enthusiastic nor cold, which is exactly the opposite of Senior Brother Xu and the others earlier.

He Lingchuan also saw fatigue and numbness in his gaze.

People who are mentally exhausted often do not wish to speak.

Shangguan Biao began issuing the eviction order: "Your task is done, go. I still have matters here."

He Lingchuan suddenly said: "The ground is trembling violently; something is approaching and growing larger?"

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Biao abruptly lifted his head to look at him, his eyes filled with astonishment, and his voice rose several pitches:

"You can feel it?"

"Yes. It is already not far from us." He Lingchuan pointed at the water surface, adding further: "Look, the water surface is trembling."

"Exactly, exactly!" Shangguan Biao abandoned his previous aloofness, nodding repeatedly: "It has come! You can also sense it, not just me, not just me!"

Immortal Mingke's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he muttered.

What exactly is this thing that makes Shangguan Biao lose his composure?

Shangguan Biao seemed to recall something, his face showing anxiety: "If you can see it, it can harm you! Come with me!"

He took three steps in two, rushing to the door of a certain room at the far end.

The two exchanged a glance—was it a trap?

"What are you standing there for?" Shangguan Biao stood at the doorway, face anxious: "Hurry up!"

The last two words were actually shouted in a suppressed voice, as if afraid to startle something.

He Lingchuan knew this person's anxiety was justified, for in his perception, that thing was already fast approaching the mountain hollow. Obviously Shangguan Biao could also sense it, and also knew what it was.

"Come." He Lingchuan greeted Immortal Mingke, then leapt over and followed him inside.

Shangguan Biao bolted the door, lit the oil lamp on the table while pointing at the wall corner, speaking with astonishing speed: "Stand with your back to the wall, hold your breath, make no sound, and do not face the window!"

The doors and windows of these small huts open on the same side, but in Shangguan Biao's hut, the window frame had long since fallen off, leaving the window as a square hole; he had only hung a gauze net to keep mosquitoes and insects from flying in.

He Lingchuan and Immortal Mingke stood shoulder to shoulder against the wall, wondering what trick he was up to. Zhu Xiuer also crawled out from He Lingchuan's lapel.

They had just taken their positions when the ground suddenly shook twice, as if something large had come from afar, its size evidently tremendous. Immortal Mingke and Zhu Xiuer could not feel it, but they could see the broom standing by the door suddenly topple over, thus knowing Shangguan Biao was not speaking nonsense.

Following Shangguan Biao's instruction, the three cleared their minds and held their breath in wait.

The tremor ceased, and immediately a large eye peered in from outside the window!

Just this eye alone was larger than the hut's window—yellow-eyed, with a large, black pupil, and bloodshot at the corners.

The ferocity and brutality contained in that gaze could frighten a living person to death.

It pressed its eye against the window, frantically rolling its eyeball, obviously trying to see clearly what was inside the hut.

Inside the hut were only Shangguan Biao and the oil lamp on the table.

Being stared at like this, Shangguan Biao's face turned slightly pale, obviously under great pressure, yet he still waved his arm at it and shouted: "Get lost! There's nothing you want here!"

This eyeball blocked all outside light, so Shangguan Biao's small hut could only rely on that single oil lamp for illumination, its light reaching only three feet around him, not even illuminating the corners.

Would this eyeball heed him? It then gazed greedily into the hut for a while. Afterward, a muffled, gloomy voice sounded from outside:

"You are about to suffer great misfortune; they will not let you go!"

Those who heard understood this was the eyeball's owner speaking.

Shangguan Biao made no sound, merely averted his gaze and ignored it. That thing seemed to take a deep breath, then moved with heavy steps toward the distance.

The interior and exterior of the hut returned to tranquility once more.

Shangguan Biao closed the door, quickly gestured to the three, signaling them to stay calm and maintain their positions.

Thus the three remained motionless as before.

Shangguan Biao himself sat back at the table, took a winnowing basket of dried herbs, then took out a mortar and began grinding the herb powder.

It was evident this was his routine, for his movements were highly practiced. But He Lingchuan could see from his frequent blinking eyelids that he was merely feigning calm on the surface.

Zhu Xiuer remained motionless—this is the daily routine of the earth-hole spider; He Lingchuan and Immortal Mingke observed nose and observed heart, qi sinking to the Upper Dantian. Other immortals, if they closed their eyes, would hardly sense their presence at all.

The hut was utterly quiet, only the sound of the stone mill grinding herbs, a soft rustling.

Without warning, another large eye appeared outside the window!

Still that same giant eye, rolling to look inside the window, full of twelve parts ferocity and malice.

Whoever happened to meet its gaze at this moment would have their scalp explode.

Hair-raising.

Just as before, only Shangguan Biao and that oil lamp about to go out were inside the hut.

This time Shangguan Biao did not even lift his eyes, continuing to grind his herb powder.

After more than ten breaths, the owner of that giant eye finally shifted from outside the window, once again stepping heavily away into the distance.

Shangguan Biao continued working with his head down, and only after a while did he stand up, open the door, and go out to have a look.

"All right, we're leaving," he said to the three upon returning, "We're temporarily safe. But here, one must never speak loudly."

That thing is really cunning, pretending to leave, then sneaking back on tiptoe to see whether Shangguan Biao was lying or not. If outsiders thought the danger had passed and innocently stepped out of their hiding place, they would be caught red-handed in an instant.

"What is that?" Mingke Xianren's voice unconsciously lowered.

The thing outside the window—what an oppressive pressure it exudes.

"To be honest, I don't know either; it's just a red-skinned monster like an evil spirit." Shangguan Biao looked quite gloomy, "It often appears out of nowhere, bears me a deep grudge, and comes to seize me the moment it shows up."