Chapter 16 The Master Doesn't Welcome Me? Then I'll Take My Leave

The demon's icy fingertips gently traced the back of his neck, and the ambiguous atmosphere drew ever closer.

"This is just the appetizer~ Look, they're all watching us."

As soon as he finished speaking, as if to confirm his words, a series of knocks suddenly came from behind the tightly closed doors on both sides of the corridor!

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The sound wasn't particularly loud, but it was exceptionally clear.

In an instant, a strange, chaotic knocking sound came from all directions, as if countless hands were frantically pounding on the door and walls at the same time.

"Ah—!" Assistant Ye Zi screamed in fright, almost dropping the fill light in her hand.

Xie Xun suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze clear and bright.

He completely ignored Fu Qinghuai's harassment and the terrifying sounds around him, clenched his slightly trembling fists, and scanned the surrounding environment with sharp eyes.

"This is not a ghost wall."

Xie Xun's voice was calm and not loud, but it immediately suppressed all the noise and fear at the scene, "They don't want us to pass by."

Having said that, he raised his hand, his fingertips pinching a yellow talisman. "Since the master doesn't welcome me, then... I'll take my leave."

Xie Xun flicked his wrist, and the talisman shot like an arrow towards a corner of the corridor ceiling.

With a "bang," the talisman spontaneously combusted in mid-air, transforming into a ball of blue flame that instantly dispelled the thick darkness before them.

At that moment, everyone witnessed a scene that sent chills down their spines.

In the shadows of the ceiling, countless pale, swollen baby arms crawled everywhere. The arms looked as if they had been soaked in water and then dried out by the wind. The skin was grayish-white, and they were constantly banging on the top edge of the ceiling and walls.

What's even more chilling is that the palms of those arms all had a crack, resembling open mouths emitting sharp, distorted screams.

"Whoa—!!!"

The sound was like the wailing of countless babies, piercing and filled with resentment.

The live stream chat exploded instantly!

[Holy crap!! What is that thing?!!!!]

[This is disgusting! A mouth grew on its hand?! I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight!]

[My ears are about to miscarry! That piercing sound shattered all the glasses in the house!!]

Viewers watching the live stream suffered severe aftereffects, not to mention those at the scene.

The cries, like waves of sound, combined with the chilling and terrifying images, violently assaulted everyone's senses.

Assistant Ye Zi's legs went weak and she collapsed to the ground. Xiao Chen and Brother Qiangzi were also pale-faced, and even Master Liu was so shocked that he took a half step back.

Xie Xun was also afraid, but whether it was because of his symbiotic contract with Fu Qinghuai or because the evil spirit was standing next to him and laughing, it lessened his fear of these inhuman tortures.

After a while.

The blue flames went out, the terrifying scene vanished instantly, and the heart-chilling knocking sound abruptly stopped.

Everything seemed to have returned to normal, but the corridor, no longer a labyrinthine maze, felt like an abyss, appearing even more perilous in the thick darkness.

Xie Xun took a deep breath, looked ahead, and took the first step forward.

"The road is open, let's go."

The pervasive chill in the air was like solidified ice crystals, seeping into the bones little by little along the collar.

Xie Xun took two steps, his shoes kicking up dust and some unidentified stains on the cement floor, which were sticky and disgusting.

He frowned and pressed on despite his discomfort.

Before he could take more than a few steps, his arm was suddenly restrained by a strong force.

Fu Qinghuai had somehow gotten close to him, his long fingers gripping him tightly, his face full of fear, and even his voice trembling slightly.

"Xunxun... don't walk so fast, it's so dark here, I... I'm scared."

Xie Xun: "..."

A vein throbbed in his temple, and a wave of absurd nausea washed over him.

A thousand-year-old evil spirit that could obliterate vengeful spirits with a flick of its finger was pretending to be weak in front of him; it was truly disgusting.

Xie Xun took a deep breath and ultimately decided not to lash out in front of others. He remained expressionless, simply withdrawing his hand and trying to shake off Fu Qinghuai.

However, the latter gripped him even tighter, almost clinging to him, clinging to his shoulder like a large bird, her voice growing increasingly aggrieved, "Xunxun, don't leave me..."

The commotion drew the attention of Ye Zi, Xiao Chen, and the others behind them, their eyes revealing a hint of understanding.

Only Qiangzi's eyes were somewhat complicated, but when he met Fu Qinghuai's gaze, he suddenly lowered his head, seemingly afraid to make too much eye contact with the latter.

"Let go, Fu Qinghuai."

Xie Xun twisted his wrist, skillfully breaking free from Fu Qinghuai's grip.

But the next second, that icy touch returned like a shadow.

This time it went even further, she wrapped her arms around his waist, and her fingertips even gently caressed his side, making Xie Xun tremble slightly.

The air pressure around him seemed to drop even lower. He suddenly turned his head and met Fu Qinghuai's handsome face, which looked exceptionally innocent in the dim light.

Those peach blossom eyes were smiling, hiding a clear sly smile.

That pervert definitely did it on purpose!

"Xunxun, I'm really scared~" Fu Qinghuai's voice was still soft and weak, which made people feel inexplicably angry.

At this point, the live stream chat had completely shifted. The comments that had previously mocked Xie Xun for being too arrogant and not listening to the elders had been flooded with exclamations of amazement.

[I can breathe again, right?! Master Xie is young, but he's so handsome, and he makes me feel so safe!!!]

[Holy crap! This proves that only those with real power can be arrogant! Master Liu's trembling for ages is no match for this guy's single talisman!]

[Sorry, my voice was a bit too loud just now. Master Liu is the one who's going to be embarrassed...]

To be honest, Master Xie's friend is quite timid! Why is he so clingy? He's kind of cute, like a big puppy!

[It's so comforting (lie down)]

Seeing that he couldn't break free, Xie Xun didn't bother to do anything more.

He took another deep breath, forcibly suppressing all his surging emotions, letting this stubborn leech stick to him, and continued to lead the group forward.

"Thank you, young friend! Wait a moment!"

Master Liu's voice came from behind, his voice trying to remain calm but still revealing a hint of tension. After calling out to him, he quickly walked up to Xie Xun, his eyes scanning the dark corridor with the same wariness, especially the shadows on the ceiling.

"This place is far more dangerous than expected." He deliberately maintained a calm tone. "The strange phenomenon of the infant arm devouring souls just now was extremely insidious and could not have been done by ordinary vengeful spirits. In my opinion... they will not disperse easily and are probably lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike."

His words not only pointed out his concerns but also positioned him as someone who could discuss things with Xie Xun, cleverly making amends for his success.

Xie Xun didn't even turn his head; he just looked at the compass in his hand, the pointer pointing firmly to the end of the corridor.

"There's nothing we can do about it."

After a long pause, he replied calmly, "If we turn back now, the ghost wall will immediately block our escape route, and we will be trapped here to die. This is the best-case scenario."

"Then, what about the worst-case scenario?" Xiao Chen, holding the camera, asked in a trembling voice, unable to resist pressing for an answer. The camera also shook slightly with his tension.

Xie Xun's gaze swept over the panicked faces of the crowd, finally settling back into the unfathomable darkness ahead.

"The worst?"

His tone was devoid of emotion. "The way back was long gone. We thought we were escaping, but with each step we were going deeper into its esophagus. By the time we found the walls around us starting to ripple and seep out a mucus that looked like stomach acid, we had already been completely digested."

Upon hearing this, Master Liu's face lost even more color.

He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to refute, but found himself unable to come up with any decent countermeasure. In the end, Master Liu seemed to choke back his unease, swallowing all his anxiety and acquiescing to Xie Xun's judgment.

Just then, Ye Zi, the assistant, cried out in alarm again.

"Look there! So much hair! It's disgusting!!!"