Above the jade stairs, the atmosphere was already heavy and palpable, fraught with the impending life-and-death duel against the arch-fiend Crimson Blood Scorpion. Now, that tension froze over completely, like an ice-bound lake in the depths of winter. Guided by some invisible force, the gaze of everyone present turned in unison toward Du Bufan, filled with a mixture of suspense and bewilderment.
As the abbot of Subduing Demon Temple, Yuantong was a renowned and formidable master of the Profound Penetration Realm. Standing as steadfast and towering as an ancient peak in the pugilistic world, he was a source of unwavering calm at any time—the beacon of hope and the spiritual pillar upon which everyone relied in their fight against evil. Yet at this moment, his expression shifted drastically. His usually serene face looked as though it had been possessed by an evil spirit, his eyes wide with stark terror. The rough oath that blurted from his mouth cut through the tense silence like a sharp blade, leaving everyone present frozen in utter shock.
"Abbot Yuantong, what on earth is the matter?" Lingxuzi asked in a flurry, his speech rapid, the urgency in his voice glaringly obvious. His brow was furrowed tightly, and worry surged in his eyes like a rising tide. He knew all too well that Yuantong possessed a will of steel and a mind like rock; short of a cataclysmic disaster, it was utterly impossible for him to lose his composure like this.
Chapter 88