The bell at Qingyang City First Middle School pierced the morning mist. Su Yao hugged her textbooks as she hurried through the corridor, her school skirt brushing against the windowsills, startling wisps of lingering demonic aura. Ever since the battle at the Nether Temple, she had been able to catch subtle, strange fluctuations in the air—like a venomous snake hidden in the shadows, flicking its tongue as it stalked its prey.
"Su Yao!" Zhao Ya came running from around the corner, her long blonde hair tied back in a sharp ponytail. A sword hilt poked out from the pocket of her tracksuit. "Something’s wrong at the library! The seal on the Ancient Tome section has been broken!" Before she finished speaking, a thunderous crash erupted from the third floor. Inky smoke surged out like a tidal wave, within which the faint, distorted faces of people could be seen writhing.
The two exchanged a look and bolted toward the stairs. As they rounded the corner, Su Yao stopped dead—at the end of the corridor, a figure in a grey cloak stood with their back to them, clutching a glowing ancient book. The figure seemed to sense their gaze; the pages turned without a breeze, revealing ferocious demonic sigils on the cover, identical to the spells used by the Black-robed Man at the Nether Temple.
Chapter 239