The mist on Penglai Island was as thick as ink that would not dissolve, a magical, wet veil clinging to everyone. The cold crept through their collars and bit into their bones; every breath felt like inhaling shards of ice. Shen Mingyue gripped the scalding Jade Pendant; its heat, a sharp contrast to the surrounding chill, felt like a flame that might extinguish at any moment.
Her gaze swept over the mottled totems on the cliff face—ancient carvings of fish-bodied figures with three heads and six arms, flickering in and out of sight in the morning mist. In some places, the pigment had peeled away to reveal jagged cracks beneath, as if the figures were straining to break free from the stone and recount secrets buried by time. A salty, fishy sea breeze swept past, and the bell ringing in the distance suddenly turned frantic.
"Dong—dong—dong—" Each strike hit like a heavy hammer against their hearts, rattling their eardrums and seeding panic. The sound was like the island’s own heartbeat, announcing their intrusion with every thud. "Watch out!"
Chapter 75