The pale expanse of her neck waspletely exposed before her, with the rolling, green veins visible beneath the crystal-clear skin.


    Changying paused for a moment.


    By the time she realized what was happening, a ck tentacle had already pierced through her chest, pulsating darkness spreading from the other''s body, rhythmically absorbing her power like breath!


    Whoosh——


    A strong gust of wind burst forth, causing the trees to rustle loudly, as Xu Shuo quickly withdrew and retreated.


    Looking up, he saw Changying''s entire body swell, shrouded in a ck mist. Her head split open vertically, revealing a massive mouth akin to that of a beast, its sharp teeth gleaming with a cold light.


    She waspletely unrecognizable as a human.


    The monstrous creature crouched on all fours, emitting a hoarse roar as ck viscous fluid flowed over its body, extending countless tentacles.


    "Oh dear, I''ve riled up something serious," Xu Shuo said with a dryugh, turning to merge into the shadows and escape. However, the beast behind him leaped violently,nding where he had been with its sharp ws viciously plunging into the ground!


    The dark mist in the forest pulsated, and Xu Shuo was involuntarily squeezed out of the shadows, instantly enveloped by the surrounding thick darkness.


    Although it was the same power, Changying''s control over this substance was clearly superior to his. It seemed difficult to consume Lanruo''s shadow and, by extension, her as he had donest time.


    The beast Changying had transformed into resembled a massive ck Dog, with oil dripping from its body.


    Those pitch-ck hollow eyes stared intently at him, as the ck Dog stepped on the sticky ground approaching the girl. A deep, hoarse voice said, "You''re right, if I eat you, my power would be even greater, wouldn''t it..."


    "Changying," Xu Shuo said, looking at her, his tone innocent, "do you know what you look like now?"


    "Oh?" The monster cocked its head, looking at him with interest, its gaze akin to that of a predator savoring thest moments of its prey''s struggle.


    "A Hellhound," Xu Shuo stated.


    "What is that?"


    She had expected to hear mocking words, as her appearance was indeed hard to look at, and thought he might try to strike at her looks to wound her. But she hadn''t expected this term.


    But it no longer mattered.


    The ck beast approached the girl, opening its huge mouth with every tooth sharp and threatening, ck saliva dripping onto the ground, emitting an unbearable stench of decay.


    "A legendary watchdog."


    As Xu Shuo spoke, he focused ahead, opening his skills menu in the yer''s Handbook.


    The doctor card flipped into view, with a "1/1 use" indicator beneath it, suggesting a limitation on usage.


    "A watchdog?!"


    The monster''s attempt to bite down halted abruptly, a note of dissatisfactioncing its hoarse, suppressed voice. Its inky eyes were fixated on the girl''s pale, delicate features.


    Thus, Xu Shuo''s finger, hovering over the ''use'' button, also paused.


    His gaze met those ck orbs with a profound look, as the girl''s pupils and whites had both turned into an abyssal void, captivating and terrifying at once, unconsciously igniting shivers, yet alluring as the deep itself.


    She always managed to capture attention like this, naturally stirring deep-seated desires, leading them into an indulgent abyss.


    In the silent forest, time seemed to slow and thicken, as though one was stuck in a swamp, unable to move.


    "Yes, you''re just like..."


    Xu Shuo''s voice slowly carried on, elongating the action of speaking itself. The next moment, a deafening explosion resounded from the site of the ruined altar!


    Fine, dense golden light pierced through the thick darkness, swirling atop the altar.


    Something had altered there!


    In the fleeting moment of Changying''spse, Xu Shuo quickly merged with the darkness, freeing himself from the shackles, and ran toward the ruins.


    He didn''t run in the opposite direction, instead leading Teacher Changying to follow swiftly without hesitation, as the ck tendrils spread crazily towards the altar through the spreading fog.


    The monster leaped past Xu Shuo, its giant ferocious body breaking out of the forest and its sharp ws piercing through the concrete to nail itself to the ground!


    ...


    The thirteen girls'' blood had already been drained, and on the other side of the altary several dead ck Dogs in the channel, their dark blood trickling down.


    The dried-up pool was half clean, vivid red, half turbid, pitch ck, creating an eerie image where two starkly contrasting colors intertwined, with the rich scent of blood mingled with the stench of decay spreading over the altar.


    The morning sun hung on the edge of the eastern sky, emitting a light that was both ethereal and cold, as dark clouds began to gather overhead once again.


    By the altar''s side, Xuenay quietly among a pile of robed figures, enduring the foul stench of blood and rot.


    She had thought she too would be bled, but after an anxious wait, all she heard were chaotic whispers, all she felt was a cold, sticky substance continually flowing over her body, as if caressing her.


    So slow!


    Why hasn''t it started yet!


    In such an eerie atmosphere, even the calmest heart would begin to grow restless, let alone hers which was never very calm to begin with.


    Xuena''s eyes trembled involuntarily under her eyelids, and just then, silence suddenly descended around her.


    The nonsensical murmurs, the sound of the wind, the flow of liquid, the cultists'' chants, all vanished, leaving the atmosphere oppressively stifling.


    In this lonely silence, she felt as if she were swaying in the surging waves of the sea, until finally, with a "ssh"!


    [Congrattions, you havepleted the task: Be the star of "Swan Lake".]


    She had seeded!


    Xuena abruptly opened her eyes!


    The stench of blood and the unbearable viscosity boiled, invading her mouth, nose, ears, and even her wide-open eyes from all sides!


    Damn it! Those people had thrown her into the altar!


    Struggling to her feet, Xuena''s eyes widened as she saw nine robed figures closely surrounding the edge of the pool.


    They blocked out all light, and darkness seemed to rule the entire world, their pairs of emotionless, abyssal eyes staring fixedly at her, a malevolence and sly intent boring into her soul!


    She was overwhelmed by an uncontroble sense of fear, not even daring to harbor the slightest thought of resistance, merely wanting to let herself sink into the filth of the pool!


    —But how could she possibly?


    Apart from madmen, no one could give up any glimmer of life in the face of death!


    "Boom!"


    Suddenly, countless fine lines of light burst forth from the ground, the flowing ck viscous substance violently bubbling up, and a shrill, piercing sound exploded in an instant, like the wailing of myriad lost souls!


    Shocked by the sound, Xuena''s brain went nk.


    The cultists seemed equally taken by surprise, retreating apprehensively to the edge of the pool in full defense.


    A golden Magic Array Map pushed aside the ck substance, and its lines took shape, soon followed by two figures rising from below the ground.


    "Cool, but filthy to death!"


    The curse echoed as Officer Zhang, drenched in ck sticky gunk, stood with his deep-blue police uniform also spared no mercy, exposed skin smoking under the corrosion of the Holy light.


    The priest beside him, however, was still in pristine condition, bathed in golden light, looking saintly andpassionate.


    Yet upon seeing their surroundings clearly, his slight smile tightened somewhat.


    They were surrounded...