Without waiting for a reply, she suddenly disappeared into a pool of viscous blood that opened under her feet.
She teleported through the layers of stone of her underground domain, crossing the humid tunnels and dark galleries with the speed of a shadow.
Xiaoli reappeared in the deepest dungeons. The air there was icy, and each breath left a trail of white vapor.
In a cell sealed by Khao runes that glowed with a bluish light, a woman was bound by chains. She was unconscious, her head tilted forward, letting her long blue hair partially mask her jade face.
Xiaoli approached, her steps producing no sound on the damp stone. She lifted the prisoner's chin with her clawed fingers, forcing the face upward. The woman's beauty was undeniable, a perfection of features that radiated a purity typical of the great immortal families. Her skin was milky and smooth, her cheekbones high, and her lips formed a perfect curve even in unconsciousness.
