Apotheosis

The force that had been trying to drag Dorothy out dissipated gradually.

But she still hugged Zen tightly, and it took her a long time to calm herself down.

Just thinking of those black eyeballs, she couldn't help but quiver in fear.

"Zen, are the eyeballs gone?" Dorothy buried her face in Zen's neck, her voice shaking.

"Not yet." Zen sympathetically wrapped his arm around her waist, trying to calm her down.

They could still hear something streaking across the stone wall.

Click! Click! Clang!

Just now, Zen had shut his eyes tight, jabbing his fingers aimlessly into the dark. Luckily, he managed to stab one of the Dreaded Eye Demons. The Dreaded Eye Demons had backed off momentarily.

But Zen knew it was only a matter of seconds before they came back to attack them. The sound of them crawling on the wall seemed to come from all around them. 'They just don't know when to give up, ' Zen thought as he gritted his teeth.

As if reading his thoughts, Dorothy began to shiver violently, extremely fearful of what was to come.

She never wanted to feel that horrible sense of dread again.

Zen lowered his head and tried to concentrate as the sound seemed to close in on them. Although he didn't fear them, he still needed to figure out how to slay them.

"What Godly Way have you cultivated?" Zen suddenly asked.

While the Truth of Eternal Sword Intent could not affect one's mind, there were still some Godly Ways that could control one's mind—they could even block out the feeling of fear.

Zen's eyes flashed as he considered his options. The Great Dominance Technique seemed most apt, as it could remove one's consciousness, rendering the body a lifeless puppet.

"Me? I've practiced the Five Elements Godly Way," Dorothy answered confusedly, obviously not following Zen's train of thought.

Most people in the Source World chose to practice the Five Elements Godly Way, as this was the quickest and most convenient one.

"Don't worry, Dora," Zen said in a soothing voice. "They are not scary at all. They can only manipulate your mind, making you think you've fallen into deep despair. If you can control your fear, you won't feel the despair."

"But how in the world do I control my fear?" Dorothy whined. Her body tensed as soon as she heard the sound of the monsters.

Even though her eyes were closed, she could still vividly remember the fear inflicted on her at the sight of the Dreaded Eye Demons.

"Here they come again!"

This time, black liquid began to appear on the top and bottom walls of the hollow.

When Zen saw the liq

Look! They were killed by your necklace!"

Zen grinned from ear to ear. Although he had known that Dorothy's necklace was powerful, it still ended up exceeding his expectations.

"Were they really killed?" As Dorothy observed the stains on the walls, she felt the spirit of fear leave her. "Wait, did you say Great Dominance Technique? Then, did you see...?"

She knew that in order for Zen to have used her necklace, he'd have had to explore her Memory Flame. Her cheeks flushed a deep red. 'How embarrassing!'

"Please, don't worry. I just looked for the way to use the Necklace of Mystic Soul," Zen interrupted, flashing the most reassuring smile he could muster. He couldn't mention that locked door.

He also had many secrets; he didn't want Dorothy to feel as though she'd been pried open and peeked into.

"Okay." Dorothy sighed with relief.

Zen's expression grew grim once Dorothy turned away. He had had no choice but to lie to her, but that was the least of their worries.

"However, there's still something strange about it," Zen said and looked at the black stains. "The eyeballs spread like water on the walls. The sound they created when they were moving was not the same as what we heard before. There should be something else outside besides these eyeballs."

Zen decided to omit the fact that the monsters were called the Dreaded Eye Demons, lest he would need to explain how he knew it.

"There's something else outside?" Dorothy asked nervously, the fear returning.

"But, I think that thing can't move anymore," he replied reassuringly. "At least, it hasn't moved in a while..."

Whatever was waiting for them outside had to wait. They couldn't leave until the Soul-melting Light disappeared.