It seemed, then, that only that one mollusk possessed intellect, while all the others were mere extensions of it.

The fact that it could so perfectly conceal itself behind the mass of other mollusks only underscored its uniqueness.

“That one! The smallest one at the very back!” Even though the mollusks had cornered us into less than a meter of space, I still shouted out.

Upon hearing this, DaXiong jolted as if injected with a stimulant. He nearly leaped up, trampling over the soft, yielding bodies, and thrust his right hand toward the smallest creature.

But just as DaXiong’s hand was about to brush the top of the creature’s head—its Tianling Gai—it suddenly collapsed like a pile of sludge onto the ground, dissolving into a heap of minute particles**.

This tactic seemed brilliant, capable of confusing the enemy’s senses, but it fell perfectly into my trap.

Following the narrow gap DaXiong had created, I lunged forward, snatching a single grain from the countless **particles and trapping it in my palm.

This action clearly triggered a catastrophic reaction from all the mollusks; they instantly collapsed into a pile of muck with a pa sound.

Seeing the mollusk horde, which had looked like an intimidating army moments before, instantly disintegrate, I let out a long breath.

DaXiong wiped the sweat from his brow and remarked, “*, if you hadn't opened your Heaven’s Eye, we’d surely be dead. I never expected you, the guy who hogs the blankets while sleeping, to gain such an ability.”

I couldn't fathom the connection between stealing blankets and this power, so I ignored DaXiong.

“Quick, let me see what that thing truly looks like,” DaXiong, being perceptive, quickly changed tack when I didn't respond.

At that moment, both of them crowded closer as I flipped open my palm to show them.

In my hand rested a tiny, dark figure, barely five or six centimeters tall, trembling slightly as it stared up at us.

I realized the thing did possess eyes, though they were minuscule, barely the size of mung beans.

As it looked at us with pitiful eyes, I finally got a clear view of them.

“This fellow looks a bit pathetic,” DaXiong murmured to me, knitting his brows.

I am naturally a soft-hearted person, but the thought of the potential disaster this creature could unleash if freed hardened my resolve.

Yet, I had no desire to kill it. Instead, I retrieved a bottle from my backpack and carefully placed the small being inside.

I shook the bottle slightly. “This is an authentic Japanese yokai. Bringing it back might contribute significantly to species research.”

With that, I handed the bottle to Nie Chuan, instructing him to take it back for study.

Nie Chuan carefully secured the bottle and said to DaXiong, “We really are like pilgrims on the journey to the West, slaying demons and capturing monsters, isn’t that right? Bajie!”

DaXiong shot him a disdainful look and let out a dismissive snort.

It was then that I interjected, “It’s too early to relax. We’ve only reached the first floor of the attic; Xie Yuting and the others are still waiting for us.”

Both of them clearly understood the gravity of the situation and nodded in agreement. “Alright then, let’s go.”

After walking a few paces toward the staircase, DaXiong suddenly spoke up again. “Right, I forgot to mention it earlier. I checked: the stairs leading to the second floor seem to be broken…”

Just as I was about to scold him for not saying so sooner, I spotted something not far ahead: a staircase constructed entirely of ice, emitting wisps of white vapor.

“What the…” DaXiong froze.

“Looks like we’ve been greeted in advance…” Nie Chuan’s face held no pleasure; rather, a chill, much like the frozen staircase itself, settled over him.

I was equally stunned, wondering what this implied. Did the enemy know we were coming and intentionally construct an ice staircase for us?

That meant the opponent was supremely confident; we might be instantly annihilated the moment we stepped onto it.

The ability to conjure an ice staircase so quickly already spoke volumes about the terrifying power of the one responsible.

“S-so, are we going up?” DaXiong’s hesitation was palpable.

I swallowed hard, gazing up the staircase before me, and I too felt a pang of doubt.

Regarding Xie Yuting, my feelings were a confusing blend of hatred and profound gratitude. While he had caused me much trouble, he had saved my life far more often.

No matter how much I resented him later, without him, I would have died in the Black Bamboo Gully.

With that thought, I felt obligated to repay that life debt. I had to make this ascent, even if it meant trading my life for it.

Having made my decision, I placed my foot firmly on the frozen steps.

Seeing me move, the other two finally shook off their hesitation and followed.

But before I had climbed more than a few steps, I experienced a rare sensation of tightness in my chest. I felt as if something viscous in the air was pressing down on me.

This feeling made it seem less like I was standing in air and more like I was submerged in water.

Seeing me stop, DaXiong anxiously asked from behind what was wrong.

I shook my head, a bead of cold sweat forming on my forehead, but I forced myself to keep moving forward.

It was at that exact moment that a figure in a suit suddenly materialized at the very top of the staircase above us.

The sight of this person instantly made it difficult for me to draw breath.

The Nian emanating from him was simply too terrifying.

His aura of Nian was more than double the size of his physical body; from a distance, he looked like a colossal, golden Buddha, utterly inhuman in appearance.

Furthermore, two lotus-like shapes were floating on either side of his back.

The reason for my difficulty breathing was the immense pressure exerted by the overwhelming Nian surrounding him.

Though DaXiong and Nie Chuan could not sense the Nian, they were clearly paralyzed by the sheer presence of this individual, unwilling to advance a single step.

Then, the Nian around the person began to shift color, cycling from a faint gold to a deep crimson, then from red to a dark blue, and finally from dark blue to green.

These four colors cycled ceaselessly, perhaps indicating that this being possessed the Nian derived from human, demon, animal, and spirit sources combined.

Suddenly, a term from Chinese Daoist cultivation flashed into my mind: Sanhua Judǐng, Wǔqì Chaoyuán (Three Flowers Gathered at the Crown, Five Breaths Returning to the Origin).

This term is used to describe those who have attained immortality through cultivation.

Did the two lotuses above this man’s head, combined with the four cycling colors of his Nian, suggest he was perilously close to true ascension?

Compared to the so-called deities we had encountered before, this man before us seemed like the truly dreadful entity.

“Fall back, move backward…” The pressure from his Nian was so great I could barely speak, but I managed to tell the other two through a sheen of cold sweat.

Both men swallowed laboriously and instinctively retreated.

Curiously, the man at the top of the stairs seemed unconcerned by our retreat, merely observing us with cold eyes.

All three of us backed away until we reached the bottom of the stairs, then found a corner where we couldn't be seen and hid, looking at each other in stunned silence.

After a long pause, DaXiong finally broke the quiet. “Th-that guy seems like just a person, but… but why…”

“His Nian is too strong. It’s the strongest Nian I have ever encountered. I believe he is the one who made the ice staircase. We stand no chance against him,” I said, my lips pale.

“I felt it too,” Nie Chuan added. “Even though he seems like an ordinary human, his aura is more powerful than any yokai.”

Unexpectedly, as we spoke, the sound of leather shoes striking ice echoed from the staircase.

“He’s coming down…” I stated grimly.

“Then should we…” DaXiong asked, dripping with sweat.

I knew he wanted to ask if we should flee.

However, a man’s pride kept him from voicing the question, as running away felt too ignominious.

In that moment of hesitation, the person descended the stairs.

He stopped once he reached the ground floor.

None of us dared look directly at him, but I sensed him briefly tilt his head as if glancing in our direction.

Then, strangely, he showed no apparent interest in us. After pausing for just a moment, he walked toward the entrance.