The five of them soon emerged from the barrier and in an instant, Jillian could feel every shift in the air.
For starters, the temperature abruptly dropped below the freezing point and a thick layer of snow covered the ground, thicker than Jillian had remembered to the point where it almost reached the middle of his calves. The area around the slum was an utter mess, roofs collapsing, doors broken down by the storm and people were huddled in front of their houses as the patrolling soldiers distributed warm food and medicine. Jillian let out a sigh of relief that his people could still make themselves work even without him.
Second, darkness was looming above them even though the sun was supposed to be high in the sky. It was different from the darkness he had sensed from Lu Yizhou's power. This one was… malicious. Its rotten stench was so overwhelming that Jillian couldn't help wrinkling his nose. "What smell is this?"