Just as Han Li and the others were closely tracking Elder Zhong's group with the flying mouse, the Ghost Spirit Sect Master and Wei Wuya had already crossed the great mountain and appeared in a basin.
The basin was dark and damp, the ground covered with puddles of all sizes, leaving the party—now forced to proceed on foot—deeply frustrated.
Although they could employ minor spells to keep the mud and dirty water at bay, their speed naturally plummeted with each step.
But this time, neither Wang Tiangu nor Wei Wuya uttered a word of complaint.
When they had crested the mountain peak earlier, they had looked down from above and spotted a colossal structure resembling an altar sitting in the center of the basin.
At that sight, everyone who had followed the Ghost Spirit Sect Master here perked up immediately, casting aside whatever doubts they had harbored.
Since entering the valley, this was the first time they had encountered such a well-preserved structure. Without anyone needing to say it, this could not be an ordinary place. It most likely had something to do with the Spirit Frost Garden that the Ghost Spirit Sect Master had spoken of.
So the party pressed on even more slowly—yet paradoxically, not a single person seemed impatient.
It wasn't as though no one had tried to use a low-altitude floating technique to move faster. The only result was a blood-red bolt of lightning that struck down from the sky moments later, nearly shattering the cultivator's protective artifact. It seemed that the closer one got to the center of the basin, the stricter the no-flight restriction became.
With that, the others abandoned any thoughts of cutting corners and could only form a single file and advance slowly.
A Ghost Spirit Sect disciple took the lead, and whenever brush or thickets blocked the way, a few fireballs were all it took to clear a convenient path.
After half a day of walking, the party finally drew close to the altar, catching sight of its immense silhouette from afar.
The altar was constructed entirely of white mountain stone, shaped like a massive four-sided stepped pyramid with staircases on every face, soaring high into the clouds—fully several hundred zhang in height. It was truly a magnificent sight. But the altar was still somewhat distant and far too tall, making it impossible to discern clearly what lay upon it.
"We're almost there. At most another hour or two, and we should reach it. Sect Master Wang, I must say my curiosity about how you came to know of the Spirit Frost Garden has only grown." Wei Wuya was also proceeding on foot, but a faint green luminescence emanated from his entire body. With each effortless step, he slid forward several zhang without a sound, looking utterly at ease.
"Rest assured, Brother Wei. When the time comes, I will explain everything to you," the Ghost Spirit Sect Master replied with a slight smile, as though it were of no consequence.
Wei Wuya nodded and was about to ask something further when suddenly, the disciple at the very front flickered with spiritual light, stumbled, and then—without a sound—was silently cleaved diagonally from shoulder to waist. The bisected corpse toppled to the ground without a noise.
"A spatial rift!" The Ghost Spirit Sect Master's expression changed drastically at the sight.
Wei Wuya and Wang Tiangu, standing behind him, similarly turned grim.
Though they did not know the full extent of the Ghost Spirit Sect Master's plan, they had followed his prescribed route into the valley without encountering a single invisible spatial rift until now. Their previously tense hearts had long since relaxed somewhat. But now that a spatial rift had suddenly appeared, both of them felt a sharp jolt of alarm.
The remaining three Ghost Spirit Sect disciples also went pale.
The entire party halted and stopped advancing.
The Ghost Spirit Sect Master stared at the corpse sliced apart by the rift, his expression shifting between dark and light. Wei Wuya closed his eyes, apparently probing with his divine sense, but after a moment he opened them again.
"No good. This kind of spatial rift cannot be detected simply by having powerful divine sense. I can't sense its presence at all." Wei Wuya shook his head expressionlessly.
Wang Tiangu heard this and raised a hand, flicking his fingers rapidly. Five fire bullets shot forward and scattered ahead.
With several muffled pops, three of the fire bullets vanished into thin air as they flickered and disappeared, but the remaining two flew off to the sides for several zhang before striking the ground and detonating, revealing two large craters.
"This rift is quite small. We can go around it if we just deviate slightly," Wang Tiangu said, his voice somewhat relieved.
"True, this rift isn't large. But who knows how many more lie ahead on the rest of this path? We don't have enough lives to throw away. And from what I know, the route we're taking shouldn't have any spatial rifts blocking our way. Could that person have withheld something?" The Ghost Spirit Sect Master showed no sign of relief. Instead, a shadow crept across his face as he murmured a few words to himself.
At these words, Wei Wuya's expression shifted slightly, but he said nothing. It was Wang Tiangu who looked toward the distant altar, then glanced back at the corpse on the ground, visibly confused.
"Then what does the Sect Master mean?"
The Ghost Spirit Sect Master furrowed his brow deeply. Rather than answering immediately, he raised his gaze to the sky. After a long pause, he let out a heavy sigh.
"I had originally intended to reveal certain things to you only after we reached the altar. But it seems I can no longer afford to keep quiet. I suppose I should lay some of my cards on the table here." A peculiar expression crossed his face as he spoke.
Wei Wuya and the others froze at this, exchanging uncertain glances.