At a height of over a hundred zhang above the altar, there appeared a luminous arc, hazy and pale, stretching as wide as four or five zhang at its broadest point, in a crescent shape—rarely seen, a colossal spatial fissure. Yet this fissure had previously been concealed by some unknown restriction, and despite the presence of so many high-level Yuan-Infant cultivators, no one had noticed such a formidable presence in the heavens. Could this be the very entrance of the LingMiao Garden? Observing the clearly visible distortions and deformations of space, even a cultivator of Wui Wuya’s caliber would have no courage to step into this fissure at this moment. After all, the sheer force of spatial cleavage was beyond the capacity of cultivators in this realm to withstand. It was no wonder Wui Wuya was so furious! "The LingMiao Garden has always existed between the spiritual realm and our human realm. To enter this space, one must naturally utilize this spatial fissure. As long as the space is sufficiently distorted and altered, the entrance to the LingMiao Garden can be directly opened. You need not worry—I will certainly not allow the group to attempt a direct charge There's another way to temporarily escort all of you in, though it comes with certain risks. Whether we succeed remains uncertain—my own confidence is only about six or seven out of ten. As for those at the Ji Dan stage, I'd advise against sending them. Their cultivation is insufficient; they'd likely perish even if they make it. The scholar glanced at the group and spoke calmly. "Six or seven out of ten? Why didn't you mention this before we arrived?" The Master of Gui Ling Sect frowned. "Does it matter whether I say it or not? Even if the odds were only two or three out of ten, none of them would hesitate to take the chance." The scholar chuckled. The Master of Gui Ling Sect stared at him, his eyes flashing with frost. Suddenly, he raised his hand and produced a crimson-colored token. "What do you intend to do?" The scholar, upon seeing the token, instantly grew pale, stepped back in alarm, and shouted loudly. Yet the Master of Gui Ling Sect said nothing, merely gently shaking the token in his hand. A surge of blood-like light erupted from the token, shooting straight upward and backward, and the scholar, who had been falling, instantly cried out in agony, then plummeted to the ground. At the same time, strange red symbols began to appear on his skin, swirling continuously as if embedded deep within his body—so eerie and unprecedented. "Is this the 'Shocking the Soul' spell?" Wang Tiangu, upon seeing the scene, was deeply startled, his expression growing serious. Wei Wuya, upon hearing this, was momentarily stirred. "Is this indeed one of Gui Ling Sect's secret spells—the 'Shocking the Soul' spell? I've heard it's even more devastating than ordinary sealing or exorcism techniques. Once cast, the soul of any practitioner begins to disintegrate almost instantly." Wei Wuya gazed steadily at the scholar rolling on the ground, remaining composed and asked calmly. "Heh! Wei brother truly has a broad knowledge. Yes, this is precisely the spell I've just used. This spirit is merely a fragment of consciousness from the former Master Kangkun, who once embodied his divine form. How dare he think he is the very same indomitable Master Kangkun from those days! Naturally, I shall give him a slight reprimand." The Master of the Gui Ling Sect glanced at him with a smile and replied. Wei Wuyi nodded and said nothing further. To them, no matter how illustrious the origin of such a spirit, such arrogance could not be tolerated. The scholar, on the other hand, seemed to be enduring immense suffering—each flicker of the crimson runes on his body caused his frame to tremble. He rolled on the ground, clutching his head, gasping and writhing, his face etched with deep agony. This torment lasted for the entire course of a meal, and even the ghostly form he had manifested began to blur and grow unstable. Seeing this, the Master of the Gui Ling Sect then waved his token, casually halting the secret ritual. "Now, you should have learned some lessons." Even if your memory is as vivid as that of the former Master Changkun, you are now but a fragmented soul. Stop making such foolish moves—otherwise, the next time, the punishment will not be so mild. While the Lingmiao Garden is certainly something our master must enter, he also does not wish to be led around like a puppet. Yet rest assured—should you simply accompany us faithfully, we will surely fulfill every promise we have made. The Master of the Gui Ling Sect spoke with both authority and grace. "Understood. I shall open the entrance right away." The scholar rose, and green light flashed across his body, instantly solidifying once more, yet his expression remained remarkably calm. The Master of the Gui Ling Sect was taken aback by this composed demeanor, his eyes narrowing as he prepared to speak further—when suddenly, the scholar's body shimmered with green light, and he floated upward, drifting slowly toward the crack in the air. The words that had nearly escaped the Master's lips were swallowed whole. After all, compared to delivering a lesson, securing access to the Lingmiao Garden was far more pressing. Wei Wuyafa and the others remained silent, coldly observing the actions of the scholar. They didn't know how this scholar could possibly pass through such a terrifying spatial fissure. Just as the members of Gui Ling Men were filled with astonishment, when the round pearl had drawn near to the spatial rift several dozen paces away, it was immediately affected by the suction force emanating from the rift. A flash of white light, and the space around it slightly warped—then the pearl vanished without a trace. For a moment, the spatial rift remained unchanged, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Yet at that very instant, the scholar who had been closest to the rift suddenly grew pale, his figure flickering and then plummeting downward, swiftly pulling away from the rift's reach. Wei Wuyi and the others stood stunned, still unsure of the scholar's intention, when suddenly a deep, resonant rumble echoed from within the rift. Then, at the center where the light was initially diffused, a green glow flickered, rapidly intensifying until it expanded into a large, vividly dark green luminous orb, its radiance bright and sharp, accompanied by a rising crescendo of piercing cries. "Now," said the speaker, "it's up to all of you to demonstrate your abilities. As long as you channel your spiritual energy into that green glow, the pathway to Ling Miao Garden will be fully established At that moment, the scholar stood upon the altar and spoke in a lifeless tone. Wei Wuya and Wang Tiangu observed this strange scene, exchanging a glance, their faces expressing a subtle sense of surprise. "Let's try it out, see if it actually works," said the head of the Gui Ling Sect, who proved remarkably resolute after a brief pause. Wei Wuya furrowed his brow slightly, but after glancing at the deep green luminous orb, said nothing. Wang Tiangu naturally offered no objections either. The three of them then stood apart, each beginning their incantations simultaneously, and then raised their hands. Three beams of light of different colors shot forth from their hands and struck directly upon the deep green luminous orb embedded within the spatial rift. Their respective levels of cultivation became immediately apparent. The green spiritual beam emitted by Wei Wuya was as thick as a bowl's rim. The beams of spiritual energy from the head of the Gui Ling Sect and Wang Tiangu were slightly narrower, roughly of similar size. The luminous green orb, receiving an unceasing surge of potent spiritual energy from the three pillars, intensified its sharp humming and began to expand outward inch by inch. Shortly thereafter, at the center of the green glow, a dark hole gradually formed—initially only a few feet in diameter, deep and mysterious, its destination unknown. Seeing this phenomenon, the members of the Gui Ling Sect were filled with great relief. This clear sign indicated that the scholar had not been deceiving them. Immediately, the three of them circulated their spiritual energies, and their luminous columns thickened slightly, the deep green light seeping through the crack becoming denser and more vibrant. After a cup of tea's worth of time, the central dark hole had expanded to three feet in diameter—now large enough to allow a person to take flight and pass through. Yet, the scholar, observing from the side, suddenly spoke calmly: "Although entry is now possible, the entrance to Ling Miao Garden remains unstable. I have no second Break-Barrier Pearl to stabilize and open the passage. Should any of you wish to enter and then return, you may find that unable to do so." "It's best to continue channeling spiritual energy so that the spatial passage becomes fully stable," said Wei Wuyi. At this, the others were startled, yet they glanced at the still trembling black hole and decided not to withdraw their spiritual energy right away. They thus continued to summon and maintain their spiritual power, holding on. However, it was clearly more energy-consuming to stabilize the black passage and open it. After a while, the black passage still remained unstable. The head of the Gui Ling Sect now felt somewhat puzzled, but spoke firmly and directly to the three Jin Dan disciples: "Come and help us. Though your levels are a bit lower, at least we'll have someone to support us!" "Yes, Master!" The three disciples responded promptly, not wanting to appear negligent. They too gathered their spiritual energy into several pillars and launched them into the air. Meanwhile, the scholar remained in place, observing the entire scene with an expression of neutral composure. Time passed slowly. After Wei Wuya and the others poured half of their spiritual energy into the fissure, the black passage finally stabilized, no longer trembling in the slightest. They exhaled in relief, finally settling the glowing beams in their hands with a sense of peace. "Does this passage truly lead to Ling Miao Garden?" the headmaster of Gui Ling Sect asked as soon as she withdrew her spiritual power, her eyes half-closed with inquiry. The scholar showed no immediate response, but Wei Wuya spoke up: "It's likely true. I've already sensed a vast expanse at the other end of this passage." Wei Wuya licked his upper lip, his expression visibly moved. While the others lacked sufficient spiritual awareness to transmit their senses beyond the passage, upon hearing this, they all immediately brightened with joy. "Since Brother Wei has said so, it seems confirmed. Still, to be safe, we might as well test it out first." Wang Tiangu strongly suppressed his unusual excitement, shook his robe, and a black mist shot out from the sleeve—within it, a small spirit seemed faintly visible—racing straight toward Dao Fei.