Chapter 844: Passage

**VIP Volume 6: Heavenly Spirit Treasure**

An arc of light, over thirty zhang long, appeared about a hundred zhang above the altar.

This white, crescent-shaped arc of light was four to five zhang wide at its broadest point. It was, surprisingly, a rare, massive spatial rift. Previously, it had been obscured by some unknown restriction, so even with so many powerful Nascent Soul cultivators present, none had noticed this terrifying entity overhead.

Could this be the fabled entrance to the Lingmiao Garden?

Witnessing the visible spatial distortion and deformation, even a powerful figure like Wei Wuya would never dare to simply rush into this rift. The cutting power of spatial forces was, after all, something no cultivator in this realm could withstand. No wonder Wei Wuya couldn't help but be enraged!

"The Lingmiao Garden fundamentally exists between the Spirit Realm and our Human Realm. To enter this space, one naturally must utilize this spatial rift. By simply twisting and altering it, the entrance to the Lingmiao Garden can be opened directly. Rest assured, I certainly won't ask you to force your way in like this. There's another method to temporarily send you inside. However, it does involve a certain degree of risk. I only have a sixty to seventy percent chance of success. As for these Core Formation cultivators, they should not go. Their cultivation is insufficient; going would only be suicide," the scholar said calmly after sweeping his gaze over everyone.

"Sixty to seventy percent chance? Why did you never mention this before we came here?" The Ghost Spirit Sect Master's expression turned grim.

"What difference does it make whether I said it or not?" the scholar scoffed. "Even if there were only a twenty or thirty percent chance, you wouldn't give up."

The Ghost Spirit Sect Master stared at the scholar, a cold glint in his eyes. Suddenly, he raised a hand, revealing a blood-red token.

"What are you doing?" The scholar's expression drastically changed the moment he saw the token. He recoiled backward in alarm, shouting loudly.

But the Ghost Spirit Sect Master remained silent. He gently waved the token in his hand, causing a burst of blood-red light to emanate from it. The scholar, still flying backward, immediately let out a miserable shriek and plummeted from the low air to the ground. Simultaneously, eerie blood-red runes appeared on his skin, swirling incessantly as if embedded both inside and outside his body, an utterly bizarre sight.

"The Soul-Startling Curse?" Wang Tiangu was greatly startled by this sight, and a look of solemn dread appeared on his face.

Wei Wuya's expression subtly shifted upon hearing this.

"Is this the Soul-Startling Curse, one of the Ghost Spirit Sect's secret spells? I've heard that this secret art is three times more vicious than ordinary soul-binding techniques. Any cultivator afflicted by this curse can have their soul dispersed in a single thought of the caster," Wei Wuya asked, his voice calm, as he stared at the scholar writhing on the ground.

"Heh heh! Brother Wei is indeed knowledgeable. What I used was precisely this curse. This spirit essence is merely a wisp of divided soul from Senior Cang Kun's former incarnation, yet it truly believes itself to be the invincible Senior Cang Kun of old, daring to be so presumptuous. This Sect Master naturally had to discipline it a little," the Ghost Spirit Sect Master replied with a smile, his gaze shifting.

Wei Wuya nodded and said no more. To them, no matter how distinguished the origin of a mere wisp of spirit essence, they would not tolerate such arrogance.

Meanwhile, the scholar appeared to be suffering immense torment. Every time the blood-red runes on his body flickered, his body involuntarily trembled. He writhed and convulsed on the ground, clutching his head, his face contorted in excruciating pain.

His torment continued for the duration of a meal, so much so that even his ghostly body, formed by the spirit essence, began to blur and become unstable.

Seeing this, the Ghost Spirit Sect Master casually waved his token, ceasing the secret art.

"You should have learned your lesson by now. Even if your memories are identical to Senior Cang Kun's from back then, you are merely a remnant soul now. Don't do anything foolish again. Otherwise, next time, the punishment won't be so light. While this Sect Master certainly intends to enter the Lingmiao Garden, I absolutely will not be led by the nose. But rest assured, as long as you honestly lead the way, this Sect Master will not go back on the conditions I promised you," the Ghost Spirit Sect Master said, alternating between benevolence and coercion.

"Understood. I will open the entrance now." After rising, the scholar's body flickered with green light, instantly re-solidifying. Yet, his expression remained abnormally calm.

The Ghost Spirit Sect Master was greatly surprised by the scholar's composure. As his pupils constricted, just as he was about to speak again, the scholar's body began to glow with green light. He floated upward and slowly flew towards the rift in the air.

The words that had reached the Ghost Spirit Sect Master's throat were swallowed back. After all, opening the entrance to the Lingmiao Garden was more important than disciplining the scholar.

Wei Wuya and the others remained silent, coldly observing the scholar's actions. They wondered what method he possessed that could allow them to pass through such a terrifying rift.

The scholar flew to about twenty zhang from the spatial rift and then stopped.

After gazing at the massive rift overhead for a moment, a peculiar expression crossed his face. He suddenly opened his mouth, and a cluster of green light shot out. Enveloped within the green light was an ink-black, thumb-sized spherical bead. It whirled erratically in front of him.

The scholar, having ejected the bead, became pale and bloodless, his spirit instantly withered. It was as if most of his soul power had been drained by the bead.

"Go!"

Despite this, the scholar still managed to point a finger at the bead with difficulty, uttering softly, "Go!"

A spiritual light flashed on the ink-black bead, and it instantly shot upward into the air.

The Ghost Spirit Sect Master and the others wore surprised expressions upon seeing this. What effect could such a small bead possibly have?

Just as doubt filled the minds of the Ghost Spirit Sect members, the bead, as soon as it approached within a few zhang of the spatial rift, was affected by its suction.

With a flash of white light, the surrounding space twisted, and the bead instantly vanished.

For a moment, the spatial rift remained as it was, with no unusual occurrences.

However, at that moment, the scholar, who had been close to the spatial rift, swayed with a gloomy expression and plummeted straight down. In the blink of an eye, he had put a considerable distance between himself and the rift.

Wei Wuya and the others were stunned for a moment, still not understanding his intention, when a dull rumbling sound suddenly emanated from within the spatial rift.

Then, from the center of the white light, a streak of green light flickered, rapidly expanding. In an instant, it transformed into a massive, dark green mass of light, about a zhang in size, emitting a blinding glow and a sharp whistling sound.

"Now, it's up to your divine abilities. As long as you all try your best to inject spiritual power into that green light, the passage to the Lingmiao Garden can be fully opened," the scholar said expressionlessly as he landed on the altar.

Wei Wuya and Wang Tiangu glanced at each other, a hint of surprise and doubt on their faces, witnessing this strange development.

"Let's give it a try. See if it truly works," the Ghost Spirit Sect Master said, unusually decisive after a slight moment of contemplation.

Wei Wuya frowned slightly, but after glancing at the dark green light mass, he remained silent. Wang Tiangu naturally had no intention of objecting either.

Immediately, the three stood apart, formed hand seals, and then raised their hands. Three beams of light, each of a different color, shot forth from their hands, striking directly at the dark green light mass within the spatial rift. The varying depths of their cultivation levels were now clear at a glance.

The green spiritual beam emitted from Wei Wuya's hand was as thick as a bowl's rim. In contrast, the spiritual power beams from the Ghost Spirit Sect Master and Wang Tiangu were a size smaller, roughly similar to each other.

As the dark green light mass received the continuous injection of immense spiritual power from the three beams, the sharp whistling sound intensified, and its form began to expand inch by inch.

A moment later, an ink-black hole gradually formed in the center of the green light. Initially, it was only about a foot in size, unfathomably deep, and its destination unknown.

Upon seeing this, the Ghost Spirit Sect members immediately rejoiced. The appearance of such an anomaly indicated that the scholar had not deceived them.

Immediately, spiritual power surged through the three of them. The beams of light in their hands simultaneously grew thicker, and the dark green light within the rift became even denser.

After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the black hole in the center had expanded to three feet in size. It seemed barely wide enough for one person to fly through. However, the scholar, observing from the side, suddenly said calmly:

"Although you can enter now, the entrance to the Lingmiao Garden is not yet stable. I don't have a second World-Breaking Bead to open the passage. If you fellow Daoists do not wish to find yourselves unable to return after entering, it would be best to continue injecting spiritual power to completely stabilize the spatial passage."

Upon hearing this, Wei Wuya and the others were startled, but seeing the still-swaying black hole, they indeed dared not withdraw the spiritual power in their hands. They could only continue to mobilize their magic power and persevere.

However, it was clear that stabilizing and fully opening this black passage consumed significantly more spiritual power. After a while longer, the black passage still showed no signs of becoming stable.

A hint of suspicion and doubt arose in the Ghost Spirit Sect Master's heart, but he unceremoniously ordered the three Core Formation disciples:

"You three, come over and help! Although your cultivation is lower, it's better than nothing!"

"Yes, Sect Master!"

The three disciples, hearing this, dared not delay. They too condensed their spiritual power into several beams and shot them into the air.

Meanwhile, the scholar stood motionless, observing everything with an expressionless face.

Time passed slowly. After Wei Wuya and the others had injected a good portion of their spiritual power into the rift, the black passage finally stabilized, ceasing its slightest tremor.

A collective sigh of relief escaped their hearts as they finally stopped the beams of light from their hands.

"Does this passage truly lead to the Lingmiao Garden?" the Ghost Spirit Sect Master asked, narrowing his eyes, as soon as he withdrew his magic power.

The scholar showed no intention of replying, but Wei Wuya spoke instead:

"It should be true. I've already sensed a vast expanse at the other end of this passage." Wei Wuya licked his upper lip, his expression stirred.

The divine sense of the other individuals was insufficient to transmit beyond the passage, but upon hearing this, they were all instantly overjoyed.

"Since Brother Wei said so, it seems to be true. However, for caution's sake, it's best to test it first," Wang Tiangu said, forcefully suppressing an unusual excitement in his heart. He flicked his sleeve, and a cloud of black mist shot out, faintly revealing a small imp within, which directly flew into the passage.