"Senior, we have arrived," Zhao Hao stepped forward and replied respectfully.
"Another hour."
After saying this, the old man sat down on the ground by himself.
Zhao Hao hesitated for a long time before finally walking over.
"Senior, this time, can you..."
"I've already told you, I won't interfere with your affairs." The old man was too lazy to even lift his face. "I'm just a doorkeeper."
Zhao Hao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but finally gave up.
"Third Elder, what's the situation with this sir?" Ye Fan quietly asked the Third Elder beside him.
"This senior has been guarding this great door," the Third Elder explained in a low voice. "Actually, in the past..."
It turned out that in the past, there were far more top powers in Ge City than there were now.
Back then, they needed to compete for the qualification to enter this great door.
The content of the qualification test was different each time.
The only constant was that these were all decided by the old man in front of them.
Once, someone lost their qualification and was unhappy, attempting to force their way in.
Later, that person died...
No one saw how the old man made his move, and the person was simply gone...
From then on, they knew that this was a super expert!
A great cultivator whose cultivation they couldn't discern!
If there was anyone in Ge City who could contend with the hidden master behind the scenes, it would be this old man!
Unfortunately, their previous requests for help had been rejected several times.
In the old man's words, he was only responsible for guarding the door, and their grudges had nothing to do with him.
As for who was more powerful, the old man or the master of Ge City, it had become a great unsolved mystery of Ge City.
Now, it was only because the current top powers were so few that this step was omitted.
Ye Fan nodded in realization after listening.
It sounded very impressive, this one-eyed old man had the aura of a hidden master.
It was a pity that none of this had anything to do with him. Ye Fan simply continued to play mahjong with the little demoness and the others.
Soon, an hour passed!
The one-eyed old man stood up and walked to the great door.
His tightly shut left eye suddenly opened!
From the dark eye socket, a purplish-black light shot out!
As the purplish-black light entered, the great door slowly opened!
Behind the great door...
Was another great door...
On the new great door, countless strange beasts were carved.
Each one was extremely bizarre, looking like a pile of stitched-together monsters.
The only similarity was that the images of these demonic beasts made people feel very uncomfortable...
And after doing all this, the one-eyed old man instantly disappeared.
"Senior, the secret realm is behind this door." Zhao Hao walked over. "As for the formations on it, I'll have to trouble you."
Ye Fan walked up to the great door and took a look.
Hidden among the stitched-together monsters were a few familiar things – demons!
To be precise, they were succubi from the eighth level of the abyss.
The succubi here were not the kind with big chests, slender waists, and long legs, but were as ugly as they could be...
And these hidden succubus carvings were the source of that unsettling aura from before.
Coupled with the purplish-black light from the one-eyed old man's eye earlier...
"Sect Leader Zhao," Ye Fan asked casually, "When the elder opened the door before, did he also shoot out that purplish-grey light?"
"Senior, now that you mention it, I do remember," Zhao Hao mumbled. "I remember it seemed to be dark red before... Perhaps that senior has broken through something again? Why, is there a problem inside?"
"It's nothing," Ye Fan didn't press further.
Purplish-black was usually the signature color of the demon race.
It seemed this 'hidden master' old man was indeed not simple...
"Senior, then I'll leave this formation to you." After saying that, Zhao Hao retreated.
Ye Fan glanced at the great door in front of him.
There was indeed a formation on it.
But it was definitely not a mere obstruction formation, but a damn sacrificial formation!
It was clear that Zhao Hao was lying.
But this did not prevent Ye Fan from cooperating.
It had been a while since he had seen these old friends.
It wouldn't be right not to greet them, would it?
Ye Fan placed his hand on the door.
The next moment!
The great door seemed to generate some kind of suction!
It was as if Ye Fan was being pressed into mud, sinking completely into it!
The scene in Ye Fan's eyes instantly changed!
He was now in a dark environment, with nothing visible in the distance.
Gradually, countless red dots appeared in the darkness.
Those were pairs of bloodthirsty eyes!
The red dots drew closer.
Ye Fan was surrounded by a group of demons!
"Hungry, hungry, hungry..."
"So hungry..."
"Food..."
...
Countless eerie voices echoed in Ye Fan's ears.
...
At the same time, another person appeared.
The person who had been rescued by the black-robed enforcer earlier – Gui Wuming!
Unfortunately, he did not receive such treatment.
Because he was roughly dragged to the great door!
With a casual wave of Zhao Hao's hand, his body lost control and rushed towards the great door!
Witnessing Ye Fan's tragic situation with his own eyes, Gui Wuming finally understood!
He had thought he had latched onto a powerful ally.
But now he realized that he was just cannon fodder, a sacrificial offering...
It was too late to regret...
As soon as his body touched the great door, he was 'devoured' into it, just like Ye Fan!
The two of them, one on the left and one on the right, fit perfectly...
Soon, Gui Wuming saw the same scene as Ye Fan.
As a native cultivator from the East, how had he ever seen such a sight?
He didn't even know what these things in front of him were!
He wanted to scream but couldn't make a sound.
He wanted to escape but his legs were weak and he couldn't move...
He could only watch as those things drew closer and closer...
Finally engulfing him...
The little demoness discovered the anomaly and immediately questioned Zhao Hao.
"What exactly is going on? What did you do to Ye Fan?!"
"What did we do?" Zhao Hao, his previous humility gone, said arrogantly, "Naturally, we used him as a sacrifice! Little girl, you don't really think we consider him some senior, do you?!"
It turned out that the fortune teller back then had indeed divined Ye Fan.
The difference was that the fortune teller wasn't looking for a savior, but for a sacrifice to open the door!
Every time they had explored this secret realm before, it was that fortune teller who helped divine a suitable sacrifice.
Then a thousand heavenly tribulation lightning bolts came...
The fortune teller didn't even have time to be stunned, and only his tooth was left...
Although Zhao Hao and the others were also stunned at the time, they didn't think much of it later.
After all, fortune telling was a niche profession, and they didn't know much about it.
Perhaps there was an accident in one of the steps?
"In a little while, this kid's mental power will be drained by those monsters," Zhao Hao continued. "Then the great door will open."
Upon hearing this, the little demoness's expression became strange...
Her plan to make a move was abandoned.
She even cast a pitying glance at Zhao Hao and the others...