As soon as he arrived at the Qi Ming, Fan Lang headed straight for the newly refined door and joined the others.
Without his command, no one dared open the door and enter on their own.
He came before the door, looked it over, and said, "I'll send incarnations inside to explore and first determine what lies within. Even staying outside the door doesn't guarantee complete safety. Anyone who feels uneasy may leave now to avoid being implicated."
Despite his words, everyone still mustered their courage and stayed behind. On one hand, they were driven by curiosity; on the other, they trusted Fan Lang's strength.
Fan Lang had already warned them, so he put aside his concerns and began opening the door. He released a formation barrier in front of it before formally opening it.
The metal hatch made the sound of mechanisms locking and shifting as it slowly revealed the scene beyond. On the other side lay a long passageway, pitch-black from end to end and steeped in a lifeless air.
Fan Lang's eyes could see through darkness, so a light source made no difference. The entire passage was empty; there was nothing inside.
He released nine incarnations and controlled them as they entered the passageway to explore deeper. His consciousness was completely linked to these incarnations, allowing them to share one another's sensations.
The nine incarnations had different tasks. Five charged ahead at top speed to scout the way, while the remaining four advanced slowly behind them, conducting a more thorough search.
To be safe, Fan Lang closed the hatch and reinforced the barrier.
The people nearby were all curious about what was happening inside. Some stared at the door, while others watched Fan Lang.
The nine incarnations continued onward. The five leading the way soon encountered branching