The four climbed the steps toward the shrine at the top, but one of them was noticeably lagging behind.
"Wait... something doesn't feel right."
It was Violet. She looked at Ji Yan and the others. "Didn't you notice there's something wrong with these steps?"
Black Rose asked, "What kind of problem?"
"I don't know. Every step feels sticky... like something is dragging at the soles of my shoes. It feels really heavy whenever I lift my feet."
Violet stared at the steps beneath her feet, but she could not find anything unusual.
Kong Yi's mouth seemed laced with poison as he grinned and teased, "Could it be that all that kneeling and kowtowing gave you karmic retribution? Maybe your ancestors down below are cursing you?"
As the saying went, greetings should not involve one's parents, and teasing should not drag in one's ancestors.
Violet glared at Kong Yi icily. "If you want your tongue ripped out, I can help you with that right now!"
Ji Yan said calmly, "The more we notice something strange, the more we need to hurry and complete the 'baptism.' Stop wasting time!"
The four continued upward, but the distance between Violet and the others steadily widened.
She braced both hands on her knees and stared intently at her feet. Then she took off her shoes. It was as though she had seen something on her toes, and her expression grew increasingly ugly...
She muttered, "Damn it. To complete the 'path,' I really was the first to step on a mine!"
There were more than three hundred steps in total. At the top, the white fog grew thicker and denser, while the frigid air raised waves of goosebumps across their bodies.
A massive shrine stood before them. Its doors were wide open, and the interior was