After learning a unique secret technique from Sister Belen in the Gravestone Wasteland to sense the First Fire, Shade had always been able to feel that its flame was somewhere within the Snow Mountain, though he had been unable to pinpoint its exact location.
But when he emerged from the passage behind him, that hazy sensation suddenly became clear. He could distinctly feel that the flame he sought was right here.
"Was it because of that bell just now?"
The cave before him was shaped like a sinkhole, high around the edges and low in the middle, descending tier by tier in the form of steps. This was clearly a Sacrificial Ground inside the mountain, and aside from the ring of several dozen Stone Pillars standing halfway down the steps, its structure was remarkably similar to the First Fire Sacrificial Ground.
Shade quickly headed down the steps, intending to enter the Sacrificial Ground, but stopped when he reached the Stone Pillars. Some ancient power was protecting this place, making it dangerous to approach recklessly.
He rummaged through his pocket and pulled out the snake scale Lady White had given him. It was the key she had gifted him to break the seal and obtain the First Fire, as well as to open nearly all the "treasures" within the Snow Mountain.
Sure enough, the snake scale immediately began to glow, and that faint yet tangible force vanished.
Shade crossed the Stone Pillars and continued downward. As though sensing the First Fire within him, the surfaces of the surrounding Stone Pillars began to crack with soft rustling sounds the moment he stepped into the Sacrificial Ground, rays of firelight seeping out from within.
The firelight was not dazzling, but after spreading across the Stone Pillars, it manifested in the air as scarlet