The gray-black curse surged backward like a river flowing uphill, swallowed whole by the phantom of the First Gate like a whale sucking in water!
At that moment, the Third Gate slowly emerged in the distance.
Blood-red vines thick enough to take several people to encircle sprang from the ground and twined together, forming a towering gate.
The vines were covered in knots and growths, their twisted, grotesque shapes steeped in an almost suffocating aura of blood and a terrifying fluctuation that made one's heart tremble.
Blood-red light shot into the sky, tinting even the distant white mist a pale crimson.
On closer inspection, those countless dense growths turned out to be heads with twisted, resentful faces: humans, other races, demons, ghosts, Corpse Puppets—men and women, young and old, in their thousands upon thousands, too numerous to count.
"Xi," "Ti," Li Lieyue, and Yan Minghua all turned their gazes toward the Third Gate.
Just then, Pei Ling's aura stalled before surging violently. He had successfully broken through to the mid stage of Void Refinement.
He immediately felt power surge through him like a rising tide, roaring as it swelled. All kinds of insights came rushing in, flooding his mind at once.
Soon, under the system's control, his aura slowly subsided. The towering phantom of the First Gate behind him gradually drew inward, sank into his body, and finally disappeared.
``` "Ding-dong! This cultivation session has ended. Thank you for using the Intelligent Cultivation System. One-Click Automation, worry-free ascension! We look forward to hearing your review. If you're satisfied, please give us five stars..."
"Ding-dong! The host's cultivation has reached the mid stage of Void Refinement. The system will now gift you a Dao Companion free of charge..."
"Ding-dong! The previous gift was unsuccessful. This time, the system will make six