With Fairy's abilities, if she had been willing to act, how could we have ended up in such a predicament?

"We came here to explore the Immortal Ruins in the first place."

"Now that the entrance is right before us, we are instead cowering and hesitating. If we wait for more cultivators to arrive, the opportunities within will likely have long since been seized by others."

The scar-faced cultivator spoke.

As he spoke, true essence surged through his palm, and a round treasure mirror glowing with watery blue light appeared in his hand.

"Wait. This spatial rift may not be so simple!"

Jiutian Xuanye's brows drew together slightly as her cool voice rang out.

"With Fairy's extraordinary abilities, naturally you need not worry about missing out on opportunities."

"But we Rogue Cultivators, if we do not fight for them, may never have another chance to advance further in this life."

The scar-faced cultivator did not even turn his head.

When he finished speaking, he abruptly activated the treasure mirror in his hand.

A watery blue beam shot from the mirror and plunged straight into the spatial rift ahead.

Wherever the beam passed, space trembled faintly, yet no other changes occurred.

"Hm? Could it be... that I was truly overthinking things?"

Jiutian Xuanye frowned slightly, a flicker of doubt passing through her eyes.

But at that very moment, the gray-robed old man carrying a wooden case on his back lightly flicked a finger within his sleeve.

A gray thread finer than a strand of hair, nearly invisible to the naked eye, silently fell beneath the scar-faced cultivator's feet.

The next instant.

Within the spatial rift, the watery blue beam that had already vanished suddenly rolled back.

Its color remained unchanged, but it now carried a sinister aura that made hearts palpitate.

"Not good!"

Jiutian Xuanye's expression changed slightly, and her cool voice rang out again.

Yet before her words had faded,