A moment later, the light faded, revealing a tunnel ahead. From outside, its floor looked uneven, and its ceiling seemed to slope gently downward. It was not straight, either: it turned a corner after only a short distance, leaving whatever lay beyond impossible to see.
Pan Long did not hurry through the entrance. He stood there and waited. Before long, a figure stirred in the mist, and a sweat-drenched Ren Fengtao came running over.
Seeing "A-Fei" waiting there, Ren Fengtao was delighted. "Brother A-Fei, you're a man of your word! Thank you!" he said, his voice a little hoarse.
Pan Long nodded and entered the Stone Gate first.
Ren Fengtao followed, but instead of pressing on, he took out a formation disc, bit his finger, and drew a symbol on it in blood.
On the altar, a mirror enshrined above the incense table suddenly shone with shifting red-and-white light.
The old practitioner presiding over the altar nodded. Muttering an incantation once more, he burned a talisman and cast his spell.
The light on the banners shifted faintly. Before the Stone Gate, beams of light appeared and linked together into walls, forming several compartments like rooms, one behind another.
Ren Fengtao smiled with satisfaction when the walls of light descended.
"This place opens every time twelve people gather. Those who pass will have to assemble here... and once enough people gather, conflict is inevitable. Whether they fight over treasure or old grudges, it's all to the good, so long as they come to blows."
A distinctly sinister edge entered his smile. "Even if nobody dies here, grudges will be made. Those grudges might flare up during the treasure hunt, or we can wait until it's over and forge alliances against our enemies... At the very least, this will sharpen the conflict