The three of them waited a full half hour. Only after the sky began to brighten did Kong Xunzhen finally appear.
After glancing at the three of them, Kong Xunzhen turned and led them away.
Soon, they arrived outside a room they had never approached before.
Kong Xunzhen pushed open the door and walked inside.
Even from outside, they could see the assorted Paper Offerings piled within.
Was it a storeroom?
Once all three had entered and the door was shut, Kong Xunzhen once again demonstrated his extraordinary technique before them. The roomful of Paper Offerings underwent "Skinning and Tendon-Extraction," then were reassembled.
When he finished, a large house made of paper stood before them.
"Follow me."
With that, Kong Xunzhen pushed open the paper house's door and walked inside.
Xu Jin hurried after him without the slightest hesitation.
Zhu Sheng was unwilling to fall behind either. Only Chen Miao lingered to study this house within a room, his face filled with wonder.
Once again, he gained a clear understanding of Kong Xunzhen's mastery of paper effigy crafting.
Soon, Chen Miao entered the paper house.
As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Kong Xunzhen standing at the head of a staircase.
A staircase leading down!
Watching Kong Xunzhen descend, Xu Jin hurried after him, seemingly determined to secure his position as the foremost disciple.
Zhu Sheng kept up as well, though he was not as impatient as Xu Jin.
Chen Miao looked around, then checked with eyes-closed perception.
Just as outside, his perception could not penetrate the paper house's walls or floor, so he had no idea what lay below. With a hint of curiosity, Chen Miao followed them.
The staircase was long, with perhaps over a hundred steps. Aside from the steps themselves, the surrounding walls were also