Chapter Fifty-Four: The Hidden Stone Door

Shen Wan leapt down in a flash, leaving Yun Yi and Gu Zhiping standing at the edge of the cliff, their faces drained of color from fear.

The abyss below was so deep that even a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage would be crippled if they jumped.

“Brother Shen!”

“Ah!”

The two cried out in alarm at the same time, but Shen Wan’s movements were so swift that neither had time to react; their outstretched hands grasped nothing but air.

They watched helplessly as Shen Wan plunged into the chasm, their minds blank with shock.

“Why are you wailing as if at a funeral? I’m not dead yet.”

Suddenly, Shen Wan’s voice drifted up from below, airy and calm. The two thought it might be his dying words, but the tone didn’t quite match.

Gu Zhiping hurriedly leaned over, and saw that Shen Wan was standing somewhere below the edge, not falling at all.

“Brother Shen, you…”

He thought perhaps Shen Wan had landed on a protruding rock, but upon closer inspection, there was nothing but darkness beneath Shen Wan’s feet.

“Now you believe me? Look, I’m standing right on the stone steps.”

Shen Wan spun in place a few times. The stone steps were about a meter wide and two meters long; even as he hopped back and forth, there was ample space for him to land safely.

Gu Zhiping's heart pounded with anxiety, but seeing that Shen Wan was unharmed, he finally exhaled in relief. Then, like Yun Yi, suspicion clouded his face once more.

Shen Wan was speechless.

“How about one of you try coming down?”

Both shook their heads fiercely, indicating they weren’t ready to risk their lives.

“Cowards!”

Since neither dared to try, Shen Wan saw no point in staying below and quickly motioned for them to pull him up.

Gu Zhiping was the first to reach down and grab Shen Wan’s arm, preparing to haul him up.

But suddenly, Shen Wan’s expression turned mischievous. With a twist of his wrist, he grabbed Gu Zhiping’s arm and yanked downwards with force.

“You’re coming down with me!”

Gu Zhiping was already leaning halfway over the edge, with little leverage to hold himself; even though his left hand still braced the ground, Shen Wan’s unexpected pull sent him flying.

“Ah!”

Done for. This was the end.

Gu Zhiping mentally signed his own death warrant, cursing Shen Wan with three thousand words in the span of a few seconds.

With a thump, his body landed.

“Huh?”

He had squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the sensation of falling, but he felt none. There wasn’t even the rush of wind in his ears. Was he already dead?

He opened his eyes and saw Shen Wan grinning mischievously at him, leaving him utterly baffled.

After a moment, Gu Zhiping stood up. Though there was nothing visible beneath his feet, he could stand steadily as if on solid ground.

“Huh? Huh? Huh?”

He couldn’t believe it. He bounced twice in place to confirm he wasn’t falling, suddenly feeling quite confident again. With a cheeky expression, he turned to Yun Yi:

“Yun Yi, it seems there really are stone steps. Look, it’s fine. You should come down, too.”

He began jumping enthusiastically on the steps.

When Shen Wan stood alone, there was ample space, but with Gu Zhiping there, the area was just enough for two people as long as they didn’t move too much.

But Gu Zhiping got excited and began hopping back and forth.

He couldn’t see the steps, but Shen Wan could. Seeing Gu Zhiping’s foot nearing the edge, Shen Wan’s heart skipped a beat.

He rushed forward and grabbed Gu Zhiping's waist, pulling him back.

That was close—any closer, and the guy would be meeting his maker.

“Can you stop showing off? This stone step can only hold three people. With your long legs, one careless step and you’d be out of bounds.”

Gu Zhiping shuddered at the warning and quickly stood still, like a child punished to stand in place, not daring to move.

Shen Wan shook his head in resignation, then reached out to help Yun Yi down.

Seeing both were safe, Yun Yi finally relaxed. She took Shen Wan’s hand and floated gently down to stand between them.

The three stood close together; Yun Yi felt her cheeks flush, but dared not move. Not seeing the stone beneath her feet was unnerving.

With everyone below, Shen Wan said, “Follow me. It’s best to stand in a line and avoid stepping outward. Hey, I’m talking to you.”

Gu Zhiping didn’t dare make another move, nodding quickly and taking up position behind Yun Yi. With everyone ready, Shen Wan began descending along the stone steps.

As they moved downward, at first, a dozen steps could be seen. With each step, another would faintly appear ahead.

Perhaps it was the proximity, or their eyes gradually adjusting to the darkness, but even the faintly visible steps could now be seen more clearly.

Yun Yi and Gu Zhiping, one before and one behind, followed precisely in Shen Wan’s footsteps.

A distance of over a thousand meters was not far, and with no need to grope their way, the trio soon descended and ascended again, reaching the opposite platform.

Stepping onto the platform, Gu Zhiping and Yun Yi still felt uneasy.

After all, they couldn’t see the platform itself, so their feet seemed to be standing on nothing.

Shen Wan told them to stay put, then walked a few steps deeper into the platform alone. Sure enough, Gu Zhiping’s guess was right: there was a stone gate.

It wasn’t a cave entrance, but an actual stone door, clearly crafted by human hands. The door stood open, without a door panel. Shen Wan quickly gestured for them to follow.

Gu Zhiping and Yun Yi, relieved to leave their precarious position, ignored the invisible ground and followed in Shen Wan’s footsteps.

They couldn’t see the stone door, but watched as Shen Wan vanished into the cliff face. Exchanging a glance, they guessed the door was hidden by an illusion, like the unseen stone steps.

Without hesitation, both stepped forward and likewise disappeared into the cliff.

Passing through the cliff, the darkness gave way, and the three found themselves atop a high platform, utterly stunned.

Who could have imagined such a sight inside this cave?

A massive pillar of ice stood in the center of the cavern, stretching up to the roof, its icy leaves spreading to cover the entire ceiling.

The ice leaves hung down, sending forth tens of thousands of icy threads that filled the cavern densely.

When they touched these threads, the ice strands shattered instantly like blossoming fireworks, scattering layers of icy points that floated in the air, shimmering with a pale blue glow.

“This…”

The three stared with mouths agape, frozen in awe. Yun Yi was the first to speak:

“This is... the Divine Frost Tree!”

Hearing this, Shen Wan and Gu Zhiping both turned their heads; the name was unfamiliar to them.

Perhaps they hadn’t noticed it at first, but after a short while, Shen Wan felt the chill creeping in—even while still some distance from the tree. He hadn’t even realized it was a tree.

Cold seeped into his skin through every pore, and in an instant, the temperature around him seemed to drop by more than ten degrees.

“Damn, why is it suddenly so cold?”

Shen Wan rubbed his arms, but noticed the other two seemed unaffected.

He was about to ask Gu Zhiping if he had any warm clothing in his storage pouch when he saw Gu Zhiping’s lips trembling as he slowly raised his arm.

“Is there... someone inside?”