Passing through the portal, Two found himself in a massive dark cave whose scale defied immediate comprehension. The ceiling stretched so high overhead that it disappeared into shadow, visible only where luminous stones embedded in the rock face cast pools of pale blue light that barely reached the ground below. The illumination was deliberately inadequate—enough to see by, but not enough to feel comfortable, creating an atmosphere of contained tension that pressed down on everyone who entered.
People materialized continuously behind him, emerging from thin air as the portal deposited cultivator after cultivator into the grotto's entrance chamber.
LThe space filled rapidly with bodies, voices, and the distinctive spiritual pressure that came from hundreds of practitioners gathered in close proximity. Each new arrival carried a sword, and the collective weight of all that focused intent created an almost physical presence in the air.
