After Jiang Kai projected Chang Siyao out, he himself was sucked into the abyss by an enormous pull.
Looking down, he saw countless beasts, human figures, and shattered lands all plunging together into the bottomless abyss.
"Didn't expect I'd get dragged into this mess too!"
The process of falling was chaotic beyond reason. Amidst flying rocks, Jiang Kai was struck by a hard stone and passed out cold.
He didn't know how long had passed. When Jiang Kai woke up, he found himself lying on a patch of soft grass.
Rubbing the back of his head, he groggily sat up.
"Where is this place?" He looked around, realizing that besides himself, there were no beasts or human players anywhere nearby.
"Wasn't I sucked into the abyss? There were clearly lots of people pulled in—where did they all go?"
"The little guy!"
Jiang Kai suddenly remembered the little mouse, but it too was nowhere to be seen.
Even the tiny mouse that had been by his side was missing—making the situation even stranger.
Jiang Kai really couldn't figure it out. Was he hallucinating, or had he truly entered some unique underground space?
While he was looking around, Jiang Kai noticed a lone building standing not far ahead.
It was the only visible structure in sight—perhaps there was some clue hidden there.
Thinking that, Jiang Kai gripped the King of Hell Token and walked toward the building.
As he approached, he realized the building carried a distinctly ancient style—red walls, black tiles, eaves that curved slightly upward. But no one knew how many years it had stood here; the colors on the walls were faded, and there were damages everywhere.
A wooden plaque hung over the entrance hall. Though most of its characters had faded, the faint traces could still be recognized.
"'Fate Ancient Temple'… a temple?" Jiang Kai's eyes widened.
Willis had said that the key to opening that letter was inside a temple—could this be the one he meant?
After all, this was the only "ancient temple" Jiang Kai had seen here!
Thinking so, Jiang Kai pushed open the door.
The wooden door creaked loudly, its frame loose and shaky, as if it could fall off at any moment.
The courtyard inside the temple was overgrown with weeds. Walking through the front yard toward the main hall, Jiang Kai lifted his gaze.
Before the incense altar, the offerings were gone—nothing but a massive stone pedestal remained. The deity that once sat atop it was nowhere to be seen.
Facing Jiang Kai on the incense table was a carved inscription:
"Only those with the invitation letter may enter the temple. Three bows will grant its guidance."
Below the inscription, on a wooden box, there was a narrow slit.
In front of the incense table lay a flat prayer mat.
Other than that, the temple was empty.
Jiang Kai's mind spun rapidly. After some thought, a sudden realization struck him!
He quickly took out the letter that Willis had given him.
He hadn't opened it yet, but he had already begun to suspect its purpose.
No matter how the Fallen Mine District was formed—no matter what caused the eruptions or the devouring—the temple was hidden deep beneath it!
The reason the others hadn't appeared here was most likely because they didn't have the invitation. And the only reason Jiang Kai had been brought here might very well be this letter in his hand!
He aligned the edge of the invitation letter with the slit on the incense table—it fit perfectly.
Just as Jiang Kai hesitated on whether to insert it, a suction came from inside the box, catching him off guard and pulling the letter in.
"Damn it, I didn't even get to read what was inside yet!"
Suddenly, a golden light burst out from the box! The dazzling brilliance filled the hall, blinding him.
Then came a solemn male voice, deep as a great bell, echoing in all directions:
[Invitation accepted!]
As the voice faded, the golden light dimmed, and soon everything returned to normal.
Jiang Kai frowned tightly—so Willis really had given him an invitation!
Regardless, since the temple had accepted it, Jiang Kai decided to follow the inscription's guidance and knelt on the prayer mat.
But when he looked up at the empty altar, he felt confused and unsure.
There was no statue—so who was he supposed to bow to?
"Whatever, I'll just try."
Jiang Kai performed three bows in succession.
Suddenly, a faint human-shaped figure appeared upon the empty stone pedestal.
The figure flickered in and out, seated upright, visible only for moments, hazy and indistinct. But from its outline, it looked to possess a human-like body.
Seeing it, Jiang Kai jumped up in shock.
That figure—there was no difference between it and himself! It didn't look like any kind of god at all, yet he had just bowed three times to it!
While Jiang Kai was still bewildered, the stone platform slowly sank into the ground until it was level with the floor.
Once it descended completely, three hidden doors appeared behind it.
The same male voice sounded again:
[You have received the guidance of the god you bowed to.]
[Behind the first door on the left lies the Fate Transcendent Rank Five material for physical advancement. Behind the first door on the right lies the material for an Aberrant Profession. You may enter them in turn.]
Jiang Kai's eyes went wide.
Fate Transcendent Rank Five material? He hadn't found anything related to Rank Five advancement in ages—and now, there was a complete set of materials right here?
And not just that—the door on the right contained Aberrant Profession Rank Five materials?
Honestly, though he had encountered three aberrant professions before, up to now he still knew next to nothing about them.
After all, no one in the unknown zones had ever managed to obtain advancement materials for aberrant professions.
Yet here—there was a full set of them, just waiting!
Even in his dreams, Jiang Kai had never thought he'd be this ridiculously lucky.
Still, after the excitement faded, his eyes turned to the middle door.
The man's voice hadn't said a word about that one—so what kind of reward lay beyond it?
After a brief thought, Jiang Kai decided not to dwell on it for now. He'd start with the two that were open.
He glanced left and right—since both doors were accessible, he entered the one with the Transcendent Rank Five materials first.
The moment he stepped through, the sight before him stunned him.
From the outside, no light had seemed to leak out—pure darkness. But once inside, the room was bright, illuminated as if by daylight.
On a long table stood an uncovered wooden box. Inside it lay a vial of green liquid.
Jiang Kai immediately used an appraisal card to identify it.
[Fate Transcendent Rank Five Advancement Material – Physical Branch.]
"Huh? Physical branch? What's that supposed to mean?"
Soon, he noticed a card inside the box with a few lines of text written on it:
[Among the countless beings, only a few may achieve transcendence.]
[This material strengthens only the flesh. The true path to transcendence lies in extraordinary will. Each person's will differs—so too will each transcendent path.]
Reading those words, Jiang Kai frowned slightly.
It seemed he now understood what "physical branch" meant.
This might be why the War God Temple's preparatory camp required candidates to first train in the unknown regions—there was a deeper reason behind it.
To become transcendent, one needed not only advancement materials but also one's own will.
Some might never succeed in transcending; and those who did—even if they once shared the same profession—would find their paths diverging after advancement.