"He ripped space apart with his hands..."

"Not even our strongest formation masters could manage such a thing without preparation."

"I thought only ancient artifacts could do this. What kind of monster is he?"

The awe in the voices of the cultivators present carried no malice, only wonder and a touch of fear.

Lin Mu ignored the murmurs, his focus never leaving the rift. With a final push, he stabilized the edges, ensuring the spatial turbulence would not immediately swallow them whole. His voice carried across the group.

"Listen well," he said, his tone commanding. "We will not arrive directly in the heart of the Hidden Cave Sect. Our entry point is just outside, within the Lesser Void. I do not know what awaits us once we cross, so you must all be prepared."

His words sobered those who had been caught up in marveling at the feat. Even the most experienced among them knew the dangers of the void.

Lin Mu continued, "The turbulent energies of the Lesser Void are not to be underestimated. Even a cultivator at the immortal realm can be torn apart without proper defenses. But I know you are all strong and experienced. Hold steady, guard yourselves, and we will pass safely."

Cattaleya stepped forward then, her expression sharp yet tinged with amusement. "I suppose this is where I should reassure them. This will not be my first time in the void."

Several heads turned toward her, curiosity plain on their faces.

She smirked, placing a hand on her hip. "Once, I pursued a Void Beast that carried a bounty on its head. The chase led me through a Spatial Rift. Fool that I was, I leapt in without hesitation and found myself trapped in the Lesser Void."

Her voice dropped slightly, carrying the weight of memory. "It took me an entire month of constant battle and struggle to claw my way back out. I fought storms of Spatial energy, currents strong enough to tear mountains to dust, and that beast itself. In the end, I emerged victorious. But I do not recommend it to anyone here."

The laughter that followed was tense but real, though her words had their intended effect.

If a body cultivator as strong as Cattaleya struggled for a full month, the danger was undeniable. It reminded the less experienced immortals of the seriousness of the journey they were about to take.

Lin Mu gave her a nod of thanks for her honesty, then turned back to the rift. The darkness of the void pulsed faintly, almost as if beckoning them inward.

"This is the path we must take," Lin Mu said. "Steel your hearts. Once we pass through, our mission truly begins."

The strike team exchanged firm glances with one another. No hesitation remained.

Grand Elder Huo stepped forward first, his sheer presence radiating confidence. Without a word, he leapt into the rift, his figure swallowed by the void. One after another, the elders and disciples followed.

SHUA SHUA SHUA

Cattaleya stretched her limbs like a predator about to pounce and then dove in with a grin. Daoist Chu gave Lin Mu a playful smirk before vanishing into the rift himself. Elyon, Monk Hushu, High Elder Yan Dao, and dozens of others disappeared into the swirling darkness.

At last, the rift rippled with energy as nearly the full force of the strike team passed through. Lin Mu gave one final look to the beach, where Meng Bai stood waiting, Ashy perched on his shoulder, the twin snakes coiled protectively at his side.

"Stay safe," Lin Mu murmured, though his voice did not carry to the boy.

With a final breath, Lin Mu himself stepped forward. The rift’s darkness enveloped him completely, and the beach was left behind as the mission finally began.

SHUA

A moment later, the rift spat them out one by one, depositing them into a place unlike anything most of them had ever experienced before.

For a moment, silence reigned. There was no sound here, no rustle of wind, no call of birds, not even the faint background hum of the world’s Qi. It was as if all familiarity had been stripped away in a single instant.

The strike team floated in the void, their robes fluttering ever so slightly from the residual ripples of the rift they had passed through. Dozens of immortals turned their gazes around in wonder and unease, taking in the sight of the Lesser Void with their own eyes for the first time.

Many had studied it. Some had even peered into it through stable rifts or had been guided through illusory arrays to simulate the experience. Yet, being here directly, with no barrier between themselves and this place, was something else entirely.

"This..." one of the younger elders whispered, though his voice was transmitted through a communication jade slip rather than air. "This feels wrong."

He was not alone in that sentiment.

The very atmosphere of the Lesser Void pressed upon them in ways they could not describe. The Immortal worlds were full of Qi, thick and nourishing, every breath of it empowering. Here there was nothing. No Qi. No spiritual energy of any kind.

Just emptiness, vast and unrelenting.

It felt like being cut adrift in an endless sea with no current and no shore, yet with unseen predators lurking beneath the surface.

The darkness surrounded them on all sides.

It was not the soft darkness of a night sky but a deeper, more oppressive black, as though even light itself resisted existing here.

Only from time to time did something break that stillness: streaks of turbulent Chaotic Spatial energy lashing across the distance like serpents of lightning. They shimmered faintly, violent and unpredictable, tearing across the void before vanishing again.

Even though this was the Lesser Void, where the currents were weaker than the true void beyond, the sight of those streaks was enough to put many on edge. They all knew what such energy could do. One touch was enough to shear a body, to crush even the sturdiest of immortal armors, to unravel the very essence of a soul if left unchecked.