Fine currents were constantly sputtering on the ground.
If one did not look carefully, they would not be able to find them at all.
However, such electric snakes covered an area of nearly a thousand square meters.
If a wild monster stepped on them, it would feel numb all over, though it would not suffer any actual harm.
The source of these fine currents was the silver-white unicorn.
Under the guidance of Toji Hisami, the silver-white unicorn was also constantly training its abilities.
Now it had developed a technique called electric field induction.
As long as an entity stepped into the induction field, it would be immediately discovered by the silver-white unicorn.
Because of the nature of electric field induction, not only physical monsters would be discovered, but even non-physical entities could not escape its perception.
With this skill, Toji Hisami and the others bypassed the suppression of their line of sight and regained the ability to anticipate approaching enemies.
More importantly, because there was no need to distract themselves with constant searching, everyone could push forward at full speed.
As a result, one day later, they found another golden altar.
Perhaps because the fog had dissipated while the orc invasion had not yet ended, the guardian beast that was supposed to guard the golden altar did not appear. The empty space made Toji Hisami suspect an ambush.
However, when he destroyed the golden altar, nothing unexpected happened.
It was just that this time he did not receive a level unblocking book; it seemed that item was not guaranteed at every golden altar.
On the other hand, three golden dragon statues exploded out at once, directly increasing his progress to 4/10.
With four statues now in his possession, the condensed stream of light guidance became significantly clearer.
Toji Hisami could even estimate the distance to the next golden altar based on the thickness of the light stream.
If one defeated a golden altar while its guardian beast was present, they would probably obtain a level unblocking book or other valuable treasures.
If one defeated it while the invasion was still in progress, they could only obtain the golden statues that already existed within the altar.
After weighing the two possibilities, Toji Hisami finally decided to continue searching.
After all, when the invasion wave ended, he would not be the only one looking for golden altars.
Even now, he could not be sure whether anyone else was searching for them.
This matter was all about staying one step ahead.
Naturally, the others had no objection to Toji Hisami’s decision.
Everyone continued to explore through the fog. During this period, Toji Hisami kept using the power of dimensional science to avoid spatial fluctuation points.
If one accidentally stepped into these fluctuation points, they would likely be teleported to unknown areas.
This was one of the most terrifying dangers within the mist.
Although Toji Hisami could traverse the foggy area, it was because he had mastered the nine powers of knowledge.
Through the comprehensive application of this knowledge, he could sense and avoid risks in advance.
An ordinary person, even Elara, would have no choice but to proceed with extreme caution after entering the fog, unable to advance rashly.
To act like Toji Hisami in the fog, one had to master at least the three major categories of occultism, dimensionality, and origins.
After avoiding another fluctuation point, Toji Hisami and the others passed through the fog in front of them and spotted a golden altar not far ahead.
"So big," Lin Yifei could not help but remark.
The altar that appeared before them was far more than twice the size of the previous ones.
The lower part of the entire altar consisted of nine steps, while the upper platform held three stone tablets of varying heights.
A rotating halo rested upon each stone tablet, exuding a mysterious atmosphere.
When Toji Hisami and his group appeared, the space surrounding the altar suddenly distorted, signaling that something was approaching from the other side.
"The closed space is reactivating, and the originally expelled guardian beasts are returning," Toji Hisami observed, his expression turning serious after sensing the changes for a moment.
"It seems many lords outside have smashed the mist stone pillars, which has weakened the invasion."
Spatial forces were interconnected. When the trial rules dictated the elimination of the fog, spatial energy was redirected toward the outer perimeters.
Compared to other areas within, the spatial power here had been transferred away, rendering the local space more stable.
Those guardian beasts had originally been summoned through space by the altar.
Now that the external pressure had weakened, the spatial energy had naturally returned, giving the guardian beasts another opportunity to cross over.
However, because the rate of weakening was not yet rapid, the spatial channel remained unstable, and the guardian beast on the other side was merely testing the waters.
"Quickly, take this opportunity to smash the altar and claim the reward."
With a pat on the silver-white unicorn’s head, the auspicious beast leapt forward, landing directly before the massive golden altar.
Unexpectedly, Toji Hisami’s rapid advance stimulated the guardian beast on the other side of the spatial boundary.
The space surrounding the golden altar distorted visibly to the naked eye, and black cracks tore open out of thin air.
Accompanying them were streaks of red and purple lightning: a void thunderstorm.
Generally speaking, only the act of forcibly tearing space apart would trigger void lightning.
Through the jagged rift, Toji Hisami caught sight of a blurry shadow on the other side.
Only a rough outline could be discerned, appearing to belong to some kind of humanoid guardian beast.
"Heh, come over if you dare and I’ll kill you. What are you getting so excited about?"
Toji Hisami paid no mind to the rifts. Forcibly tearing through space meant that even if the guardian beast managed to cross over, it would be severely injured in the process.
Unless a divine beast was coming through, Toji Hisami would have no reason to back down.
And he doubted a mere golden altar in the mist possessed the authority to be guarded by a true divine beast.
Leaving Chen Wei and the others to guard the perimeter of the altar, Toji Hisami headed straight up the steps.
The moment he stepped onto the main platform of the large golden altar, a booming resonance echoed in his ears.
It sounded as if countless individuals were praying around the altar simultaneously.
The chant surrounded him endlessly, causing his spirit to fall into a state of trance.
The scenery before his eyes shifted dramatically; everything around him dissolved into streaks of light that zipped past until the landscape blurred into continuous lines.
It was like plunging into the long river of time, with all creation passing by at an unfathomable speed.
Toji Hisami witnessed mountains rising from the earth, flattening into wilderness, and eventually submerged by deep waters, only for new peaks to thrust upward once more.
Throughout these epochs, figures appeared continuously: sometimes alone, sometimes in vast throngs.
Later, he clearly saw entities wearing dark cloaks and wielding massive scythes.
These strange beings, radiating a terrifying and menacing aura, swung their scythes to drain an unknown energy from human bodies.
The sight left a profound impact on Toji Hisami.
He watched as those people wailed and struggled, only for their vitality to be completely siphoned away.
Under the erosion of time, their bodies withered into dry bones and dissolved into ash.
Later, new people appeared, praying to the heavens and constructing altars.
They established their own tribes around these altars and grew prosperous.
Yet as time marched on, those scythe-bearing entities resembling gods of death appeared once more.
Just as Toji Hisami was about to observe further, a sharp, piercing pain tore through his head.
It was the automatic protective mechanism of his soul triggering as its energy dipped to a critical threshold, snapping him back to reality.
The visions around him vanished instantly.
Lyra stood vigilantly at the base of the altar, a golden barrier blocking her path forward.
"Lord, are you alright?" Lyra asked anxiously upon seeing Toji Hisami regain consciousness.
Toji Hisami held his head, his back drenched in cold sweat, his mind still slightly dazed.
"How long was I in that state?"
"Less than a quarter of an hour."
"I am fine. I was pulled into a time imprint left upon the altar. Were you blocked from entering?"
"Yes, this barrier of light appeared right after you stepped up."
Toji Hisami looked around. The barrier of light resembled an inverted bowl, sealing the upper platform completely.
He could no longer hear any chants, and his surroundings had returned to normal.
Had his soul energy not truly dropped to a critical point, he might have dismissed the experience as a mere hallucination.
Traces of ancient eras remained etched upon this golden altar, eroded by the passage of time.
Once someone stepped onto it, they would be pulled back into temporal visions, and those with fragile soul power would perish within moments.
Even those with strong soul power would inevitably suffer severe mental strain.
After all, time was one of the most formidable forces in existence.
Mortals could neither command the torrent of time nor easily alter space.
Anyone who touched the forces of time and space with a mortal shell would face either grave injury or destruction.
Even a brief exposure to the flow of time could consume a mortal’s brief lifespan in an instant.
Toji Hisami opened his status panel to inspect his condition thoroughly.
To his surprise, he found no permanent damage whatsoever.
His current fatigue was inconsequential and would fully dissipate after a brief rest.
As he looked deeper into his soul, he noticed a mysterious power gradually settling back into tranquility.
It was the unique blessing of a traveler across worlds: the absolute singularity in time and space.