1347. Staircase
The layout of the Pyramid had a tight connection with the difficulty of the protections. The harder it was to reach an area, the harsher its defenses would be.
The dark corridor led to the deepest protected room in the first layer, which was on the opposite side of the entrance. The aura that surrounded the place was different, and its torches created an eerie halo with the faint red light radiated by their flames.
According to the Balrow family's reports, the torches' fire would expand once cultivators stepped inside the protected area. It would fill the entire corridor and burn everything. It wouldn't differ between energy and flesh.
Noah was in a pickle there. The reports said that the flames could consume even some weaker items in the middle tier. It wasn't something that gaseous stage cultivators should be able to face.