Chapter 459: I'm Just Angry

Tuan Tuan, however, was not the least bit panicked; she crouched at the cave entrance, chin resting on her small hands: "Little fish, little fish, this bridge is too short! Can we cross?"

The river surface suddenly fell silent for a moment.

Immediately, several small white fish halted at the front of the fish bridge, simultaneously lifting their tails and rhythmically patting the water surface.

"Pa, pa, pa."

The sound was clear and continuous, echoing across the open river surface, as if saying: "Yes, yes, yes."

Xiao Ningyuan's heart jolted.

Tuan Tuan stood up, turned around, lifted her little face to look at him: "Big brother, the fish say we can! Let's go!"

Xiao Ningyuan took a deep breath, "Good! Since my little sister says we can, there's nothing we can't do!"

Even if it truly isn't possible, I still have to accompany her to give it a try!

Without my little sister, I could never have found that atlas on this journey.

Tuan Tuan bears great fortune; she will surely be able to take it out.

He took out the Nine Ji Dragon Pulse Map, rolled it tightly, then tore off a strip of his inner robe, wrapped it securely around the map, making a small bundle for his sister to carry on her back.

"Be good, it's yours now." Having said that, he bent down and securely held his sister in his arms: "Let's go!"

Xiao Ningyuan leapt forward, "Tap." The fish bridge remained as steady as a stone slab, and beneath his feet came the familiar, solid yet slightly cool sensation.

"Come on, come on!" Tuan Tuan kicked her little legs excitedly in his embrace.

Xiao Ningyuan steadied himself, tentatively taking the first step, then the second…

Just as they were about to reach the end, the fish bridge behind them suddenly stirred.

He turned his head and saw a school of fish silently gliding forward like silver arrows, lightly linking up at the front of the fish bridge.

The fish bridge then extended once more!

As his steps continued forward, the fish behind constantly swam to the front, keeping the bridge's length unchanged, steadily supporting the two of them and gradually stretching toward the river's depths.

"Wow, they're so smart!" Tuan Tuan wrapped her arms around her brother's neck, gazing at the flowing light bridge, her little face full of awe: "Big brother, look, the bridge has grown longer!"

Xiao Ningyuan was utterly shocked, tightly embracing his sister as he stepped along this Milky Way-like fish bridge toward the front.

The river water flowed silently beneath their feet, while firefly stones glowed faintly on both banks.

After an unknown amount of time, the riverbanks began to narrow, the rock walls closed inward, and finally converged into a massive stone gate.

The stone gate towered over ten zhang, resembling twin terraces; its lintel was covered in naturally formed stalactite ridges, like the interlocking fangs of a giant beast, everywhere entwined with deep-green vines that had grown for who-knows-how-many years, thick as curtains.

The fish bridge finally ceased extending.

The last little fish lightly leapt up at the bridge's head, its tail pointing toward the massive gate, then sank into the water and vanished.

The entire fish bridge remained steady, supporting the two of them as it halted on the water before the gate.

Xiao Ningyuan lifted his gaze to the enormous gate that seemed to lead to the primordial wilds, murmuring: "Is this the Ruins Gate?"

He carefully reached out and parted the tangled vines before the gate.

On the stone gate, three recesses suddenly appeared, arranged in a "pin" character shape, each accompanied by ancient seal script carvings.

The uppermost recess is sun-shaped and circular; beside it, the carved characters are barely legible: "Bright day, dark night; light begins to flow."

The lower left recess is moon-shaped and curved; the inscription beside it reads: "Simple form, plain substance; return to simplicity and truth."

The lower right recess is droplet-shaped; beside it are eight characters: "A drop of blood and tear, the bond shall then open."

Xiao Ningyuan's heart jumped: "These are three linked locks."

Tuan Tuan gazed at the circular sun-shaped recess: "Big brother, this top hole is round, just like the pearl in the golden well!"

Xiao Ningyuan's heart stirred: "Tuan Tuan, take it out and try!"

"Mm!" Tuan Tuan pulled the crystal-clear pearl from her sachet and handed it to her brother.

Xiao Ningyuan took it and gently pressed it into the recess.

"Click."

The pearl fit the recess perfectly, and a crisp mechanical sound came from within the stone gate.

A brilliant white light blossomed in the sun-shaped recess, its radiance flowing continuously across the upper part of the stone gate like living water.

The upper part of the stone gate lit up.

Xiao Ningyuan rejoiced: "It seems the first lock has opened!"

Before he could examine it further, Tuan Tuan eagerly reached out, pried the pearl from the recess, wiped it clean like a treasure, and stuffed it back into her sachet: "The lock is open, I should have it back—I still need to bring it home to give to Mother!"

Xiao Ningyuan smiled helplessly, turned his gaze to the moon-shaped recess, and whispered: "Simple form, plain substance; return to simplicity and truth."

He furrowed his brows slightly: "What does this mean?"

"Big brother, look!" Tuan Tuan suddenly clutched his collar: "The bridge is getting shorter!"

Xiao Ningyuan hastily looked down and saw that the fish bridge, which had been steadily supporting them, had suddenly shrunk by a large segment!

Those translucent white fish were detaching one by one, sinking into the deep water, and the bridge began to disintegrate.

In just a moment, the bridge's length had dwindled to less than half of its original size.

"Big brother, the fish can't hold us anymore!" Tuan Tuan quickly untied her embroidered pouch, pulled out a rust-streaked broken iron piece, and without even looking at it, flung it at the gate.

She shouted: "Break this lock open!"

A faint light flashed, and the iron piece vanished.

The next moment.

From within the stone gate came another muffled "click," and a hazy white glow rose in the moon-shaped recess, flowing across the gate.

The lower part of the stone gate also lit up.

Xiao Ningyuan exhaled a rough breath: "This lock is open too; only the last one remains."

But before he could finish exhaling, his heart leapt up to his throat.

He saw the fish bridge beneath his feet shrink another segment, now barely large enough for the two of them to stand on.

At the bridge's edge, the little fish's escape speed grew ever faster, its translucent white scales sinking into the dark water like meteors.

He raised his head, fixed his gaze on the water-drop-shaped recess, and spoke the last eight words: "A drop of blood and tear, the bond then opens."

Tears? None. Blood will do!

Xiao Ningyuan unhesitatingly bit through his own index finger, pressing the welling blood bead firmly into the recess.

After a moment's wait, the Ruin Gate lay silent as death, with no response.

Xiao Ningyuan's forehead beaded with sweat.

"I'm coming!" Tuan Tuan, without waiting for her brother to stop her, shoved her own index finger into her mouth and bit down hard, "hiss—"

Tuan Tuan pouted, then, feeling wronged, pressed her blood‑stained finger hard into the groove.

She shouted, "Open open open! If you don't open, I'll get angry!"