Chapter 23

The embossed scenes on the two magnificent bronze doors presented two completely different artistic moods.

The "Lights of Ten Thousand Homes" on the left door seemed to be presenting a real, ancient city full of human life.

Just by staring for a moment, Li Youyi felt as if his soul had been pulled into it. Walking on the streets under the night curtain, all around were shouts and the bustling atmosphere of the marketplace.

The "Underworld Star River" on the right door had a majestic atmosphere, a river formed by dense stars. It was like the Milky Way in the night sky, but this star river wasn't silver; it was a dim yellow.

"Is this where the owner of the bronze ship lived? Have they really passed away?"

Li Youyi felt that since the garden could emit immortal radiance and water mist, there might be spring water and mysterious treasures inside.

On the ship, water was in very short supply.

The Golden Crow blood and black dragon blood were clearly not to be drunk casually; they were extremely dangerous and not the fundamental way to solve the problem.

"Rustle!"

Just as he stepped onto the stone steps, a gust of wind came from somewhere.

Li Youyi had extraordinary power to rely on and was full of courage, continuing to walk upward.

He arrived at the top of the stone steps.

He first peered inside through the gap between the two doors.

The gap was two fingers wide.

In his field of vision, the area behind the door was very spacious; beneath a screen wall built of black stone, there was a black-and-white Taiji lake.

In the center of the lake was a soul-shaking giant sword, the body of which was cast from two completely different materials: pitch black and scarlet red.

Li Youyi stretched out his hands, channeling the scorching Qi surging from the soles of his feet, wanting to try pushing the door.

"Boom!"

Before his hands were even half a foot away from the bronze door, a force like a landslide and tsunami surged over, shaking him so that he flew backward like a fallen leaf, landing lightly on the ground below the stone steps.

"New master of the Dao Ancestor’s Taiji fish, this door is not for you to enter at this time. You are the bearer of karma, not the creator of karma. Be gone..."

A faint voice came, as if it sounded directly in Li Youyi’s mind, and also as if it came from the bronze door before him.

"Who are you, and what is the karma you speak of?" Li Youyi asked.

There was no response.

"Whoosh!"

The air trembled, and a translucent light curtain rose along the courtyard wall, shrouding the entire garden.

It lasted for a long time before dissipating.

It was an order to leave!

Li Youyi immediately retreated, staring at the huge bronze door, always feeling that the voice just now didn't exist in this space-time, but rather like a dialogue between an ancient person from a thousand years ago and a modern person.

A very strange feeling.

There was no doubt that the bronze ship setting sail, including their falling, absolutely had something to do with the Dao Ancestor’s Taiji fish.

Master, oh Master, you must know something.

Becoming the master of the Chan Gate, what kind of terrible karma must one bear?

"Li Youyi!"

Cai Yutong’s voice came from behind.

"Senior Sister..."

Li Youyi let out a long breath, quickly putting away the various distracting thoughts in his mind, and turned around... the smile that had just appeared on his face instantly froze, and he looked Cai Yutong up and down in disbelief.

This is Senior Sister Cai?

Cai Yutong was wearing Qi Shanshan’s white doctor’s coat, which only hung half a foot below her waistline, leaving her two straight, excessively long jade legs almost completely exposed.

More importantly.

Her skin was whiter than the doctor’s coat she was wearing, delicate and moist, as if cast from immortal jade, crystal clear, and containing a faint glow.

Her jet-black long hair hung down naturally, contrasting sharply with her white jade skin.

Those eyes were like they had been washed by a divine spring, far brighter than before, containing spirituality.

Her lips had no lipstick, but were moist and crimson, like carved rubies.

Her looks were already extremely high, but now...

It was no longer a question of looks, but as if she had already become immortal.

There were no more flaws on her body, as if she represented all the beauty in the world; just standing there, the surroundings would turn into an immortal land, even if outside was the eerie and terrifying soul sea.

Li Youyi considered himself to have a strong immunity to women’s beauty, being more focused on martial arts. But Cai Yutong at this moment brought a great shock to his heart.

How could this still be Senior Sister Cai?

This is the Feather Fairy!

If one were to take the red clothes off the bone demon in the grave ice coffin and give them to her to wear, wouldn't she be a fairy descending to the mortal world?

"Staring at Yutong all the time, you wouldn't happen to know that she isn't wearing anything underneath?" With Cai Yutong there, the fear of Li Youyi in Qi Shanshan’s heart diminished a little.

Li Youyi quickly withdrew his gaze, secretly practicing the Jade Void Breathing Method to let his heartbeat return to steady, then took off his coat and handed it over: "Wear mine first; do you... do you need pants?"

Cai Yutong said: "If I go back wearing your clothes and pants, what will you let the expedition members think?"

Li Youyi thought about it carefully, and it was true.

So, his gaze turned to Qi Shanshan.

Qi Shanshan said: "It’s not that I can't take them off again, but then I’d only have..."

Li Youyi said: "I mean, Doctor Qi can return to the cabin at the bow first and bring some clothes over."

"Alright!"

Qi Shanshan didn't dare to have any complaints and walked toward the ship building passage.

Seeing Cai Yutong drink the Golden Crow blood, shed her mortal shell, and obtain an immortal, flawless body like breaking a cocoon, she, who had always loved beauty, was naturally envious.

But thinking that she could also drink the Golden Crow blood, the envy in her heart naturally dissipated.

As long as Zhao Meng recovered, the future was still promising.

Li Youyi, don't look at how fierce you are now; in the future, who knows who will be on top.

Cai Yutong seemed indifferent to whether she was wearing anything underneath, without that kind of feigned shyness: "She just told me everything! She actually... sensed the crisis of life and death in advance, had no sense of security, and wanted to find a way to survive."

"Is Senior Sister pleading for her?"

"She saved me."

Li Youyi said: "Does Senior Sister know what happened on the ship? Hearing it described and witnessing it with your own eyes might be two completely different feelings. And I think Senior Sister might not know Doctor Qi that well!"

"She saved you too," Cai Yutong said.

The wind blew from the sea, lifting a large corner of the white doctor’s coat.

Li Youyi quickly averted his gaze and sighed: "It is precisely because she saved me that I found it harder to make a decision just now than ever before... Senior Sister, why don't you put on my clothes first? I even suggest you wear a hat and a face veil; if you go back to the expedition team like this, I’m afraid another turmoil will break out soon."

He felt that few people could resist Cai Yutong’s beauty now; it was too tempting, enough to make many people take risks.

A beautiful woman is a disaster; it is nothing more than this.

"Fine, everyone should be responsible for the mistakes they make; you make the decision yourself."

Cai Yutong looked up at the sky: "The sky seems to be brightening; the light is coming from... the direction of the bow."

Calculating the time, it should be dawn.

But one must know that there is no night or day on the soul sea, only the starry sky.

How could light appear in the sky?

Not only did light appear, but clouds also appeared.

"Is it dawn?"

Li Youyi felt it was incredible.

In the direction the bronze ship was traveling, light had indeed appeared ahead.

The stars were rapidly becoming sparse and dim, and the darkness was moving away.

It was like the arrival of early morning.

Looking at the sea surface outside the gunwale again, the seawater, which had been as black as ink, now had many golden ripples. There were no more wandering souls in the sea, and clouds had actually appeared in the sky.

It was just that the clouds were huge and low, and they were golden.

"That’s great, those eerie and terrifying wandering souls have finally disappeared; I have a premonition that there must be land in this world." Li Youyi was in a great mood, his face full of a bright, sunny smile.

Recently, whether it was the external environment or the internal turmoil, it had all been too oppressive.

After waiting for nearly an hour, the darkness and the starry sky had long since completely disappeared.

Both the sea and the sky were dyed with golden rosy clouds.

The field of vision was wide, making one feel refreshed.

But Qi Shanshan still hadn't returned with the clothes.

"Something happened; we can't wait any longer."

Cai Yutong tied Li Youyi’s clothes around her waist and walked toward the ship building passage first.

Li Youyi believed Cai Yutong’s judgment was correct; something must have happened to Qi Shanshan, otherwise, she couldn't have stayed away for so long. But what other danger could there be on the ship?

Li Youyi and Cai Yutong walked all the way to the bow without encountering Qi Shanshan.

Outside the medical tent, they met Qin Ke.

Qin Ke was overjoyed: "Brother Youyi, where did you go? Everyone is looking for you. Hurry and go look at the bow outside the death mist; a miracle, a miracle has appeared!"

"Brother Youyi?"

Cai Yutong looked at Li Youyi.

She clearly remembered that these students of Professor Xu were all in graduate school, several years older than Li Youyi.

Li Youyi asked: "Sister Qin, have you seen Doctor Qi?"

Hearing the address "Sister Qin," Qin Ke was slightly stunned before saying: "No, everyone thought she was with you last night."

Li Youyi and Cai Yutong looked at each other.

Qi Shanshan couldn't have fled to avoid punishment, could she? Where could she escape to?

Besides, Li Youyi believed he had expressed himself very clearly that he wouldn't expose her and would give her a chance to reform.

Qin Ke’s gaze moved away from Li Youyi and fell onto Cai Yutong, and she couldn't move it away again.

More importantly, Dr. Cai also had Li Youyi’s clothes tied around her waist.

So they were together last night.

"Dr. Cai... you..."

Qin Ke, a woman herself, was stunned by Cai Yutong’s beauty. Then she lowered her head, falling into self-mockery and inferiority, just wanting to escape from here immediately.

"I’ll go look in the mirror and change my clothes first."

Cai Yutong felt that her beauty might really be a bit outrageous; for someone in scientific research, what was the use of being good-looking? Could it win a Priestley Medal?

Li Youyi walked out of the death mist and arrived at the bow.

He finally saw the miracle Qin Ke spoke of, and his scalp instantly went numb, shocked to the point of holding his breath.

(End of chapter)