Chapter 266

Heaven and earth were dim, the cold wind bleak, the air filled with a faint stench of decay and blood.

The two groups gathered together, sizing each other up.

On this side, Yuxiuyi, Jiang Ruoyan and the others still had one hundred and one people; they had fought the beast horde for a day and a night, and even with the old monk's mirror-light healing, their robes were still torn and they looked somewhat disheveled.

The group opposite was no less, numbering one hundred and three; aside from the leaders Huangfu Taiqing, Huo Yuanqing and others who still retained some dignity, the rest were likewise clad in rags, hair disheveled, clearly having undergone many strange trials as well.

Ye Hongxue burst out laughing and said, "We are all wanderers fallen to the same fate; why must we have known each other before meeting?"

Huo Yuanqing opposite also laughed and said, "Senior Brother Ye of the Divine Blade Palace, those words are truly apt for the occasion!"

Heh heh…

Everyone laughed, then immediately exchanged greetings.

Ye Ling'er, who had several times escaped death by a narrow margin, now looked at Lin Shuyu as if finding reliance, tears blurring her vision as she walked over: "Senior Sister Lin!"

Lin Shuyu's white robe was stained with a bit of blood, yet it did not look dirty; instead it added a touch of tragic beauty, her tall and slender figure still straight as a lance, her eyes like pale blue gemstones bearing an unworldly clarity, she had been gazing at the distant river surface, and now looking at Ye Ling'er she gave a faint smile.

In that instant she was as beautiful as a painting of an immortal's trace.

Beside her, Huo Yuanqing immediately ignored the group from the opposite side coming over to greet Hebizhi, his gaze fixed on that smile Lin Shuyu had not shown for a long time, becoming infatuated, and then filled with deep affection.

Hebizhi, Ye Hongxue and the others likewise cast over a look of astonishment.

Among the disciples listed on the regional rankings of Dongyu's various sects, their strength is hard to differentiate, but in terms of appearance and looks, Tianyuan Sect's Lin Shuyu and Daluo Sect's Ji Yaoyue alone hold the top two spots.

Even today, in this godforsaken place, meeting in such a disheveled state still surpasses the rumors.

Lin Shuyu gently took Ye Ling'er's hand and patted her head: "To have made it here safely, your talent and perseverance have already surpassed others; you are remarkable."

Ye Ling'er wiped the corner of her eyes and smiled: "It's all thanks to the protection of our senior brothers and sisters."

Niu Wanli, Liu Yu, Xu Wei and other Tianyuan Sect disciples also walked over.

Lin Shuyu gave a slight nod: "Senior Brother Niu, Senior Sister Liu, Junior Brother Xu…"

Niu Wanli said with a bitter expression: "This journey must not have been easy, right?"

Beside him, Huo Yuanqing's mouth twitched with a hint of bitterness: "Despite risking our lives to protect Lin Shuyu along the way, we still lost twenty-one fellow disciples!"

Liu Yu gripped the hilt of her sword at her waist, exhaled, and said: "We here lost twenty-seven fellow disciples; even if we gave our lives to protect them, we could not withstand the bizarre trial's rules!"

Everyone fell silent, speechless.

By now, the fellow disciples of the other sects around had more or less finished catching up; in fact, before leaving the ruins, there wasn't much to say.

Yuxiuyi clasped his fists and said: "Next is crossing the Heavenly Mechanism Bridge; since we've met, why not travel together?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

A procession of over two hundred people set off toward the due north.

Heading north, heaven and earth grew even more desolate; the dry bones on the ground became ever denser, at first gold and silver in hue, later appearing as white jade, bicolored, and tricolored.

The cultivation level these bones had in life was already beyond everyone's comprehension.

After walking about the time it takes to burn three incense sticks, a faint 'hualah' sound of flowing water came from ahead.

Looking forward, they saw a vast river of reddish flow, its surface extremely wide, its end unseen at a glance.

An arched bridge built of white bones stood, miraculous as supernatural craftsmanship, upon the boundless river surface.

They exchanged glances and quickened their steps.

Upon reaching it, they saw that what appeared to be reddish water in the river was clearly blood, filling the river and the riverbanks with blood.

The bridge was not a bridge at all, but a column-like dry skeleton of a flood dragon that props up the heavens.

The dragon's bones formed the bridge, its blood became the river.

What a magnificent and vast, deathly stillness!

The disciples of the various sects were stunned on the spot.

After a while, Niu Wanli gave a light cough: "Everyone, we must still press forward!"

The over two hundred people then reacted, immediately heading toward the flood dragon's head.

Ye Ling'er took a few steps, turned back and saw Lin Shuyu had not moved, so she walked back and asked: "Senior Sister Lin? What's wrong?"

Lin Shuyu said nothing, continuing to gaze at a certain spot.

Following her gaze, Ye Ling'er saw a complete five-colored dry skeleton seated cross-legged on a boulder, a broken spear lodged between its ribs, yet its left hand still clutched a small iron box, its right hand making a gesturing motion.

Ye Ling'er hesitated: "This person was killed by a spear; what treasure does he seem to be holding in his hand?"

"She is a woman," Lin Shuyu said softly.

Ye Ling'er suddenly understood: "Ah, no wonder that little iron box looks familiar; she holds a rouge box, she must have wanted to put on makeup before death, to meet her end in the most dignified manner!"

"Perhaps," Lin Shuyu said, stepping forward first.

Ye Ling'er hurriedly followed.

By now, the disciples of the various sects had arrived before the flood dragon bone bridge.

This dragon bone, which exists only in legend, even after having died tens of thousands of years ago, its massive skull exudes an inexplicable awe that makes everyone present feel a pang of palpitation.

Almost in unison, the disciples of the various sects performed a salute together.

Yuxiuyi rose, looked around, and said: "The dragon bones serve as a bridge; I wonder if there is any particular saying about it?"

Huo Yuanqing said: "This is our first time here, hard to discern any oddity; I wonder if any of the fellow brothers and sisters from the various sects are skilled in qimen dunjia, prohibitions, or spell formations?"

Shen Qiong said: "I of Luoxia Valley do understand a bit; the dragon spine as a road is originally auspicious, an omen of rising straight to the heavens, but crossing a blood sea is like a trapped dragon presenting its head—it is inauspicious!"

If we speak purely of the situation, treading the dragon-back bridge to cross the blood sea likely portends rebirth through nirvana; getting across will not be easy!

Everyone frowned slightly.

Yuxiuyi said: "The old monk who pointed the way said this place is called the Heavenly Mechanism Bridge; does it have any particular significance?"

Shen Qiong was about to speak when the East Imperial Palace's Huangfu Taiqing, clad in imperial robes and possessing an awe-inspiring presence, with hands clasped behind his back, said: "Pointing the heavenly mechanism to the dragon's back, upon meeting water it turns auspicious; auspiciousness passes through blood, and only on the far shore is there rebirth; this bridge is not the dragon's back!"

Everyone was taken aback upon hearing that.

Niu Wanli asked: "If the dragon's back is not the bridge, then where is the Heavenly Mechanism Bridge?"

Huangfu Taiqing said: "The Heavenly Mechanism Bridge is the dragon's back!"

Everyone was stunned again.

Ye Hongxue laughed: "Brother Huangfu, you're good at tongue twisters!"

Lin Shuyu stepped forward two steps, saying: "Seeing mountains are mountains, seeing mountains are not mountains; the two words 'Heavenly Mechanism' should be on the dragon's back!"

Huangfu Taiqing nodded: "Yes!"

Yu Qiuyi laughed: "I understand!"

Speaking, their figure flashed, heading first toward the dragon's head, about to step onto the dragon's bone, the whole person vanished in the blink of an eye.

"This..." Everyone stared at each other, completely unaware what kind of trick the senior brothers and sisters were playing.

Huangfu Taiqing said: "There's no danger, everyone go up together!"

Having said that, they walked forward.

Everyone exchanged a glance and had no choice but to follow.

Everyone, like Yu Qiuyi, was about to step onto the dragon head 'bridge' surface when a ripple appeared before their eyes, their vision blurred for a moment, and when it refocused, the scene before them had changed.

The river was still that river, blood water flowing, only much narrower, and faintly one could see the forest on the opposite bank.

However, the flood dragon's skeleton was gone, and a dense array of ropes appeared on the river surface.

(End of chapter)