Chapter 57: Helpless Against the Illusion (Part Two)

I hurriedly took a deep breath, fixing my gaze straight ahead.

The blood-red bridge stretched before me, ancient and unending, very much like a road whose end could never be seen. On either side, mist billowed endlessly upwards, while the stone bridge itself glowed crimson, resembling an abyss without bottom or end.

The Bridge of Lamentation was far from the simple thing I had imagined. The bridge I had seen from the outside was nothing like what I saw now that I stood upon it.

“Master, this is only a shadow, a mere imprint of the bridge upon the Buddhist scroll. The true Bridge of Lamentation, to set foot upon it is for the soul to be devoured. The bridge is bound by many underworld laws, representing dominion over the souls of all things. So what you see now, is only your own heart.”

I nodded. Now I could recognize this connection. In truth, I did not know what I truly desired, nor what I wished to obtain. Life, which I had once hoped would be tranquil, had long since cast me adrift. Now, I was entangled in this fantastical world that both thrilled and terrified me. Perhaps, like Xiyue, my fate had once been altered by ancient powers. Yet, despite it all, I only yearned for an ordinary life.

I closed my eyes, and in that moment, I could hear the childhood songs of my youth, the clear voices from my school days, the sound of Su Ying, and the face of Xiyue.

Everything unfolded so naturally, so irresistibly.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Slowly, I opened my eyes. I did not look down at my feet, knowing the shadow could not possibly bear my weight. But at that moment, I saw shadows appearing upon the long, blood-red stone bridge ahead. Not far in the distance, a screen of light appeared, like something out of a film. I would be lying if I said I was not shocked, yet I could see everything within that screen with perfect clarity.

It was a world of chaos, a primal wilderness. I could not discern what emerged from that vast confusion, but I heard a voice:

“Heaven and earth, mysterious and yellow; the cosmos, ancient and boundless; peace and stability for all; unity among the people…”

It seemed there were more words, but I heard nothing further. At that moment, an ancient portal slowly rose within the light. It seemed anything but simple, yet I could not make out what it truly was.

As the portal slowly materialized, the entire Bridge of Lamentation trembled. The shadows that had surrounded me shattered in an instant, countless phantoms dissolving into nothingness.

The bridge beneath my feet shook violently, like a child who had offended the gods. Suddenly, I realized I now stood at the head of the bridge.

“Slaughter!”

As I stood at the bridgehead, the thought flashed through my mind.

To tell the truth, when I saw the stone bridge rising up, I distinctly felt my body suspended, my consciousness adrift in chaos. The sensation was strange, but it was this very strangeness that piqued my curiosity.

Could that portal I glimpsed be a vision of my past life?

“Master, it’s terrifying!”

With a thought, I heard Tu’s voice. At this moment, Tu sounded like a frightened child, shivering within my consciousness.

Moreover, I was astonished to discover that my soul’s perception had grown immensely sharper. With the slightest effort, I could sense everything within my mind-sea, perceive the intricacies of the Blood Slaughter Array diagram, and feel the countless formations within the Sword of All Beings—though I could not activate them.

What sort of ancient sword was this?

Standing at the bridgehead, I clearly sensed the countless sealed formations within the battered Sword of All Beings, each like a portal sealed with a talisman.

This ancient sword was truly extraordinary. No wonder even the likes of the Old Man of Yin and Yang, fearsome as he was, could do nothing with it. Perhaps this sword originated from a realm even more mysterious.

The Immortal Realm?

The words surfaced in my mind.

According to Tu, the world we now inhabited was a great world formed from the fusion of shattered realms. The human realm had once been the greatest and most stable, with all other worlds orbiting it. Yet, because the human realm was vast and boundless, its spiritual energy was scattered, making cultivation difficult—hence why it was always the lowest of realms.

Above the human and other great worlds was the Immortal Realm.

“Master, the Old Man of Yin and Yang once suspected the same. The origin of this ancient sword is anything but ordinary. He spent a thousand years’ lifespan using secret divination to trace its past and future, but was met with fierce backlash and nearly lost his life in the process.”

Because my mind was joined with Tu’s, all my thoughts and speculations were known to him.

What Tu now said perfectly aligned with my own conjectures.

“Master, hurry! The shadow of the Bridge of Lamentation is trembling more violently by the second!”

I nodded and stepped off the blood-red bridge. The Bridge of Lamentation behind me shattered in an instant, its form fading away until it vanished completely.

“Tu, what was the meaning of the great gate that appeared upon the Bridge of Lamentation?”

Tu shook his head. “Master, I do not know. When the light screen appeared, I saw nothing. As for the gate you mentioned, I saw nothing at all—only felt an immense pressure that nearly shattered my soul in an instant.”

“Master, what did you see? Tell me, perhaps I have seen it before. The Bridge of Lamentation may be a shadow, but it can still reveal glimpses of your past and future lives!”

Hearing this, my heart grew heavier. Past and future lives? All I saw was the lintel of a gate—nothing else.

I described the scene I had witnessed within that light to Tu, but he remained utterly bewildered. Even if it was a gate, he had no idea what it meant.

One thing was certain: whatever I had seen was intimately connected to me.

PS: Wishing everyone a happy New Year, may all things go your way, may your families find joy and health. I also hope Shaolang’s "Bride of the Underworld" achieves great results. May we become good friends—feel free to add Shaolang on WeChat by searching for Yang Family Shaolang. Thank you all for your support; I’m grateful for your company on this journey!