Chapter 134 - The Lotus Barrier and the Broken Bridge
Chapter 134: Chapter 134 - The Lotus Barrier and the Broken Bridge
The red mist spread slowly from the ruins. It crept forward like something patient.
The young cultivators watched it approach, and their expressions became ugly.
Ashen-Blood Miasma. None of them dared underestimate it.
The problem was simple. They were unprepared.
Most of them did not currently have Immaculate Lotus-Heart Pills. Even among the younger generation gathered here, only a few had protective treasures prepared.
Most had expected to receive pills before entering the real Fallen-Star Sanctuary, not be thrown into a breach zone during a gathering.
For a moment, no one moved.
Then Bai Zhi stepped forward. Her white robes stirred in the red wind.
"Everyone, gather near me."
Her voice was gentle, but it carried clearly across the ruined valley.
Some cultivators hesitated for only a breath before moving closer.
Bai Zhi raised both hands.
White lotus light unfolded beneath her feet.
Petal after petal bloomed outward, forming a faint translucent barrier that spread around the gathered young cultivators.
The red mist touched the edge of the lotus light and slowed.
It did not vanish completely, but its corrosive force weakened.
Several people immediately relaxed.
"Thank you, Sister Bai."
"As expected of the Holy Maiden."
"It is fortunate that you are here."
Bai Zhi did not answer their praise.
Her face was slightly pale.
Maintaining a barrier over so many people was not easy, especially while the red mist continued pressing forward.
Then her gaze shifted.
Su Bai was standing outside the barrier.
Bai Zhi’s expression froze.
Again.
He was avoiding her again.
Even now.
Even in this situation.
Su Bai stood quietly a short distance away, as if the protective lotus light had nothing to do with him.
Bai Zhi stared at him.
Her fingers tightened slightly.
For a brief and extremely unholy moment, she wanted him to choke on the mist first.
Only a little.
Then she would save him.
That would teach him not to avoid people so obviously.
But this was not the time.
So Bai Zhi swallowed the thought with great effort.
Liu Meng noticed Su Bai had not entered the barrier and immediately became worried.
"Senior Brother Su, you do not need Sister Bai’s protection?"
Su Bai shook his head.
"I will be fine, Meng."
Liu Meng still looked concerned.
Tang Ziyan said nothing. But her brows furrowed slightly.
Su Bai saw it.
Her fingers were already near her sleeve, where her needles and poison tools were hidden.
She did not ask if he needed help. She probably thought asking would sound too soft.
Su Bai understood.
Qin Baoshan stepped forward with a solemn expression.
"Senior Brother Su, I will protect everyone."
Su Bai looked at him. Then nodded.
"Good."
The five Radiant Sky Sect disciples naturally fell into formation.
Qin Baoshan stood at the front.
Ji Ruyue guarded one side.
Han Yuelin stayed slightly behind but not too far.
Liu Meng remained near the center, where she could observe the mist and support others if needed.
Su Bai stood where he could see everyone.
The other factions also began forming groups.
Myriad Swords Sect disciples gathered with swords raised.
Scorching Sun Valley disciples surrounded Yan Lie with flame Qi rising.
The Glass-Lotus Holy See disciples stood around Bai Zhi, reinforcing her barrier.
Tang Clan disciples moved silently, poisonous mist forming thin threads between them.
No one had the time to stare at Su Bai anymore.
The red mist was approaching.
The ruined valley had no safe place to stand.
Just then, Zhuge Jing opened his feather fan.
He did not speak at first.
His eyes swept across the ruins, the cracks in the ground, the direction of the red mist, and the faint fluctuation in the layered space.
His fingers moved beneath his sleeve.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three breaths.
Then he said, "Follow me."
Yan Lie frowned.
"Why should we listen to you?"
Zhuge Jing did not look at him.
"Because the mist is thicker behind us, the wind is false, the ruins on the left repeat every seven pillars, and the cracks on the right form a dead loop."
His fan pointed ahead.
"Only that direction changes."
Yan Lie opened his mouth. Then closed it.
Among the younger generation, the Divine Abacus Zhuge Clan carried special weight.
Friends admired them.
Enemies feared them.
Even those who disliked them rarely ignored their judgment in unfamiliar terrain.
The group began moving.
They passed through the red mist under Bai Zhi’s lotus barrier.
The protective Qi helped. The mist pressed against the barrier again and again, making faint sizzling sounds.
Some cultivators’ faces turned pale.
Some treasures flickered.
Some talismans dimmed slightly.
But no one collapsed.
Su Bai walked outside the edge of the lotus light.
The red mist brushed against his sleeve.
His body reacted.
It was faint and... underwhelming.
Like a bowl of soup that smelled dangerous from far away but turned out to be mostly hot water.
Su Bai’s eyes narrowed slightly.
’Is this truly Ashen-Blood Miasma?’
The question rose silently.
They continued walking.
The mist thickened behind them.
The group moved faster.
After a while, the ruins ahead opened.
A black river blocked their path.
The river was wide and silent. Its surface did not reflect the red sky. Instead, it swallowed all light like ink.
Across the river stood the remains of a stone bridge.
On the opposite bank, a faint stone pillar could be seen through the mist.
It was not clear whether that was the Boundary Pillar, but it was the only obvious landmark.
A disciple immediately rose into the air.
Or tried to.
The moment his feet left the ground, a heavy pressure slammed him back down.
He stumbled, nearly falling.
"Flight restriction."
Several faces darkened.
Another cultivator threw a small flying talisman across the river.
The talisman flew only several feet before its light died and it dropped into the black water.
The river swallowed it without a sound.
Han Yuelin stared at the water.
"That river does not look friendly."
Qin Baoshan nodded seriously.
"It does not."
Before anyone could discuss further, one impatient disciple stepped onto the broken bridge.
The first stone held.
The second also held.
The third suddenly tilted.
His face changed.
The entire bridge section twisted beneath his foot, and his body fell sideways toward the black river.
"Senior Brother!"
A disciple from his sect reacted quickly, throwing out a rope artifact and pulling him back.
The young cultivator landed hard on the bank, his face pale.
No one laughed.
The bridge had nearly taken him.
Lin Weiyang stepped forward. Her silver robes were neat, and the small bronze mechanism at her waist clicked softly.
She looked at the bridge for several breaths.
Then her gaze sharpened.
"We cannot cross one by one."
Everyone looked at her.
Lin Weiyang crouched and touched one of the bridge stones.
A faint mechanical light flickered in her eyes.
"This bridge reacts to balance. The stones are not broken randomly. They are suspended by formation weight."
She pointed to several stone sections.
"If one person steps forward alone, the structure tilts. If too many people gather on one side, it collapses. We need to distribute weight, Qi, and elemental force at the same time."
Yan Lie frowned.
"Speak plainly."
Lin Weiyang looked at him.
"If you rush, we fall."
Yan Lie’s expression stiffened.
Lin Weiyang began pointing.
"Brother Qin, center."
Qin Baoshan did not ask why. He stepped forward.
"You have the steadiest grounding among those present. Stabilize the middle stone."
Qin Baoshan nodded.
"Understood."
"Sister Ji Ruyue, left fracture. Freeze only the crack line, not the whole stone."
Ji Ruyue moved without a word.
"Yan Lie, right side. Do not burn the bridge."
Yan Lie’s face darkened.
"I know."
Lin Weiyang continued.
"Sister Bai Zhi, keep the lotus barrier narrow. If it spreads too wide, it will add pressure to too many stones."
Bai Zhi nodded.
"Understood."
"Brother Zhuge, count the rhythm."
Zhuge Jing smiled.
"As you command."
"Sister Liu, watch the mist corrosion on the stones. If any section weakens, tell me before it breaks."
Liu Meng immediately nodded.
"Yes."
Lin Weiyang’s gaze finally landed on Su Bai.
She paused for a moment.
Then said, "There is a formation node beneath the third broken section. Can you pin it?"
Several people turned toward Su Bai.
Su Bai looked at the bridge.
Then at the third broken section.
A faint thread of formation movement pulsed beneath the stone.
He nodded.
"I can try."
Su Bai took out a thin needle.
Not much Qi moved from his body.
The needle flickered once, then flew out silently.
It struck the edge of the third broken section.
The bridge trembled.
Then the trembling stopped.
Lin Weiyang’s eyes brightened slightly.
"Good. Hold it there."
Su Bai nodded.
The group began moving according to Lin Weiyang’s instructions.
Qin Baoshan stepped onto the middle stone and sank his Qi downward.
His body became like a mountain stake.
Ji Ruyue’s sword Qi froze the left fracture into a pale line of frost.
Yan Lie controlled his flames on the right side with visible effort.
His face was tense, as if restraining himself was more painful than fighting.
Zhuge Jing counted calmly.
"Three breaths. Shift. Two breaths. Hold. One breath. Move."
Liu Meng watched the mist curling around the stones.
"The fourth section is weakening."
Lin Weiyang immediately adjusted.
"Glass-Lotus disciples, lighten the barrier on the left."
Bai Zhi changed the lotus light.
The pressure shifted.
The fourth section held.
Step by step, the broken bridge stabilized.
Sections that should have collapsed locked into place for just long enough.
One group crossed.
Then another.
Then another.
No one dared disobey.
The red mist behind them was still spreading.
When the last cultivator stepped onto the opposite bank, the bridge gave a low groan and loosened again.
But no one had fallen.
For the first time since arriving in the ruined valley, the young cultivators looked at one another differently.
Not trustingly. But with a little less contempt.
Lin Weiyang stood on the opposite bank and exhaled softly.
Her bronze mechanism clicked once.
"Continue."
Before anyone could answer, the ground ahead shook.
A deep sound rolled through the ruins.
This time, it was not stone dragging against stone.
It was breathing.
The red mist ahead bulged.
Then something stepped out.
It was huge.
A beast formed from blackened bone and rotting muscle.
Its body was too large for its limbs, and red mist leaked from the cracks between its ribs.
Behind it, more shapes appeared.
The young cultivators tightened their grips on their weapons.
The largest monster opened its mouth.
A red roar tore through the ruined valley.
The battle began.
...
Outside the ruined valley, Moon-Reflection Garden remained silent.
Inside the main pavilion, the projection showed every movement clearly.
Yue Cangyu stood with his hands behind his back.
His expression remained cold.
When he saw the younger generation cross the broken bridge without abandoning anyone, he gave a slight nod.
Just then, the air behind him shifted.
A faint cloud current passed through the pavilion.
A figure stepped out from the cloud mist.
Lu Canghai.
His expression no longer carried its usual careless smile.
His eyes landed on the projection first.
Then on Yue Cangyu.
"You," Lu Canghai said slowly, "what did you do?"
Yue Cangyu did not turn. He seemed to have expected him.
"This was necessary."
Lu Canghai’s face darkened slightly.
"And you decided this alone?"
"Yes."
The pavilion became silent.
Lu Canghai stared at his back.
"How did you expect no one to notice?"
Yue Cangyu finally asked, "How did you notice so soon?"
Lu Canghai looked up.
Above Moon-Reflection Garden, clouds drifted quietly across the sky.
"The clouds are my eyes."
Yue Cangyu was silent for a moment.
Then he said, "Your cloud sense has recovered more than I expected."
Lu Canghai did not accept the praise.
His gaze remained sharp.
"Yue Cangyu, you were not like this before."
Yue Cangyu’s fingers moved slightly behind his back.
Lu Canghai noticed. His voice became lower.
"What changed?"
Yue Cangyu did not answer.
Lu Canghai stepped closer.
"What... are you scared of?"
For the first time, Yue Cangyu’s composure cracked.
It was small.
But Lu Canghai saw it.
The word had struck something.
Yue Cangyu finally turned slightly.
His face was still cold, but his eyes carried a depth that did not belong to ordinary fear.
After a long silence, he spoke one word.
"Immortals."
Lu Canghai froze.
The word seemed to darken the pavilion.
Lu Canghai’s expression slowly changed.
The anger did not disappear. But something heavier replaced it.
"Immortals?"
Yue Cangyu looked back at the projection.
"I cannot say more."
Lu Canghai’s eyes became grim.
"Cannot, or dare not?"
Yue Cangyu did not answer.
That itself was an answer.
Lu Canghai’s voice lowered.
"Are you still on humanity’s side?"
Yue Cangyu finally turned fully toward Lu Canghai.
His expression was cold. His eyes were tired.
"I would not do this if I were not."
That was not a clear answer.
But it was enough for now.
Lu Canghai stared at him for several breaths.
Then he looked back at the projection.