Searching for the best path, starting from Renjia Town

Chapter 209 Thirteen Stone Bridges

Recalling what had just happened and looking at the scene before them, it was clear that Li Bi had done something, but he was unwilling to say, so the Wang siblings stopped asking.

After all, one should have some sense of boundaries.

They are just colleagues, not true partners, and it's impossible for them to reveal their respective methods and trump cards.

"Let's get out of here before it gets dark."

Wang Zhigao said something, and the three of them left immediately.

Next, we continued our journey as before.

After another three days of walking, they reached the deepest part of the Greater Khingan Mountains, a place that even the most experienced hunters and ginseng gatherers had never set foot in.

Meanwhile, the number of monsters along the way was increasing, making the Wang siblings increasingly nervous.

After the incident with the tree spirit, they learned a lesson and realized that they had been too arrogant and ignorant before.

With so many spirits, and many of them seemingly quite powerful, their simple disguise might not be enough to fool them.

"Brother, shall we go back?"

"Look again!"

Fortunately, no monsters attacked them, not because they failed to see through their disguise, but rather because they were too busy to do so.

All the spirits and monsters flocked to the north, as if something important had happened.

Since that's the case, the brother and sister discussed it and decided to go further.

"I feel a little cold."

Although they were already in the far north of Northeast China, it was August or September, and when the Wang siblings woke up that morning, they felt a chill, estimating the temperature to be only three or four degrees Celsius.

They hadn't brought any warm clothes, so they could only wear another change of clothes. Fortunately, the two of them had some magical abilities, so they could barely manage.

After putting it on, I was puzzled again: why did the temperature suddenly drop?
"Are we almost there...?"

Li Bi looked ahead, lost in thought.

The unusual celestial phenomenon likely indicates that he is nearing his destination.

The Wang siblings thought the same thing. The three exchanged a glance and continued on their way.

Another day passed, and suddenly they found that all the spirits had stopped and gathered in the mountains and forests.

They must have arrived at their destination, but the situation was unclear. The Wang siblings immediately stopped and dared not venture any further, instead observing quietly from the outside.

Ouch~!

Late that night, a wolf's howl suddenly echoed throughout the deep mountains.

On a cliff, under the full moon, a robust male wolf looked up and howled.

Roar~!

Aww~!

The spirits that had been temporarily dwelling in various parts of the mountains and forests suddenly became restless and rushed towards the cliff where the male wolf was.

"It's there!"

Upon seeing this scene, the Wang siblings suddenly realized what was happening.

The location where this treasure was discovered must be there.

"go!"

Treasure is tempting, and with the treasure so close at hand, how could one possibly give it up?

Without a second thought for the danger, the Wang siblings immediately followed.

Li Bi's goal was to seize the treasure, so he wouldn't hesitate.

About an hour later, the three followed the monsters to the bottom of the cliff.

"so much……"

All sorts of spirits and ghosts gathered there; there were probably at least eight hundred, if not a thousand.

Upon seeing the densely packed group below the cliff, the Wang siblings, who had been excited just moments before, instantly calmed down, and their expressions turned grim.

But by this time they were already among a group of spirits, and it wouldn't be so easy for them to get out.

All I could do was suppress my panic and stay put for the time being.

Fortunately, in addition to the numerous monsters, they also saw some human figures.

It seems that they were not the ones who went into the mountains to search for treasure this time.

At least they were of the same kind, which made the Wang siblings feel a little more at ease.

Roar~!

But at that moment, with a roar, all the monsters suddenly went berserk and began attacking their surroundings.

"not good!"

Upon seeing the several monsters attacking them, the Wang siblings' expressions changed drastically.

Without a moment's hesitation, he quickly used his abilities to defend himself.

But the number was simply too large for them to handle.

Hurrah~!

At the critical moment, a large burst of flames erupted, and it was Li Bi.

For monsters like corpses, talismans with restraining attributes are more effective, but for these spirits, talismans for suppressing corpses and souls are not very useful. In comparison, natural forces such as thunder and fire are more direct.

As expected, ordinary flames, without using the Crimson Lotus Karmic Fire, were enough to stop most of the monsters.

Even if a few spirits are not afraid of fire, given Li Bi's methods, there's no need for them to come up and risk getting into trouble.

"saved."

The Wang siblings breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Li Bi beside them with complicated expressions.

I originally thought he was just a 'rogue cultivator,' but I never expected him to have such abilities.

You should know that there are elders in their village who know how to set fires, but compared to Li Bi, they are nothing.

"How come his blood and energy are so abundant?"

Looking at Li Bi, who was constantly casting the Fire Bell Spell and surrounded by almost a sea of ​​fire, the Wang siblings were puzzled again.

Li Bi looks to be less than twenty years old, how could he have such abundant energy and vitality?

Roar~Ah~!

Meanwhile, outside the flames, amidst the cacophony of screams and cries, monsters and ghosts continued their fierce battle.

In the dead of night, blood splattered, almost staining the full moon red.

Seeing this, the Wang siblings stared wide-eyed, almost losing their ability to think for a moment.

All that remains is the question: why are these spirits killing each other?

No, it's not simply infighting; it's more like a selection process.

Anyone who arrives here, whether spirit, ghost, or human, must undergo this screening process.

Survival of the fittest, the strong prey on the weak; those who are eliminated or who voluntarily withdraw and flee are all eliminated.

Ouch~!

About an hour later, another wolf howl rang out, and the monsters that had been fighting just moments before suddenly stopped.

ended.

The Wang siblings had already turned deathly pale, and only then did they suddenly come to their senses. Looking at the scene now, it would not be an exaggeration to say that corpses were strewn everywhere.

Originally there were hundreds of spirits and ghosts, but now only a mere thirty or forty remain standing in the same spot! Apart from a few that escaped, the rest were all killed!
I had long heard that wild beasts follow the cruel law of the jungle, and that most of the spirits here are cultivated from wild beasts, thus retaining their original habits. I just never expected it to be so cruel.

Amidst their shock, the Wang siblings grew even more curious about what kind of treasure could make these monsters fight so desperately.

It must be really amazing.

Boom~!

Before they could even react, there was another loud bang, and suddenly a section of the cliff collapsed, revealing a dark cave entrance.

"so……"

The Wang siblings exchanged a glance and then understood.

It turns out that only those who pass this selection process are qualified to obtain the treasure.

In other words, the treasure is inside this cave.

"go!"

Other spirits had already poured into the cave. The Wang siblings, looking excited, gave a low shout and strode towards the cave entrance.

There's no reason to leave a treasure mountain empty-handed; with the treasure right before your eyes, how can you give it up?

It must be said that young people are not only hot-blooded, but also easily lose their temper.

Li Bi, needless to say anything, walked straight over.

Boom~!

Once everyone had entered the cave, a muffled sound suddenly rang out, and the entrance was sealed shut. Everyone was startled; was this a case of "entry is permitted, but exit is not"?

The Wang siblings, in particular, suddenly regained their senses and were filled with remorse, but it was too late for regrets.

Whoosh!

Immediately afterwards, torches lit up the walls, illuminating the entire cave.

It was a passage, fairly wide enough for these spirits to walk side by side, but also very deep, with no end in sight.

Now that the cave entrance was closed and there was no way out, all the monsters went straight inside.

The Wang siblings, caught up in the chaos, could only take things one step at a time.

Li Bi remained calm as he quietly observed the spirits.

There is only one treasure, but now there are thirty or forty monsters fighting over it. It's not hard to predict that another great battle is likely to break out among them.

The fierce battle outside the cave earlier also revealed some clues.

Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle. While you can't fully understand someone's character just by looking at their appearance, you can still learn something.

After all, many spirits and monsters do not fully transform and still retain their original appearance. As long as we know what they are transformed from, we can make some predictions about their abilities.

"Fortunately."

About half an hour later, Li Bi looked at everyone in the cave.

There are only a few, and it's hard to tell anything from them.

Especially the humans mixed in, two of whom were dressed plainly and whose identities were completely unknown.

One of the two was wearing a mask and loose clothing, making it difficult to determine even his age and gender.

"what is that!"

While I was pondering this, I suddenly heard someone exclaim in surprise ahead.

Walking quickly to get closer, I saw that the original passage had suddenly turned into a cliff.

But it's not a dead end; there are thirteen other paths, like thirteen stone bridges, connecting to the other side.

Clearly, this was to allow everyone to continue their journey via the stone bridge.

Realizing this, everyone hesitated for a moment.

It's not as simple as it looks.

The path is very narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time. There are currently fewer than forty people left, and it won't take long for them to pass one by one.

But the difficulty lies in the wickedness of human nature!

Who goes first and who goes later? And whoever goes first will never allow others to go first.
After all, the treasures are limited, and the one less person going means one less competitor.

If anyone crosses the bridge, it could very well destroy it immediately!

If several people are going together, how do they navigate the narrow path?
If the first person is facing forward, their back should be to the second person. To prevent being ambushed, the first person should definitely face backward, that is, walk backward with their back to the second person.

If the second person doesn't want to turn their back to the first person, they can only face forward, but in doing so, they will inevitably have to turn their back to the third person.

In order to avoid being ambushed, I'm afraid no one would be willing to be the second person.

Even if someone has the means to maintain a view of both the front and back, they probably wouldn't be able to withstand being attacked from both sides.

Without a second person, how could there be a third or fourth?

To put it simply, this stone bridge can only accommodate one person at a time!

There are a total of thirteen stone bridges, and a maximum of thirteen people can cross them.

"Damn it! Who designed this road? It's so insidious!"

Those who are able to get here are not only highly skilled, but also quite intelligent, and they quickly figure out the key to the matter.

For a moment, many people couldn't help but curse.

There was a fierce battle outside the cave before, and now they're here again. They're deliberately trying to kill everyone.

"The rematch?"

Li Bi's expression remained unchanged, but he pondered inwardly.

The preliminary rounds were held outside the cave; now it's the semi-finals.

Then, looking across the dark void, it seems there will be a final match.

"Who says I have to take the bridge? Can't I just fly over there?!"

Suddenly someone spoke, and the voice transformed into a giant falcon, which flew directly towards the other side.

That's true, there are quite a few flying spirits and monsters here.

But with so many things that can fly, why hasn't anyone tried to fly over there?
Swish swish swish~!

Just as the eagle demon flew to the middle of the cliff, accompanied by a sharp whooshing sound, a sudden gust of wind surged up from below, like thousands of sharp swords, instantly slicing the eagle demon into a cloud of blood mist.

"really."

Despite seeing this, everyone remained calm.

Since they've arranged a stone bridge, why would they let you fly across?

As expected, there was hidden danger within.

The others who could fly pondered in their hearts that they might not be able to withstand those strong winds, and even if they could, who knew if there were other dangers.
So, if you don't want to end up like that silly bird and be smashed to pieces, you'd better stick to the stone bridge.

I'll go across this bridge first!

"I'll go to this one first!"

"Why should you go first!"

"This bridge is mine!"

The next moment, a commotion broke out in the crowd as everyone began to scramble for the stone bridge.

If problems can be solved with words, why bother practicing martial arts?
After a few words of argument, another fight broke out.

It seems like you only need to secure one of the top thirteen spots, but it's not that simple.

Even if you manage to get a stone bridge, aren't you worried that people who haven't gotten on the bridge will damage it once you get on it?

Therefore, not only must we secure one of the thirteen spots, but we must also eliminate all the others to prevent future troubles!

"We're out!"

"We don't want our baby anymore!"

Once the Wang siblings came to their senses, they tried to run back. Although the cave entrance was blocked, at least they could leave this hellish place.

Roar~!

As the saying goes, going up a mountain is easy, but coming down is hard. These monsters would not let them retreat so easily. With a roar, two monsters pounced fiercely.

The two siblings were already panicked and didn't know how to dodge or defend themselves.

Bang~!

The monster's claws reached out, but with a muffled thud, they were blocked by an invisible force.

"This is……"

The two siblings were startled and quickly looked at Li Bi.

Li Bi didn't say anything, but with a slight exertion, he threw the two of them back, and then stopped the two monsters.

"Thank you!"

"I will definitely repay your life-saving grace in the future!"

The two men glanced gratefully at Li Bi, then turned and ran.

Boom~Boom~!

The screams and roars continued for about half an hour on the stone bridge until only ten people remained.

During the fight, three stone bridges were destroyed, so the number of participants has been reduced to ten.

Li Bi stood in front of a stone bridge, looking to both sides. Besides him, there was another human, the one who had worn the mask earlier.

"go!"

Before he could think further, everyone got on the bridge and quickly ran to the other side.

Boom~Boom~!

We had only gone halfway when we heard several more booming sounds from the right.

The two men, separated from Li Bi by two stone bridges, actually started fighting on the bridge. Even at this point, they were still thinking about how to reduce their final opponent as much as possible.

The result of their mutual attack was that both stone bridges collapsed, and the two men were torn to pieces by the gale-force winds surging from the bottom of the cliff.

Step~!

There was no time to care about the others, and in the blink of an eye, the remaining eight people all arrived at the stone bridge.

They glanced at each other, said nothing, and continued forward.

(End of this chapter)