Published at 26th of December 2025 7:32 am

Chapter 1950: Ancient Stone Bridge? (2)

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"Crack!" A slab beneath Luo Qingchen’s foot suddenly split open with a fissure.

"Careful!" Lin Wan’er and Su Xiaowan exclaimed simultaneously.

Luo Qingchen reacted swiftly, his figure flickering as he drifted onto a nearby relatively intact slab. He glanced back at the cracked slab, feeling a cold sweat in his heart.

"Try to walk on the iron chain junctions or the main structure of the bridge, and avoid those slabs that don’t look stable," Luo Qingchen advised.

The further they walked toward the center of the bridge, the more severely damaged the bridge surface became. In one section, the bridge surface had even collapsed into a gap several meters wide, with only a few arm-thick iron chains connecting to the opposite side.

"How... how do we get across that?" Su Xiaowan looked at the swaying chains, her face turning pale. "If we fall, there won’t even be a trace left."

Luo Qingchen frowned deeply; these chains looked extremely old, and whether they could bear the weight of three people was uncertain.

At that moment, Bai Ling’er, on Lin Wan’er’s back, seemed to sense something. She drowsily opened her eyes, and her little hand unconsciously pointed forward. With her gesture, a faint azure glow enveloped the rusty iron chains, like a layer of firm wooden bark forming. The previously slack chains tightened significantly and appeared much more stable.

"Huh? What’s this..." Su Xiaowan happily noticed that the chains indeed seemed different.

Luo Qingchen and Lin Wan’er exchanged glances, both seeing the surprise in each other’s eyes. Bai Ling’er’s abilities seemed to have a magical connection with the natural world.

"I’ll go over and try first!" Luo Qingchen hesitated no longer, took a deep breath, and lightly tapped the bridge surface with his toes, gracefully leaping onto one of the reinforced chains. The chain only swayed slightly, unexpectedly stable.

Luo Qingchen successfully crossed the broken section. Then, Lin Wan’er, carrying Bai Ling’er, also carefully made her way across. When it was Su Xiaowan’s turn, she closed her eyes, muttering to herself, and crawled over almost using both hands and feet, making Luo Qingchen and Lin Wan’er laugh helplessly.

"Phew... scared me to death, scared me to death!" As soon as Su Xiaowan reached the other side, she sat on the ground, patting her chest.

"Okay, stop fooling around; we still have a way to go," Luo Qingchen said with a smile, feeling relieved inside.

Having safely crossed the most dangerous gap, the rest of the journey, though still damaged, at least had no more fatal gaps.

After an unknown amount of time, when they finally set foot on the other end of the stone bridge, their view suddenly opened up.

They were greeted by a fresh scent of vegetation, sharply contrasting with the cold and damp feeling of the rift valley. At the end of the bridge lay a lush, dense forest; the mist had become very thin, with sunlight filtering through the leaves, casting dappled patches of light. In the distance, the outline of continuous azure mountains was faintly visible, roughly aligning with the direction indicated by the Star Map towards the Qingyun Mountain Range.

"We... we really made it out!" Su Xiaowan cheered, leaping up from the ground, exhaustion and fear swept away. "Brother Luo, Sister Wan’er, we’re not far from Qingyun Sect, right?"

Luo Qingchen and Lin Wan’er also felt their spirits soar. Although this forest was unfamiliar, the Spiritual Energy it contained was clearly more pure and concentrated than anywhere they had been before, carrying a familiar and intimate feeling.

"The Qingyun Mountain Range should be in that direction." Luo Qingchen took out the Star Map bronze plate, and the starlight on it shone much brighter than before, clearly pointing into the depths of the forest.

"Great! We’re finally going home!" Su Xiaowan was so excited she almost cried.

At that moment, Bai Ling’er suddenly struggled off Lin Wan’er’s back. Sniffing the air with her tiny nose, she toddled toward a dense bush at the forest’s edge.

"Ling’er, where are you going?" Su Xiaowan quickly followed.

They saw Bai Ling’er stop in front of a half-person-tall strange plant. The plant bore several blossom-sized flowers shaped like flames, exuding a faint fragrance. Bai Ling’er extended her small hand, carefully plucked a flower, then turned to hand it to Luo Qingchen, plucked another to hand to Lin Wan’er, and finally picked one for herself, smiling happily.

Luo Qingchen took the flame-like flower and felt a gentle fire-elemental energy emanate from it, refreshing his spirit. He recognized it as a type of Spirit Grass known as "Red Flame Flower," which, although not of high grade, had some effectiveness in restoring Spiritual Power.

"It seems Ling’er is not only able to guide us, but she’s also quite the little treasure hunter!" Su Xiaowan looked at the Red Flame Flower in Bai Ling’er’s hand, her eyes sparkling.

Luo Qingchen smiled faintly, the joy in his heart indescribable. Bai Ling’er’s awakening and the wondrous abilities she displayed brought much hope and surprise to their perilous journey home.

"We shouldn’t linger here; let’s find a place to rest and restore our Spiritual Power before making any plans," Luo Qingchen suggested. Although they had temporarily escaped Mu Qingxuan’s pursuit, no one could guarantee absolute safety here.

The three and their spiritual pet, carrying the gratitude of surviving a catastrophe and the anticipation for the future, stepped into this vibrant, thriving forest. Little did they know, new trials might just be beginning.

As they entered the forest, the fresh air mixed with the scent of earth and greenery, presenting a stark contrast to the deathly chill of Luofeng Slope. Sunlight filtered through the layered canopy, casting mottled and colorful shadows in the forest. The Spiritual Energy in this place was several times more concentrated than in the outside world, bringing a sense of comfort to Luo Qingchen and the others.

"The Spiritual Energy here is so comfortable!" Su Xiaowan took a deep breath, her little face full of contentment. "It feels even better than the Spiritual Energy at our Sect!"

"This place should belong to the outskirts of the Qingyun Mountain Range." Luo Qingchen ran the Chaos Technique, greedily absorbing the surrounding Spiritual Energy, and his depleted Dantian began slowly recovering, like a drought-stricken land finally receiving rain. The star map bronze plate in his hand glowed brighter, clearly guiding them in one direction.

Lin Wan’er also sat cross-legged to begin breath regulation. She, too, had expended a lot earlier and needed to restore her combat power quickly. Bai Ling’er curiously looked around, occasionally reaching out to touch a flower or leaf, filled with novelty about this vibrant world. She seemed able to communicate in some strange way with these plants; the vegetation seemed more lively when she approached.

After resting for several hours, Luo Qingchen’s Chaotic Power recovered to thirty or forty percent, and Lin Wan’er and Su Xiaowan’s condition improved significantly.

"Let’s continue on our way," Luo Qingchen said as he stood up. "Let’s strive to reach Qingyun Sect as soon as possible."

"Mm!" Su Xiaowan nodded vigorously, eager to return home.

The three, following the guidance of the Star Map, traversed through the forest. This primeval forest was vast, filled with towering ancient trees and dense vines. Along the way, they encountered some Low-level Demon Beasts, but Luo Qingchen and Lin Wan’er easily disposed of them. Bai Ling’er seemed to have a natural deterrent effect on these beasts; often, just one look from her would make the beasts growl uneasily before slinking away with their tails between their legs, saving a lot of trouble.

"Ling’er truly is our little lucky star now!" Su Xiaowan hugged Bai Ling’er, planting a kiss on her pink cheek. Bai Ling’er giggled, even more adorable.

After traveling for about half a day, the forest ahead began to thin, with faint signs of human activity visible. Luo Qingchen discovered a few recently extinguished campfire remains under a large tree, with some gnawed animal bones nearby.

"Someone’s been here, and not long ago," Luo Qingchen remarked, furrowing his brow, as he spread out his Divine Sense, carefully scanning the surroundings.

"Could it be the seniors from Qingyun Sect?" Su Xiaowan asked expectantly.

"Hard to say." Luo Qingchen shook his head. "Better be cautious."

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