Chapter 453: Bridge of Immortality!

　　“Now that’s hope!” thought Meng Hao, his eyes glittering brightly. He didn’t care why this Heavenly Court Alliance in the Black Lands needed these so-called Demon Spirit. He only knew that they were required to enter the Black Lands!

　　Whoever could get one, would have a chance to live through this Apocalypse and evade destruction.

　　One could only imagine how short a period of time would pass before the Demon Spirit were surrounded, and great wars would engulf the Western Desert.

　　Meng Hao stood up, and then turned his head back to look at the Crow Soldier Tribe Greatfather. An unprecedented glow appeared in his eyes as he gazed at Meng Hao.

　　After they looked at each other for a moment, the Greatfather stood up and approached Meng Hao to stand at the mountain’s peak.

　　“I’m not sure where the Demon Spirits will appear in the great lands of the Western Desert,” said the Crow Soldier Tribe Greatfather, breathing heavily, “nor have I even heard the term ‘Demon Spirit’ before. However, I do know that if the words of this so-called Heavenly Court Alliance are true, then there is a place that is eighty percent or more likely to have them!

　　“The Realm of the Bridge Ruins!”

　　Meng Hao nodded, and his eyes glittered as he stood there thoughtfully for a moment.

　　“Except….” started the Greatfather, and then stopped. He could tell what Meng Hao was thinking. However, he knew that if he himself had reached this conclusion, then many of the other Tribes in the Western Desert would also be able to.

　　As such, this particular foray into the Realm of the Bridge Ruins would be fraught with even more danger than usual, danger not from that world itself, but rather, the other Cultivators who entered it.

　　“I’ve made my mind up already,” said Meng Hao slowly, looking at the old man. “If I can’t acquire a Demon Spirit, then I will accompany you to the end of the road, and I will carve your names onto your tombstones.

　　“But, if I can get a Demon Spirit, then I, Meng Hao… will lead you in migration. Regardless of whether or not the migration is successful, I will not disappoint you by leaving you!”

　　The Crow Soldier Tribe Greatfather listened. He looked quietly over at Meng Hao, his eyes shining with an indescribable brightness. Next, he flicked his sleeve and, disregarding his own mid Nascent Soul Cultivation base, and the difference in age between himself and Meng Hao, dropped to his knee, clasped hands and bowed deeply!

　　“For generation after generation to come, the five Crow Divinity Tribes will never forget your kindness, Sacred Ancient. For generation after generation to come, we will offer worship to your statue. If my words are not true, let the five Crow Divinity Tribes be destroyed by fire!”

　　There were two other Nascent Soul Cultivators in the Tribe, as well as two whose Cultivation bases had dropped to the great circle of Core Formation. They, too, heard the words spoken by the Crow Soldier Tribe Greatfather.

　　It wasn’t just them, but all of the Tribe members. They all were watching on, listening to the conversation between the two.

　　No one said a word. It was hard to say who did it first, but one by one, they all began to drop to their knees to kowtow. Soon, the entire Tribe was on their knees.

　　All the Cultivators of the Tribe, including the Core Formation and Nascent Soul Cultivators, had dropped to their knees in worship.

　　No one spoke a word, they simply kneeled to him. There were, in fact, no words that could express the appreciation that existed in their hearts. They could only use a kowtow, along with the glistening teardrops in their eyes, to show Meng Hao… how deeply thankful they were.

　　As Meng Hao looked out at them, thunder rumbled in the sky, and the violet rain continued to plotter platter down from up above.

　　“What Cultivators truly cultivate, is self-confidence, and even more importantly, self-awareness. I have to say that … I, Meng Hao, do not dare to call myself a straightforward and upright person. Nor am I a gentleman, or a man of honor. But I always repay the kindnesses shown to me!” With that, Meng Hao clasped hands and bowed deeply to the members of the five Crow Divinity Tribes.

　　Time trickled by. Three months passed. The streams down below were already beginning to merge together to form rivers. Looking down at it all from the top of the mountain, there were already seven or eight such large rivers that could be seen.

　　The river water churned, lifeless. In some places a thick aura of death rose up.

　　The spiritual energy in the area was already very scant. The will of extermination was even more obvious. The world was becoming desolate….

　　Three more months went by. Of the two thousand Tribe members, there were already a hundred who were gravely weakened, and could do nothing but lay there in bed. Even their power to simply breathe seemed on the verge of disappearing.

　　Because of their relationship with Meng Hao, Wu Chen and Wu Ling now had a distinguished position in the Tribe. They were the new blazing suns who presided over all matters relating to the Crow Scout Tribe. They were also taken in as disciples by the two other Nascent Soul Cultivators.

　　After Meng Hao asked the Crow Soldier Tribe about Wu Ling’s necklace, he finally understood its origin. It did not come from the Crow Divinity Holy Land. Rather it was a treasure acquired thousands of years ago from the Realm of the Bridge Ruins, back when the Crow Divinity Tribe had been at the peak of its power.

　　Having learned this, the Realm of the Bridge Ruins became even more mysterious in Meng Hao’s mind. Meng Hao also learned something very strange from the Crow Soldier Tribe Greatfather. When people returned from the Realm of the Bridge Ruins, they could remember everything that happened inside. However, regarding what happened on the way there, and on the way back, no one ever remembered anything clearly. It was as if something interfered with, or even erased, those memories.

　　“A Resurrection Lily seed, so-called Demon Spirits, and even a legendary Bridge of Immortal Treading from ancient times…. The whole place is ruins. Regardless of what special functions might be contained within the stones that formed the Immortality Bridge, if they contain the Earth of the five elements, then I might have the fortune to obtain the Earth-type elements I need.” Meng Hao’s eyes shone brightly. His anticipation regarding Realm of the Bridge Ruins continued to grow even stronger.

　　The parrot finally returned during this time. However, it only took a few days before it went back out, full of enthusiasm. Meng Hao wasn’t sure how it was amusing itself, but the violet rain didn’t seem to stop it.

　　One afternoon, half a month later, a shocking rumbling sound filled the sky. Silver-colored lightning appeared up above, crackling with such intensity that it seemed it would rip the sky apart. All the Tribe members looked up with shock as the violet rain which had fallen for months on end… suddenly stopped!

　　When the rain stopped, everyone was filled with shock. Meng Hao’s eyes glittered as he looked up. What he saw caused his entire body to tremble, and he began to breathe heavily.

　　There in the sky was a bridge!

　　The bridge seemed to fill the entire sky, with neither the beginning nor the end visible. Inexhaustible light shone out from the bridge; it was this light that broke up the rain. On this day, no rain fell within the Western Desert.

　　If you looked closely at the booming lightning, you would be able to see that it existed only within the bridge. None of it was on the outside. In fact, the lightning actually seemed like countless cracks that existed on this enormous bridge.

　　“The Bridge of Immortal Treading!” thought Meng Hao as he looked up at the boundless structure. Although it was actually illusory, it seemed incredibly realistic.

　　Countless magical symbols glittered on the surface of the bridge. Each one seemed to contain rippling power capable of exterminating even a Nascent Soul Cultivator. An incredibly archaic aura emanated out from the bridge, an aura that contained the feeling of Time itself. This aura was different from spiritual energy; it seemed more rich and full, as though even a tiny bit of it was the same as a large amount of the spiritual energy that existed in the outside world.

　　Meng Hao could tell that this aura far outmatched the aura of the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth, and would shock any Cultivator who absorbed it. Even more shocking… he himself could absorb it as well!

　　This caused Meng Hao’s mind and heart to reel with incredible intensity. The shocking light cast by the bridge expanded out for tens of thousands of meters in all direction. It spread out over the entire sky, making it seem almost as if a curtain was opening up to reveal… a starry sky!

　　Meng Hao panted as he looked up at the stars. He was certain that this starry sky was the true world that existed outside of South Heaven.

　　It was at this moment that an indistinct figure suddenly appeared on top of the bridge. It was a woman wearing a long robe. Her features weren’t clearly distinguishable, and her body shone with a brilliant glow.

　　She looked down at the lands below her, then lifted up her slender hand. A strangely shaped stone appeared in her hand which seemed ordinary, lacking any special features. The woman tossed the stone out in front of her, where it floated in the air.

　　The Crow Soldier Tribe Greatfather stood next to Meng Hao. “To step onto the bridge, seize the Immortality Bridgestone,” he said urgently. “Then, you may enter the Realm of the Bridge Ruins. To return, you must also use the same stone.”

　　As for how to enter and leave the bridge, Meng Hao had learned the details earlier from the Crow Soldier Tribe Greatfather. Meng Hao looked up into the sky with glittering eyes. He waved his right hand, and suddenly the Thorn Rampart vine appeared. It circled around the Crow Divinity Tribes, piercing into the rocky mountainside. With it in place, the Crow Divinity Tribes would be protected in the days after Meng Hao left. No migrating Tribes would be able to raid or attack them.

　　Meng Hao was aware that ordinary Dragoneers were not able to enter the Realm of the Bridge Ruins. The reason for that was because neo-demons were incapable of existing there.

　　This point had only been revealed to him apologetically later on by the Crow Soldier Greatfather.

　　The instant that Meng Hao saw the Bridge of Immortal Treading, he could sense an aura that repelled neo-demons. It was as if the bridge was designed for the Immortal Ascension of Cultivators only, and not Immortal Demons. Although it had been destroyed, its primary laws still remained.

　　As such, Meng Hao left his neo-demon horde behind within the five Crow Divinity Tribes. He took a deep breath and then flew up into the sky. He transformed into a beam of light that shot up toward the Bridge of Immortal Treading. Below, the more than two thousand Tribe members watched him go.

　　Meanwhile, across the rest of the Western Desert, people flew up into the air from the other twenty or more Tribes qualified to enter the Realm of the Bridge Ruins. The representative from the Five Poisons Tribe was there too. It was none other than… Zhao Youlan.

　　Her right arm had been restored, and she wore a white robe. She looked incredibly beautiful as she flew up toward the Bridge of Immortal Treading.

　　Although it appeared as if there were only one bridge, in fact, identical bridges appeared above each and every qualified Tribe. None of the participants could see any of the others. The only thing they could see was the woman on top of the bridge, and the Immortality Bridgestone in front of her.

　　In different areas, different people all shot up into the sky. Meng Hao suddenly appeared directly in front of the woman. He reached out and took hold of the Immortality Bridgestone.

　　The instant he did, a buzzing sound filled him. It felt as if something had grabbed his body, and he was suddenly shooting forward at incredibly high speed.

　　—–

　　This chapter was sponsored by Anthony Federico