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墨書 Inktalez
In an instant, I felt a shocking sensation in my heart.
In such a situation, in such an atmosphere, I never thought I could experience this in reality. I had always believed that this was something only seen in grand films and games.
We seemed to be underground, with jagged stone walls looming over us at a height of more than ten meters, faintly revealing stalactite formations. Behind us, the Gate of Courage stood tall and majestic like a triumphal arch, while ahead lay a narrow path made of earth and stone. To be precise, it was not just a road; it was a bridge, elevated high between two cliffs. Below the cliffs flowed a torrent of scorching lava, and at the other end of the bridge, there was vaguely another great door.
The stone bridge appeared to be over a hundred meters long, making it difficult to discern what the other door looked like.
If I were to guess correctly, we should be in some part of the underground of Tengyue Atami. Clearly, this was a magnificent underground palace; anyone capable of constructing such a grand edifice must be no ordinary person.
This place was indeed magical because right beneath us was the flowing lava, yet we stood here without feeling any scorching heat or discomfort.
My awe did not last long, as when the three of us took a few steps forward toward the edge of the bridge, for some unknown reason, the scene before us suddenly changed.
Below was a sea of fire, which was already strange enough, but now even the air above began to show signs of abnormality.
A series of loud and bizarre cries echoed around us. Upon closer inspection, we saw a flock of strange birds circling above Rehai. They appeared dark and ominous.
These creatures were unlike any species I had ever seen; they were as large as seven or eight ordinary hawks combined. Their bodies were pitch black, with long beaks and claws, wings shaped like bat wings, trailing long tails, and their eyes glowed red like fire. They resembled pterosaurs from the Ancient Era that had long been extinct.
It was clear that these strange birds were not friendly visitors; they seemed fierce and powerful. Just by estimating their size and number, I felt that I might not stand a chance against even one of them. Moreover, there were so many of them.
The strange birds circled around the stone bridge incessantly. It was evident that they were domesticated creatures whose purpose was to guard this bridge.
It seemed our next step would likely involve crossing this bridge.
I felt a wave of dread wash over me. Theoretically speaking, this should be the stronghold of the Nie Qiuyuan family. There was no denying that this clan possessed remarkable abilities and had mastered many seemingly fantastical techniques. However, why did every action they took seem intent on putting their hard-won descendants in danger?
Now, we must consider how to successfully cross the stone bridge and reach the other side under the attacks of these creatures that are not necessarily birds.
As I was pondering this, I suddenly heard another strange sound mixed in with the calls. It was a faint clattering noise, as if some mechanical device had been activated. Suddenly, arrows began to rain down from above the stone bridge, falling at an incredibly high speed and densely piercing into the bridge, creating a sound like a torrential downpour.
Clearly, there was some sort of special mechanism designed above, and the arrows were not ordinary feathered arrows but short, extremely sharp iron spikes. They fell with great speed and density; if struck by one of these, it would be as tragic as being hit by a bullet.
I was sweating profusely. Did those strange birds think we were having it too easy and decided to shoot arrows at us?
The thought that among those who designed these mechanisms might be my late "in-laws," whom I had never met, made me want to shed a tear for my husband.
However, I also found it strange because we hadn't even stepped onto the stone bridge yet, and they had already started shooting arrows. Moreover, those strange birds clearly had no intention of attacking anyone outside the bridge. So, even if the mechanisms were intricate, the arrows couldn't possibly last forever, and no matter how bizarre the birds were, they couldn't keep flying without rest. Therefore, couldn't we just wait?
Wait until the arrows ran out and the birds grew weary, then calmly walk to the other end of the stone bridge? This didn't seem like a mistake that the Qiu family would make.
Before I could think further, a loud "rumble" suddenly came from behind us, and the ground beneath our feet began to tremble.
We turned around sharply to see a massive spherical boulder rolling rapidly toward us from the "Gate of Courage."
This boulder was enormous, its diameter slightly larger than the width of the stone bridge. I couldn't help but wonder if it would crush the bridge as it rolled over. In any case, we were faced with a narrow passage with no room to evade on either side; our only option was to run forward. If we didn't run, we would surely be turned into pulp by the rolling stone.
Attempting to leap over the boulder using lightness skills was unrealistic. First of all, the boulder was too large; even a master might not be able to clear it. Furthermore, our current position lacked sufficient height; only by stepping onto the stone bridge could we gain some elevation.
Thus, our only choice was to dash onto the stone bridge immediately. However, given the density of the arrow rain, even those two might struggle to handle it—let alone me as an added burden—facing attacks from three sides simultaneously?
Oh my god, is this going to cost us our lives?!
In the face of danger, my idol remained calm and composed, clearly observing and thinking. Just as the boulder was about to roll over the Gate of Courage and approach us, Nie Qiuyuan suddenly leaped to a corner not far from where we stood and forcefully pulled a metal lever.
At that critical moment, as the lever was pulled, several thick, dark green vines shot out from both sides of the Gate of Courage, instantly forming a massive net that securely trapped the boulder.
I let out a long breath, only then realizing that my heart was still racing. Thanks to my idol's wisdom and sharpness, I hadn’t even noticed that there was a mechanism hidden in that dark corner.
The crisis was temporarily averted, but Nie Qiuyuan kept his hands on the lever without letting go. His body remained still.
"What’s going on?" Luo Dachun walked over to him, clearly sensing something was wrong.
"This mechanism can’t be locked once it’s pulled; it has to be held continuously. If I let go, it will revert back."
I was taken aback. So if we didn’t keep holding this lever, the net would retract and the boulder would continue rolling towards us, crushing us flat.
"Then we can take turns holding the lever until the arrows run out!" I suggested, feeling that Nie Qiuyuan was straining under the effort.
"No, I can feel it; this lever won’t hold for long. It’s going to break soon!"
So, do we have to charge forward?
I felt extremely frustrated. It seemed that Nie Qiuyuan's meticulous mind was likely inherited. This family really knew how to plan things out without leaving any openings.
"Sikong, you deal with those birds. The number attacking at the same time might be overwhelming," Nie Qiuyuan said briefly and swiftly to Luo Dachun, without asking for his opinion or whether he could handle it, assigning him a daunting task just like that.
Luo Dachun nodded decisively and said, "Those arrows are not easy to deal with; they're too dense and too fast."
"My weapon is longer than yours, so I'll handle this," Nie Qiuyuan signaled toward the gate on the opposite side of the bridge. "The mechanism should be over there; I can see it faintly."
In other words, their current mission was to rush across as quickly as possible. They believed that the mechanism on the other side was the key to stopping all of this.
But what about this stone?
"Zhenzhen, come!" My husband commanded succinctly. "Come over and hold this."
You want me to block this large stone?
Thinking it over, regardless of whether I could do it or not, it seemed I had no choice but to try. Could I fight off those birds? Could I withstand those flying arrows?
"This handle might be a bit heavy for you, but if you use all your strength, with your current internal energy, you should be able to hold it for a while. We'll eliminate all of this as quickly as we can, so Zhenzhen, try to hold on as much as possible. If you really can't manage anymore, just run forward and come to our side. Do you understand?"
Without hesitation, I stepped forward and gripped the handle tightly, taking over the mechanism from Nie Qiuyuan's hands.
As soon as his hands left the handle, two figures—one black and one white—shot across the stone bridge like arrows.
The method designed by Qiu for passing through was simple: each person would focus on their own task and cooperate with one another. Each of the three mechanisms required full concentration to deal with, so they divided the tasks so that each person would only handle one specific duty.
My task was to hold the handle and prevent the large stone from rolling onto the bridge; in other words, they were entrusting their backs to me!
Qiu didn't treat me like a decorative vase; he didn't give me protection without reason. Instead, after assessing my abilities, he confidently assigned me such a daunting task. How could such trust not ignite one's passion?
However, this is indeed... quite a challenge!
The moment Nie Qiuyuan's hands left the handle, I felt an immense pressure in an instant.
This handle was incredibly heavy; holding it in place without letting it return to its original position required all my strength. I immediately summoned the power of my Dantian, channeling my energy into my legs to stabilize my stance. I focused and gripped the handle tightly, keeping it completely still.
It was only when the skill was put to use that I regretted not practicing enough. In truth, I had been putting in considerable effort, but the weight of this handle still slightly exceeded my capacity.
Before long, I was drenched in sweat, my hands and feet nearly numb from exertion. My muscles had exhausted all their strength, and after such a prolonged tension, the soreness became almost unbearable. I looked up and saw they had only just made it halfway. Oh my gosh, can I really do this?
Accompanying me was the crisp sound of "ding ding," which was the sound of Nie Qiuyuan's sword swiftly deflecting the arrows shot at them. The giant bird indeed swooped down from all directions towards them, but as it got closer, it was struck down by Luo Dachun's icy gusts of wind, plummeting downward. (To be continued...)
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