Chapter 9: A Solitary Crossing, Risking Life to Break the Deadlock

When her gaze met Jiang Youling’s, he quickly looked away, turning his eyes elsewhere, appearing as though he had no desire to have any interaction with her.

Jiang Youling was speechless; no wonder Shen Yingshu said this person was rude!

However, since he dared to single-handedly block the enraged Monkey King, perhaps he was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

An hour passed quietly. As the Immortal Elder announced the start of the general examination, everyone felt a blur before their eyes, and they found themselves in a strange mountain forest.

"What is going on? How did I suddenly end up here?"

"Wasn't I just participating in the general examination set by the Taixuan Immortal Sect? Where is this?"

"I understand! It must be the Immortal Elder using his arts to send all of us examinees here. The examination has begun; everyone, be careful!"

Someone quickly figured out the situation and warned the others.

"So that’s it. Immortal methods are truly marvelous!"

"As long as I pass the final stage, I can successfully enter the Immortal Sect... Taixuan Sect, here I come!"

The crowd soon calmed down and began to look around with vigilance. Only then did they realize that the mountain forest they were in was a steep, isolated peak.

Around this isolated peak, there were three paths to take.

To the east was a suspension bridge made of iron chains leading upward.

The other end of the iron chains was obscured by clouds and mist, and beneath the bridge lay a bottomless abyss.

Every so often, a breeze would blow, and the broken wooden planks embedded in the iron chains would emit a "creak, creak" sound, which was hair-raising to hear.

To the west was a path leading down the mountain.

The mountain path was paved with gravel and wound its way into the mist below.

The path was only wide enough for one person, but the feeling of having solid ground underfoot made it look much safer than the suspension bridge.

To the south was a tree-lined path leading to the opposite mountain peak.

This path was quiet and secluded, filled with the chirping of birds, and did not look dangerous at all.

As for the north, it was a sheer, empty cliff face with rolling seas of clouds; stones dropped without a sound. It was a dead end.

After observing the conditions in all four directions, everyone roughly guessed the content of the examination.

"The Taixuan Sect has placed us on this isolated peak; do they want us to choose a path?"

"The northern cliff is out of the question, so there are three paths before us. Which one is the correct one?"

"I think we should take the iron chain suspension bridge to the east. The bridge leads upward and disappears into the clouds, just like our search for the Dao—from mortal to immortal, rising step by step."

"But look at those iron chains; they are covered in rust, and many wooden planks on the bridge are missing. Perhaps halfway across, the chains will snap, or one might accidentally slip and fall to their death! In my opinion, the path down the mountain is safer."

"That won't do, that won't do! The path down the mountain is a downhill path, which has a bad connotation. We are seeking the immortal Dao; we should be proactive. How can we take a downhill path?"

"The suspension bridge can't be walked, and the path down the mountain can't be walked either. It seems only the tree-lined path to the south is left."

The crowd discussed it for a while, unable to reach a consensus, and eventually scattered to go their own ways.

Overall, however, the most people chose the tree-lined path, while fewer chose the suspension bridge or the path down the mountain.

"Sister Jiang, which path are you choosing?"

Shen Yingshu pushed through the crowd and walked up to Jiang Youling.

Jiang Youling glanced at the suspension bridge to the east. There were already several figures on it, clinging to the iron chains and swaying in the void; it looked thrilling just to watch.

"I’m taking the suspension bridge."

In truth, the examination for this stage was not difficult.

To cultivate immortality with a mortal body, the first requirement is a heart that does not fear hardship in the pursuit of the Dao.

What is compliant is mortal; what is contrary is immortal.

If one is timid and hesitant at the very beginning of seeking the Dao, how can one talk about breaking through illusions to seek the truth and proving the Dao with one's heart?

Seeing Jiang Youling step onto the swaying iron chain bridge, Shen Yingshu quickly followed.

"Sister Jiang, I'll go with you!"

However, the moment Jiang Youling stepped onto the bridge, it felt as if she were the only one left in the vast world, standing alone on the silent iron chains.

Looking ahead, a line of iron chains stretched into the clouds, the path forward uncertain.

Looking back, the path from the isolated peak had vanished; where could she see the figure of Shen Yingshu?

Even though Jiang Youling had an extraordinary mind, in this situation, her heart could not help but pound like thunder, and cold sweat broke out.

She gripped the iron chains tightly, calming herself for a long while before carefully climbing forward.

However, the wooden bridge had been eroded by wind, frost, rain, and snow for years and was in a sorry state.

After only a few steps, there was a "crack," and the plank she had stepped on shattered into two pieces.

Jiang Youling felt her body sink and quickly gripped the iron chains even harder, pressing her body against them so she wouldn't fall.

Looking down, the wood chips from the shattered plank had already fallen into the depths of the abyss.

Jiang Youling clung to the iron chains with difficulty, her hair soaked with sweat, looking as disheveled as a stranded fish.

A mountain breeze blew, and her sweat-soaked body immediately felt a chill.

She closed her eyes and recited silently, "Heaven and earth are but a finger; all things are but a horse. All appearances are but illusions..."

After reciting it several times, she opened her eyes again. She did not look at the terrifying abyss below, but gripped the only iron chains she could rely on and moved forward step by step.

She did not know how long she had been moving. Jiang Youling felt her body stiffen and her palms become red and swollen, yet the road ahead remained long and endless.

She pressed her lips together and looked back; the path she had come from was also obscured by clouds and mist, making it impossible to see clearly.

Trapped high above on the suspension bridge, her body clinging to the towering iron chains like duckweed, she was truly caught in a dilemma.

In this desperate situation, Jiang Youling actually laughed.

As the saying goes, only when placed in a position of death can one survive; only when trapped in a hopeless situation can one find life.

When life and death hung by a thread, she would be nervous, fearful, and timid.

But when she had struggled on the edge of life and death for too long, the nervousness dissipated, the fear vanished, and the timidity transformed into the courage to despise life and death.

She even had the mood to appreciate this rare and magnificent landscape, and composed a poem

"Iron chains span the heavens, alone I cross the void. Deep clouds hide the path behind, heavy mist masks the way home. All appearances are but illusions, my heart remains unlonely. The long wind blows my sleeves, beyond the clouds, I see the Truth."

After reciting the poem, Jiang Youling felt a surge of heroic spirit in her heart and gripped the iron chains to move forward.

Strangely enough, after walking only a few more steps, the clouds and mist before her were blown away by the wind, revealing a craggy mountain ridge.

Jiang Youling climbed onto the ridge. As her feet touched solid ground, the suspension bridge behind her vanished.

She examined this strange mountain range, and after confirming that there was no one else around, she continued to climb up along the ridge.

The ridge was steep and difficult to traverse. Jiang Youling crawled forward carefully, and although gusts of wind blew occasionally, she moved steadily.

Half an hour later, Jiang Youling finally reached the summit.

"I shall reach the top of the peak, and see all the mountains as small."

After admiring the scenery at the peak for a while, Jiang Youling stepped into a nearby pavilion and saw a chessboard set up inside.

On the board, black and white pieces were intertwined, locked in a fierce battle.

Just as Jiang Youling was about to focus her gaze, the chessboard suddenly shone brightly, and a massive suction force erupted from it, leaving her terrified.

As she struggled instinctively, the suction force wrapped around her and pulled her into the chessboard.

Jiang Youling felt a flash of white light before her eyes, and when she opened them again, she was already in the middle of the chessboard battlefield!