Chapter 308: The End of the Bridge

The young swordsman in golden robes, Sword Monarch Dongbo, looked toward Mountain Master He and said, “Thank you.”

“There is nothing to be thankful for,” Mountain Master He shook his head. “Most of those within the Temple of Time and Space are pitiful souls. Dragged forcibly into countless life-and-death crises, many have become twisted and fallen into madness. Those who haven’t gone mad are often left with deep psychological scars. Yet the Temple of Time and Space cares nothing for this—it only seeks to cultivate and select the strongest from among them.”

“It’s like the methods used in the Divine Realm to raise war-beasts,” added Chen Jiu. “One method involves forcing venomous insects to kill each other. Only the strongest survives while all others perish. The Temple of Time and Space operates in much the same way.”

“Ah, I truly envy you, Martial Brother Wu,” said the golden-robed Sword Monarch. “You’ve broken free from its grasp.”

“I simply saw through it all, hardened my heart, and chose death over submission. I connected to three Infernal-Level Tasks just to escape,” Mountain Master He replied.

Though deeply wounded, the golden-robed Sword Monarch had long endured the oppression of the Temple of Time and Space. He had suppressed his grief and rekindled his fighting spirit. He was determined to continue down this path, to go even further, and perhaps one day resurrect his fallen comrades who had once faced death alongside him.

Dongbo Xueying watched silently from the side.

He had been fortunate. Due to his high talent, the Temple of Time and Space could not force him and had instead invited him.

To be honest, he did not like the Temple’s method of coercion. However, the master behind the Temple of Time and Space was one of the most powerful beings in both the Abyss and the Divine Realm, and the strongest in all matters of time and space. With such absolute power, many in the Divine Realm may have disliked the Temple, and throughout history, many like Mountain Master He must have harbored deep resentment toward it.

But what could they do? The Temple of Time and Space continued as always, dragging countless beings—mortals and transcendent alike—from billions of worlds, even from the Divine Realm and the Abyss.

…

As they conversed, the final team—led by the golden-armored youth, Wu Ma Hai—had also passed through the swarm of winged scorpions and reached the latter half of the Meteorite Bridge.

“Amazing,” Dongbo Xueying was witnessing Wu Ma Hai in battle for the first time.

One word described him best—speed.

In combat, Wu Ma Hai transformed into a golden streak, moving at an astonishing pace. Among all the team leaders Dongbo Xueying had seen—You Lan, Mountain Master He, Chen Jiu, and Sword Monarch—Wu Ma Hai was by far the fastest. His speed even surpassed theirs, leaving Dongbo Xueying slightly startled. It was pure, raw speed!

Besides his speed, his attacks were devastating. He wielded twin blades, one in each hand.

The tall, thin warrior, Ba Han, who practiced dark magic, was also quite powerful. Together, they passed the trial without using any Divine-Level scrolls.

“Another with overwhelming offensive power,” Dongbo Xueying mused in admiration. None of these opponents were easy to deal with. Each of them had mastered two second-tier true Dao Intentions and worked well in tandem.

As he admired others, he was unaware that the others were equally impressed by him. After all, during combat, Dongbo Xueying remained in the Void Realm. Any attack aimed at him would pass through that realm, greatly reducing its power. But when Dongbo Xueying attacked, his strikes remained undiminished. Most importantly, with his secret techniques, his potential far exceeded theirs.

Their current obstacle was the threshold between the Third Heaven and the Divine Heart—a formidable barrier that many transcendent beings never crossed. Only by forming a Divine Heart and opening the Divine Sea could one ascend to godhood. For those with second-tier true Dao Intentions, forming a second-tier Divine Heart would allow them to easily open the Divine Sea.

Thus, the only obstacle to godhood for them was reaching the Divine Heart stage. Yet this step was extremely difficult, requiring them to fully integrate all their past insights into a perfect whole.

Dongbo Xueying was at the peak of the Second Heaven, nearing the Third Heaven—a minor bottleneck. With a little more insight, he could naturally break through in time.

…

The four teams flew rapidly along the surfaces of giant white meteorites. Some were hundreds of miles in diameter, others only a few miles across. Connected together, they stretched toward a distant end where a towering, sky-piercing vine known as the Tian Teng loomed, so high it seemed to span the entire starry sky.

Dongbo Xueying’s team flew at the very front.

Time passed.

Despite flying for hours, they were still traversing the vast expanse of the Meteorite Bridge.

“It’s much larger than the entire Xia Clan world,” Dongbo Xueying glanced at the dark void beside the bridge. Though it appeared ordinary, it was filled with violent undercurrents. The Xia Clan’s ancestors had once tested it by throwing in transcendent weapons and materials. If thrown too far, they were instantly shattered into dust by the cosmic undercurrents.

According to intelligence provided by Chen Jiu, even Divine Artifacts would be crushed by these undercurrents.

This was why they had no choice but to follow the Meteorite Bridge and rely on the Tian Teng for passage.

“The final obstacle.”

Dongbo Xueying gazed at the endless bridge of white meteorites. At its end lay the last and most difficult challenge.

The Blade Warriors!

If traveling alone, one would face a single silver-armored warrior. If in a group of four, then four warriors would appear.

Remember, on the Floating Island, they faced numerous stone guardians. Earlier, each team had faced a swarm of winged scorpions alone. Yet at the end of the Meteorite Bridge, there was only one warrior.

Why?

Because that single silver-armored warrior was truly powerful! He was a Divine War Soldier of the Divine Realm, comparable to a newly ascended god. It was even said he had mastered the ‘Yin Divine Heart’ and its profound laws. The Yin Divine Heart was a third-tier Divine Heart. Though seemingly on par with the cultivation levels of General Kumo, Nonna, Ba Han, and the old rogue, his foundational strength was far superior. As a true Divine War Soldier of the Divine Realm, his raw power and speed were already astonishing—likely surpassing even You Lan, Chen Jiu, and Mountain Master He. His body was unbreakable, and combined with his mastery of the Dao, he was no less formidable than a true god.

One-on-one…

Fortunately, they didn’t need to defeat him—just find a way to cross the Meteorite Bridge!

“Old rogue, Fu Uncle, be careful. Once we pass here, you can return after helping me through the early stages of the Tian Teng,” Chen Jiu said. “Your mission will be complete. But be cautious—we are facing four silver-armored warriors.”

“Understood,” Fu Uncle and the old rogue nodded.

The Red Stone Mountain had two main trials.

The first—Floating Island and Meteorite Bridge—were the basics. For Chen Jiu, Dongbo Xueying, You Lan, Mountain Master He, and others, it would have been easier to go alone. Carrying companions meant having to protect them.

But the second stage was different. Fu Uncle could use a Divine-Level scroll to aid his master, and the old rogue could use illusions to scout ahead. Their roles were supportive. Once their help was no longer needed, they could return, for the later stages would demand ever-greater individual strength, and they would no longer be able to keep up.

Thus, they were brought along specifically to assist during the Tian Teng trial.

“Brother Chen Jiu, facing the silver-armored warrior, I may not be able to protect you,” Dongbo Xueying said. “I will use my Void Realm clones to confuse him, but beyond that, I cannot promise much.”

“I understand,” Chen Jiu nodded with a smile.

Facing a silver-armored warrior one-on-one was already extremely difficult.

This was why Chen Jiu was especially worried about Fu Uncle and the old rogue. Though the old rogue had illusion clones, the warrior’s blade was too fast. As a Divine War Soldier of the Divine Realm, his speed was already immense. When combined with the Yin Divine Heart, his blade moved like a crescent moon—flashing and vanishing in an instant! It could slice through ten or eight clones in a single strike.

Fu Uncle was even more at risk.

Chen Jiu could only hope that with his eight-armed form, he could protect them both as best he could.

…

After flying for over a day along the latter half of the Meteorite Bridge, they finally reached its end.

At the end of the white meteorite bridge stood four silver-armored warriors. Their armor was ancient and matched the color of the meteorites. Their faces were sharp and chiseled, and each bore a great blade across their back.

The four warriors stood side by side, spaced a mile apart, gazing coldly at Dongbo Xueying and his companions.

“If you go alone, you might have a better chance. If you go together, we’ll see how well you cooperate,” one of the silver-armored warriors spoke.

Chen Jiu and Dongbo Xueying remained silent.

If they went alone, they would have no trouble, but Fu Uncle and the old rogue would be in grave danger. By going together, Chen Jiu could at least protect his companions, while Dongbo Xueying could focus on himself. He might even assist if the situation allowed, but his priority was to ensure his own survival.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In an instant, Dongbo Xueying and his companions transformed into streaks of light, rushing forward. As they did, a swarm of illusionary clones and Void Realm clones appeared. At the same time, Dongbo Xueying vanished into the Void Realm.

“The Void Realm? Leave this one to me!” One of the silver-armored warriors blurred. As a Divine War Soldier of the Divine Realm, his specially forged body allowed him to enter the Void Realm effortlessly.