The dark and seemingly endless stone pathway was narrow, flanked by dim oil lamps, resembling a road leading to Hell.
If an ordinary person were here, they'd be scared to death.
Qin Yi, bold and skilled, thought even if this was the Path of Youming, he had to traverse it to see what lay at its end.
But just as he was about to step forward, the little creature in his arms suddenly jumped to the ground and ran toward the direction of the Void Array.
"Little one, come back." Qin Yi hurriedly shouted. He had barely managed to walk out of the Void Array; if this little one ran in, he would have to go through it all over again.
The crucial part was that this Void Array was ever-changing. He'd been lucky earlier to find the exit. Entering again might not be so fortunate; who knows which corner hides the exit?
However, as Qin Yi shouted, it was already too late. The little creature dashed into the array and disappeared.
Qin Yi was slightly taken aback. How did this little creature know the exit of the Void Array? The exit was also the entrance.
He shook his head helplessly and smiled bitterly. It seemed he would have to walk through once more.
"When I find you, I'll definitely spank you." Qin Yi shook his head helplessly and walked toward the Void Array.
But just as he was about to enter, one foot already in, the little creature ran out carrying a milk box.
Qin Yi was dumbfounded on the spot.
The little creature put down the milk box, gave Qin Yi an accusing look as if blaming him for letting it go hungry, and then lowered its head to lick the milk.
Qin Yi was completely baffled.
The Void Array wasn't big, but the environment inside was complex, like a labyrinth. He had spent an hour finding a way out. This little creature took less than two minutes to go in and out.
Unless this little one precisely knew every gap in every path?
The little creature ignored Qin Yi's shock entirely, happily licking the milk.
Qin Yi squatted down and let out a bitter laugh, "Little one, just what kind of divine beast are you?"
He had long known that this little creature's origin was extraordinary, but it still surprised him this time.
"You knew the way and let me wander inside for an hour. Are you secretly laughing at me in your heart?"
The little one was too busy eating to pay Qin Yi any attention.
The milk box only had a small portion left, and after a few minutes, the little creature was full, extended its small pink tongue to lick the milk stains from its mouth, then jumped into Qin Yi's arms and lay down comfortably.
Qin Yi: "..."
He smiled helplessly, then held the little creature and walked forward.
Walking along the narrow and dim pathway, Qin Yi first stamped his feet. No matter how he saw it, it didn't seem like a road, more like a bridge.
Because the road was a dozen meters away from the oil lamps, the middle area wasn't illuminated, shrouded in darkness.
Qin Yi had a tendency: the less he understood something, the more he wanted to figure it out. It reminded him of his childhood when he wasn't yet a Qi Refiner. At night, with insufficient light, he often couldn't tell what things were. He once saw a monster squatting by the roadside, was terrified but insisted on finding out what it was, only to discover it was a trash can.
So, adventure ran in his blood.
Qin Yi tried walking toward the darkness at the edge of the road, then stretched out his foot to feel it was empty. It wasn't really a road but a bridge, the sides of which were bottomless, like an abyss.
"Could this be the Naihe Bridge?" Qin Yi muttered under his breath. The sound echoed between the stone walls on either side, giving him goosebumps.
He observed the oil lamps, crafted from something like bronze or gold; he couldn't see them clearly without approaching. Moreover, the lamps had a provocative shape, resembling voluptuous women, embedded in the stone walls, holding the lamps, akin to ancient maids.
Good grief… The owner here had to be a pervert.
Nonetheless, if these lamps were gold, they must be quite valuable, right?
The robber nature in Qin Yi's bones started to stir again.
Even if this was the underworld, how could he come empty-handed?
Qin Yi leaped towards the oil lamps but let out a strange cry in the next second.
He hadn't managed to fly up, almost jumping off the bridge and into the abyss, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Damn… The space above was sealed by an array.
Honestly, Qin Yi didn't believe this place was the underworld. If it were true, why would there be an array? Was someone afraid the ghosts would escape?
Qin Yi kept moving forward.
After walking for about ten minutes, he suddenly heard the sound of flowing water.
The sound came from both sides of the bridge.
Qin Yi went to the side of the bridge and was stunned. The sides of the bridge had been an abyss, but now they had turned into a vast river. The water was as dark as ink; you could hear it but couldn't see any waves.
As he pondered this, he suddenly looked up.
A small boat approached on the river. There was someone on it. When Qin Yi focused his gaze, he couldn't help but admire—what a stunning beauty, her features too beautiful to be human, her figure slender yet perfectly proportioned, neither too thin nor too plump.
Honestly, this woman was even more beautiful than Xia Yanbing, possessing an indescribable charm.
Qin Yi squinted his eyes slightly as the woman wielded the oar, gently paddling the boat, each stroke causing beautiful flowers to bloom across the water—the flowers a vivid red, the petals delicate like a graceful beauty. Qin Yi recognized them; they were… red spider lilies.
Legend has it that red spider lilies bloom where the realms of life and death intersect; when they bloom, the ghost gates open wide.
"Young master, please wait a moment, I'll be right there." The woman spoke, her voice like pearls falling onto a jade plate, charming yet cold, creating a strange feeling.
Qin Yi said, "Are you talking to me?"
"There's no one here but you, young master. Naturally, I'm speaking to you."
You call yourself 老身 (an elderly self-reference)?
Qin Yi slightly narrowed his eyes at the inexplicably appearing beauty. His face showed no emotion, but inwardly, he was highly vigilant.
"A young lady like you referring to yourself as 老身 (elderly self)? Quite peculiar."
The woman rowed the boat beneath the bridge, looked up at Qin Yi, her smile more beautiful than the spider lilies.
"I have lived for countless years, seen innumerable guests depart, so referring to myself as 老身 (elderly self) is only appropriate."
Qin Yi couldn't decipher her identity and decided to remain passive, joking, "You, young lady, speak with such antiquated airs. What is this place, and who are you?"
The woman covered her mouth, laughing softly, "Why does young master ask so much? The world's troubles will soon leave you. You've labored along the way, and here's some soup to relieve your fatigue."
Suddenly, she was holding a bowl of steaming soup.
Qin Yi inexplicably felt goosebumps. The mysteriously appearing river, the woman, and the soup reminded him of Naihe Bridge, the River of Oblivion, Meng Po, and Mengpo Soup.
Regardless of legends or TV shows and movies, Meng Po was always an old, ugly woman; he couldn't associate the stunning woman before him with Meng Po.