"Let's go, let's take a look first." Li Xuan ultimately did not refuse Chen Chen, and it wasn't because Chen Chen was good-looking.
After all, Chen Chen had some contact with the woman in red, so it would be more convenient to gather some information.
Soon, the two arrived at the edge of the vast ocean. At this moment, many powerful figures had already gathered by the ocean. The onlookers merely glanced at Li Xuan and Chen Chen before returning their attention to the stone bridge.
At present, a man in white, holding a feather fan, was confronting the woman in red. However, a faint trace of blood at the corner of the man's mouth clearly indicated he was at a disadvantage.
"This person is named Pi Li, from the Five-Colored Sacred Land. His strength has already reached the early stage of the Heavenly End Realm, and he is only one step away from the middle stage. To think that even with such strength, he cannot withstand her," Chen Chen said with a solemn expression.
Li Xuan glanced at Pi Li, then shifted his gaze to the woman in red.
The woman in red's expression was incredibly cold, like an immortal who was unstained by dust. After taking another look at Pi Li, she raised her right hand and pointed directly.
Boom!
In the next instant, Pi Li was sent flying by a beam of red light.
"Alas, Pi Li has also been defeated. It seems we can only wait for stronger seniors to arrive," an old man sighed after seeing this.
"Pi Li is already the strongest among us present. After all, Pi Li is known as the closest to the middle stage of the Heavenly End Realm," another old man nodded in agreement.
"Do you want to give it a try?" Chen Chen ignored the others, his gaze shifted, and he looked at Li Xuan and asked.
The crowd immediately turned their attention to Li Xuan. Upon seeing that Li Xuan only possessed the cultivation of the early stage of the Eternal Realm, they all let out cold sneers and withdrew their gazes.
Even Pi Li, who was known as the closest to the middle stage of the Heavenly End Realm, had suffered defeat. What capability could a mere early stage Eternal Realm cultivator possess?
"I'll wait a bit longer," Li Xuan replied with a wry smile, shaking his head. He didn't take the contempt of the others to heart.
To be blunt, Li Xuan hadn't put anyone present in his eyes.
Swish, swish, swish!
As time passed, figures one after another arrived at the scene. Li Xuan's heart stirred slightly as he observed them. These individuals were all cultivators of the middle stage of the Heavenly End Realm! Furthermore, among them, there was even a cultivator at the advanced stage of the Heavenly End Realm.
Soon, the seven people who had arrived learned of the situation.
"Let me challenge her!" In the next moment, a figure shot forward. In the blink of an eye, the man landed on the stone bridge.
With the man's arrival, the woman in red's brows furrowed slightly, and she then pointed directly.
Boom!
The man's pupils contracted sharply as he saw this. Just as he was about to defend, he was instantly blasted away.
"This... How is this possible?!"
Everyone's expression changed drastically upon witnessing this. This man was actually at the middle stage of the Heavenly End Realm, and he was defeated so quickly?
Perhaps feeling a touch of fatigue, after landing a blow, the woman in red vanished from the stone bridge.
"With that single finger, I probably couldn't withstand it either. Who exactly is this woman in red?" an old man with cultivation at the middle stage of the Heavenly End Realm said with a solemn expression.
The crowd all shook their heads, clearly having no information about the woman in red.
"Now that the woman in red is gone, can we take this opportunity to cross the bridge?" a man with cultivation at the middle stage of the Heavenly End Realm inquired.
"No, as night falls, this ocean is not as safe as it appears. Those who harbored such thoughts before are likely reduced to bones by now," an old man immediately shook his head.
"Indeed. Although the woman in red is absent now, there are still powerful restrictions on the stone bridge. Once we step onto it, all our spiritual energy will be sealed. Judging by the pattern over the past few days, only when the woman in red appears will the restrictions disappear," a man at the early stage of the Heavenly End Realm chimed in.
Li Xuan looked at Chen Chen with some curiosity. Chen Chen had not shared this information with him earlier.
"Before, there were also people who, relying on their not-weak strength, wanted to cross. But as soon as they reached the surface of the ocean, a sea beast leaped out and swallowed them whole. And at that time, many people had this idea. Nearly a hundred people perished here that day," Chen Chen said without feeling apologetic, tidying his thoughts.
Li Xuan sighed with helplessness upon hearing this. It seemed that crossing the bridge was the only remaining path.
In fact, Li Xuan had also considered this, but he had to abandon the idea now. Who knew how many ferocious sea beasts lurked in this seemingly endless ocean.
"Let's wait. Tomorrow, when the sky brightens, the woman in red will appear," Pi Li said after glancing at the others.
As soon as he finished speaking, Pi Li closed his eyes to recuperate. It was evident that his previous battle with the woman in red had left him with significant injuries.
Li Xuan withdrew his gaze, found a spot on the ground, sat down cross-legged, and then closed his eyes to rest.
Chen Chen initially wanted to ask Li Xuan if he would attempt to cross the stone bridge tomorrow, but seeing that Li Xuan had already closed his eyes to rest, he had to hold back.
Soon, the night passed in silence.
The next day, as a ray of sunlight shone down, the people on this side of the stone bridge all opened their eyes.
"The woman in red has appeared!"
A voice rang out, instantly capturing everyone's attention. Li Xuan also followed their gaze, and indeed, the woman in red appeared on the stone bridge.
However, judging by the woman in red's icy expression and hollow eyes, she seemed world-weary.
"I'll go," an old man at the advanced stage of the Heavenly End Realm said after glancing at the woman in red. As soon as he finished speaking, he rushed towards the stone bridge.
In the blink of an eye, the old man stopped five zhang away from the woman in red.
"With the strength of the advanced stage of the Heavenly End Realm, he should be able to pass, right?" Chen Chen whispered to Li Xuan after glancing at him.
Li Xuan smiled and did not reply. Seeing this, Chen Chen had no choice but to shift his gaze back to the stone bridge.
In fact, Chen Chen was also very confused as to why his heart felt a belief that Li Xuan could pass this stone bridge. However, even if Chen Chen was unwilling to believe it, the Heart Illusion Divine Art he cultivated could not be wrong.
It could be said that Chen Chen had made countless judgments using this technique. And each time, the results were consistent with his senses. But Li Xuan's cultivation being only at the early stage of the Eternal Realm made Chen Chen doubt if there was a problem with his cultivation.
At this moment, the old man on the stone bridge and the woman in red had already begun to fight.
Within these mere ten-odd breaths of time, the old man had already exchanged blows with the woman in red ten times.
It had to be admitted that, thus far, the old man was the first to withstand the woman in red's offensive.
"More than ten breaths have passed. Although it's not over yet, it seems Brother Gan Ji has a good chance of passing," an old man remarked.
"At most, we could withstand three fingers previously, but Brother Gan Ji can fight to this extent with that woman in red. If even Brother Gan Ji cannot win, who else could possibly pass this stone bridge?" a middle-aged man agreed with a nod.
Li Xuan smiled upon hearing this, then his gaze shifted as he said, "The Brother Gan Ji you speak of is about to lose."