Chapter 287: Rainbow Bridge

Even if one had indeed received a favor and felt grateful to the cave abode's owner, a simple bow would suffice, or at most, three kowtows. After all, the cave abode's owner had long since passed away, and such a "thank-you" gesture was merely to achieve a clear conscience. Why waste time performing such an elaborate ritual at this moment?

Yu Kong performed the ritual with a solemn and meticulous expression. Qin Sang and the others grumbled inwardly but dared not voice their opinions, choosing to wait patiently.

After completing the final part of the ceremony, Yu Kong did not stand up. Instead, he lifted his head to gaze at the clay sculpture. His eyes fixed on the sculpture's left hand, and an irrepressible excitement and anticipation flickered within them. The sculpture's left hand was not forming any mudra; it rested simply and flatly on its lap, palm facing upwards, thumb tucked in, and four fingers extended straight forward, pointing out of the main hall.

The moment Yu Kong finished his worship, a strand of rainbow light suddenly burst forth from the sculpture's fingertips. This sudden anomaly startled everyone; no one had expected such an ordinary-looking clay sculpture to conceal a secret.

The hall instantly erupted in an uproar. The crowd stirred, their eyes wide with shock, shifting their gaze between the sculpture and Yu Kong. Disbelief was etched on every face. After all, since its discovery, Autumn Goose Market had been frequented by countless cultivators, and the Legacy Hall had been thoroughly searched. The clay sculpture, too, must have been examined top to bottom and appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary statue. Among them were not a few Core Formation cultivators. Yet, before Yu Kong, no one had discovered the sculpture's secret!

The rainbow light erupted, eventually forming a rainbow bridge that spanned half the hall. The rainbow bridge was arched, but only half-formed. One end rested in front of Yu Kong, while the other connected above the sculpture's palm, disappearing into thin air.

Qin Sang's heart suddenly leaped. Could this rainbow bridge be the "hidden path" leading to the medicine garden? Had they not witnessed it firsthand, who would have imagined that the so-called hidden path was concealed in such an obvious location and activated in such a peculiar manner?

The hall was illuminated in a kaleidoscope of colors by the rainbow light. Yu Kong seemed to have anticipated this; the moment the light flared, he waved his hand, sending out a surge of spiritual energy to block the main entrance, preventing any light from escaping and thus avoiding detection from outside.

"Haha…" Yu Kong threw his head back and laughed aloud, "That friend truly did not deceive me! In this age, morality has decayed; cultivators only know how to seek treasures and have forgotten gratitude. Otherwise, why would the sculpture's secret only now be discovered by me?"

Seeing Yu Kong's laughter, the others finally snapped back to reality. They exchanged glances, and Crescent Fairy, in a soft voice, inquired, "Senior Yu, we have never heard of such a strange aspect of this clay sculpture. Did you discover it first? Could this rainbow bridge lead to the cave abode owner's treasure vault?"

Yu Kong reined in his smile, looking at them with a knowing expression. "Regardless of where it leads, wouldn't you all like to go in and see?"

At his words, a fervent light appeared in everyone's eyes. Wu Chen cautiously stated, "With such a secret before us, we naturally wish to explore it. However, since Fellow Daoist Yu discovered this rainbow bridge first, we must have your permission. Please tell us your conditions, Fellow Daoist Yu; we will follow your lead without question." Everyone nodded in agreement.

This hidden rainbow bridge led to an unknown destination, but it was undoubtedly something extraordinary and likely untouched by anyone before. There might even be treasures more valuable than those in the Spiritual Treasure Pavilion. Even if they only got a small share, it was incredibly tempting. As long as Yu Kong didn't intend to keep everything for himself, any conditions would be acceptable.

Yu Kong chuckled, "Since I invited you all here, I wouldn't dream of leaving you out and taking everything for myself. I have no idea what lies beyond the rainbow bridge, whether there are treasures or perhaps even more dangerous restrictions than those in the Spiritual Treasure Pavilion… No one wishes to withdraw, do they?"

At this point, who could resist the temptation? Furthermore, having already seen the secret, what would be the consequences of withdrawing now?

No one withdrew. Yu Kong nodded contentedly, glanced outside the hall, and urged, "Delay may lead to complications. We cannot stay here long. Everyone, quickly go in."

Yan Wu went first, and everyone queued up to step onto the rainbow bridge, with Yu Kong bringing up the rear. Qin Sang silently stepped forward. He was not in a hurry to crush the concentric jade pendant. Although he was fairly certain the rainbow bridge was the hidden path, it was better not to transmit information rashly before fully understanding the situation on the other side of the bridge, lest he overcomplicate things. The scene in the jade pendant hinted that spiritual herbs might not be so easily obtained, so there was no need to rush.

Furthermore, Qin Sang couldn't discern Yu Kong's true intentions. If Yu Kong genuinely intended to cooperate with everyone in treasure hunting, then peace would be ideal. But what if, as Sheng Yuanzi had sarcastically implied, Yu Kong merely wanted to find a few scapegoats? In that case, Yun Youzi and Ge Yuan would be indispensable backups. After all, having already killed Shao Chunhui, would Yu Kong care about killing a few more people?

As these thoughts ran through his mind, the people in front of Qin Sang disappeared one by one at the end of the rainbow bridge, until it was his turn. Qin Sang took a deep breath, remaining inwardly vigilant. He stepped onto the truncated end of the rainbow bridge, and then his vision momentarily dimmed. What he stepped on was not void, but solid ground.

They found themselves in a mountain cave. Outside the cave entrance, the light was dim and shrouded in mist. There were no dangers or restrictions inside the cave, so everyone's expressions relaxed slightly as they turned to look at Yu Kong, who was the last to enter. Yu Kong reached out and swept his hand across the stone wall, and the rainbow bridge vanished.

"The treasures are just ahead. What are you waiting for?" Yu Kong said, and then led the way out of the cave.

Stepping out of the cave, Qin Sang saw the scene displayed in the jade pendant with his own eyes, finally confirming that this was indeed the medicine garden! However, the area was far more expansive than Qin Sang had imagined! Outside the cave lay a vast wilderness, with a few scattered low peaks that held no particular distinction. Only the tall mountain on the plain stood out most prominently, precisely the one depicted in the jade pendant. Mist enveloped the distant mountains, but the aura of spiritual herbs pierced through the fog, drawing everyone's gaze.

"Those... could they be the spiritual herbs planted by the cave abode owner?" Wu Chen exclaimed, his eyes burning with intense eagerness. The others reacted similarly.

However, some managed to remain calm. Old Man Muteng spoke coldly, "Everyone, do not be too quick to rejoice. In my opinion, the swirling mist on that mountain is likely not ordinary fog, but an exceedingly powerful restriction. Whether we can collect the spiritual herbs is still an unknown."

Old Man Muteng's words threw a bucket of cold water on the crowd, jolting them awake from their fervor. Yu Kong nodded slightly, looking at Old Man Muteng, his tone carrying an inexplicable meaning. "Fellow Daoist Muteng truly lives up to his reputation as a cunning old fox. No wonder Sheng Yuanzi felt confident sending you here to lurk beside me."

Hearing this, everyone was startled and quickly distanced themselves from Old Man Muteng. Old Man Muteng's expression drastically changed. He forced himself to remain calm and argued, "Since I embarked on the path of cultivation, I have been alone. I do not know anyone named Sheng Yuanzi. I don't know what you are talking about, Fellow Daoist Yu…"