Chapter 2090: Tongtian Bridge Appears

Two minutes later, Zhang Xuan looked with satisfaction at Bai Xuansheng, who lay severely injured on the ground. "Sect Master Bai, if you still wish to reclaim anything from me, please speak freely. There's no need to be polite..."

"..." Bai Xuansheng didn't want to talk to him.

He had just been extorted for three peak Immortal Monarch weapons, and only then had the other party made the Black-backed Tortoise stop.

Asking for more would surely bankrupt him, wouldn't it?

He had originally hoped to leverage the situation and reclaim the pseudo-god realm artifact that had been taken from him earlier. He never dreamed that not only would he lose three weapons, but he would also be severely injured, nearly dying on the spot!

"Sect Master Bai..."

Seeing the Black-backed Tortoise being put away, Gu Zhuiyun finally approached.

"I'm fine..."

After taking a pill and recovering slightly, Bai Xuansheng gritted his teeth and sent a telepathic message: "Let them be pleased for now. Once the Heaven-Reaching Bridge opens, we'll proceed according to our original plan... He'll have his moment to cry then!"

Gu Zhuiyun nodded.

Seeing the expressions on their faces, Zhang Xuan smiled indifferently.

Why the Deified Temple wanted to give the other party pseudo-god realm artifacts, and what their true purpose was for requesting the sect's treasured items, was still unclear. However, these two sect masters, who were connected to them, had clearly changed.

This meant they could no longer cooperate and might even become enemies.

Since that was the case, it was better to strike first.

Deliberately teaching them a lesson would allow him to see what other trump cards they had and if they possessed any other pseudo-god realm weapons.

From his current observation, it seemed they had nothing left except that iron chain.

Boom!

Suddenly, a tremendous roar echoed in the sky, like thunder descending. Everyone looked up and saw, amidst the dark sky, a massive bridge slowly extending from the void.

"The Heaven-Reaching Bridge has opened..." Han Jianqiu's expression was solemn.

Zhang Xuan looked. The bridge appearing in the void hung upside down, extending downwards from the dark night sky. Its material was indiscernible, but it exuded a chilling sensation. Even before it drew near, an immense pressure felt as if it could crush the entire Heaven-Connecting Stone into dust.

Everyone uniformly retreated to one side of the stone platform.

A few breaths later, the bridge perfectly connected with the stone platform. The platform seemed to have endured this many times, as runes flashed on its surface, and no anomalies appeared.

"The Heaven-Reaching Bridge only exists for one day. Sect Master, please go up quickly!" Han Jianqiu said, seeing the bridge perfectly connected to the platform.

"How do we get up?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

The bridge appearing in the air stood vertically on the stone platform. Its surface was as smooth as a mirror. Even with his strength, he couldn't climb it!

"You'll know once you walk on it..." Without explaining further, Han Jianqiu gestured forward.

Zhang Xuan stopped asking questions. He motioned for Elder Hongwu and the other two, and they stepped towards the bridge. The two geniuses from the Mysterious Mirror Sect and the Ethereal Immortal Sect also followed closely behind.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped onto the bridge.

His body stumbled involuntarily and sank downwards. He then realized the bridge was beneath his feet, and he was standing on it.

Turning his head back, he saw the stone platform where Han Jianqiu and the others stood was now vertical to him. Everyone seemed to be hanging upside down on the stone, a truly bizarre sight.

"Different gravity?" Zhang Xuan was startled.

This situation was similar to Earth in his previous life. People on one side of Earth felt like they were standing, while on the other side, despite the opposite direction, they wouldn't fall into space either.

The bridge surface and the Heaven-Connecting Stone's plane were ninety degrees perpendicular, yet they could all stand steadily. It felt just like standing on flat ground. Not only was the gravity different, but it was highly probable that they had already entered another space.

The others also landed on the bridge surface. They looked around and, like him, were filled with surprise.

Knowing that time was of the essence, they walked forward along the bridge.

Its length was unknown, with no end in sight. They could only see it leading into the dark depths.

They slowly proceeded along the bridge surface. The surroundings were so quiet that only their breathing could be heard. Knowing that powerful Deified Temple experts could appear at any moment, everyone remained tense, not daring to relax in the slightest.

After walking not far, amidst the dark night, five figures approached.

They were armored Deified Temple warriors, all at the peak Immortal Monarch level.

"Only by defeating these warriors can we proceed and gain the opportunity to break through to the pseudo-god realm!" Elder Hongwu's expression hardened, and his true qi surged within him. The others also narrowed their eyes.

Before coming, they already knew the rules of the Heaven-Reaching Bridge: six people entering the challenge would face five Deified Temple warriors.

According to past situations, five people would usually rush forward to block the five warriors, creating an opportunity for one person to pass.

"Sect Master, we'll block them, and you find a way to get past..." With immortal power gathering throughout his body, Elder Hongwu said.

"Sect Master, you go first..." The other two also nodded simultaneously.

After a few days of interaction, they had long since developed profound admiration for the person before them. They knew that only he could lead the Four Great Sects further.

"You guys figure it out. We're going ahead..." As they were talking, the two geniuses from the Mysterious Mirror Sect and the Ethereal Immortal Sect smiled faintly and stepped forward.

In the blink of an eye, they were in front of the five Deified Temple warriors and jointly charged towards two of them.

The other three warriors did not engage in a joint attack. Instead, they continued to guard the bridge surface, waiting for Zhang Xuan and the others to approach.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!* As the two sides clashed, the geniuses from the Mysterious Mirror Sect and the Ethereal Immortal Sect seemed to have acquired combat techniques that countered the Deified Temple warriors. Every move allowed them to anticipate their opponents. After three moves, the two warriors repeatedly retreated a few steps and moved aside.

The two took the opportunity to dash past.

The two warriors who had been fighting them were about to pursue when their voices rang out: "There are still four behind... If you chase us, they'll break through..."

Hearing this, the two couldn't help but stop. They returned to their previous positions and looked at Zhang Xuan and the others.

"Those two..." Elder Hongwu and the others had not expected such a turn of events, and their expressions all darkened.

Before, it was six people against five. Now, it had become four people against five.

If they had known this, they should have rushed forward with those two earlier.

"Being with them would make us even more passive... They already know the strengths and weaknesses of these five Deified Temple warriors. If we're not careful, we could easily fall into a trap!"

For example, if a Deified Temple warrior executed a move that was originally aimed at the Mysterious Mirror Sect genius, but that genius, knowing the follow-up, dodged it, Elder Hongwu, not knowing, could easily be hit.

Everyone had extensive combat experience and understood this situation. They nodded simultaneously, no longer dwelling on it.

"Sect Master, what should we do now?" The genius from the Myriad Beast Sect looked over, filled with worry.

"If they can get through, so can we! Don't worry, use your full cultivation. These Deified Temple warriors... are not as terrifying as you imagine!" Zhang Xuan smiled gently.

His stay in the Firmament would not be long; once he had the chance to enter the God Realm, he would certainly seize it.

Therefore, the future position of Sect Master would certainly have to be returned to these people.

To become Sect Master, one must first establish unshakeable confidence. If they were afraid of the Deified Temple warriors before even fighting, how could they control the sect and lead it further in the future?

"Yes!" Nodding first, Elder Hongwu targeted a warrior and charged forward.

His palm winds whistled. Various martial techniques were unleashed. Not only did he not fall behind, he even gained the upper hand in a short time.

"This..." The other two peak Immortal Monarchs were all stunned by this scene.

What Elder Hongwu was using was all taught by the Sect Master earlier. Since he could contend, the two of them might not necessarily lose either!

Thinking of this, they quickly followed.

At first, it felt a bit unfamiliar. But as the battle intensified, they found themselves becoming increasingly proficient.

"Although the Sect Master didn't mention the weaknesses of the Deified Temple warriors, he specifically explained combat techniques and how to fight to gain the upper hand. It seems... these just happen to counter the opponents..."

In the past few days of cultivation, the Sect Master had only taught them how to fight and how to enhance their immortal power. He hadn't explicitly said how to deal with Deified Temple warriors. Yet, as they fought against them now, unleashing everything, it felt incredibly smooth.

The Deified Temple warriors, whom they had previously considered unbeatable, now felt like sparring partners. Their former fear was gone.

"So, we've improved so much in just a few days..." The three of them realized this simultaneously.

If it were their former selves, encountering Deified Temple warriors would likely result in instant death within three moves. But now, they could suppress their opponents, preventing them from retaliating. The magnitude of their improvement was unbelievable.

Having been diligently cultivating, they hadn't noticed it until now. As they fought now and felt their body's control over power, their judgment of martial techniques, and how to counter-attack, it became clear to them!

In just a few days, they had undergone a complete transformation!

"It's the Sect Master..." Their eyes were filled with gratitude.

Only at this moment did they truly understand the Sect Master's profound intentions.

Their current strength still couldn't withstand a single move from the Sect Master. This meant that for the latter to kill these Deified Temple warriors would require barely any effort!

He could have easily won himself, yet he spent effort training them and made them engage personally. This was clearly to allow them to achieve greater growth!

Only pseudo-gods forged through battle would be truly stronger!

"Let's defeat them in one go!" Knowing this, the three gained immense confidence. Without any further hesitation, they unleashed their ultimate moves.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!* Three muffled grunts. The three Deified Temple warriors all retreated uniformly.

A few minutes later, they all fell to the ground, their breathing ceased.

After killing the three Deified Temple warriors, they simultaneously exhaled in relief. They looked at each other, then collectively turned to look at the remaining two warriors. However, they saw that those two were already lying on the ground. The Sect Master was standing not far away, with a faint smile.

The Sect Master had moved later than them, yet he had dealt with his opponents even faster!

In fact... they hadn't even seen how he made his move!

In truth, it wasn't just them. The two warriors lying dead on the ground had also been filled with sorrow just before dying...

They didn't even know how they ended up on the ground, dead just like that...