Chapter 106: Slapping the Face of the God-Subduing Bridge Cultivator

Over six thousand years ago, at the zenith of its power, a certain Immortal Sect Holy Land launched an all-out assault. Mighty cultivators charged into the Desolate Ancient Abyss, aiming to conquer it. However, they were almost entirely annihilated, cementing this place's fearsome reputation.

"Those white bones show no signs of life, so why are they crawling up from the abyss?" Everyone was both horrified and bewildered.

The nine sacred mountains stood majestic and formidable. Countless skeletons struggled at the abyss's deep exit, with one spot particularly dense, where thousands of bones were piled into a small mountain of their own.

A colossal bronze coffin. Two dazzling beams of light shot from Ye Fan's eyes. He glimpsed a corner of the bronze coffin, not entirely obscured by the thousands of bones. An indescribable sensation welled up within him; everything had begun with the Nine Dragons pulling the Coffin.

At that moment, Elder Jiang Hanzhong of the Jiang family also spotted the ancient bronze coffin. His expression immediately hardened. "The Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land has undergone a mysterious change, with thousands of bones struggling to emerge. Could it all be because of that bronze coffin? What is its origin, and why is it here?" he wondered aloud.

The old knight from Yaoguang Holy Land also frowned, muttering to himself, "Legend has it that some artifact is buried deep in the endless abyss. That supremely powerful Immortal Sect Holy Land attacked this place precisely because of that elusive item. Could this be that very bronze coffin?"

"The Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land is one of the Eastern Wilderness's seven great forbidden zones. Throughout history, no one has ever breached it, nor has any cultivator truly ventured deep within. Whatever lies buried beneath that abyss must be of immense significance." Elder Ji Yunfeng of the Ji family narrowed his eyes, continuously examining the colossal bronze coffin.

Next, a collective headache descended upon the group. Not long ago, a single skeleton had incinerated over a dozen cultivators. Now, the nine sacred mountains were teeming with tens of thousands of them. How could they possibly collect the divine medicine?

"Which sacred mountain did you manage to climb?" Jiang Hanzhong asked Zhou Yi, Lin Jia, and the others.

Dressed in a moon-white robe, his black hair falling over his shoulders, Zhou Yi exuded a calm and refined demeanor. He answered composedly, "The mountain where the ancient coffin is located."

Jiang Hanzhong nodded and addressed the group, "That sacred mountain has the highest concentration of skeletons, and the divine medicine there has already been harvested. We will avoid it and ascend a different peak."

Nearby, a knight sighed, whispering, "With so many skeletons on that mountain, how can we possibly ascend? It's a one-way trip to certain death, there's no chance at all."

Elder Xu Daoling of Yaoguang Holy Land spoke up, "A solution can always be found. Let's go closer and observe first."

Before long, everyone reached the foot of the nine sacred mountains. From up close, the peaks were lush with vegetation and breathtakingly beautiful. Combined with their sheer scale and majesty, they were truly magnificent.

"Should our three families split up, or unite and climb a single sacred mountain together?" Elder Ji Yunfeng of the Ji family asked with a faint smile.

Elder Jiang Hanzhong of the Jiang family stepped forward directly. "Brother Xu, there's no need to hide anything. That young knight once consumed divine medicine from this place, so he should be able to withstand the curse's power. Let's combine our efforts and help him ascend the sacred mountain to gather the divine medicine, fulfilling the needs of all three families."

Seeing that their secret was out, the old knight Xu Daoling of Yaoguang Holy Land had no choice but to summon Ye Fan. When Ye Fan removed his helmet, revealing his handsome face, Liu Yiyi, Zhang Ziling, Wang Ziwen, and the others nearby all looked astonished.

"Let's deliberate and see if there are any feasible methods for collecting the divine medicine." The elders gathered the knights and began to discuss.

Ye Fan and the others were left to stand by, temporarily ignored.

"Ye Fan…" Liu Yiyi was the first to rush over. Three years hadn't altered her much; she still appeared as delicate as before, her large eyes wide with extreme surprise. She whispered, "It's very dangerous here; why did you come?"

Zhang Ziling also quickly rushed over, grabbing Ye Fan's shoulder and shaking him excitedly. "Where have you been these past two years? I once went to Lingxu Cave Heaven with my sect elders to visit you and Pang Bo, only to find that you had both disappeared."

"It's a long story…" Ye Fan had been through a great deal, but he couldn't reveal it, as doing so would certainly bring trouble upon them.

Lin Jia was exceptionally beautiful, naturally possessing phoenix eyes. In such an uncertain, life-threatening situation, she struggled to smile, yet still appeared captivating, a testament to her innate charm. Though she had met Ye Fan not long ago, she hadn't acknowledged it then. Now, she extended a slender, jade-like hand, touched Ye Fan's head, and said, "You've finally grown taller."

Wang Ziwen also quickly stepped forward, remarking, "I never imagined we'd meet again here. I truly don't know whether to celebrate or to despair."

Zhou Yi also frowned, murmuring, "Today, our chances are slim. We must find a way to save ourselves; these people clearly care nothing for our lives."

Li Xiaoman, dressed in white, stood slender and poised, her expression calm. She nodded to Ye Fan, saying nothing.

Just then, the group ahead concluded their discussion and looked in their direction. Jiang Hanzhong pointed directly at Wang Ziwen. "You, come here."

"How may I help you, Senior?" Wang Ziwen, as always, appeared refined.

"You are to ascend the mountain immediately and do everything in your power to gather the sacred medicine. If you succeed, I will accept you as my disciple and make you an official member of an ancient aristocratic family."

Hearing Elder Jiang Hanzhong of the Jiang family say this, Wang Ziwen's expression instantly changed. This was clearly a ploy to use him as cannon fodder, sending him in to test the waters.

"My abilities are meager, Senior. I fear I'll be overwhelmed by those skeletons and turn to dust before I even reach the mountain." Wang Ziwen appeared refined, but he was not weak. His eyes, bright with defiance, met the Jiang family elder's gaze. "Please show mercy, Senior."

"If you're told to go, then go! Why all this nonsense?" A nearby knight, highly displeased, shouted.

"Then just kill me directly. Otherwise, I'd rather die than obey!" Wang Ziwen stated bluntly.

"Then I'll kill you myself!" A knight hurled a gleaming, sharp sword.

Even with their divine power depleted, cultivators' physiques still far exceeded those of ordinary people. Wang Ziwen suddenly leaped onto his exotic beast, pulled out a dagger, and stabbed forcefully. The mount immediately galloped away.

Almost simultaneously, Zhou Yi, Li Xiaoman, and Lin Jia made the same move, swiftly leaping onto their mounts, vigorously slapping them, and charging into the distance.

Nearby, Liu Yiyi and Zhang Ziling simultaneously grabbed one of Ye Fan's arms, attempting to help him flee. But it was too late; several knights armed with long spears blocked their path.

Liu Yiyi and Zhang Ziling drew their swords, confronting the knights. Though they knew hope was slim, they refused to surrender without a fight.

"Do you truly believe you can escape? Clever as you may be, you won't escape my grasp." Jiang Hanzhong ignored Ye Fan and the other two. He simply whistled, and the four exotic beasts that had galloped into the distance immediately turned back.

Wang Ziwen, Zhou Yi, Lin Jia, and Li Xiaoman were decisive, immediately jumping off their mounts and sprinting into the distance. However, the four exotic beasts pursued them relentlessly, quickly cornering them.

"These exotic beasts are already intelligent; they were merely lent to you temporarily. Did you truly believe you could control them?" Ultimately, Zhou Yi, Li Xiaoman, Wang Ziwen, and Lin Jia were all brought back by several knights.

"You want me to walk to my death, to scout for you? Impossible! I'd rather die right here!" Wang Ziwen refused to beg for mercy.

Lin Jia also stated coldly, "While I know this is a world where the strong prey on the weak, I never imagined that you, who claim to be from holy lands and ancient families beyond the mundane, would stoop to such despicable levels."

Jiang Hanzhong shook his head. "There's no true black and white in this world. We simply need to be accountable to the vast majority of people. Sacrificing three or five irrelevant individuals occasionally is inconsequential."

"Then do it!"

Nearby, a knight shook his head, looking at Lin Jia and Li Xiaoman. "You are both exquisite beauties. Normally, no one could bear to harm you. But today, if you refuse to comply, don't blame us for being ruthless."

Ye Fan looked at Jiang Hanzhong. "What you're doing is too cruel. You could easily use the savage beasts to test the path; why send people to their deaths?"

Jiang Hanzhong's expression remained calm as he shook his head. "Within this life forbidden zone, these exotic beasts are crucial to us and cannot be lost carelessly."

"In your eyes, are we even less valuable than these mounts?" Ye Fan asked coldly.

Jiang Feng, the knight who had pursued Ye Fan two years prior, stepped forward, a mocking smile on his lips. "Do some things really need to be spelled out?" He patted Ye Fan's shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll definitely outlive them. Most will cooperate with you and help you ascend the sacred mountain to gather the divine medicine for us."

Ye Fan looked at Elder Xu Daoling of Yaoguang Holy Land, then at Elder Ji Yunfeng of the Ji family. "Do you both share this attitude?"

Neither party responded, their expressions indifferent, remaining silent.

Jiang Feng laughed heartily, sweeping a contemptuous glance over Ye Fan. He mockingly patted his shoulder. "One should know their place. Do you think you're qualified to speak to us like this? Even the sect masters of the Six Sects of Yan Land wouldn't carry enough weight. The three Elder Sires won't waste words on you."

"You are truly too arrogant and overbearing!" A cold glint flashed in Ye Fan's eyes. "How powerful are you, to be so conceited?"

"The Divine Bridge realm." Jiang Feng looked down at him with a dismissive sneer. "Your cultivation level is too low; you'll never understand. If we didn't still need you, I would have already killed you for daring to speak to me like this."

Ye Fan was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected Jiang Feng to be in the Divine Bridge realm, a full major cultivation level above him. Had they met under normal circumstances, Ye Fan would undoubtedly have perished without a chance.

Apparently noticing Ye Fan's surprise, Jiang Feng sneered, "How can a frog in a well comprehend the vastness of the world? Cultivators from your Yan Land are merely confined to the Sea of Wheels stage. You are but a mortal; you understand nothing of cultivation. I disdain speaking further with you."

Ye Fan turned to Xu Daoling, Ji Yunfeng, and Jiang Hanzhong. "If you want me to help you gather the divine medicine, you must first satisfy me." At this, he pointed at Jiang Feng. "This man must be killed first!"

Elder Jiang Hanzhong of the Jiang family shook his head. "You overestimate yourself, merely a mortal. You have no right to threaten us. There are many ways to make you comply." He then pointed at Zhang Ziling, and with a cold voice, ordered a knight forward. "Kill him."

The Jiang family elder remained utterly calm, like a still, ancient well. Killing a person seemed to mean nothing to him. The knight drew his sword, preparing to advance.

"If killing one isn't enough, we can eliminate them one by one." The Jiang family elder's voice was chillingly cold.

"You actually force my hand like this…" A cold light glinted in Ye Fan's eyes.

At that moment, Jiang Feng stepped forward and gave him an indifferent glance. "One should know their place. Do you, a useless person who can't cultivate, truly think you can manipulate us? And you even dare to demand my life? You have a death wish!"

"There are various ways to control you. At worst, we'll simply control your mind!" Jiang Feng extended his hand, lightly aiming for Ye Fan's face, an act of supreme humiliation. He sneered, "To us, you merely possess some utility. It would be generous enough to leave you a complete corpse afterward."

Ye Fan seized his hand, stopping it from falling. "From beginning to end, you've been condescending, overflowing with superiority. Is being a Divine Bridge realm cultivator really so remarkable?"

*Smack!* Suddenly, Ye Fan swung his palm with great force, delivering a heavy slap across Jiang Feng's face that sent him flying several meters away. Ye Fan sneered, "As a mere mortal, slapping the face of a Divine Bridge realm cultivator truly feels incredibly satisfying!"

Li Xiaoman, Zhou Yi, and Lin Jia all looked astonished. The surrounding knights were even more utterly stunned.