Seer looked at the bridge beneath him, then at the one the man was on, but nothing was happening; they were both perfectly fine.

  For a moment, his expression turned thoughtful before he glanced at Jin Yu, his previous vigor somewhat diminished.

  "You better behave. I can't save your life from here." he said seriously, like a father cautioning his son.

  Jin Yu snapped back to focus, almost rolling his eyes. He glanced at the other bridges connecting to the terrace and, without a word, walked toward one.

  "I'm not dying young." he muttered, whether to himself or as a reply to Seer was unclear.

  The others watched his every step intently, their hearts racing with each move he made.

  Then he stepped onto the bridge, just one leg at first. Nothing happened.

  With a second step, everything still looked fine. The third and then the fourth steps confirmed his thoughts. He paused after walking several meters, noting that the bridge wasn't opening up, which reassured him.

  A sigh that they didn’t realize they were holding escaped their throats when he safely stood on the bridge.

  The girl, the most relieved of the group, took a shaky breath and stepped onto the bridge, finally fully standing on it.

  Everyone was watching her, which made her heart race even more. She glanced at Jin Yu to confirm he was still okay before taking another step, one more, then another, until her confidence returned.

  Now everyone understood what had happened, and the realization sent a chill through their hearts.

  What if some people had crossed these bridges before them?

  How would they know which ones had been used and which were safe?

  It became clear: the most significant trial in this cave was not the unbearable heat or their struggle of will, it was the bridges which is a gamble of life and death.

  "Stand up and get moving." the unholy Cultivator instructed the lady sitting on the ground.

  "Yes." she replied for the first time then stood up quietly and approached another bridge. Though her heart raced, she steadied her resolve and stepped on it, taking small steps until she was a safe distance away.

  Seeing that she was also okay confirmed everyone’s hypothesis.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  They continued on without a word, but caution now laced their movements.

  The bridges spanned several miles before connecting to the middle platform, which means it'll take a while to get there.

  -----

  Minutes passed. Then an hour.

  Jin Yu and Seer were far ahead, while the other three had slowed, stopping to rest every twenty minutes, then ten.

  Their auras had grown subtly weaker. A dark thread-like mark crept across their brows, their skin noticeably darker. And from the looks in their eyes, they’d realized just how dire their situation was.

  They had reduced their Qi intake, instead focusing their efforts on expelling the poison. But it wasn’t working.

  And that made things even worse.

  Without absorbing Qi, they couldn’t sustain the barrier protecting them from the toxic environment. But if they kept absorbing, they were only accelerating their death.

  It had become a slow, agonizing gamble: keep absorbing Qi and get poisoned, or stop and let the poison win anyway.

  Even if they turned back now... would they make it out alive?

  But none of them even thought of turning back.

  Why would they? The reward was close, just a few miles away.

  Birds die for food. Mortals die for gold.

  But a cultivator?

  They die for opportunities. They live for them.

  The girl came to terms with that first. She stood, threw a pill into her mouth, and kept going. Her eyes were burning with renewed fire.

  The man opened his eyes next. He looked ahead, straight at Jin Yu and Seer. Unwillingness flashed in his gaze, strong and stubborn. He stood and started walking too.

  The third woman followed without hesitation.

  None of them said a word.

  And so, the silent struggle of will stretched on for hours.

  The closer they got to the central platform, the brighter their eyes burned. Excitement stirred in their blood, masking the pain, fueling their steps.

  ---

  I’m getting a bad feeling about this.

  Jin Yu stood just a few meters from the massive platform, unease tightening in his chest.

  His gaze swept over the web of bridges, seven from each entrance connecting to the platform, others leading from the platform to the towering stone cliffs. But there was no way forward without stepping onto the central structure.

  You have to touch the platform to access the bridges to the stone cliffs.

  He noted it like a trap laid in plain sight.

  Everything was perfectly arranged. Too perfect. And that alone set off alarms in his mind.

  On the opposite side, Seer stared at him and smiled faintly, as if reading his thoughts.

  “Your trust issues always amaze me, friend. It’s just a stand.”

  His eyes said more than his mouth. He knew exactly what Jin Yu was thinking.

  Jin Yu shot him an unimpressed glance, then turned back to study the platform.

  Seer shook his head, amused. And then he took a step forward. Just one.

  Jin Yu’s head snapped to him, startled.

  “You—!”

  But he didn’t get to finish.

  Phrroooooom!

  A white layer of energy shot up around the entire platform, forming a dome in the blink of an eye. Seer was sucked in instantly, his figure flashing and reappearing right at the center.

  Everyone froze.

  “What’s that...?” the girl whispered.

  Jin Yu took a step forward, alarm flashing across his face.

  I knew something was wrong!

  His eyes locked on Seer, who was staring at space for a moment before he looked back at him with a darkened expression.

  His usual calm replaced by worry.

  Jin Yu’s heart skipped a beat.

  Why’s he looking like that...? Why is he worried...?

  No one had time to react.

  Seer’s figure began to flicker, his body turning translucent, like he was fading out of existence.

  Jin Yu didn’t hesitate.

  He raised his right hand, drawing in every last bit of Qi he had. A faint hum vibrated in the air around him. His aura quietened, his presence sharpening like a blade.

  Then—he struck.

  BOOOOOOOOOOM!

  His palm hit the film hard, raw energy exploded across the surface, waves of force tearing out in every direction.

  Crack!

  A faint sound echoed across the dead-silent World. A thin crack had spread along the dome.

  Gasp filled the air, even the ocean of lava seemed to pause for a second

  But then—

  Snap.

  The crack vanished.

  And everything turned.

  Bang!

  The violent backlash surged out, ramming straight into Jin Yu and hurling him back twenty meters like a broken doll.

  BAM!

  He hit the ground, hard.

  An ancient, unforgiving will slammed into him, piercing through his pores and crashing into his meridians.

  But it barely made a dent before –

  Ding!

  Ancient Will Detected!

  Absorbing....

  Ding!

  Sword Intent Recognized.

  Harmonized.

  Blood slid from the corner of his mouth as he pushed himself upright, eyes locked on the dome.

  The dome was gone.

  So was Seer.