The sunlight on the cliff face was limited; missing this time slot meant waiting until the next day. Furthermore, they didn't have many long poles or spears, making it not so easy to trigger the mechanism.
Qi Yihan adjusted the shooting angle at high speed, aiming the tip of his spear at the eyes of the stone-carved eagle on the opposite rock face. In this last gamble, he was exceptionally cautious, closing his eyes to carefully sense the surrounding wind.
No one dared to make a sound, for at this moment, it was more important to perceive with the heart rather than just the eyes.
Finally, Qi Yihan’s eyes snapped open. He pulled the trigger, and the spear shot off the string, flying straight towards the opposite bank.
Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the spear. The short few breaths felt like an eternity until the spear firmly lodged itself into the stone eagle’s eye. The crowd still found it hard to believe they had succeeded.
"This is..."
"We succeeded?"
Li Man'er retracted her longbow, staring intently at the opposite bank. Had her judgment been wrong?
Just as everyone was in astonishment, a rumbling sound suddenly echoed. On the cliff face opposite, something moved. A giant shadow was slowly crashing towards them.
Ah Si cried out, "Is the mountain collapsing?"
"Idiot, it's the suspension bridge."
The bottom of the massive suspension bridge was covered in moss. Weathered by wind and sun, it blended seamlessly with the mountain, appearing as one with it. The thick iron chains roared, making people's heads buzz.
The suspension bridge lowered further and further. The group quickly moved aside. With a loud clang, the massive bridge settled into a groove in the rock face, fitting perfectly without any gaps.
Ah Wu was the first to walk onto it. He stomped his foot hard on the bridge. The enormous suspension bridge shook, but its structure remained stable.
"This is truly eye-opening. I've never seen such a large suspension bridge before."
"Is the surface made of wood?"
"I don't think so, it looks a bit like bamboo."
Qi Yihan, however, said, "Regardless of what it is, let's cross first."
"Yes!" Ah Wu led the way, with two team members clearing the path ahead. Qi Yihan and Li Man'er walked in the middle, with the rest covering the rear.
The group of over ten people quickly crossed the suspension bridge and reached the other side of the cliff. They passed through a ring-shaped cave and discovered an entirely different world beyond it.
The scenery before them was like a paradise, a stark contrast to the snow-capped Rama Mountain Range. Everywhere was verdant, lush summer scenery. Mountain streams flowed, birds sang, and flowers bloomed, making it feel like a fairyland, a world completely separate from the one beyond the suspension bridge.
Ah Wu consulted the map. "Your Highness, none of these places are marked on the map."
"No need for markings." With his and Li Man'er's memories, they wouldn't get lost once they had been here.
"Yes!"
"Everyone, be careful." Although the surroundings seemed peaceful, they had no idea how many dangers lurked here, so caution was advised.
However, after searching for a long time, they only found some dilapidated dwellings and abandoned farmlands. Most of the houses had collapsed, and the few that were still somewhat intact were in a state of ruin. The broken weaving looms and rotten iron pots inside the houses all told tales of past life and warmth.
Ah Wu and his men searched the entire area, finding only traces of past inhabitants, nothing else.
"Is there an exit?"
Ah Wu shook his head. "We've searched all around. It seems like a dead end. The suspension bridge should be the only way out."
Qi Yihan appeared contemplative.
Ah Wu quickly added, "Your Highness, perhaps if we venture a little further out, we might find something."
"No need!" They were not familiar with this environment. If they split up, they might encounter unexpected dangers, which Qi Yihan was unwilling to see.
Moreover, up to this point, they could not confirm that this was where the Wu tribe had lived.
"Have you found any large tombs? Or any other peculiar places?"
Ah Wu was about to shake his head when he suddenly seemed to recall something. "We found an altar."
"Let's go and see."
It was unclear how long it had been since anyone had visited this place. Knee-deep weeds covered everything. They had to cut their way through, barely clearing a path.
Soon, they arrived at the altar.
It was a high platform built of stone. The surrounding weeds were too dense to get a clear view of the platform's true form.
Ah Wu and the others silently began cutting the grass. The altar gradually revealed its true appearance.
Unexpectedly, as one team member was bending down to cut grass, something approached him and coiled around his waist, snatching him away. The team member cried out, swinging his sickle. It was only then that everyone realized the object that had snatched the team member was a giant black python.
"Save him!"
Everyone drew their weapons and rushed forward to rescue their comrade.
Li Man'er wished she could pull out her sniper rifle and save him first!
Fortunately, Ah Wu and his men were all skilled in combat. They quickly slew the giant black python and rescued their companion.
"How is he? Is he injured?"
"Miss Li, please take a look. He seems to have fainted."
Li Man'er quickly went over and felt his pulse. She discovered he was merely suffering from oxygen deprivation due to being choked and was otherwise unharmed; he would wake up soon.
The group finally breathed a sigh of relief and continued cutting the grass.
The unconscious team member also woke up, touching his neck and stomach, feeling a sense of having escaped death.
The grass around the altar was cleared completely, finally revealing its true form. Qi Yihan leaped onto the altar and examined it carefully.
It looked so ordinary. The platform was built of stone, about three meters high, covering roughly eight or nine square meters. The entire surface was covered in eerie cracks, making one’s scalp tingle.
Li Man'er also ascended the altar and began a detailed search. However, the altar was so small, one could see its entirety at a glance. There was nowhere else to search.
Yet, the cracks on the altar were truly bizarre. Li Man'er felt as though she saw a lot of blood within the cracks. Each crack formed a stream of blood, as if it were about to ignite.
Li Man'er felt a tingling sensation on her scalp. Just as she was about to tell Qi Yihan about the strange sight she saw, she heard a creaking sound. The altar beneath her feet suddenly cracked, and she fell through.
Sensing something was wrong, Qi Yihan didn't hesitate and rushed to save her. However, it was too late. As the cracking altar was about to close, Qi Yihan, without a second thought, leaped in after her.
By the time Ah Wu and Ah Si rushed to the altar upon noticing the anomaly, there was no trace of the two people to be found.
Li Man'er had never expected that Qi Yihan would disregard his own safety and jump down with her.