At these words, understanding dawned on Jiang Shining and the others as well. They could now see that the pearls formed the shape of the Big Dipper. Their cool light shining down on them was far paler than the warm glow of the sun.
“It’s still so dark even with seven night pearls hanging there. Just how high is the ceiling here?” Jiang Shining muttered.
“You can tell by listening to the echoes,” Lu Shijiu said from in front of him. “The path ahead is difficult to traverse, so be careful not to step on the wrong stones, and make sure not to fall.”
Lu Nianqi, who had his foot in the air, immediately jerked it backward. “Wait. What do you mean by ‘the wrong stones’? And ‘don’t fall’?”
“Especially you,” added Lu Shijiu. “You must not look down.”
Lu Nianqi was stunned by this rather unreasonable request. They could barely see the outlines of their fingers here. How were they supposed to walk without looking at their feet? How was he supposed to take any steps?
However, while they talked, they slowly began to adapt to the darkness, and the outlines of their surroundings gradually became visible.
They were standing on a stone platform that resembled a cliff; wide enough to fit two rows of people, but narrow enough that if Lu Shijiu and Xuanmin took another step forward, they would be sent plummeting off the edge.
“I’m a ghost. I can’t die a second time,” Jiang Shining whispered to himself over and over. With that, he mustered enough courage to take a half step forward. He stayed a shoulder’s width behind Xuanmin, squinting ahead to make out what he could.
Before them, the stone platform led to a massive hollow in the ground. Shimmering ripples of light glinted off its surface. That must be water. However, they could see neither how deep the water was, nor where it’d come from. If they fell in, they might very well never resurface.
Strangest were the round objects that resembled heavy melons bobbing in the water, each one well-separated from the others. Jiang Shining could only discern their general shape, but he couldn’t tell if they were stones or something else. A sweep of his gaze told him there were at least a hundred of them, and they seemed to be placed in an array.
Within the dark waters in front of Lu Shijiu’s feet were stone platforms, tall and thin—each only allowing space for a single foot. They stood scattered like the uneven pillars for a lion dance, stretching out before them.
This was the only path they could take. Jiang Shining glanced around but couldn’t see any hint of the other side.
Just long is this path?! He felt his legs weaken, and he instinctively turned to look at Xuanmin.
Xuanmin was surveying the surroundings, his brow furrowed. It was unclear what he was thinking. In the darkness, Jiang Shining couldn’t see much of his expression beyond the slight knit of his brow.
Lu Shijiu spoke up again. “I don’t need my eyes. I can see the qi here, which is much more reliable than sight. Stay close. We must move quickly.”
With that, he stepped onto the first stone platform.
Old Man Liu followed closely behind. Years of rowing had left him with a slight hunch, and his stooped silhouette radiated an aura of wizened old age. He was utterly composed and hadn’t said a word. In fact, he wasn’t even short of breath. Seeing this, Jiang Shining felt like maybe he, too, had nothing to fear.
Xuanmin waited for a moment. Once Lu Shijiu and Old Man Liu had taken their third step, he slowly raised his foot to take his first.
Reluctantly, Jiang Shining and Lu Nianqi followed him. Simply observing what lay ahead had been daunting enough; actually standing on the stone platforms brought a whole new level of fear. Jiang Shining couldn’t resist looking down and was immediately struck by terror. The stone platform was tall and narrow, making it all too easy to plunge into the dark, unfathomable waters lurking below. The surface of the water lay about ten yards beneath their feet. Just one fleeting glance made Jiang Shining’s head spin, and a buzzing dizziness overtook him.
The stone platforms they stood on had to be carefully chosen. Which ones were safe and which ones were to be avoided were determined entirely by Lu Shijiu as he guided them along.
Doubt lingered in Jiang Shining’s mind. Lu Shijiu and Old Man Liu were nearly twenty yards ahead of Xuanmin. Could Xuanmin really see which stones they were stepping on?
After he hopped in this manner for seven or eight steps, an even more horrifying discovery struck him.
“Why do I feel like the water is rising?” Jiang Shining’s voice was feeble, like a man on death’s door.
“Water?!” In front of him, Lu Nianqi froze, his body turning rigid at his words. “There’s water beneath us?”
“Don’t look down!” Lu Shijiu’s voice rang out from ahead, urgency lacing his words.
Oh no…!
Only then did Jiang Shining recall Lu Shijiu’s warning from earlier, but it was too late. He watched helplessly as Lu Nianqi suddenly hunkered down and clutched at the stone platform, unwilling to take another step. “I-I can’t go on! I want to turn back. I want to go home!”
He shuffled around, ready to retreat. The stone platform behind him was occupied by Jiang Shining. In his moment of panic, Lu Nianqi leaped to the platform next to where Jiang Shining stood.
“Don’t!” Jiang Shining cried.
He moved to yank Lu Nianqi back, but he was too slow and almost sent himself tumbling off the edge. Crushed rubble rolled by his feet and tumbled into the inky waters below.
Plop! Tiny splashes blossomed like flowers in the water.
Nestled in Xuanmin’s pouch, Xue Xian felt something within himself pulse, as if a heart had sprouted inside his chest, even though he was a wispy spirit lacking any form and possessed no organs whatsoever. He mumbled something in his haze, then descended into a mental state even more chaotic than before.
The sound of rocks hitting the water startled Lu Nianqi. Something came over him while he shuddered, his voice tinged with panic. “I—”
Before he could finish, the once calm and boundless black waters beneath him roared to life, as if a long-dead creature had emerged from the depths. Towering waves surged upward, crashing mercilessly over everyone. They were instantly drenched with a great splash.
At that moment, a sound: Thump!
Another heartbeat. It was as if Xue Xian had developed arteries and veins. He felt blood surge through his body and a fiery warmth crawl up his spine. Soon, even this sensation was overwhelmed by a flood of limitless heat.
“Hurry!” Lu Shijiu’s voice pierced through the cacophony of roaring waves.
Jiang Shining was clinging to the edge of his platform, but before he could respond, he was struck on the back of his neck, transforming him into a piece of soaked paper.