Chapter 730: The Cloaked Man
Before Bai Hanyun could find an answer, the river water suddenly began to swirl. As the current grew stronger by the second, Bai Hanyun stepped back, avoiding the splashing water.
Standing behind her, Hua Yuyu and the others watched as the river slowly split apart.
Moments later, a dark void formed in the riverbed, with water spiraling around it.
Bai Hanyun was certain there had been no such thing under the river before. At this moment, she immediately understood that this must be the entrance to the Underworld Realm.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward, but Wu Jun grabbed her arm.
"Wait."
Bai Hanyun paused, then turned to look at him. "What’s wrong, Brother Wu?"
Wu Jun took out a thick rope and explained, "We don’t know what will happen after we jump in. Just in case, we should tie ourselves together."
Hearing this, Bai Hanyun nodded in agreement.
Receiving her permission, Wu Jun quickly secured the rope around her waist.
After everyone was tied together, Wu Jun grabbed Bai Hanyun’s hand and Bao Shengjie’s. Looking at their confused faces, he calmly said, "We must not get separated."
Understanding the danger in this mission, everyone quickly clasped hands.
Exchanging glances with the others, Bai Hanyun said with determination flashing in her eyes, "Brothers, let’s go."
Hua Yuyu and the others nodded in response.
The next moment, they all jumped into the dark void together.
The instant they disappeared, the water suddenly stilled, then crashed down toward the dark void.
Splash!
After the river water closed over the dark void, it vanished without a trace.
In the silent backyard, the riverbed returned to normal, and the river water regained its natural flow, as if nothing had happened just now.
At the same time, Bai Hanyun and the others were still falling.
Looking at the darkness surrounding them, Bai Hanyun’s heartbeat quickened. Just when she thought there would be no end to the fall, she suddenly felt the temperature drop sharply.
Before she could react, the darkness vanished.
Bai Hanyun blinked a few times, adjusting to the sudden brightness. A few seconds later, she looked down and saw a vast field of red flowers in full bloom.
Before she could fully process the scene, she felt someone yank her. In the next instant, a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her, and her nose bumped into a solid chest.
Just as she was about to look up, Hua Yuyu’s voice rang out, "Get ready!"
Two seconds later, Bai Hanyun’s vision spun.
Holding her firmly, Wu Jun rolled across the ground several times before finally stopping. The moment they came to a halt, he pulled Bai Hanyun to her feet and grabbed her hand.
Shaking her head, Bai Hanyun steadied herself as the dizziness faded. She quickly scanned the surroundings and saw that Hua Yuyu and the others had also landed safely.
Seeing that everyone was unharmed, Hua Yuyu took out a black mask and put it on. "Cover your faces. Don’t speak."
Hearing this, Bai Hanyun nodded. Following his lead, she took out a black mask and put it on.
Seeing no danger, Wu Jun released her hand.
Bai Hanyun then took out the talismans, formation plates, artifacts, and the white jade stone. She distributed them among the group.
Once she finished, Bai Hanyun held up a talisman and said, "This is a protection talisman. We must keep it on at all times while we are here."
After saying that, she stuck the talisman onto her body.
Hua Yuyu and the others nodded and followed her example, attaching the talismans to their chests.
The moment the talismans took effect, the coldness in the air and the oppressive pressure vanished.
Freed from the corrosion of the Yin energy, Bai Hanyun held up the white jade stone. Seeing a faint golden light shot out from it and pointing in a specific direction, she said, "This way."
Without hesitation, Bai Hanyun moved forward, following the golden light, while Hua Yuyu and the others stayed close behind.
The group walked for more than two hours before arriving at a riverside.
Sitting on a small boat, a man in a black hooded cloak turned toward them. With half his face hidden beneath the hood, he slowly extended his bony hand toward Bai Hanyun.
Unsure of what to do, Bai Hanyun exchanged glances with the others, then took a step forward.
Seeing that she did not take his hand, the cloaked man paused for a long moment before retracting it.
"What a rare guest."
His lips did not move, yet a windy, eerie voice echoed directly in Bai Hanyun’s mind.
She stared at him silently, saying nothing.
The cloaked man glanced at the white jade stone in her palm. A few seconds later, his voice came again, "A member of the Gui Clan. Where do you wish to go?"
Bai Hanyun parted her lips to answer, but suddenly remembered the warning and closed them again. After a brief pause, she took out an iridescent stone she had found earlier in the pouch delivered by Gui Di.
The moment the cloaked man saw the stone, he paused, then reached toward it.
"A high-grade spiritual stone?" he said, a hint of surprise in his voice. Then he added, "Very well. Please board the boat."
As his words fell, a wooden bridge appeared out of thin air, connecting the flower field to the small boat.
Bai Hanyun did not move immediately. Instead, she turned to Hua Yuyu and the others and made a hand signal.
[You all go first. I will keep an eye on him.]
Receiving her message, they nodded, then stepped into the bridge one after another.
After Hua Yuyu and the others boarded the boat, Bai Hanyun finally stepped onto the bridge.
The cloaked man waited until everyone was seated before standing up and picking up the oar. The moment his oar touched the black, still water, the lantern at the front of the boat lit up.
As the soft bluish light illuminated the darkness, Bai Hanyun looked down at the black water and realized something was moving beneath the surface.