It was on that third day that the world of blackness around them suddenly turned gray. At the same time, the three hundred meter wide rock they were on suddenly stopped moving. Meng Hao’s mind trembled as a thick mist began to spread out in all directions. Soon, everything was like a sea of mist.
Meng Hao’s scalp prickled as he realized that he couldn’t move a muscle. How could he not understand what was happening? Off in the mists, a group of figures could be seen, shouldering rocks as they marched forward.
They looked frustrated, confused as they approached. Soft voices could be heard echoing out in the mists.
“When will the Bridge of Immortality reappear like new…? Sir, on what day will we again lay eyes on you…?”
Surrounded by the echoing sound, the figures floated through the mist. Men and women, elderly and young, all looked confused. As they neared Meng Hao, he felt a coldness that seemed capable of freezing the soul.
Meng Hao gradually grew colder, until it seemed as if his very life force were about to be extinguished. It was at this point that Meng Hao noticed that this group of people was not the same group that he had encountered on the last land mass, when he was chasing Yi Chenzi.
Next to him, the azure-robed man continued to sit there, occasionally sipping alcohol. As he looked at the group of people, the melancholy in his eyes grew deeper, and the corners of his mouth twisted with bitterness.
He examined them closely, as if he were looking for something. He examined each figure closely, and when he reached the last one, his loneliness seemed to grow deeper. He frowned and took another drink.
The figures moved toward the rock Meng Hao was on, and as they grew close, they suddenly stopped. The blankness and confusion in their faces suddenly turned into viciousness. They looked over at the rock, and the azure-robed man.
The man looked back at them, and then waved his hand. As he did, the figures continued to float on by. They moved off into the distance, their confusion once again restored. Faint voices were again heard.
“When will the Bridge of Immortality reappear like new…? Sir, on what day will we again lay eyes on you…?”
The sound faded off into the distance, and the grayness in the void disappeared. There was no tempest like before. The silence was restored.
As everything returned to normal, the three hundred meter wide rock that Meng Hao was on once again began to move forward at top speed.
Meng Hao’s body trembled as he recovered. His heart shook because of this second encounter with these bizarre figures. Without thinking about it, he turned to the azure-robed man and asked, “What are they…?”
After asking the question, Meng Hao realized that, considering the man’s Cultivation base, and the days of silence, it was likely that he might not get an answer to the question.
“Bridge Slaves,” said the azure-robed man, his voice soft.
“After the Bridge of Immortal Treading was destroyed by Ancestor Ji, the surviving will of the bridge settled in this spot. People who coveted eternity and sought to extend their lives found their wills dissolved, and they became Bridge Slaves.
“They achieved the eternal life they sought, but the price… was that they became slaves of the bridge. Day and night, throughout their eternal lives, they slave away to rebuild the Bridge of Immortal Treading, which of course, can never be rebuilt.”
Hearing this explanation caused Meng Hao’s mind to spin. He turned to look in the direction the figures had departed in, but all he could see was blackness, as if an enormous screen of darkness were covering over everything.
The man began to mutter bitterly, “Everything in the world comes with a price… a price….” He held the alcohol flagon in front of him, gripping it tightly.