Chapter 287: The Rainbow Bridge

Even if one truly felt grateful for the benefits received, a simple bow or, at most, three kowtows would suffice.

After all, the master of the cave dwelling had long since passed. Any act of gratitude was merely a way to find peace of mind. Why waste time performing such an elaborate and meticulous ritual at this moment?

Yu Kong’s expression remained solemn as he carried out the formal ceremony with unwavering precision. Qin Sang and the others silently grumbled in their hearts but dared not voice their opinions. They could only wait patiently.

When the final step of the ritual was complete, Yu Kong did not immediately rise. Instead, he lifted his head to look at the clay statue, his gaze landing on its left hand. In his eyes, an uncontrollable excitement and anticipation surfaced.

The statue’s left hand made no specific hand seal. It rested plainly on its knee, palm upturned, thumb tucked inward, and four fingers extended forward, pointing toward the outside of the hall.

The moment Yu Kong completed his bow, a streak of rainbow light suddenly shot out from the statue’s fingertips.

The abrupt change caught everyone off guard. Who could have imagined that the seemingly ordinary clay statue concealed such a secret?

The hall erupted into a clamor. The group was in an uproar, their eyes filled with shock as they glanced between the statue and Yu Kong, expressions of disbelief etched on their faces.

After all, since the discovery of Qiuhong Market, countless immortal cultivators had explored it thoroughly. The Grand Hall of Offerings had been ransacked repeatedly, and the statue had undoubtedly been examined countless times, always deemed an ordinary sculpture.

Even Core Formation Realm cultivators had inspected it before.

Yet, before Yu Kong, no one had uncovered its secret!

The streak of rainbow light transformed into a rainbow bridge that spanned half the hall.

The bridge was an arched structure but incomplete, with one end resting in front of Yu Kong and the other extending from the palm of the statue into the void.

Qin Sang’s heart skipped a beat.

Is this rainbow bridge the so-called hidden path leading to the herb garden?

If he hadn’t witnessed it himself, who would have thought the hidden path was concealed in such an obvious place, activated in such an unusual way?

The hall was illuminated with a kaleidoscope of colors from the rainbow light. Yu Kong seemed to have anticipated this outcome, for he immediately cast a stream of spiritual power to seal the door, preventing the light from leaking outside and alerting others.

"Haha..."

Yu Kong laughed heartily. "That friend did not deceive me! In today’s world, morality has collapsed. Immortal cultivators are obsessed with treasure hunting and know nothing of gratitude. Otherwise, how could the secret of this statue have remained hidden until now for me to discover?"

Hearing Yu Kong laugh, the group finally snapped out of their shock. Crescent Moon Fairy asked coquettishly, "Senior Yu, we’ve never heard of such a strange feature in the statue before. Could it be that you were the first to uncover this? Does this rainbow bridge lead to the cave dwelling master’s treasure trove?"

Yu Kong restrained his laughter, his expression unreadable. "Regardless of where it leads, do you not wish to go inside and see for yourselves?"

These words ignited a fervent light in everyone’s eyes. Wu Chen cautiously spoke up, "With such a secret before us, we naturally wish to explore it. However, since you were the first to discover this rainbow bridge, we must defer to you. If you have any requests, feel free to state them. We will follow your lead."

The others nodded in agreement.

The rainbow bridge’s destination was unknown, but it was undoubtedly extraordinary. It might even lead to treasures more valuable than those in the Spirit Treasure Pavilion.

Even getting a share of the spoils was enough to excite them.

As long as Yu Kong did not intend to claim everything for himself, they were willing to accept any terms.

Yu Kong chuckled. "Since I invited you all here, I wouldn’t exclude you or monopolize the find. As for what lies beyond the rainbow bridge—whether there are treasures or, perhaps, dangers more lethal than the Spirit Treasure Pavilion’s barriers—I truly have no idea. Does anyone wish to back out now?"

At this point, who could resist such temptation?

Moreover, having seen the secret, what would happen if someone chose to withdraw now?

No one backed out. Satisfied, Yu Kong nodded and glanced toward the hall’s entrance before urging, "We must act quickly before circumstances change. This is not a place to linger. Let’s proceed."

Yan Wu led the way as the group queued to ascend the rainbow bridge, with Yu Kong taking the rear.

Qin Sang silently stepped onto the bridge.

He refrained from crushing the One Heart Pendant right away. Though he was almost certain that the rainbow bridge was the hidden path, it would be unwise to hastily transmit a message before fully understanding the situation on the other side. Otherwise, it could backfire.

The scene depicted in the jade pendant had already hinted that obtaining the spiritual herbs wouldn’t be so easy. There was no need to rush.

Moreover, Qin Sang couldn’t discern Yu Kong’s true intentions.

If Yu Kong genuinely intended to collaborate peacefully with the group to seek treasure, that would be ideal.

But if, as Sheng Yuanzi had sarcastically suggested, Yu Kong only wanted a few scapegoats, then Wandering Man and Ge Yuan would be essential fallback options. After all, having already killed Shao Cunhui, why would Yu Kong hesitate to kill a few more?

As these thoughts raced through his mind, the people ahead of Qin Sang disappeared one by one at the end of the rainbow bridge. Soon, it was his turn.

Qin Sang took a deep breath, staying on guard, and stepped forward at the bridge’s cutoff point. Darkness enveloped his vision, and instead of stepping into the void, his foot landed firmly on solid ground.

The group reappeared inside a cave. The light outside the cave entrance was dim, and a misty fog blanketed the surroundings. Inside, the cave seemed free of danger or barriers, allowing everyone to relax slightly. They turned to look at Yu Kong, the last to step inside.

Yu Kong ran his hand across the stone wall, and the rainbow bridge disappeared.

"The treasures are ahead. What are we waiting for?"

With that, Yu Kong took the lead and headed toward the cave exit.

As they neared the exit, Qin Sang saw the scene depicted in the jade pendant with his own eyes. He was now certain that this was the herb garden!

However, the area was far larger than Qin Sang had anticipated.

Outside the cave lay a vast plain dotted with scattered, low peaks that appeared unremarkable. Only the towering mountain in the middle of the plain stood out, the very one shown in the jade pendant.

The distant mountains were shrouded in mist, but the aura emanating from the herbs pierced through the fog, capturing everyone’s attention.

"Are those... the spiritual herbs planted by the cave dwelling’s master?"

Wu Chen’s exclamation was filled with fervor, his eyes blazing. The others shared similar expressions of excitement and greed.

Yet, a few maintained their composure. Mu Teng spoke coldly, "Don’t celebrate too soon. From what I can see, the mist around that mountain is no ordinary fog but rather a potent barrier. Whether we can actually harvest the herbs is still uncertain."

Mu Teng’s words were like a bucket of cold water, snapping everyone out of their fervor.

Yu Kong nodded faintly, his gaze lingering on Mu Teng with a subtle undertone. "As expected of someone as crafty as you, Daoist Mu Teng. No wonder Sheng Yuanzi trusted you enough to send you here to spy on me."

Everyone was taken aback, instinctively distancing themselves from Mu Teng.

Mu Teng’s face darkened dramatically. Forcing himself to remain calm, he retorted, "Since stepping onto the path of immortality, I have always walked alone. I have no connection to Sheng Yuanzi and no idea what you’re talking about, Daoist Yu..."