As he walked higher step by step, the cloud platform built of white jade became increasingly clear.

Xie Buchen casually took out a pill from his sleeve, placed it in his mouth, and felt the medicinal power gradually dissolve and enter his meridians throughout his body, slowly healing his internal injuries.

Although his sword hadn’t ultimately struck Jian Chou, and her axe hadn’t struck him either, avoiding a mutually destructive situation, his previous injuries hadn’t fully healed.

The battle with Jian Chou had almost exhausted all his strength, making it difficult even to lift his hand again.

Not to mention the hidden injuries that were still aching inside.

Frowning slightly, Xie Buchen had reached the very edge of the white jade cloud platform.

This was a wide circular high platform built on elevated ground by the shore, somewhat similar to Kunwu’s Sea of Clouds Plaza, though different in shape. The totems on the ground were also different, appearing lifeless and more ancient.

Before Xie Buchen could fully survey the situation of this cloud platform, he suddenly heard voices.

More than one person.

At the diagonal edge of the cloud platform, five cultivators dressed in dark robes had gathered. From their attire, they weren’t disciples of any sect from the central domain—their collars and sleeves were decorated with some brightly colored and exotic patterns.

Among the five, three sat cross-legged on the ground while two were busy with array discs nearby.

One person muttered: “Why do you think the Young Sect Master wanted us to enter the Hidden Realm first? Our cultivation isn’t sufficient—what if we die inside?”

Another immediately cursed: “What are you worried about? If the Young Sect Master tells you to die, would you dare to live? Being able to scout the path for the Young Sect Master is our honor!”

“Enough, there’s nothing to argue about.” The seated person seemed to be the one in charge here. Hearing this with some impatience, he said: “Currently, the Young Sect Master is fighting fiercely with Yongzhou, and the situation in the wilderness changes constantly. But if our Hidden Realm expedition can severely damage the central domain cultivators or obtain any information related to the ‘Nine Curves River Map,’ it will definitely be of great help to the Young Sect Master.”

The other two immediately dared not speak.

The two who had been busy with array discs also returned, with one saying: “Protector Yang, we’ve already set up the secret formation. When the Young Sect Master passes through here, he’ll definitely be able to sense the information we’ve left behind.”

“Good.”

The man called “Protector Yang” nodded, stood up with a grave expression, and was about to call everyone to leave.

But unexpectedly, just after standing up, the array disc that one of them was about to put away suddenly lit up with an abnormal red glow!

In that instant, Protector Yang’s expression changed, and he directly drew the long blade from his waist, angrily shouting toward the corner where Xie Buchen was hiding: “Who’s there!”

“Boom!”

The blazing blade qi almost instantly crossed most of the cloud platform, reaching Xie Buchen!

On the single-log bridge.

Jian Chou walked step by step, steadily traversing the narrow bridge. Having already covered more than half the distance and able to see a vague high platform on the opposite shore, she turned her head to glance at the empty adjacent single-log bridge, then stopped and looked back with a smile: “I say, Junior Brother Xia Houshe, these single-log bridges are identical except for the difference in names—’Having Feelings’ and ‘Without Feelings.’ Do you need to act like you’re going to the execution ground?”

At least she didn’t feel any resistance from this “bridge of feelings.”

In fact, Jian Chou could easily perceive that Xia Houshe was walking on it as if on flat ground, and it shouldn’t be like before.

So why did Xia Houshe have such a mournful expression?

He walked just a few steps behind Jian Chou.

When Jian Chou stopped, he also stopped, maintaining a fixed distance from her as if he didn’t want to get any closer.

His pale face showed no expression, only a gaze filled with cold and profound observation.

Jian Chou looked at him, and he looked at her, without speaking.

“…”

In this moment, Jian Chou felt truly helpless.

Looking at how this young man gazed at her, it was as if she carried some disgusting disease, and he had to maintain this distance to be safe.

Wasn’t it just that she had directly pulled him onto the bridge of feelings with her?

The road ahead was still long. After thinking for a while, Jian Chou finally didn’t linger on the bridge, moving forward while turning her back to the unfriendly Xia Houshe behind her: “It’s just a bridge. Your and my purpose is to use the bridge to cross the river. Whether it’s a bridge of feelings or without feelings, as long as it can cross the river, aren’t they both the right bridge? I thought Junior Brother Xia Houshe would be open-minded, but I didn’t expect you to be troubled by the confusion between having and not having feelings.”

Xia Houshe still didn’t speak.

If he hadn’t been unable to get on the bridge without feelings no matter what, he thought he would definitely keep his distance from Jian Chou, rather than walking steadily yet tremblingly behind her like this, not knowing what he was thinking.

The absurd feeling had not yet left Xia Houshe’s mind.

With the whole world as enemies, he didn’t need friends.

Even…

He didn’t need a traveling companion like Jian Chou either.

Unconsciously, his gaze fell on Jian Chou again.

Xia Houshe remembered the earth-shaking battle that had caused everyone to scatter, and his gaze fell on Jian Chou’s injured shoulder: seriously wounded, with cultivation completely unrecovered, and even now turning her back to him…

Her back.

A position suitable for sneak attacks.

His mind suddenly stirred, and Xia Houshe’s footsteps hesitated for just a moment.

But just as he hesitated, Jian Chou’s relaxed and calm voice was carried to his ears by the wind.

“Junior Brother Xia Houshe, I’m a few years older than you, so let me share some wisdom from experience: if someone dares to turn their back to you, then you must never have any thoughts of ambushing that person. Because either this person trusts you as a close friend, or this person has the complete confidence to be unafraid of your ambush.”

“…”

Xia Houshe immediately looked up.

Jian Chou’s footsteps didn’t pause at all, as if she hadn’t just said those words. She simply turned her wrist lightly, and the ferocious Ghost Axe she’d been holding flashed with a streak of flowing light.

Either trusting as a close friend, or having complete confidence to be unafraid of ambush.

The deep long line between Xia Houshe’s brows was red as if about to drip blood.

So, was she confident in her own strength?

His tightly pressed thin lips carried a hint of condensed killing intent. They parted slightly as if to say something, but then immediately closed again, continuing to follow behind Jian Chou without a word.

Jian Chou’s pace was neither hurried nor slow. Looking at the cloud platform that was now very close, she couldn’t help but slightly raise an eyebrow and smile.

“We’re here.”

The single-log bridge was very long, actually extending across the dark river toward the high cloud platform.

Jian Chou stepped down from the single-log bridge, and her feet touched the white jade cloud platform.

The wide cloud platform was elevated, surrounded by mist.

But directly in front of where Jian Chou landed, there was actually another wide white jade road, though its end was hidden in the clouds and couldn’t be seen clearly.

She took two steps on the cloud platform, and only then did Xia Houshe descend from the single-log bridge, looking around.

“Hmm?”

A puzzled sound came from Jian Chou.

Before Xia Houshe could finish surveying the full appearance of the cloud platform, he heard this sound and immediately looked toward Jian Chou.

Jian Chou, holding the Ghost Axe, now had her brows tightly furrowed, lowering her gaze to look at the ground not far in front of her.

On the white jade cloud platform, though it already showed some signs of age, one could still glimpse its former grandeur and magnificence.

However, at this moment, fresh blood was splattered across the cloud platform.

Crouching down, Jian Chou held the Ghost Axe in her right hand while her left hand reached down to touch the blood with her finger.

Viscous and still warm.

There were also traces of fighting on the surrounding ground. Jian Chou frowned, stood up, and walked a few steps to carefully examine the scene, her eyes shining with sharp light.

While she was investigating, Xia Houshe had also approached, looking in the same directions as Jian Chou.

In the center-right area of the cloud platform, there was actually a large area of terrifying blade and sword marks.

“Someone actually fought here before us and was injured?”

“They should have left not long ago.”

Jian Chou followed the trail of blood, standing in the middle and looking toward the source of the blood, only to discover a blood trail that was somewhat scattered, leading straight to the edge of the cloud platform.

It seemed…

Someone had been wounded and came from that direction.

If there was fighting, there was enmity.

So who were the two sides?

Her eyes narrowed slightly. Jian Chou was about to move in that direction to see if she could find any clues.