Chapter 139: The Emotions of the Bronze Immortal

Actually, Bai Qi's guess could be considered correct, because the things he had experienced truly left him without the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood. He dared not believe, yet was forced to believe, constantly trapped in such an awkward predicament.

By his own estimation, a month or two should have passed from the time he entered the Bronze Palace until now, and during this period, who knew what had happened in the outside world. If his deductions were accurate, not only were the factions surrounding the Quicksand Mountain Range stirring with restless ambition, but people from the Nine Provinces and the Eight Desolations might have already arrived at the Quicksand. It was just a question of whether those factions would choose to merge the Quicksand into several major powers this time. Under such immense temptation, what kind of decision would his master make? Although he had acknowledged this master halfway through his journey, to someone as loyal and sentimental as Bai Qi, his master was a part of his life. His original purpose had been to find those mysterious runes and discover a clue to returning home, but the factors of this world had constantly entangled him. To put it clearly, it was like a thread of karma weaving through his life. He had to save Kun from life and death, and he also needed to demand an explanation from Su Wen for her departure (since she was the person most capable of helping him find a way back). Yet, after leaving behind those precious items, she had departed, leaving Bai Qi feeling somewhat resentful in his heart.

And now, what he needed to do was the most correct thing. Pushing aside those negative emotions, Bai Qi turned his head and asked the crow, "Crow, do you think the deaths of these people are related to the Immortal of the Bronze Palace? Or rather... were their deaths directly or indirectly caused by him?"

"Hiss..." Hearing Bai Qi utter such a blasphemous remark, the crow immediately made a shushing gesture with its bald wings, signaling him not to speak recklessly.

Looking at the crow's cowardly appearance, Bai Qi felt a myriad of contempt in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged as he sternly asked, "I'm just asking you, is it yes or no? You go on and on about being a holy beast, yet at the crucial moment you dare not even let out a single loud fart. What qualifications do you have to act so self-important?"

This remark struck right at the crow's sore spot. Its eyes, which originally lacked any white part, actually revealed a sliver of it to show its anger.

"What are you glaring at? Why can't things just be spoken out loud instead of being憋ed (bottled up) to death in your stomach?" Bai Qi was also somewhat irritated. To watch the exit right here before their eyes while this crow blocked them from entering, offering no explanation whatsoever, was naturally infuriating.

Xietu, standing nearby, saw the sparks erupting between the man and the bird, and chimed in, "Bai Qi, calm your temper first. The crow has its reasons for not letting us enter; perhaps it is telling us to wait for the right opportunity."

Hearing Xietu gently console him and urge him to stay calm while also keeping the peace with the crow, the crow softened slightly. After pondering matters back and forth, it said to Bai Qi, "This is a true altar, and these must be illusions left over from his era. As for what happened, I suppose he must have failed his ascension, which led to this outcome."

"Ascension?!"

Bai Qi and Xietu asked in unison.

"Yes."

Bai Qi immediately followed up, "Isn't this Immortal of the Bronze Palace an immortal? How could he need to undergo ascension?"

"Do you think immortals are that easy to attain? In his era, this Immortal of the Bronze Palace should have been the person closest to the path of immortality. As to why he didn't succeed, that is beyond the knowledge of this holy beast." Seeing Bai Qi acting like a fool, the crow decided not to waste words, fearing it would be angered to death, and directly explained.

"Then why did so many people die?" Bai Qi asked again.

The crow endured its frustration and explained further, "These people must have been sacrificed. If the person ascending succeeds, these people would share in the glory—like dogs and chickens ascending to heaven along with their master. But if it fails, they must pay the price of death and endless reincarnation."

"Very well, then when do we enter?" Bai Qi asked.

"No rush." The crow paused for a moment and continued, "Do you know what the greatest treasure in the Bronze Palace is?"

Prompted by the crow's question, Bai Qi scratched the back of his head and shook it.

"It is the inheritance—the inheritance from the Immortal of the Bronze Palace. If you can obtain his inheritance, according to this holy beast's estimation, this world will bow at your feet. And by that time, the secrets hidden within your body will all be unveiled one by one," the crow said with a solemn expression.

What made Bai Qi feel contemptuous was that this fellow actually knew a great deal, but mostly chose to prevaricate and refused to reveal it. He genuinely had the urge to crack open this fellow's head to see just how many secrets were hidden inside.

Recovering his senses and carefully pondering the matter of the inheritance the crow had just mentioned, he continued to ask, "What does this inheritance have to do with this altar? Could it be that the inheritance is hidden inside this altar?"

"Your guess is somewhat close. The inheritance shouldn't be said to be in this altar, but rather in this world. This altar is the place of the final unfulfilled wish of the Immortal of the Bronze Palace, and it must be the place with the strongest resonance to that inheritance. That object accompanied its master for far too long, and here is where the aura of the Immortal of the Bronze Palace remains the thickest. Because his obsession is too deep, if you can redeem his obsession from within, the inheritance should not be far from you," the crow explained seriously to the two of them.

"I suppose obtaining this inheritance requires a heavy stake? Perhaps one's life?" Bai Qi guessed with a tentative tone.

"What are you thinking? Life? That thing is merely a grain of sand in the river of time. The most terrifying thing should be seeing a glimmer of hope amidst endless, boundless despair, only to realize that the distance of this hope has nothing to do with you," the crow said with a hint of profundity, seemingly recounting a story of its own.

"Uh, sorry. I was only thinking about how to get out and didn't mean to stir up the pain in your heart," Bai Qi said sincerely, feeling somewhat awkward.

The crow shook its head gently, then raised its head to look at the altar. Without turning back, it spoke urgently, "Hurry, if you want to get out now, step into the altar and enter the realm of consciousness of the Immortal of the Bronze Palace. The method of how to leave is there. If you have the fortune, that inheritance is a rare opportunity of a lifetime that might change the destiny of your entire life. Go." The crow felt a mixture of urgency and worry, but above all, anticipation.

Bai Qi hesitated somewhat, because he could not fully trust the crow's words. Yet, if he did nothing, he would remain trapped here indefinitely, with no way of knowing how many years would pass.

Therefore, it was better to take a gamble. Gathering his resolve deep within, he turned around, looked at the crow, then at Xietu, and suddenly strode over, wrapping Xietu in a big bear hug. Whispering "Wait for me" into her ear, he stepped into the altar without looking back.

Upon making contact with the altar, ripples spread across its surface like a barrier, and Bai Qi vanished like a stone sinking into water, disappearing without a trace...