Super Gene Ⅱ: Evolution-Chapter 1089: The Bridge That Can’t Be Crossed

Chapter 1089 -1089: The Bridge That Can’t Be Crossed

Di Esi had already transcribed the Netherworld Great Method earlier, and Lin Shen had read through it.

Lin Shen also went out of his way to review the version stored in the Central Heaven Palace. It was indeed the Netherworld Great Method, and a rather complete version at that, containing much content absent in the version preserved in the Central Heaven Palace.

Only, the Yan Family’s annihilation had become a distant memory. No news of any remaining Yan Family clans had been heard of for ages, so how on earth had a palace and a stone tablet emerged here on Yin Mountain Star?

The Netherworld Great Method required one to visualize the Underworld. It was said that ordinary people who practiced it would easily go insane. Only those of the Yan Family could safely train in it, which is why the Netherworld Great Method had not surfaced in a very long time, so long that it was on the brink of being completely forgotten.

The three, Lin Shen included, had already chosen their own paths and had no intention of practicing this mysterious Divine Skill.

After passing the stone tablet, they looked toward the palace amidst the clouds and mist. It seemed close, as if just flying for a little while would bring them to its front gate.

But the three walked for quite some time without reaching the palace, and instead, a stone bridge appeared before them.

Flanking the stone bridge seemed to be a river, though the river’s surface was obscured. Churning clouds and mist filled it, roiling restlessly.

“Is this the Naihe Bridge?” Lin Shen asked. He had already heard of this bridge from Di Esi’s descriptions but was seeing it with his own eyes for the first time.

“This bridge doesn’t look big, but once you step onto it, no matter how far you walk, you can’t reach the other end.” Di Esi pointed at a large black cauldron situated at the bridge’s entrance and said, “Inside that cauldron, clouds and mist roll about. Beneath the mist seems to be liquid. Wei and I suspect this is the legendary Granny Meng’s Soup from mythology. Wei mentioned that according to your home planet’s myths, only by drinking Granny Meng’s Soup can one cross the Naihe Bridge. We didn’t dare try it, though we don’t know whether it’s the same here.”

“Have you tried bypassing it by going another way?” Lin Shen stared at the large black cauldron at the bridge entrance, contemplating as he asked.

“We’ve tried everything. Whether from above or below, no matter the approach, all ended in getting lost in an endless sea of clouds. We couldn’t reach the palace,” Di Esi replied with a shake of his head.

“You two stay here. I’ll go take a look.” With that, Lin Shen stepped onto the Naihe Bridge and began walking forward.

The Naihe Bridge at first glance looked no more than a few dozen meters long—Lin Shen could have crossed it in a blink with his speed.

But after walking for a while, he felt as if the bridge stretched on endlessly. The front always seemed about dozens of meters away, never getting closer, no matter how far he walked.

Turning back, he noticed that he hadn’t walked further than a few meters. Wei and Di Esi were still standing at the bridge entrance, looking at him.

Lin Shen sprinted across the bridge at full speed but still couldn’t reach the other side. Returning to the entrance, he stepped off the bridge in just a few steps, rejoining Wei and Di Esi.

“This is bizarre,” Wei muttered.

“Indeed, quite bizarre.” Lin Shen moved to the black cauldron and peered inside.

Inside, black smoke churned, and beneath the smoke, a liquid as dark as ink could be faintly seen.

It looked unappetizing, but upon sniffing carefully, there seemed to be a faint aroma of meat, like beef soup.

“Could it really be that drinking the soup inside this black cauldron is the only way to cross? The legendary Granny Meng’s Soup supposedly erases all past memories. Crossing the Naihe Bridge after drinking it would mean reincarnation and becoming a new person. That’s not something I would dare to drink lightly.” The unsettling nature of the place gave Lin Shen pause. Even with the Evolution Theory fortifying his body to near immunity against poisons, he wasn’t willing to risk consuming this unknown liquid.

Di Esi and Wei were even less inclined. If they had any intention of trying it, they’d have done so already and wouldn’t have waited for Lin Shen to arrive.

While the three puzzled over the situation, a sudden burst of lively music broke the eerie silence, taking them completely by surprise.

“Di-la-da… di-la-da… di-la-da…”

The cheerful melody wafted from the opposite end of the Naihe Bridge. The sound grew louder and louder, though the dense fog ahead concealed its origin.

The trio stared at the bridge, and after a moment, a procession emerged faintly through the fog.

The group was dressed in bright red robes. At the front were several figures playing various instruments, while others carried signs with the character for “double happiness” painted in vibrant red.

Before long, the trio spotted a large, ornate, red flower sedan chair among the group.

“What’s that?” Di Esi asked, perplexed by the unfamiliar object.

Lin Shen’s expression turned strange as he explained, “That’s a flower sedan. On our home planet, it was an ancient form of transport used in weddings to carry the bride.”

“So, are there people in that palace? And they’re holding a wedding today?” Di Esi asked with an equally strange expression, eyes focused on the slowly advancing group. “Are they welcoming a bride or sending her off?”

“I’m not sure.” Lin Shen had only heard snippets about such traditions and had no way of clarifying whether this was an arrival or a departure.

Both turned to Wei, who shook his head, indicating he didn’t know either.

“In any case, as long as there are people, we can ask where they’re from,” Di Esi suggested.

Lin Shen nodded. The three stood at a distance and watched the procession advance. Due to the thick fog, they still couldn’t see the people’s faces clearly. However, the strange and eerie atmosphere left Lin Shen with an uneasy feeling.

As a child, he had read plenty of ghost stories. Images of ghost brides and Ghost Kings taking wives raced through his mind, making him shiver involuntarily.

The thought lingered: if this was indeed a Ghost King’s wedding, could the sedan chair possibly contain a stunning beauty, one as breathtaking as Wang Zuxian from the old movies?

If a beauty was truly being forced into marriage with a Ghost King, should he step in to save her?

As Lin Shen mused, the procession drew closer to the bridge’s end, and the trio finally saw the faces of the musicians at the front.

At first glance, they all froze with a chill crawling up their spines.

These were not people—nor were they Divine Beings. They were, without a doubt, paper effigies.

The paper effigies had chalk-white faces with vivid crimson cheeks painted on. Their eyeless sockets were eerily lifeless, and their exaggerated nodding as they played made them both comical and creepy.

Lin Shen had always been disturbed by such stories as a child. Monsters and aliens didn’t frighten him, but things like this set his nerves on edge.

It wasn’t outright fear. It was just an intensely uncomfortable feeling deep within.

“Damn it. Could this really be a Ghost King’s wedding? Has the entire Yan Family turned into ghosts?” Lin Shen muttered to himself, still reluctant to believe in ghostly beings.

From what he had encountered so far, all so-called ghosts and gods were just other types of lifeforms, nothing more.

“Di-la-da… di-la-da…”

The paper effigy procession continued onward, eventually crossing the bridge. It was now obvious that not just the leaders but the entire group, including the flower sedan and even the instruments, were made of colorful paper.

The trio instinctively retreated several steps, intending to let the procession pass quietly and avoid any unnecessary trouble.

But to their shock, when they stepped back, the procession turned and began moving toward them instead.

“Stay alert. They’re coming for us!” Lin Shen commanded, gathering his strength, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

The three prepared for a confrontation, their energies coalescing. But just as the procession neared, it abruptly stopped before reaching them.

The music ceased. The flower sedan was set down, and a paper effigy resembling a matchmaker stepped forward. It turned to them, revealing a smile more ghastly than any ghost’s, then reached out a hand to lift the sedan’s curtain.