Chapter 58: Identity Exposed

On the long bridge, a massive crowd of people squeezed together, slowly making their way forward.

In the beginning, everyone's nerves were extremely tense, but after walking safely for quite a while, they gradually relaxed, and the oppressive atmosphere eased significantly.

Ma Mian pushed aside a subordinate blocking his way and strode to the front of the procession. Shen Yuanguo glanced at Ma Mian with disdain and asked, "Are you really that scared?"

"Caution keeps one safe for ten thousand years. Only if I stay alive can the rest of the Underworld personnel leave here safely," Ma Mian said matter-of-factly.

Shen Yuanguo let out a soft chuckle. It was his first time seeing someone talk about being afraid of death with such refined detachment.

Seeing that no danger appeared on the bridge, the crowd quickened their pace, soon moving from the middle section of the bridge to a position close to the bridgehead.

Amidst the boundless thick fog, people placed their hands on each other's shoulders, and beams of light shot out from the crowd, illuminating the path ahead.

"Don't be afraid, everyone! With me here, go ahead and walk forward with confidence!" Ma Mian shouted from the center of the crowd with a robust and resonant voice.

The faces of the Underworld members darkened as they cast strange looks at Ma Mian.

"Everyone be careful, we're almost at the bridgehead," Shen Yuanguo shouted backward, then slowed his pace.

For a moment, the scene was incomparably quiet, and no one dared to make any unusual sounds.

A man walking near the front wiped the cold sweat seeping from his forehead, and the beam of his flashlight happened to shine toward the front-left of the bridge.

Just as the man finished wiping his sweat and was about to straighten the direction of his flashlight beam, his gaze suddenly froze at the edge of the light, and the movement of his hand came to a complete halt.

A companion beside him noticed the man's abnormality and reached out to pat his shoulder. "What's wrong with you? What are you staring into space for?"

"You... you... shine your light over there. Why does it look like there's a person standing there to me?" the man said somewhat panicked.

"Ah, someone is there?" Hearing this, his companion frowned and, half-in-doubt, cast his flashlight in the direction the man had pointed.

Under the illumination of the two light beams, a black human figure within the thick fog gradually became clear.

The figure was leaning against the railing, looking up at the sky as if admiring the red moon.

"There's someone, there really is someone! Lord, there's someone over there!!!" the companion shouted at the top of his lungs.

At these words, everyone's faces turned pale at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Ma Mian's expression jolted. "Where is he?!"

"There, there... at ten o'clock on the bridge!"

The next second, countless flashlight beams converged on the human figure, completely dispelling the darkness around him, and the figure's handsome face was thoroughly exposed to everyone.

"This?!" Shen Yuanguo's pupils trembled slightly, and he instinctively stepped back.

He was all too familiar with this person—wasn't it Li Chenqiu?

"Li... Li Chenqiu, why is he here?!"

"I don't know, aren't we ahead of him?"

"Lord, what... what should we do now?"

The originally orderly procession instantly descended into panic, and some of the more cowardly ones had already begun sneaking backward.

Suppressing the fear in his heart, Ma Mian feigned composure and said, "Li Chenqiu, when did you get here, and what do you want?"

After retreating to a safe position, Shen Yuanguo also spoke up, "You must be after the key, right? We don't have to fight; we can cooperate."

Originally, he had no intention of cooperating with Li Chenqiu, but upon seeing Li Chenqiu's composed and rosy-complexioned face, he abandoned his earlier thought of launching a sneak attack.

Was there any trace of weakness in that appearance? It was entirely the posture of someone at their peak condition—how could a sneak attack possibly succeed?

Li Chenqiu, leaning against the railing, turned his head, and his cold, detached gaze locked directly onto Shen Yuanguo. "So my name is Li Chenqiu."

Such inexplicable words left everyone thoroughly baffled, but Shen Yuanguo, standing at the very front, reacted immediately. His brows knitted into a deep frown as he tentatively asked, "You're... a mirror replica?"

In an instant, everyone realized the truth, staring in horror at Mirror Chenqiu without even daring to draw a heavy breath.

Mirror Chenqiu walked slowly to the center of the bridge and said coldly, "This is the Path of Gods, impassable to mortals. Therefore..."

At this point, Mirror Chenqiu slowly raised his palm.

"Run!!!"

Ma Mian reacted first, squeezing backward into the crowd.

One stone stirred a thousand ripples, and in an instant, the crowd scattered into a chaotic mess.

"Don't bunch up, scatter! Li Chenqiu only excels at close combat!" Shen Yuanguo shouted to the New World team before sprinting back the way they had come.

Shen Yuanguo had witnessed Li Chenqiu's combat prowess firsthand. His group couldn't even take down the opponent when the latter was half-crippled, let alone now against an immortal mirror replica.

Upon hearing Shen Yuanguo's words, the clustered crowd scrambled to disperse, running wildly as if they had lost their minds.

Mirror Chenqiu tilted his head, a hint of incomprehension flashing in his eyes.

What did they mean by him only excelling at close combat? Team fights were actually his strongest suit!

Watching the people fleeing for their lives like madmen, Mirror Chenqiu shifted his intent.

Splash!

The next second, his arm transformed into a pillar of water that shot straight up into the sky, plunging into the thick fog. Immediately afterward, a freezing current spread and expanded overhead.

Ma Mian, running at the very front, suddenly felt his heart skip a beat. Believing himself safe, he turned his head to look back at Mirror Chenqiu, just in time to witness Mirror Chenqiu's arm gradually turning into flowing water and surging into the sky.

"This..." Ma Mian's pupils contracted sharply. Extreme shock slowed his footsteps, leaving him frozen in a posture of looking back over his shoulder.

Shen Yuanguo, who had caught up, slapped Ma Mian on the shoulder. "What are you standing around for?"

Ma Mian's Adam's apple bobbed. "That... what is that Li Chenqiu's superpower?"

"Super strength, why?"

"Then... then why could he turn into water..."

Splat!

Before Ma Mian could finish speaking, the sound of tearing flesh came from behind him.

He turned his head to look and saw a blood hole right between the eyebrows of a resurrected cultivator.

Yet this was only the beginning...

Within the thick fog, droplet after droplet of water shot out like bullets. The piercing whistle of wind cutting through the air was endless, accompanied by continuous wails of agony across the scene.

"Ah—"

"What is going on? What's with this rain, why can it kill people?!"

"Save me, sa—ah!"

"Isn't this the superpower of Disaster Water from the internet? Why is it here?"

"Wait, why did this mirror replica's body turn into water? Does Li Chenqiu even have that ability?!!" someone shouted upon looking back and noticing the anomaly.

"Stop looking, Li Chenqiu is Disaster Water! Run for the bridgehead!" Ma Mian roared at the top of his lungs, his booming voice lingering for a long time within the thick fog.