Chapter 85: The Ten Bridges Connecting Humanity

Inside the theater, the young man sweeping the floor was named Yao Sen. He was also a Star Gate player, previously a lone wanderer of the Freedom Faction, unaffiliated with any organization.

However, three years ago, during a battle for control, Yao Sen was gravely wounded and was saved by Mr. He. Since then, he had completely given up. He neither entered the Star Gate nor took on any more missions. It was as if his soul had been lost—his desires and ambitions utterly extinguished.

For the past three years, Yao Sen had been living under Mr. He’s care. Though it didn’t cost much, the man at least provided him with a place to stay and three meals a day.

Seated in the front row of the theater, Yao Sen wore a blue janitor’s uniform and smoked a cigarette as he asked, “What’s up?”

“Uh… uh, haha, nothing much.” Mr. He scratched his head, seemingly hesitant to speak.

Mr. He was truly an odd person. If one were to mistake him for a shy gentleman, that would be laughable. In the Chaos Faction, he was a known figure—murder, arson, robbery, annihilating entire families. If a crime carried the death penalty, he had probably committed it.

From an outsider’s perspective, even his sexual preferences were ambiguous. Whether someone carried a spear or had a hole, he entertained them all. Calling him a downright depraved lunatic would not be an exaggeration.

Yet, despite being such a villain, he treated his brothers fairly well. And among those he was familiar with, he liked to “put on airs.”

He considered himself acquainted with Yao Sen long enough to be called a friend. He had provided for him for three years, but it had been no great effort—barely any cost, really. Besides, Yao Sen did clean the place for him.

Now, Yao Sen had given up on life, his Dao heart shattered. Yet, He was about to ask him to do something extremely dangerous. It made him feel petty, as if he were using three years of small favors to guilt-trip someone into risking their life.

It was a conflicting feeling—one most villains would easily brush aside. But not Mr. He. Because he considered himself a “master among villains,” someone with class and a sense of style.

“Old He, if you were in the Order Faction, you’d thrive. You’re ruthless enough, crazy enough. Haha, these days, whether players or ordinary people, those who are too kind always end up suffering.” Yao Sen took a drag from his cigarette, paused slightly, then continued, “But in the Chaos Faction, there are plenty who are more ruthless, crazier, and more shameless than you. You act too much like a human—you won’t last long… you’ll get yourself killed.”

Mr. He was silent for a long time before finally speaking. “We need to go to the Capital and capture two people. It’s extremely difficult—even the Vigil Keeper headquarters has its eyes on them.”

“Alright, I’ll go.” Yao Sen agreed without hesitation.

“…I’m going too.” Mr. He immediately added, “I’ll be your backup using that item of yours.”

Yao Sen turned to glance at him, then suddenly said, “To be honest, the only reason I’ve stayed here these past three years… is because you still have a little bit of humanity left in you.”

…

The Frozen Wasteland.

Ren Ye was startled by the sight of a figure sitting trapped within the ice. Upon closer inspection, it was a male corpse, dressed in ancient clothing. His face was twisted in agony, his head tilted back as he stared toward the sky, as if filled with resentment in his final moments.

Was this a horror scene deliberately created by the Star Gate?

Or had others passed through this trial before him?

Ren Ye pondered for only a moment before kicking some snow over the ice, covering the frozen body.

“Swish!”

Without further delay, he continued forward, pushing five wooden planks as he retraced his steps.

On the way back, the full moon hung high in the sky, and the temperature kept dropping. Even with constant running and exertion, he could not resist the biting cold.

Pausing briefly, he untied the fur robe around his waist and swiftly draped it over himself.

The soft fur pressed against his skin, sending warmth coursing through his body. It provided some protection against the cold, but judging from his current sensation, it likely wouldn’t last through the night winds…

“At least winning that first round wasn’t for nothing… this thing has some use.” Ren Ye muttered with some satisfaction as he pushed forward.

Estimating the time in his mind, he had been running for quite a while now and felt that he was nearing the suspension bridge. By this point, the sky had darkened significantly, and a thick fog had begun to rise in the mountains, making visibility extremely low.

“Gotta…”

Boom!

Just as Ren Ye was muttering to himself, a sudden loud noise erupted from ahead, as if something had crashed against the cliffside.

An avalanche? A landslide? Impossible.

The suspension bridge—

The bridge?!

Ren Ye hesitated for only a brief moment before a sense of foreboding crept into his heart. Pushing the five wooden planks forward, he suddenly accelerated. Before long, bathed in moonlight, he caught sight of the gorge that lay ahead.

Setting the planks down for now, he sprinted forward. As the scene before him became clearer, his mind buzzed.

The suspension bridge that had once spanned the cliff… was broken!

A bottomless chasm stretched before him, with the mountain path on the other side at least eleven or twelve meters away.

Looking down, he saw that a portion of the bridge remained dangling from his side of the cliff, hanging like a rope ladder someone had lowered from above.

The wooden planks and ropes of the bridge were secured to the ground by two thick bronze pillars, preventing it from falling completely.

One glance was all it took for Ren Ye to understand—someone on the opposite cliff had cut the bridge.

Once severed, the bridge naturally swung toward his side. Under the force of gravity and inertia, the structure had snapped in the middle, sending half of it plunging into the abyss.

Fuck!

The veins on Ren Ye’s forehead bulged. He instantly realized—someone was sabotaging him, making sure he wouldn’t make it back alive.

This frozen wasteland held no one other than the ten players. The Star Gate wouldn’t do this to a participant, which meant the culprit had to be from the opposing faction.

But… what was their goal?

Earlier, when Ren Ye had crossed the bridge, he had already considered the possibility of it being cut off.

However, based on his calculations, it seemed highly unlikely. The bridge was located at the midpoint of the mountain path. From the starting point, it took forty-five minutes to reach this spot, and from here, another forty-five minutes to reach the lumber collection site.

In other words, even if another player saw the bridge and wanted to sabotage it, they wouldn’t have had enough time. They would first need to backtrack, take a detour, then loop back onto Ren Ye’s path to cut the bridge.

But by doing so, they would sacrifice their own time to gather wood!

Star Gate had only allotted two hours for collecting lumber—four hours in total. The round-trip journey alone took three hours, leaving just an hour to gather materials.

No matter how the timing was adjusted, there was only enough time for each player to collect their own lumber. If someone deliberately cut the bridge, both sides would lose—the saboteur wouldn’t make it back in time, and Ren Ye wouldn’t survive the night.

Which meant… someone was willing to die just to take him down? Were they insane?!

Down the mountain path, No. 11 was sprinting at full speed.

He was the one who had cut Ren Ye’s bridge.

He was fully aware that with most of the allotted time gone, returning to his own path to gather lumber would now be impossible.

But he had never planned on dying with Ren Ye—he had a different plan altogether.

During the first stage, No. 11 had completed two missions and obtained a crucial piece of information.

That clue read:

“It is said that in the bitter cold of the north, there are ten winding mountain paths leading to a snowy valley. Midway along each path stands a suspension bridge—ten bridges symbolizing the final bonds of humanity.”

The moment he arrived at this stage alongside the other players at the hour of the Rooster (5-7 PM), No. 11 immediately recognized that the clue referred to this challenge.

So, he had devised a plan from the very beginning. He never intended to collect wood—his goal was to follow Ren Ye into the mountains, wait for the right moment, and sever the bridge to ensure his death.

There were two reasons for this.

First, he wanted revenge for their earlier conflict.

Second, his teammate, Scholar, had yet to confirm No. 5’s identity, but they had already reached a consensus—this person was definitely from the opposing faction and highly likely to be the enemy team’s leader. Killing him now would make the later stages much easier.

As No. 11 raced along the path, his mind was fixated on completing the second part of his plan.

When retrieving wood from the mountain, all players moved as fast as possible, meaning their progress was roughly the same. However, No. 11 was ahead of the rest—faster and with a greater lead.

…

On the mountain path to Ren Ye’s left.

The cold and aloof Princess stepped onto five stacked wooden planks with her right foot, while her left toe lightly tapped the ground for momentum.

“Swoosh, swoosh…!”

The sound of wood scraping against the snow echoed as Xu Qingzhao’s face met the cold wind, her hair flowing freely.

Even in such a tense, race-against-time environment, she exuded an air of serenity and freedom, like someone skiing down a mountain, gliding effortlessly.

Yet, in reality, her method of traveling was far from slow. Moreover, her physical abilities seemed far superior to the others. At this stage, no one had supernatural abilities. For her to maintain balance on five stacked but unbound wooden planks—moving as if she were skiing—was something even most men couldn’t do.

After all, the planks were merely stacked, without any rope to secure them. A single misstep would cause them to scatter instantly.

“Whoosh, whoosh~!”

The biting cold wind lashed against her face.

For once, the ever-composed and ethereal Xu Qingzhao smiled, humming a melodious tune like a little girl running across fresh snow for the first time.

Her ethereal singing echoed through the valley, with the moon and stars twinkling above. A pure-hearted fairy gliding through the snow—it was like a pristine, untouched painting.

“You’re the one who’s about to return—to the afterlife!”

The moment was shattered by a sudden voice.

From a blind spot in the pitch-dark mountain path, a shadow leaped at Xu Qingzhao.

A fist swung toward her head.

“Swish!”

In an instant, she dodged with the agility of a startled hare, twisting her body and gracefully leaping off the sliding planks. When her feet touched the ground, the momentum made her stagger slightly.

“Thud, thud…!”

The stacked planks, now uncontrolled, slammed into the mountain wall just three or four meters away from her.

“Huh?! You’ve got some skills, woman!” The figure looked at Xu Qingzhao in surprise, instinctively rolling his shoulders.

Xu Qingzhao’s faint smile disappeared, her gaze turning cold as she silently watched him.

Under the moonlight, the figure stepped closer, his face becoming clear—it was No. 11.

“Heh, my apologies. I didn’t collect any wood, so I’ll be taking yours instead.” No. 11’s eyes gleamed with malice as he locked onto her.

His words made his intentions crystal clear—there was no need for further discussion.

“Smack!”

Without a word, Xu Qingzhao sidestepped and struck the shortest wooden plank with the tip of her right foot.

“Whoosh—!”

The entire plank flew up at high speed, hurtling straight at No. 11.

He hadn’t expected a woman to have such explosive power and immediately raised his arms to block.

“Thud!”

The plank, frozen solid with ice, slammed into his upper body, sending waves of pain through his arms.

Xu Qingzhao swiftly closed the distance, her movements as fluid as a dancer’s. She raised her toned right leg and delivered a sharp kick.

“Thud!”

No. 11’s arms, still raised in defense, were instantly forced apart.

“Crack!”

The tip of her boot struck his chin with a faint sound of cracking bone. No. 11—a 180 cm (5’11”) tall, muscular man—was sent sprawling onto his back by a single kick from a woman.

Lying in the snow, he was utterly dumbfounded.

He could accept losing to a man. But now, even a woman was overpowering him?!

This was impossible!

The icy snow burned against his cheek as he snapped back to his senses. “Your body isn’t normal. You’re way too strong for a woman!”

But now that the fight had begun, there was no turning back—it was a battle to the death.

Xu Qingzhao, who followed the Dao rather than Buddhism, had a naturally cold and decisive temperament.

She lifted her leg, her booted foot aiming directly at No. 11’s throat, and stomped down without hesitation.

“Thud!”

No. 11, who had barely raised his arms to defend, felt a searing pain shoot through them, forcing him to instinctively pull back.

Now!

Xu Qingzhao’s foot descended once more, striking No. 11’s throat with a heavy thud.

“Aghhh…!”

A choking, whimpering sound—like that of a dying dog—filled the air. No. 11, gasping for breath, felt himself suffocating…

This woman was incredibly strong—almost like a professional athlete!

“Stop! Let’s talk… we can talk…!” No. 11 shouted, covering his head and neck, proving himself to be quite resilient to blows.

Naturally, Xu Qingzhao wanted to kill him in one strike, but she had no weapon. She could only raise her foot again, intending to quickly deal with this nuisance.

“Tap, tap…!”

“Tap, tap…!”

Just then, three sets of hurried footsteps sounded at the entrance to the dark mountain path.

Xu Qingzhao turned her head calmly to glance behind her.

Up until now, no matter how shamelessly No. 11 had ambushed her or how spinelessly he begged for mercy, Xu Qingzhao had never shown any reaction typical of a woman.

She remained composed. Even the sudden footsteps did not startle or unsettle her.

Three figures emerged. No. 11 immediately got up, wiped the corner of his mouth, and shouted, “Be careful, this woman isn’t normal. Her body is unnatural—she’s stronger than a man! Kill her quickly; we need to go back and build the coffin!”

Earlier today, No. 11 and the Scholar had confirmed two new teammates: Xing Tao and Guo Cai’er.

After gaining mutual trust, No. 11 shared his exclusive clue, and the Scholar and Guo Cai’er formulated a plan for him.

They would first follow Ren Ye at the broken bridge, then immediately return to ambush the Princess, stealing her wood. This way, No. 11 could survive the night safely while eliminating two opponents in the process.

From the perspective of these four, Xu Qingzhao had neither formed alliances nor interacted with other players, making it highly likely she belonged to No. 5’s faction—or, at the very least, an opposing faction.

No. 11 arrived first to block Xu Qingzhao because he had the time advantage. As long as he stalled her for a bit, the three others descending the mountain would rush over at top speed, and together, they would kill her.

Again, in this Star Gate, no player was lacking in intelligence.

The moonlight dimmed slightly as the four figures closed in like hungry wolves.

Xing Tao cracked his neck and spoke sinisterly, “We can’t use supernatural abilities here. So what if she’s strong? Can she fight four people at once? All together now—kill her!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the four lunged at Xu Qingzhao. Guo Cai’er and the Scholar both picked up heavy wooden planks and swung them toward her head.

Seeing them close in, Xu Qingzhao knew she couldn’t win. Just as she was about to retreat, her body suddenly froze—a surge of murderous intent erupted from within.

A chilling wind swept through the valley.

Something inside her struggled to break free.

She tried to resist it briefly—but failed.

“Boom!”

A deafening explosion, like a thunderclap, echoed through the mountains.

A faint black shadow shot out from her body—a Daoist avatar, nurtured by Ren Ye’s Heavenly Pardon energy.

Black lotus crown. Black Daoist robes.

A pair of black eyes suddenly opened—gazing down like a divine being overlooking the mortal world.

“N… no way! How the hell can you still use supernatural powers?! That’s cheating!” No. 11 jumped in fury, cursing with Old Daoist Xu’s classic phrase.

“Rumble—!”

The ground began to tremble. Snow cascaded down from the mountain peaks.

All four attackers stared at Xu Qingzhao in horror, their faces pale.

It was over. It was over. Why could she still use supernatural abilities?!

At almost the same moment—

Ren Ye, trapped by the broken suspension bridge—

Imperial Inspector Liu, walking along the mountain path—

Tang Feng—

Li Yan—

All of them felt the tremors beneath their feet.

Something seemed to be surging up from deep within Qingliang Mountain, about to break through the earth and rise into the heavens.

Xu Qingzhao stood frozen, her eyes blank—she herself didn’t even seem to know what was happening.

“Crack!”

Just then, a mountainside fractured—it looked as though it would collapse at any moment.

…

Meanwhile, two levels above—

Madam Xu,² who had previously hosted the game in the inn, suddenly stiffened. Then she cursed irritably, “Goddamn it! Digging all these holes and you just leave me to clean up the mess?! So annoying!”

“Whoosh!”

She raised an arm and waved.

Above the frozen land, a massive hand materialized, covering the sky.

In an instant—everything returned to silence.

The mountain stopped shaking. The earth stopped trembling.

The black-clad Daoist avatar that had erupted from Xu Qingzhao vanished instantly.

A voice echoed in Xu Qingzhao’s ears:

“This is my domain. You only own it if you can take it—so follow the rules!”