"Are we just going in like this?"
Lu Ji and Ye Yuancheng seemed a little surprised by Ming Qi's reckless belief in such a ghost. After the black-robed figure left, they couldn't help but ask.
"It's alright. The ancient Savage Tribe is a remarkable race. They never scorn conspiracies and schemes. Moreover, this is the abode of the heroic spirits of their ancestors, so they certainly won't tolerate any conspiracy. We can go in without worry."
Without waiting for anyone else to say anything, Ming Qi was the first to step through the light gate.
He wasn't completely confident in his own judgment about this matter, but having come this far, he couldn't hesitate. The ghost army in Baiqi was endless, and even more powerful. Not encountering a relentless siege from the ghost army was already a good outcome. If he didn't follow the black-robed figure's advice and provoked an attack from those powerful black-armored cavalry, escaping would be difficult.
Moreover, entering the Land of Heroes wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps great opportunities awaited them. As the saying goes, wealth and honor are sought in danger, and so are chance and opportunity. There's no such thing as a free lunch.
Seeing Ming Qi first enter the light gate, any remaining doubts could only be suppressed for now.
Next in line were Changkong and Dahei. Changkong, with his instinctive reverence for the ancient spirits, naturally had no suspicion of conspiracy. As for Dahei, anything Ming Qi approved of, he would unhesitatingly follow suit.
Next came Xingyun. She didn't believe there was a major conspiracy, and even if there was, she didn't care.
Yue Dongqing hesitated briefly before following suit.
The last to enter were Lu Ji and Ye Yuancheng. Although somewhat reluctant, they ultimately chose to go through.
Once everyone had entered, the massive light gate trembled and vanished completely.
In the distant sky, the black-robed figure gazed at the spot where the light gate disappeared, brows furrowed in thought for a moment before turning and leaving.
…
As Ming Qi stepped through the light gate, his only feeling was as if he had entered another world. As a Martial Emperor, he already had a certain perception of time and space; this feeling was unmistakable!
This was indeed another world!
Gray earth, gray stones, gray trees, even the flowers along the roadside were gray!
Gray tinged with white—this was clearly a place of the dead!
Ming Qi looked around but couldn't find any sign of anyone else. Apparently, after entering the light gate, everyone had separated, seemingly reappearing in different locations. This must be the secret of the Kingdom of Heroes.
Ming Qi didn't care that he couldn't find anyone else. Since there wasn't any danger around him, he figured the others wouldn't face any mortal danger either. His next task was to thoroughly explore the secrets of the Kingdom of Heroes.
This world was a gray, a faint gray mist drifting through the air. The gloomy sky seemed especially low and gloomy, like a towering mountain bearing down on one's head. Staying there for too long made it difficult to breathe.
After walking for a while, Ming Qi was surprised to find himself breathless!
How could such a completely unnatural thing happen to a Martial Emperor?
Just as Ming Qi was feeling exhausted, he suddenly spotted two faint white figures, one tall and one short, standing on a distant mountain peak. They seemed to be gazing out from the mountainside, gazing into the distance.
"There's someone here?"
Ming Qi was immediately surprised and headed towards the small peak in the distance.
Ever since setting foot on this strange land, he felt as if all his strength had completely vanished, instantly transforming from a soaring, ethereal cultivator into an ordinary mortal. With such incredible experiences before him, he wasn't surprised to see someone in this strange place.
Dozens of minutes later, Ming Qi arrived at the foot of the mountain.
The peak wasn't very high. If Ming Qi were still at his peak strength, he could easily have reached the summit with a single step. However, his strength had inexplicably been reduced to zero. To reach the summit, he naturally had to climb step by step.
The peak wasn't high, but it was incredibly steep, and reaching the top took considerable effort.
The summit wasn't large, less than a hundred meters in radius. As Ming Qi reached the top, he saw two people sitting opposite each other in the center, playing chess. Their attire conveyed a sense of antiquity. Both men and women were in their prime, and their chess game on this desolate, deserted mountaintop was a unique spectacle.
Slightly surprised by this scene, Ming Qi approached the two players. However, as he moved, the players seemed oblivious to his movements, continuing their lively conversation and exchanges of moves.
By the time Ming Qi approached, he could clearly hear the two's conversation, yet they remained oblivious to their presence.
At this point, Ming Qi realized something was amiss, so he simply walked up to them.
"Lord Humu, do you remember what you said? Although the White Qi Mountains of Tiansai have stood majestically for thousands of years, they are still fleeting, like a flower blooming in the night sky. I've been pondering this, but I still don't understand. Could you please explain it to me?"
The woman's eyes were radiant, her lips parted, and her voice was as clear and melodious as falling pearls.
The young man known as Lord Humu smiled faintly at this question and said, "You have traveled from Fangqingdao across the barrier of time and space to come here. Do you think the journey was long or short?"
At this, the woman smiled faintly, but didn't speak. Her delicate fingers gently pressed down a white chess piece.
Lord Humu frowned, twirling a black chess piece in his hand, but he didn't immediately drop it. After a moment, Humu Divine Lord smiled wryly and said, "Your Excellency's understanding of the Dao is clearly far more profound than mine. Why are you still teasing me..."
With that, he dropped his black chess piece. The moment it landed, the entire chessboard situation shifted, giving White an even more pronounced advantage.
Dao?
Listening to the two's conversation, Ming Qi, though unable to grasp their precise meaning, felt vaguely that their seemingly simple conversation contained much he had yet to grasp.
"Excuse me, Seniors, where is this place?"
In a moment of pause, Ming Qi finally asked.
"While our Qingdao may be considered a realm, below the level of Venerable Honglian, it's but a grain of sand in the desert. How can insignificant figures like you and me truly understand the Dao?"
The woman said with a hint of melancholy.
Humu Divine Lord smiled and said, "As the ruler of a realm, I didn't expect you to be bothered by such trivial matters. You must know that in the universe, every realm is but a patchwork of sand in the desert. There are no special cases or exceptions."
…
The two continued their conversation, seemingly oblivious to Ming Qi's words.
Ming Qi frowned, thought for a moment, then reached out a hand toward the chessboard.