Chapter Thirty-Nine: High Technology

“It really works!” Haotian exclaimed in astonishment, his eyes wide with surprise.

“Never thought you were this clever, kid!” Haotian said delightedly, giving Xiaoshan a hearty slap on the shoulder in praise.

“You’ve all been overthinking things. This was just the simplest approach,” Xiaoshan replied with a slight smile at the corner of his lips. “Sometimes, clearing the obstacle in front of you is much easier than trying to go around it.”

Anyone would feel a genuine surge of joy when praised, only later wondering about the reason behind the compliment.

Indeed, we were so focused on finding a better route that it never occurred to us the stone wall before us could simply be cleared away.

It was the simplest solution, yet we wasted so much time. I must learn to be more adaptable in the future.

Haoyun gazed ahead, reflecting on his own shortcomings.

“So how do we get across now?” Ruoxi stared blankly at the cliff stretching before them.

Indeed! The stones were gone, but how could they leap across such a vast distance? This was eighty or ninety meters, not merely three, four, or five!

At thirty or fifty meters, perhaps with all their martial arts skills and inner strength, they might barely manage a jump, but only just.

“I sense a multitude of vengeful spirits ahead. Many people met their end over there,” Haopo said gravely.

If so many died there, it means they perished after crossing the chasm. But why can’t we cross now? Did they have some special means of transportation?

“That must be our destination ahead,” said Haotian.

“Then let’s go across,” Haoyun replied, pulling a glass panel from his pocket.

With a touch of his finger, intricate blue patterns began to glow. After a long moment, something seemed to materialize at the edge of the cliff. Before them, a faintly shimmering blue screen appeared.

Haoyun flipped his right hand, five fingers closing in, and the glass panel vanished. With his right hand raised, he gestured for them to cross the blue screen.

“Is it really safe to go across?” Xiaoshan asked, doubt creeping into his voice.

At that, Haoyun turned his head and gave a mysterious smile, as if hinting at deeper secrets.

“Are you with the military?” Ruoxi inquired.

Carrying such advanced technology—a glass panel and a magnetic lamp—along with such intimate knowledge of their surroundings, the most likely explanation was that he was with the military.

The government controlled nearly all advanced technology and most sources of electric and magnetic energy.

In these apocalyptic times, the military depended on every form of energy and high-tech weaponry available. But all of it was nonrenewable; with every use, their reserves dwindled. That alone showed this was no ordinary mission.

And yet, given the current situation, they had even mastered a considerable amount of martial arts.

Haoyun snorted coldly and gave no reply. He stepped onto the blue screen; points of light appeared beneath each footstep, a tactile response that proved the path was solid.

“Let’s go!” Seeing things were turning dangerous, Ruoxi hurried after him.

Xiaoshan stepped onto the blue screen and glanced down. The chasm below was still a bottomless abyss, and a wave of dizziness swept over him. It was the unmistakable sensation of fear of heights.

He was terrified of heights!

“Come on!” When Ruoxi saw Xiaoshan frozen in place, she immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him along.

She was afraid Haotian and the others would move too quickly, leaving them behind.

“I’m scared!” Xiaoshan looked down, trembling violently as he spoke, his voice quavering.

“I never saw you afraid when you were stepping on corpses before! Why be scared now?” Ruoxi retorted with a cold snort.

“That was different!” Xiaoshan grumbled inwardly, but all he could manage was a grunt, unable to utter another word.

You even remember that! Xiaoshan sighed, feeling more than a little frustrated.