The covered boat continued onward, gradually drawing near the pile of corpses.
Yet although the distance between them grew shorter and shorter, it was as if a gap would always remain, keeping them from ever truly drawing close.
Seen up close, the countless corpses were even more horrifying.
Silt had accumulated among many of the corpses, and numerous yin-nature spirit plants had even sprouted, crawling wantonly among the skulls and bones. Many weapons that had lost their spiritual properties—swords, spears, and halberds—had fallen among them as well. They had lost the peerless sharpness of their former days, reduced to common iron and covered in rust.
The scene was grim, yet it filled one with a deep sense of desolation.
A profoundly obscure fluctuation came from deep within the pile of corpses.
The fluctuation was neither terrifying nor sinister. Instead, it brimmed with vitality, clear and ethereal, like scattered traces of the Dao. In Pei Ling's perception, he sensed no danger whatsoever. His heart stirred, as if he had encountered some great fortune, some tremendous blessing.
Wave after wave of powerful temptation washed over him.
It seemed that within the pile of corpses lay an unparalleled, heaven-sent boon. Any living being that approached it and seized it would immediately become an immortal and ascend in broad daylight...
Pei Ling quickly gathered his thoughts, watching solemnly as the covered boat passed the corpses at a distance.
Amid the gentle lapping of the water, the pile of corpses gradually receded.
The sinister aura and intense temptation slowly faded, until they vanished without a trace.
After that, everything remained peaceful.
The gray sky began to darken little by little.
Just before night fell completely, a point of lamplight finally appeared on the distant river.
They had reached the second Post Station.
Without needing anyone