Beneath the waterfall was yet another sheer cliff face, and perched on the edge of that precipice lay a bridge fashioned entirely of pure white jade. This bridge possessed no ropes, no supports; only the smooth, luminous expanse of its jade surface, so pristine it mirrored the abyss of bottomless black that yawned beneath the cliff.

Ye Xiu drifted forward languidly, his gaze fixed upon the bridge deck where his own reflection materialized. "More bone structure, it seems. The mist on the far side is thick; I truly wonder what awaits us over there."

Old Liu ducked low from the side, tapping the bridge surface. A crisp sound echoed through the vast emptiness. "What in the blazes is this bridge? How can it exist without any visible support?"

"Perhaps we just fly across again," Ye Xiu murmured, peering down into the black void. This domain felt profoundly mysterious—an endless span of bridge ahead, and a bottomless chasm below.

Old Liu nodded, readying himself to spring upward into the air. Yet, the moment he surged toward the space above the bridge deck, he recoiled as if slamming into a wall, tumbling back down. Bruised and smarting, he complained, "What was that? Some kind of invisible platform?"

Ye Xiu’s eyes widened. He stepped forward a few paces, touching the space just above the bridge. An immediate chill shot into his palm; there was indeed an obstruction ahead. "It seems this entire space possesses physical substance. It looks like they are forcing us to walk across this bridge."

Old Liu tentatively placed his foot down, immediately feeling that the bridge surface was no different from solid ground. "Just walking across? What if the bridge collapses midway?"

"There is no other path," Ye Xiu stated, spreading his hands and giving Old Liu a firm shove forward. "Hurry up! Who knows what’s waiting inside? As the saying goes, we meet force with deflection and water with earth—we deal with whatever shows up."

"Hmph, let's go!" Old Liu’s feet were now fully planted on the jade. He repeatedly swept his Thin Surface Blade across the space above the bridge. It turned out the areas surrounding the visible walkway were covered by these invisible platforms, forcing them into an extremely narrow passage. "Speed up, I have a bad feeling."

"Something’s behind us!" Ye Xiu heard a sound like joints cracking from the rear. He turned to see the space they had just crossed on the bridge being rapidly filled by a white substance. These materials twisted and coalesced on the surface, some shaped like sharp knives, others like long halberds, piercing rapidly toward them, intending to impale them both.

In a mere flicker of vision, Old Liu sensed the shift in atmosphere. He broke into a desperate sprint ahead, shouting continuously, "Don't look back! Run! Run!"

"Clang, clang..." Seeing he couldn't match Old Liu's speed, Ye Xiu drew his Sky-Gazing Sword, intending to use its force to repel the wild, surging matter. He brought the sword down, severing the material, but to his surprise, the pieces quickly reformed upon breaking. As they ceaselessly repaired themselves, the Sky-Gazing Sword became jammed within the mass. "This material is definitely bone. Its rate of growth far outstrips even aggressive osteogenesis."

"Whoosh..." At that moment, the Thin Surface Blade shot back from a distance, wrapping around Ye Xiu's arm. Old Liu pulled with all his might, dragging him back. "Still got time to study this strange thing? If you don't run, you'll be the next one stuck!"

"Hmph, not that simple!" Ye Xiu grinned wryly. Although his body was dragged away by Old Liu, the Sky-Gazing Sword remained entangled in the myriad of bone structures. He exerted a sudden burst of force, and a ball of dark flame erupted like a snake, coiling around the sword. With a flash, the blade’s shadow tore through the bone matter and returned to Ye Xiu's hand. "I'm just pondering one more thing..."

"What issue? Spit it out quickly!" Old Liu surged forward desperately, stealing a glance back at Ye Xiu, cursing, "We can discuss problems after we escape! I think I see something ahead!"

Ye Xiu calculated carefully, then offered a wry smile. "If this bone material grows this fast, it wouldn't be foolish enough to only chase us from behind."

"Whoosh, whoosh, crack!" As the words left Ye Xiu’s mouth, two brilliant white spikes sprouted inexplicably from the bridge deck ahead, crystal clear and intersecting perfectly to block their path.

Old Liu’s sudden halt sent Ye Xiu flying forward, crashing into him, sending both tumbling to the ground. "Are you some kind of jinx? Now look, things are growing in front of us too."

"Crack, crack, crack!" The two long spikes blocking the way suddenly emitted an aura of bone dust. Instantly, countless smaller barbs extended from them, scattering outwards in a sudden burst directly toward the two men.

"Shatter these spikes and charge through!" Ye Xiu had already tested the nature of the bone matter; he knew it regenerated almost immediately after destruction. "We have to be fast!"

"Ice Dragon Qi!" Old Liu unleashed his ultimate move immediately. A long dragon surged forth in the narrow space, accompanied by seven layers of sword shadows from his Demon-Breaking Sword, instantly obliterating the bone structures. "Now! Run!"

Ye Xiu shifted his form and leaped forward, but as the dragon’s blast faded, the bone matter surged forth again. Before he had covered half the distance, he was pierced by several spikes, blood immediately gushing out to stain the entire bridge crimson. "Careful, Old Liu, this thing isn't easily defeated."

Old Liu was about to advance when the bone material not only regrew but shot up to strike his waist. He waved the Demon-Breaking Sword frantically but was still stabbed in the thigh. "Agh! There's no choice left, let's go all out!"

"Agh!" Ye Xiu advanced amidst the thick scent of blood. At that moment, dark flames surged across his Sky-Gazing Sword, instantly destroying the surrounding bone matter. He pushed forward urgently but struggled to evade the regeneration; spikes pierced his arms and the soles of his feet, making his whole body tremble. "Since I’m already numb from the pain, I’ll just charge through in one go!"

Behind him, Old Liu found no way to safely neutralize the bone attacks despite letting the Ice Dragon rage; his body was already stripped of any intact skin. The spikes weren't fatal but were certainly capable of draining a man's lifeblood. In desperation, he invoked his Black Talisman again. Empowered by the Meridian Path, his speed matched Ye Xiu’s. "Hoo... there’s nothing for it, let's go, brother!"

"Swipe, swipe, crack, Pfft..." The jade bridge spanned the void above the bottomless cliff. Below lay emptiness, while above, the bridge echoed with incessant sounds—the sound of blades piercing flesh, a torment to the will, a testament to carnage.

"Damn it, what kind of place is this?" Ye Xiu was the first to burst through the dense mist and collapse on the other side of the cliff. He couldn't recall how he had traversed the jade bridge; the puncture wounds and flowing blood were proof enough. "Old Liu... Old Liu..."

Old Liu staggered out onto the bridge platform, collapsing onto his knees, using his Demon-Breaking Sword for support. The sword was dripping blood; the scene was utterly tragic.

"Hahaha, I guess we've shared a true hardship now?" Ye Xiu lay sprawled on the ground, the pain already receding into the background. "Imagine how difficult it must be for ordinary people to pass through the Red Cliff Tomb?"

Unable to sustain himself, Old Liu slumped directly onto Ye Xiu. Gritting his teeth, he growled, "It’s more than shared hardship; this is practically fighting in a bloodbath street. You still have the mood to think about others? Even Death couldn't save you from this much blood loss."

"Susu, Susu!" Ye Xiu bit his finger and smiled. "Let’s see if Susu has a solution. We need to stop the bleeding first."

At that moment, the Soul Stone Jade Ring on Ye Xiu’s finger flashed, and a wisp of purple smoke slowly materialized. Susu's form began to take shape amidst the gore, but suddenly, a chilling wind descended from the mountain peak behind them, sweeping through with a mournful shriek that forcefully suppressed Susu back into the jade ring.

"Who?" Ye Xiu felt a chill down his spine and scrambled to look over his shoulder. A pure white skeleton frame stood behind them, having appeared at some unknown moment. "Is it the Bone Gatherer?"

"Click, click, click. I never thought you two could actually pass the Osseous Jade Bridge," the voice emerged from the skeleton’s mouth, its jaw clicking audibly with every word.

Seeing a talking skeleton, Old Liu’s hairs stood on end. "You... who exactly are you?"

The skeleton shook its head, looking smugly pleased. "Click, click, click. I am the guardian of the City of Skeletons, and also your guide!"

"City of Skeletons? What’s that?" Ye Xiu clutched his wound; he was slightly delirious from the massive blood loss, but he was certain this skeletal frame posed no harm. "Alright, Mr. Guide, you saw what happened. We’ve been deeply wounded by your so-called Osseous Jade Bridge. How about you heal us first, and then we talk?"

The skeleton raised a bony hand, and a ball of white light flickered within it. It moved its jaw repeatedly. "As the guide, I feel it is my duty to applaud your success in crossing the Osseous Jade Bridge."

Ye Xiu watched the orb of light approach his body. It circled him slowly, like a physician seeking the root of an ailment. Suddenly, it paused over the spot where Ye Xiu was bleeding most profusely. A slender bone emerged from the light, slowly covering the wound. After a wave of coolness, all the bleeding pores on his body stopped.

"Wow, I think it's working," Old Liu also received the same treatment. He shook his body, though the pain was unavoidable. "The Bone Gatherer's medical skills are indeed unmatched; wounds like these are instantly staunched."

The skeleton moved mechanically before Ye Xiu, twisting its body so that some unfamiliar bones clattered to the ground. It pointed toward the mountain peak. "As the guardian, I feel it is even more necessary to inform you that the City of Skeletons atop the peak connects to another profound mechanism of the Red Cliff Tomb. To break through here, you must gain the recognition of the Withered Bone Steed. Only it can smash open the gate leading to that mechanism."

"Withered Bone Steed..." Old Liu sighed heavily upon hearing the name, patting Ye Xiu's shoulder. "The road ahead is long; it seems the path to the Boundless Underworld Vein is still far off."

"Hoo..." Ye Xiu shook his head and looked toward the mountain peak before him. The mountain was jagged and craggy, offering no visible ascent. Dense, black clouds shrouded the summit, where a structure resembling a castle stood starkly against the gloom.