98: Chapter 98 The Girl is Praying 98: Chapter 98 The Girl is Praying Hearing his words, everyone revealed an anxious expression, each furrowing their brows in continued contemplation.
Zhang Xiaoman, seeing their faces, felt somewhat surprised.
He had come here to activate the gang, but unexpectedly, these guys ended up being more anxious than he was.
But then again, it made sense.
People in their tight-knit circle were already extraordinarily passionate about these things.
They could be said to be die-hard fans of mysterious adventures.
Sailing aimlessly on the sea every day could fill them with endless joy, not to mention now that they had truly encountered what might be the ruins from legends.
Just being able to come to this mysterious island was already astonishing to them, and now the process of solving riddles to enter the ruins was fully satisfying their cravings.
Of course, Zhang Xiaoman was very grateful for this.
Reality was always more difficult than imagination.
If it were just him acting alone, let alone whether he could have arrived here so quickly, perhaps he couldnât have solved these riddles in a short time either.
Although Yang Yangyang and the others were inherently very enthusiastic about this, it didnât replace the fact that they had helped him, and he saw this very clearly.
As his thoughts whirled, Zhang Xiaomanâs gaze inadvertently swept over the group.
However, when he looked at Xun You opposite him, he accidentally spotted something peculiar behind Xun You and couldnât help but voice his confusion.
âWhatâs wrong, Brother Man?â
Yang Yangyang asked out loud.
Zhang Xiaoman was still looking in the direction behind Xun You, his expression gradually shifting from confusion to realization, and finally, excitement tinged his features.
âI think I know what the âmaidenâ in the riddle representsâŠâ
He murmured softly.
Everyone followed his gaze, and Xun You turned so abruptly that he almost twisted his waist, letting out a pained cry of âOuchâ.
âEh?
Thereâs nothing there; Brother Man, what did you see?
I thought a young girl had suddenly appeared behind me!
You really got my hopes up for nothing!â
âPlease, as if your wish would come true so easily.
In these barren hills and wild ridges, even if there were a young girl, sheâs probably a transformed fox,â
Ji Xiaoqi glanced at him and said disdainfully.
Zhang Xiaoman, however, pointed into the distance.
âLook at that mountain peak.
What does it resemble?â
Upon hearing this, everyone was startled, then directed their gazes toward where Zhang Xiaoman was pointing.
After a moment, their expressions changed.
âThisâŠ
This mountainâŠ
It looks so much like a woman?â
âTruly!
It does look like one!
Could it be that the âmaidenâ in the riddle is referring to this?â
Indeed, in the direction behind Xun You, there stood a mountain peak with a peculiar shape, resembling a praying maiden with hands clasped, and this âmaidenâ was facing the direction of the lake.
âOver there!â
Yang Yangyang pointed to the other side of the lake and said:
âThe mountain peak is facing that way; letâs go take a look!â
The five immediately got into the vehicle and headed to the other side of the lake.
The lake was quite expansive, its edge not visible at a glance.
If they had to rely only on their feet, it would indeed be somewhat unrealistic.
After driving the car to the side of the mountain facing them, the group was somewhat flabbergasted, as this area seemed no different from the previous one.
Zhang Xiaoman looked at the note in his hand and said:
âThe note says, âthe time when the gods fall is indeed twilight.â Letâs wait a while, and see if there are any changes in this vicinity when evening comes.â
The others all nodded in agreement, and everyone found a spot to sit down and rest.
Because they had previously experienced the chaotic magnetic fields outside the island and were now in a state of disconnectedness from the internet, all of the timing devices they had, including phones and mechanical watches, were malfunctioning.
The time was likely inaccurate.
So, the group was quite baffled about the exact time it currently was.
They could only rely on Lord Bearâs rough estimations of the time based on environmental cues and the color of the sky.
By the lakeside.
The soft ground, the dimming sky, the yellowish hues.
The earth mixed with the scent of the sea, with a fresh fragrance tinged with saltiness.
In this anxious waiting, everyone unconsciously started to feel a sense of contentment.
Contradictory, yet natural.
Gazing at the little lake made of seawater, and looking at the islets that appeared and disappeared among the mist, Zhang Xiaoman suddenly felt that even if they didnât achieve their goal this time, the trip still seemed worthwhile.
Such scenery was something he had never even thought of before.
Shaking his head, Zhang Xiaoman tossed this somewhat defeatist thought from his mind and began to observe their surroundings more carefully, afraid of missing any changes.
After waiting a little longer, the sky grew increasingly darker.
Because they were in the northern hemisphere, the sundown was relatively slow.
It wasnât until the sunset was about to completely vanish behind the mountains that the long-anticipated change finally occurred.
Just as the sunset passed over the peaks and reached certain points in height, a ray of sunlight happened to penetrate the âmaidenâsâ gap in her hand, casting down onto the lake.
Through the misty fog, it formed a little bridge made out of light.
The groupâs attention was instantly captivated.
âLook!
Quick, look!
Over here!!â
Xun You was the first to shout.
All of them ran over, watching the scene before them without blinking.
âThisâŠ
is so beautifulâŠ
Itâs just like a miracleâŠâ
In that moment, they all seemed to be entranced by the natural wonder before them.
âWhat should we do now?
Shall we cross over!?â
Ji Xiaoqi suddenly snapped out of it and asked loudly.
Bell immediately spoke out to stop her,
âNo way!
Although that is very pretty, it is, after all, just light, and humans canât possibly walk across it!
You all should understand, this isnât realistic!
There is no such thing as magic in this world!â
Hearing this, several members of the expedition team were a bit deflated, but Zhang Xiaomanâs eyes lit up.
No magic?
I think not!
This place was created by a System prop, so isnât it normal for there to be some Extraordinary Power here?
The more Zhang Xiaoman thought about it, the more plausible it seemed, and the note on the map did say, âWisdom and courage form the bridge.â
Wisdom must refer to the two riddles from before, and courage, of course, must mean now!
Thinking this, he couldnât help but turn to look in the direction from where the sunlight was coming, which was shining with a golden luster; he knew he must act!
âHuff~â
Zhang Xiaoman took a deep breath and then decisively started walking towards the lakeâs surface.
His sudden movement startled those around him, and they all started to speak out to stop him, only before they could get the words out, they were stunned into silence.
Before their eyes, Zhang Xiaoman did not sink as they had imagined.
Instead, he stepped onto the waterâs surface, walking step by step across it as if on a small bridge paved by the sunlight.