My gorgeous wife Chapter 1966 - 1934: Three Births River
Previously on My gorgeous wife...
"I’m here!"
Li Chen called out to the duo not too far away, once more pulling them back to his side with a sense of helplessness.
Yang Xin and Tian Yi had truly gone astray.
Li Chen had scanned the surrounding expanse of stars but could not locate any sign of them. During their journey, they had inquired with numerous cultivators who had encountered the two women, and it was only by piecing together these fragments of information that they had arrived at this location.
What Li Chen found rather baffling was that despite this place clearly being situated amidst the stars, an immense river materialized not far from him!
The Void River!
Li Chen had never even heard of such a phenomenon.
This was because, by all logical understanding, water in a place like the starry sky would instantly solidify into ice and disperse.
Yet, inexplicably, this grand river appeared completely unfazed by the frigid vacuum of space, calmly flowing through it, as if it existed eternally and would never dissipate.
"This is the very spot where we heard Tian Yi and the others were last seen," Li Chen remarked, a bitter smile playing on his lips as he surveyed the area.
If it were merely the presence of this river, it might be one thing, but the surroundings were enveloped in a thick, white mist.
Even more disconcerting was that this mist seemed to render Divine Sense entirely useless. Both Christina and Zhang Shutong found navigating this environment akin to being plunged into blindness.
As for Li Chen, only through the exceptional capability of his Eye of the Dao could he perceive anything in his immediate vicinity.
"This place feels immediately wrong. Why would they venture here?" Christina questioned, her brow furrowed.
"There are three potential explanations," Zhang Shutong stated calmly, despite his inability to see. "Firstly, they might have discovered some treasure, pursued it here, and as you can observe, this mist appears to conceal everything. Even if one were to unleash their Sword Intent within it, we outside would remain completely oblivious."
"Secondly, this location might not have always been this way. It possibly transformed after they entered, leaving them blissfully unaware of the impending danger."
"Thirdly, it’s conceivable they did not enter this place of their own volition."
Upon hearing this final possibility, Li Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly, a frigid glint flickering within them.
"The first scenario is improbable," Li Chen declared, shaking his head. "Neither Tian Yi nor Xinxin are prone to greed. Had they stumbled upon anything significant, they would have undoubtedly informed me first, rather than impulsively giving chase."
"As for whether it was the second or third possibility, that is something we must ascertain for ourselves," Li Chen stated deliberately.
"But it is almost certain they did indeed enter this area," Christina concurred.
"What course of action should we take now?" Zhang Shutong inquired, his voice tinged with concern. "You mentioned a Void River lies ahead, and the closer we get, the thicker the mist becomes. I fear that upon reaching it, we might not even be able to see our own hands before our faces."
Zhang Shutong’s assessment was far from an exaggeration.
They were still a considerable distance from the Void River, yet for both him and Christina, aside from Li Chen, their visibility had dwindled to less than ten feet.
Moreover, the mist possessed an unsettling quality. While it seemed not to inflict direct harm upon cultivators, its ability to obstruct even the keenest Divine Sense rendered the enhanced vision of cultivators, typically sharpened through practice, as useless as that of someone severely near-sighted without corrective lenses.
However, at this precise moment, Li Chen and his companions experienced a distinctly different sensation.
It was a sense of profound familiarity that Li Chen detected!
This potent suppression of Divine Sense, this pervasive mist that even rendered the formidable Eye of the Dao ineffective – he had encountered its like before!
The Three Lives Bridge!
It was during his sojourn in the Immortal Domain that he had accidentally stumbled into a lesser realm situated upon the Three Lives Bridge, where he had encountered a remarkably similar mist.
And here, the mist was evidently even more concentrated than what he had experienced on the Three Lives Bridge.
"Let us proceed to investigate further," Li Chen finally declared.
They had already undertaken a thorough search within the mist, narrowly avoiding complete separation; within this ethereal shroud, even sound struggled to travel any significant distance.
They had completed a full circuit around the area, yet not a single trace of the two missing women could be found.
The sole remaining clue pointed towards that distant Void River.
"Then let us go."
This time, the other two dared not venture too far from Li Chen’s side, paralyzed by the fear that he might suddenly vanish from their presence.
"What exactly is this place?" Even Christina found herself questioning, her curiosity piqued. "I have perused a considerable number of ancient texts, yet I have never encountered any mention of such a location."
"It is quite understandable," Zhang Shutong responded with a nod. "A vast portion of history remains unrecorded, and across the eons, who can truly say how many truths lie buried and forgotten."
Li Chen cast a knowing glance at Zhang Shutong, certain that the elder possessed considerable knowledge, but since he showed no inclination to share, Li Chen did not press the matter.
As they drew nearer to the Void River, Li Chen suddenly discerned, within the void adjacent to the river’s edge, several ancient inscriptions faintly etched into the fabric of space itself.
Upon witnessing these inscriptions, the expressions of Li Chen and his companions underwent a discernible shift.
For it was undeniably clear that all three of them recognized the profound meaning conveyed by these markings.
Gazing intently at these inscriptions, Li Chen’s eyes narrowed once more, though this time, his gaze was imbued with a complex tapestry of emotions that even those standing beside him could not fully comprehend.
The Three Births River!
Those characters etched in the void materialized into those exact phrases! "The River of Three Births..." Li Chen found himself whispering the name aloud. During his past sojourn in the Immortal Domain, he had chanced upon a hidden realm. Upon his departure, he traversed a location known as the Bridge of Three Lives, and now, he was confronted with a place bearing such a striking resemblance. In this very instant, the source of that uncanny familiarity became crystal clear. The Bridge of Three Lives, the River of Three Births! The same ethereal mist, the same ancient enigma. If anyone were to assert they were unrelated, he would vehemently disagree, no matter the cost. As memories of his traverse across the Bridge of Three Lives surfaced, Li Chen's thoughts became a vortex of further inquiries. What mystery lay concealed within? "The River of Three Births... to think I would encounter this again." Zhang Shutong murmured softly by his side. "You recognize this place?" Li Chen pivoted abruptly, fixing Zhang Shutong with an intense gaze. This time, Zhang Shutong offered no reservation, responding with a gentle nod. "The River of Three Births, it bridges calamities and transgressions, unfurling an eternal reverie." "The Bridge of Three Lives, a pathway of deep mystique, bestowing timeless perception."