Severing ties with family to marry the young marshal, his whole family chases me to the crematorium.

At the end of the space, ahead lay an utter, bottomless darkness, as if it could devour all light and hope.

The group cautiously explored both sides, and the result was quite surprising.

On both sides were steep cliffs! These cliffs, like gaping maws of an abyss, stood silently, waiting for their prey to slip and fall in.

Compared to the tomb chamber we had just passed through, this space was worlds apart.

Here, one cannot sense where the end is; the boundless emptiness instills a sense of fear in the heart.

Moreover, a faint sense of danger permeated the air, making everyone extremely tense. Their intuition told them that this place was far more dangerous than the previous tomb.

To ensure everyone's safety, the meticulous Shen Qingyao did not hesitate to take out another item from her bosom.

At first glance, this thing looks like an ordinary Kongming lantern, but upon closer inspection, you can find that it is unusual. Some obscure and difficult-to-understand incantations are drawn on the surface of the lantern, and those twisted and winding lines seem to contain some kind of mysterious power.

What's even more bizarre is that the surface of this Kongming lantern faintly emits a bloody smell, which is chilling.

Shen Qingyao began chanting incantations, reciting an ancient and obscure spell.

As the last syllable fell, something magical happened: the previously quiet Kongming lantern suddenly burst into flames without warning, and the orange-red flames instantly enveloped the entire lantern.

Then, like a light dandelion, it slowly floated upwards.

Everyone looked at each other, puzzled, staring at Shen Qingyao's act of releasing the Kongming lantern with great curiosity.

"She...she wouldn't be trying to use such a small Kongming lantern to light our way forward, would she?"

Someone in the crowd broke the silence first, their tone filled with doubt.

"Yes, this place is so big and so dark. How much can such a small Kongming lantern do?"

Another person chimed in, their words clearly carrying a hint of disdain and mockery.

Ruan Hongshuang was so angry that she wanted to retort, but Shen Qingyao stopped her.

It's so dangerous here, we should prioritize our own safety. Why waste our breath on these people who are about to die?

However, Shen Qingyao and Ruan Hongshuang's choice to remain silent did not mean that everyone present would keep quiet.

Just then, the middle-aged man who had been pestering Shen Qingyao suddenly stepped forward.

He put his hands on his hips, pointed his finger menacingly at the two people who had just made the remarks, and began to hurl insults at them.

"You two are utterly short-sighted! We were able to escape from that gloomy and terrifying tomb because of you, were we? Humph! Don't be so self-important!"

"You two know nothing, yet you dare to spout nonsense and act recklessly. If you have the guts, go and try it yourselves! If I were the young marshal's wife, I wouldn't bother with people like you. I'd just leave you in the tomb to fend for yourselves!"

Upon hearing these words, Shen Qingyao raised her eyebrows slightly, a somewhat unfathomable look in her eyes.

She gazed thoughtfully at the agitated middle-aged man before her, pondering to herself:

This guy talks like he really knows everything. Didn't he just show off his limited knowledge in front of her?

Besides, she never easily trusts anyone, especially a stranger of unknown origin who is unusually active in her presence.

Who knows what ulterior motives this person may be harboring?

She didn't believe that this man was genuinely unable to stand by and watch, and was speaking up for her out of kindness.

The two people who had just voiced their doubts were now being severely reprimanded by the middle-aged man, their faces flushed with shame and their heads almost touching the ground. They didn't dare to raise their heads and even glance at Shen Qingyao.

As they were talking, the Kongming lantern had already quietly hovered in mid-air.

Looking from a distance, the once brightly lit Kongming lanterns are now just tiny specks of light, like a lonely, twinkling star in the night sky, enveloped in endless darkness.

Although everyone present remained silent, a deep sense of disappointment, as if saying "as expected," was unmistakably evident on their faces.

However, this disappointment did not last long, because soon everyone noticed something was amiss.

The Kongming lantern began to grow brighter and brighter! The light it emitted spread rapidly like a tide, and the area it illuminated continued to expand.

Although the Kongming lantern ultimately failed to completely illuminate the dark space, its illuminated area was undoubtedly much wider than the faint beam of their flashlights.

It was at this moment that everyone was finally able to see clearly what their current location was like.

Upon closer inspection, they saw an ancient and mysterious stone bridge standing directly in front of them.

This bridge seems to lead to an unknown distance, inspiring a sense of awe in one's heart.

On either side of the stone bridge are terrifying abysses, the deep valley floor seemingly hiding countless unknown secrets and dangers. If one were to slip and fall in, it would likely be an irreversible end.

Just as everyone had a general idea of ​​what was going on, the Kongming lantern that had been swaying and flickering in the air suddenly went out without warning.

Suddenly, darkness enveloped the surroundings.

Everyone assumed it was just because the fuel in the Kongming lantern had burned out, so no one said anything more.

However, a faint sense of disappointment still welled up in everyone's heart.

If only this Kongming lantern could last a little longer!

However, Shen Qingyao, who was in the crowd, was pale and looked strange.

Because only she knew best that this Kongming lantern was made by her own meticulous craftsmanship, using special materials and bearing unusual incantations, making it impossible for it to be extinguished so easily.

Si Jingnian, who had been holding Shen Qingyao's small hand tightly the whole time, keenly felt her suddenly squeeze his hand tightly. He was shocked and immediately realized that the extinction of the Kongming lantern was no ordinary event.

So he quickly asked in a low voice:

"Ah Yao, what happened?"

As Si Jingnian inquired with concern, he placed his broad and warm palm on Shen Qingyao's slightly cool hand, as if trying to convey some warmth and comfort to her in this way.

Shen Qingyao's brows were furrowed, her face grave, and she answered in a slightly trembling voice:

"This Kongming lantern shouldn't have gone out so quickly, but strangely... I didn't sense any yin energy around me at all."