Chapter 919: Life Without Hope

At this moment, Yi Feng, who had been deep in thought with his eyes closed, opened them.

If his guess was correct, out of the sixteen bridges before him, only one would lead to success.

The other fifteen were likely death traps.

After all, for such an ancient inheritance known as the "Death Inheritance," such rules were not surprising. Moreover, there was only one inheritance to be gained.

To avoid being influenced by the trial designer and to prevent his own cleverness from backfiring, Yi Feng decided to take a random approach—he would simply choose a bridge without overthinking it.

He wouldn't look at the damn steles or care where they led.

He would just pick one blindly and go for it.

He refused to believe that, out of sixteen bridges with only one correct path, he could possibly choose the right one by chance.

He raised his finger and began muttering a children's rhyme:

"Dot, dot, dot, dot the cow's eye, the cow's eye blooms, one eggplant, two big melons, those with money, buy and eat, those without, remove it, no... this one it is."

Yi Feng randomly selected a bridge and, without hesitation, strode onto it.

This scene stunned the spectral figure above.

His eyes widened, and his entire form trembled with excitement.

"The heart of a true brave! This lad possesses the heart of a true brave!"

In truth, every bridge in this trial was a death trap.

Only by possessing the heart of a brave—by acting without hesitation, regardless of the choices or paths before you—could one turn certain death into survival.

Thus, while all sixteen bridges were death traps, they were also all paths to life.

The spirit had not held much hope for Yi Feng to pass this trial. Over the years, many cultivators had reached this stage, and some had even shown promise, but all had failed here.

Yet, against all odds, today had produced a success.

And not just a success—Yi Feng had passed instantly.

The spirit was so moved that tears nearly welled up in his eyes.

But Yi Feng, on the other hand, was utterly defeated.

He sat there, lifeless and numb, like a walking corpse.

"In my past life, I was so poor. From sports lotteries to scratch cards, scratch cards to slot machines, I never won even five bucks."

"And now, out of sixteen choices, I somehow picked the right one."

"Damn you, heavens! Are you messing with me?"

At this moment, Yi Feng finally understood what it meant to be toyed with by fate.

"I just want to die. Why is it so hard?"

He pulled out some beef jerky from his storage ring, chewing on it while venting his frustrations.

After eating his fill, a glimmer of determination returned to his eyes.

"No, I can't give up."

"Earlier, it was just bad luck. Looking at the scene now, there should be more trials ahead, and they'll be even harder than before."

"My luck can't last forever. I'm bound to die eventually."

Hope rekindled in Yi Feng's eyes.

Sherlock Holmes mode activated once more. He believed that through strategy and cunning, he could find a path to death.

Just as Yi Feng was psyching himself up, a soft voice drifted over.

"Greetings, young friend."

The voice startled Yi Feng.

He turned to see a spectral figure standing beside him.

It was an old man dressed in simple hemp robes, his face kind and his voice gentle, as if he didn't want to startle Yi Feng.

"Who are you?" Yi Feng blinked.

"I am Ren Yong, the master of this inheritance. I appear to tell you that you have passed the trials and are now worthy of receiving my inheritance!" The old man stroked his beard and smiled, delivering the good news directly.

"What?" Yi Feng was dumbfounded. "Wait, aren't I still in the middle of the trials? Don't I have more to go through?"

The old man chuckled mysteriously. Strictly speaking, Yi Feng hadn't completed all the trials, but to him, it no longer mattered.

When Yi Feng crossed the Sixteen Immortal Bridges, the old man had already decided on him.

"The remaining trials are unimportant. You've already proven yourself."

The old man waved his hand, and the surroundings began to dissolve at a visible pace.

"Hey, hey!"

"Wait, no! I haven't finished the trials! I'm not qualified yet!"

Yi Feng reached out, calling out in desperation, but the trials and the dangers he had anticipated vanished, replaced by a small stone chamber about ten square meters in size.

The chamber was covered in cobwebs, with simple furnishings—a table, a chair, and a skeleton lying on the chair.

Yi Feng stared blankly at the scene.

The old man's voice echoed once more.

"Young friend, there's no need to look further. The corpse before you is mine."

"Our conversation is merely a remnant of my will, left behind before my death."

"To be honest, there are indeed more trials ahead."

"But I can't wait any longer. I'm running out of time. If I wait any longer, I might never get the chance. I'm at the end of my strength. And in my heart, you've already passed."

"Enough chatter. Let me reintroduce myself."

"I lived a million years ago, a sage who attained enlightenment through courage. My inheritance has taken the form of a set of Brave Armor."

"Now, I bequeath this Brave Armor to you. Using it is simple—just will it with your mind, and it will materialize to protect you. It can also act on its own in moments of danger when you're distracted."

"In short, with it, you will be unstoppable on the path of the brave. Below the level of a sage, no one can harm you."

"What?" Yi Feng was stunned, his face twisting in distress as he shouted, "No, no, no!"

But before he could finish, he felt an invisible barrier emanate from the skeleton and merge into his body.

"Young friend, I won't say more. After passing the armor to you, I no longer have the strength to sustain my will."

"Today, I pass it to you with joy."

"I believe in your future..."

With that, the voice faded away.

"Hey, old man!"

"Don't go!"

"Hold on a little longer! You can do it! You're awesome!"

"Hey, hey, even if you're done, at least take this armor off me!"

"I don't want it!"

Yi Feng stomped his feet in frustration.

Damn it.

Dying was already hard enough.

Now this old man had saddled him with Brave Armor that made him invincible below the sage level.

Wasn't this just screwing him over?

How was he supposed to die now?

"Old man, don't die! Wake up!"

Yi Feng rushed to the skeleton, grabbing it and shaking it vigorously.

But no matter how much he shook it, nearly dislodging the skull, the old man's voice did not return, as if it had never existed.

After struggling for a long time, Yi Feng was filled with despair.

He slumped against the wall, his eyes hollow, his spirit broken.

This whole journey, he had just wanted to die.

But instead of dying, he had ended up with a set of Brave Armor.

What was he supposed to do now?