Chapter 191: The Demon God’s Ferry

‘Spatial distortion… or folding…’

Qiansitelin murmured to herself, the slow-flowing black water reflected in her pupils.

Looking down at Muxuan, whose brows were slightly furrowed in her arms, some ideas flickered through Qiansitelin’s mind, but in the end, she held back for the sake of caution.

‘After all, ensuring Her Highness’s safety is the top priority.’

Though she had no intention of acting, Qiansitelin still furrowed her brow, rapidly thinking of countermeasures.

Forcing a breakthrough was too risky, especially with Her Highness still unconscious.

She instinctively held the slender figure in her arms a little tighter.

Under the hood, Muxuan’s cheek was pressed against her neck, her breathing still steady.

Qiansitelin stared at the black water flowing slowly as if swallowing everything, possibilities regarding the Laws of Space racing through her mind.

Just as she was racking her brains for a solution—

Splash!

The black stream, which had only been flowing sluggishly, began to churn without warning.

The viscous, asphalt-like surface violently surged, raising murky waves, and countless bubbles gurgled up one after another.

A strong sense of crisis instantly seized Qiansitelin’s heart.

Her pupils contracted sharply.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she clutched Muxuan and retreated at full speed.

The ground beneath her feet was pressed into shallow depressions with each powerful step.

She stared fixedly at the churning stream surface, feeling a prickling sensation on her skin, as if it were being scraped.

The Corrupted Black Mist disguising her swayed violently under the strange pressure emanating from the stream, nearly torn apart.

Qiansitelin accelerated again, leaving a blur in the gray fog, heading toward the Shadow Zone of the Kostershka Mountains shrouded in deeper mist behind her.

She wasn’t sure what she would encounter retreating into the mountains, but the sudden anomaly of the black stream in front of her was clearly more dangerous and deadly.

But just as she was about to step, with Muxuan in her arms, into the thicker, darker fog at the edge of the Kostershka Mountains—

*Hum…

A low hum echoed.

The agitated, surging black stream was instantly smoothed as if by an invisible giant hand.

The violent waves subsided in a flash, and the bubbling bubbles vanished.

The viscous surface returned to a deathly calm and depth.

Silence once again enveloped the riverbank.

Qiansitelin’s steps abruptly halted, her back pressed against the cold, damp shadow of the mountain wall, her eyes filled with suspicion and uncertainty.

This sudden calm was even more unsettling and oppressive than the earlier agitation.

She instinctively held her breath, completely shielding Muxuan behind her own shadow.

The [Lyrasel] in her other hand, though not raised, emitted a cold silver light.

Soon, under Qiansitelin’s watchful gaze, ripples spread through the space ahead.

On the opposite bank, which had only held black water and gray fog—no, more precisely, the riverbank where Qiansitelin had just stood—a ship silently appeared.

A ship entirely white.

It rested quietly at the water’s edge, its wooden hull gleaming with a warm, jade-like luster, starkly conspicuous against the black stream.

‘White Ferry!?’

And on that ship stood a figure draped in a white robe.

‘Why is it here…’

A flicker of doubt passed through Qiansitelin’s mind, but after a moment’s thought, she chose to approach the White Ferry.

Qiansitelin gripped the hilt of [Lyrasel] tightly.

With each step closer to the pure white ferry, her heart beat violently.

Ten steps…

Five steps…

When she was close enough to see every fold of the white robe, Qiansitelin stopped and frowned at the garment.

It wasn’t worn on any form; it seemed to be suspended at the prow, propped up by some invisible framework.

The sleeves hung empty, and beneath the cuffs, there was nothing.

The sail was pure white.

A pure “nothing,” yet it exuded a pressure more oppressive than substance.

Even the surrounding gray mist seemed to shrink back, afraid to stain that whiteness.

Just then, the space where the head of the empty white robe should be suddenly “hummed” and moved.

Immediately after, an ethereal voice emerged.

“AL… KO- RID/A…”

The syllables were twisted, broken, carrying a bizarre rhythm that didn’t belong to any known language.

Each syllable’s tremor scraped like a cold needle against hard glass, piercingly harsh.

Qiansitelin gave a choked grunt, her pupils reflecting deep gravity.

That immense, terrifying force prevented her from advancing an inch.

Her body also grew heavier, almost unable to move.

‘This ship doesn’t carry the scent of corruption… Though it’s equally eerie, I’m certain it has nothing to do with the Strange.’

‘The Demon God, huh…’

Recalling some rumor, Qiansitelin hesitated for a moment, then looked up at the white-robed figure and said:

“I admit, the Demon God Wei Li Er’s beauty is unmatched in the world!”

The moment her words fell, the terrifying pressure that had nearly suffocated her abruptly stopped, then swiftly dissipated.

As if an invisible, heavy curtain had been suddenly lifted, the suffocating sensation and viscous resistance enveloping Qiansitelin vanished.

Her body lightened, and her previously stiff limbs instantly regained mobility.

Then, a soft white-glowing plank materialized before her, connecting to the pure white hull.

The plank wasn’t wide—only enough for one person to stand—but it was exceptionally stable.

Its surface glowed with the same warm luster as the ship, firmly bridging the black stream, isolating the unsettling dead water below.

‘Phew…’

Qiansitelin let out a long breath, loosening her grip on [Lyrasel] slightly.

‘Didn’t expect that rumor to be true.’

‘Still… this Demon God really loves showing off, huh?’

She glanced down at Muxuan, still unconscious but with steadier breathing, and hesitated for a moment before making a choice.

For now, this was the only quick and safe way to cross the stream.

Even if Her Highness woke up, there might not be a better option.

Qiansitelin hesitated no longer.

She carefully stepped onto the plank formed by white light.

It felt cold and solid underfoot.

After testing it cautiously, she walked step by step toward the pure white ship, carrying Muxuan.

When Qiansitelin reached the White Ferry and was in the middle of the river, she suddenly noticed her surroundings had changed.

What had looked like a narrow stream she could easily jump across now became an endless ocean, vast and boundless.

The gray fog had completely dissipated.

She could clearly see a massive rift in the sky not far away, where an endless torrent of black liquid poured into this black ocean like a colossal waterfall.