Finally, Chu Feng also withdrew his gaze from the stone tablet.
However, unlike the others, Chu Feng’s withdrawal was distinct.
The others had pulled back in a panic, as if continuing to look would cost them their lives.
Chu Feng, on the other hand, was utterly composed, his action as casual as any ordinary gesture, calm and natural.
The difference lay in this: the others couldn’t hold on and were forced to stop, while Chu Feng handled it with ease and chose to stop of his own accord.
This made everyone realize that Chu Feng had likely unraveled the tablet’s secrets.
“Chu Feng, did you figure something out?” the Liangqiu sisters stepped forward to ask.
The others also looked at Chu Feng with eager anticipation, hoping for good news.
“This tablet is the main formation Senior Liangqiu Chengfeng mentioned, but it’s sealed. We need to unlock the seal, and fortunately, we brought enough people today. Otherwise, it’d be quite tricky,” Chu Feng said.
“How do we unseal it?” Liangqiu Hongyue asked.
“Simple,” Chu Feng replied. With that, he released boundary power into his palms and approached the tablet, using his hands as brushes to trace across its surface.
As his palms moved, the tablet emitted a faint glow, its light following the exact paths of Chu Feng’s hands.
Suddenly, a burst of radiance shot from the tablet, forming a boundary gate.
Chu Feng didn’t stop, continuing to move his palms across the tablet. More and more trails appeared, weaving into a scroll-like image, one that was incomprehensible yet strangely beautiful.
Before long, another burst of light emerged, forming a second boundary gate.
Then, a third gate followed suit.
After the third gate appeared, Chu Feng stepped back from the tablet. As he retracted his boundary power, the glow on the tablet faded, returning it to its original state.
But the three boundary gates remained standing behind it.
“These three gates each contain a boundary formation. If we break all three simultaneously, the tablet’s seal will lift. However, the formations inside vary in difficulty: the left is the strongest, the right the weakest.”
“So, we need to split up. You two ladies take the middle gate, everyone else takes the right gate, and Wuma Shengjie and I will take the left gate.”
“Any objections?” Chu Feng asked the group.
“No objections, we’ll follow your lead,” they replied in unison.
Having witnessed Chu Feng handle the tablet with such composure, their trust in him deepened. They were convinced he’d truly deciphered it, otherwise, such a feat would be impossible.
Thus, their confidence in him grew stronger.
They obeyed his every word, believing that only by following Chu Feng could they succeed in breaking the formations.
“I have an objection,” Liangqiu Hongyue suddenly interjected, her tone firm. “Why Wuma Shengjie with you instead of us sisters?”
Her voice carried a hint of displeasure. Chu Feng choosing Wuma Shengjie over them clearly upset her.
“While the middle formation is slightly weaker than the left one, it’s only slightly so. Apart from you two sisters, I’m afraid no one else could handle it,” Chu Feng explained.
“As for the left gate, it requires at least two people working together. Any of you three could assist me, but given the middle gate’s difficulty, this is the best arrangement right now.”
“Oh, I see. That makes sense,” Liangqiu Hongyue said. Chu Feng’s words praised their abilities, so the displeasure on her face not only vanished but gave way to a playful smile on her delicate features.
“Chu Feng, these gates seem to be closed,” Liangqiu Lanyue noted.
“They are indeed closed, but I can open them briefly. You all need to enter first, and I’ll go last,” Chu Feng said.
With that, he approached the tablet again, channeling boundary power into his palms once more. This time, instead of tracing patterns, he pressed his hands directly onto the tablet.
*Buzz*
As the boundary power flowed into the tablet, it began to tremble. At the same time, both Chu Feng and the tablet radiated a dazzling boundary glow, as if he had fused with it.
Soon, starting from the left, the three gates opened one by one.
“Everyone, remember this: once we enter, the gates will close again. The three formations must be broken simultaneously to unseal the tablet and reopen the gates. If we fail to sync up, we’ll be trapped inside.”
“So, we need to time our efforts precisely, not too slow, not too fast.”
“Starting now, we break the formations in exactly half an hour,” Chu Feng instructed.
At his command, the Liangqiu sisters promptly stepped into the middle gate, while the others entered the right gate.
Now, only Chu Feng and Wuma Shengjie remained.
“Little lady, time for us to go in,” Chu Feng said with a smile to Wuma Shengjie.
Hearing this, Wuma Shengjie’s brows furrowed slightly, and she replied coldly, “Are you looking to die?”
“Just a joke, no need to get mad,” Chu Feng said, chuckling. But his grin only deepened the anger in Wuma Shengjie’s eyes.
Not for any other reason, except that Chu Feng’s smile was just too cheeky.
“When I retract my boundary power, the gates will close immediately. You go in first, I’ll follow,” Chu Feng said.
Wuma Shengjie didn’t hesitate, stepping straight into the gate.
Chu Feng quickly pulled his hands back and darted into the gate like a streak of light.
Almost the instant he entered, all three gates slammed shut simultaneously.
Inside the gate, Chu Feng found himself in a vast, enclosed space. Aside from the gate behind him, there was no other exit.
At the center of this isolated space stood a formation.
This was the boundary formation Chu Feng needed to break.
“This formation doesn’t even need two people to crack it. Forget you, I could handle it alone,” Wuma Shengjie said.
“I know,” Chu Feng replied.
“You know?” Wuma Shengjie turned to him, asking, “Did you trick me into coming here on purpose?”
“Well, I figured running away isn’t the answer. We should clear up what happened back then.”
“I honestly didn’t know you were a girl at the time, or I’d never have barged in. Still, it was my fault, so I sincerely apologize. Can we let it go? Is that okay?”
“If not, name your terms. As long as they’re reasonable, I’ll agree,” Chu Feng said.
“There’s only one way I’ll forgive you: let me kill you with my own hands,” Wuma Shengjie replied. As she spoke, her robes fluttered, and the space grew bitterly cold, a chilling sensation piercing to the bone.
The reason? Wuma Shengjie.
From her body surged an overwhelming wave of killing intent.
