“Chu Feng, could it be that this tablet is already unsealed?” Liangqiu Hongyue asked.
“It is indeed unsealed. However, to fully unlock it, a special method is required. But don’t worry, everyone—if we work together, it won’t be difficult to break it,” Chu Feng replied.
With that, he immediately began setting up the formation-breaking array, and the others quickly joined in to assist.
Everything proceeded smoothly. Under Chu Feng’s direction, the main formation sealing the tablet was completely shattered at the exact time agreed upon with Liangqiu Chengfeng.
The stone tablet crumbled entirely, transforming into a massive boundary gate that stood before them.
“We did it! We succeeded!”
“Chu Feng, thanks to you, we’ve broken through this main formation! We’re about to claim the treasures within this ancient ruin!”
“What kind of treasures could lie within such a complex ancient ruin? I can’t wait to find out!”
Gazing at the boundary gate, the younger generation looked at Chu Feng with admiration.
At this moment, their respect for him was matched by gratitude. They knew full well that without Chu Feng, they’d never have cracked this main formation.
Forget the main formation—even the sealed tablet alone would have stumped them all.
“Don’t celebrate too soon. Opening this boundary gate doesn’t mean we’ve secured the treasure,” Chu Feng cautioned. “This is just the entrance to the treasure. There are still obstacles ahead. Everyone needs to proceed with caution once we step inside.”
“What?” The crowd’s jubilant expressions dimmed considerably at his words.
“Chu Feng, what should we do then?” The group, previously eager to charge in, calmed down and fixed their eyes on him.
“I’ll lead the way. Follow me,” Chu Feng said.
“Alright!”
They responded in unison. Truthfully, they’d held back from rushing in precisely because they were waiting for those words.
With that, Chu Feng stepped into the boundary gate.
But though he’d clearly entered, his silhouette remained faintly visible. He… hadn’t fully passed through.
“What’s going on?” The crowd turned their gazes to the Liangqiu sisters.
“This boundary gate is strange—likely more complex than we anticipated,” the sisters replied. “But Chu Feng probably foresaw this. He’s likely clearing the obstacles within it for us.”
“So that’s it? We’re lucky to have Brother Chu Feng on this journey!” The group sighed in relief and awe.
Hearing their praise, Chu Feng felt a twinge of awkwardness.
He was indeed lingering there, doing something.
He was searching for an item—not an obstacle, but a key.
Others might not understand, but Chu Feng had deciphered clues while breaking the main formation earlier.
Two key points stood out.
First, the final treasure was still guarded by a boundary that required two keys to unlock. Without them, even a Saint-cloak World Spiritist would be powerless. Chu Feng suspected the keys were hidden within the two main formations.
This formation was odd—not just in appearance but in function. Otherwise, he wouldn’t still be standing within it without being fully drawn inside.
Second, beyond the final treasure, there was something else—a type of flying insect. These insects carried potent cosmic energy within them, offering significant aid to those above the Martial Immortal realm in their martial cultivation.
These insects resided just outside the treasure’s guardian boundary. Whoever reached the treasure’s location first could claim them.
Even setting aside the sealed treasure of the ancient ruin, these insects were a treasure in themselves.
Of course, the main formation might hold more secrets.
But with his limited cultivation, Chu Feng had only grasped these two points. Perhaps Liangqiu Chengfeng could uncover more.
“Is this the key?”
Chu Feng now held an object in his hand—a stone. He sensed no power or uniqueness in it.
Yet, aside from this stone, he could find nothing else.
“There’s no way they’d seal a random stone in this boundary gate for no reason. It’s probably useful,” he reasoned, pocketing it.
“Chu Feng, how’s it going? Did you hit a snag?” Liangqiu Hongyue called out.
“No problem—it’s cleared. Follow me in,” Chu Feng replied, stepping forward and vanishing into the gate.
The others hurried after him.
Passing through the gate didn’t take them directly to the treasure’s location.
They found themselves in a rocky cave, facing twenty-three paths ahead.
Each path’s entrance was framed by a massive dragon head, its jaws gaping wide to reveal sharp fangs.
Those open mouths were the entryways.
“Chu Feng, which way do we go?”
Almost simultaneously, everyone turned to him.
Everything he’d predicted had come true—the treasure wasn’t easily won—so their trust in him deepened.
“This… doesn’t seem simple,” Chu Feng said, his brow furrowing slightly.
“Chu Feng, is it tough?” Seeing his reaction, the group pressed.
“Of course it is,” Liangqiu Lanyue interjected before Chu Feng could respond. “This is the Twenty-Three Dragon Caverns Formation.”
“Entering it is like stepping into a maze with countless choices—a matter of life and death.”
“There’s no set method to break it. It relies entirely on a World Spiritist’s intuition. One wrong step, and you’re in peril.”
“So dangerous?” The crowd’s faces paled with alarm.
“Miss, how do you know this formation?” Chu Feng asked.
“I read about it in my master’s formation compendium,” Liangqiu Lanyue explained. “There’s no definitive way to break it, but it includes accounts from those who’ve succeeded. Their methods differ wildly, though. Still, I thought… they might help you.”
As she spoke, she pulled a scroll from her Qiankun Bag and handed it to Chu Feng.
He unfurled it, finding that the formation entrances depicted matched the twenty-three dragon heads before them perfectly.
The scroll also detailed the experiences and methods of several who’d broken the array, though, as Liangqiu Lanyue noted, their approaches varied with no overlapping routes.
“Thanks,” Chu Feng said, returning the scroll after a thorough read.
“No need to thank me. I just hope it inspires you,” Liangqiu Lanyue replied.
“It’s a huge help,” Chu Feng said.
“Chu Feng, what did you find?” Liangqiu Hongyue asked.
She’d studied the scroll multiple times herself but had drawn a blank when facing the real formation. She was eager to know what insight Chu Feng had gained.
“The scroll’s contents gave me a deeper understanding of just how dangerous this Twenty-Three Dragon Caverns Formation is,” Chu Feng said.
“What?”
The crowd’s expressions shifted at his words.
A deeper understanding of its danger?
That didn’t sound like good news.
