After observing for a while, Chu Feng roughly confirmed that the Spirit Mansion Gate held a vast number of treasures, though he couldn’t pinpoint their exact nature.
What he could confirm was that there were at least two, if not more, treasures that were particularly appealing to him.
One was deeply hidden, tucked away in the depths of the Spirit Mansion Gate.
Its secrecy made it impossible for Chu Feng to determine its precise location, requiring further exploration.
The other, however, was closer, with a stable aura.
Finding it would be relatively easy for Chu Feng.
So, he set his plan: first, retrieve the closer, stable-aura treasure, then venture deeper to search for the more elusive one that would take more effort to locate.
Chu Feng pressed forward and soon arrived at the location of the stable-aura treasure.
It was a large circular plaza.
The plaza was vast, and Chu Feng could see tens of thousands of gates in its depths.
Each gate was unique.
Some were made of bronze, others iron, and some wood, but in truth, they were all crafted through spirit techniques.
Beyond their materials, the patterns and designs on the gates varied widely.
But Chu Feng could tell at a glance that each gate held a secret.
What lay behind each gate was hinted at by the designs on its surface.
Only those who paid close attention could discern the answers.
For now, Chu Feng didn’t focus too much on the gates.
With so many, even he would need time to examine them all thoroughly.
Instead, his gaze settled on the plaza itself.
At the entrance stood a massive stone tablet.
In bold red characters, it bore a striking inscription:
*“Treasures lie within the pillars, guarded by formations. Act within your limits and avoid greed, or bear the consequences.”*
Clearly, it was a warning.
In the centre of the plaza stood countless stone pillars.
Chu Feng roughly estimated there were at least ten thousand, forming a stone forest.
Each pillar varied in size and thickness.
As the tablet stated, each pillar contained a treasure.
However, each was protected by a formation, and to claim the treasure, one had to break the formation first.
Chu Feng’s attention fixed on the central pillar of the plaza.
It was the largest and thickest of all.
Its size dwarfed the combined volume of the other pillars.
It stood like a towering mountain among countless small mounds, piercing the heavens.
Its presence made the other pillars seem insignificant.
The stable treasure aura Chu Feng had sensed came from within this pillar.
“The formation on this pillar seems tough to crack. Don’t be careless,” a voice said in Chu Feng’s ear, coming from his spirit space.
It was Yu Sha.
“Oh, look at that, you’re showing concern now?” Chu Feng teased with a smile.
But Yu Sha ignored him.
“Still such a cold girl,” Chu Feng muttered helplessly.
Having set his target, Chu Feng didn’t hesitate. He approached the pillar and began placing items around it.
These items would help him break the pillar’s protective formation more quickly.
“What’s that guy doing?”
The plaza was crowded with people.
Some were fully focused on cracking the formations of their chosen pillars, some were preparing, and others were still carefully selecting which pillar to tackle.
But many were drawn to Chu Feng’s actions.
“This guy’s placing items infused with spirit power.”
“Is he… planning to challenge the formation of the first-grade pillar?”
“My heavens, he’s actually going to do it.”
At first, people merely watched Chu Feng curiously, but soon they realised he was indeed targeting the formation of that pillar.
The crowd erupted.
As spirit masters, many were repeat visitors to the Spirit Mansion Gate and knew it well.
Each formation in this plaza held treasures useful to spirit masters or their spirits. While the exact nature of the treasures was unclear, it was undeniable that the larger the pillar, the better the treasure inside.
Based on size, the pillars were divided into ten grades.
Most people dared only to challenge tenth-grade pillars.
Those with some skill might attempt ninth-grade pillars.
Only top-tier geniuses would tackle eighth-grade pillars.
Seventh-grade pillars were occasionally challenged, but success was rare.
As for sixth-grade pillars, no one dared touch them now.
The reason? The formations in sixth-grade pillars were too powerful.
Once, someone had tried a sixth-grade pillar and was devoured and killed by its formation.
Thus, sixth-grade pillars were considered forbidden.
If no one dared challenge sixth-grade pillars, fifth-grade ones were even less attempted.
And the pillar Chu Feng was targeting? It was the first-grade pillar, the only one classified as such.
People held it in awe, not daring even to approach it, let alone consider cracking it.
That’s why Chu Feng’s approach to the first-grade pillar immediately drew so much attention.
He was doing something they wouldn’t dare.
But they never imagined he’d set his sights on cracking the first-grade pillar.
“Hey, are you out of your mind?”
“Stop it now!”
“Idiot, get away from there! That’s the first-grade pillar. If you challenge it, you won’t even know how you died.”
Many began shouting, urging Chu Feng to stop.
“Thanks for your concern, but I can handle it,” Chu Feng replied with a smile, knowing their intentions were good.
By now, he had finished placing the items and sat cross-legged, preparing to set up his formation.
“You can handle crap! Get lost, you overconfident fool. If you want to die, no one’s stopping you, but if you drag us into it, I’ll kill you first!”
But just as Chu Feng sat down, a voice filled with curses rang out behind him.
