Though the crack had appeared, the old cow-nosed Taoist did not immediately activate the formation.
Instead, it continued running for a long while, even longer than the time it had taken to tear open the initial fissure.
And from the look of it, it would persist further.
This puzzled everyone. The crack was already there. Why not let Chu Feng and the others enter at once, coordinating from inside and out to breach the formation?
Though doubts arose, no one dared question him. Whether the Dragon Vein Source could be opened, and how, depended entirely on the old cow-nosed Taoist.
They had no choice but to trust him.
During this time, naturally, no one idled. They tried every method to peer through the crack and glimpse the interior of the Dragon Vein Source.
But the fissure remained pitch black. No matter the technique, nothing inside was visible, as if the crack were mere decoration, not a true passage.
Three full hours passed before the old cow-nosed Taoist finally turned to Chu Feng and Long Xiaoxiao.
“You two, enter. Chu Feng, do exactly as I instructed.”
The old cow-nosed Taoist said.
“Understood.”
With that, Chu Feng led Long Xiaoxiao through the crack.
Yet, upon passing through, both were stunned to find themselves in a world of utter darkness.
Though they had crossed the fissure, they had not truly entered the Dragon Vein Source.
All around was impenetrable black. Aside from each other, they saw nothing.
A force sealed them in, trapping them within a confined space.
To proceed, they had to break this confining power.
And the sealing force was exceedingly strange. Even Chu Feng could not counter it.
Fortunately, faint runes flowed within the barrier, offering a clue.
Chu Feng wasted no time. He released his spirit power to sense and analyse the runes.
But upon doing so, his brow furrowed.
The content within the runes was not difficult to comprehend. He grasped the clue almost instantly.
What blocked them was a yin-yang boundary.
Breaking it was, in fact, simple. The runes themselves provided the method.
It was like a locked door barring the way, with the key hanging on the wall beside it.
No need to devise a plan. Just take the key and unlock the door.
Yet, simple as it seemed, it was not.
The breaking formation required two people working together.
And simple cooperation would not suffice. They had to be bare-skinned and facing each other.
This left Chu Feng deeply embarrassed.
What sort of absurd condition was this?
If he told Long Xiaoxiao, she would surely think him a lecher.
Still, he instinctively glanced at her.
Though the place was pitch dark, Chu Feng could see Long Xiaoxiao clearly.
One look, and he noticed her face was already flushed. She kept her head down, silent.
Feeling his gaze, her cheeks reddened further.
“Er…”
“Princess Xiaoxiao, have you… also discovered the breaking method?”
Chu Feng asked.
“Mm.”
Long Xiaoxiao nodded.
She was usually a lively girl, full of words.
This demeanour was rare for her, yet it only heightened Chu Feng’s awkwardness.
“This breaking method is too bizarre. It must be some kind of prank.”
“Let us try forming the array normally and see if we can breach it.”
Chu Feng said.
“Alright.”
Long Xiaoxiao agreed.
With consensus reached, they acted without delay, forming the array based on the insight gained here.
And indeed, when combined, the formation was extraordinary.
Ordinary arrays glowed with golden light.
But this one intertwined white and blue.
The two powers complemented each other, fusing perfectly. Not only beautiful, it radiated mysterious energy.
Once complete, Chu Feng and Long Xiaoxiao activated it at once, hoping to shatter the invisible force trapping them.
But it was useless.
Despite its wonder, the array could not affect the barrier.
“Why is this happening?”
“Could it really require…?”
Long Xiaoxiao did not finish, her face growing even redder.
“I will go back and consult my master.”
As Chu Feng spoke, he prepared to exit through the crack and find the old cow-nosed Taoist.
But then he discovered the fissure had vanished.
No matter what he tried, he could not locate it.
They were completely trapped.
“What is it?”
Seeing Chu Feng’s frown, Long Xiaoxiao asked.
“The crack is gone. We cannot get out.”
Chu Feng said.
Hum.
As his words ended, another force surged from all directions.
It was pressure, from the formation, immensely strong. Both Chu Feng and Long Xiaoxiao felt its oppression.
“It is real?”
Sensing the pressure, Chu Feng inwardly cried out in alarm.
Earlier, while comprehending the breaking method from the runes, he had also received other information.
They had limited time to break the array, only the span of one incense stick.
If they failed within that time, the formation’s power would erase them.
“Let me think. There must be a way.”
Chu Feng did not blindly attempt the breaking array.
From the start, he knew his own formations could not overcome the barrier.
He needed calm thought, to consider alternative methods.
Yet time ticked away. Long Xiaoxiao seemed to steel herself.
“Little benefactor, perhaps we… should follow the prompt here.”
Long Xiaoxiao said.
“No, that absolutely will not do.”
Chu Feng shook his head repeatedly.
“Little benefactor, you can avoid looking at me. With your strength, you can form the array blindfolded, right?”
Long Xiaoxiao said.
“Princess Xiaoxiao, that will not work. It is truly improper.”
Chu Feng said.
“Do you despise me so much?”
“Or are you afraid I will see your body?”
Long Xiaoxiao asked.
“I am a grown man. What have I to fear? If you want to look, I will show you now.”
“But Xiaoxiao, you are still a young lady. I cannot take advantage of you.”
Chu Feng said.
Yet hearing this, Long Xiaoxiao pouted stubbornly.
“I do not believe you. Whatever you say, I will not believe it. If you refuse the prompt, you despise me.”
“Fine then. Let us die here together.”
The girl was actually angry!!!
