Chapter 435 - 261: Barrier 2

Chapter 435: Chapter 261: Barrier 2

A hint of greed flashed in Chen Tiangang’s eyes as he spoke to Celestial King Wu in a low voice.

Both were veterans of the cultivation world and were naturally familiar with the rumors surrounding secret troves on ancient battlefields.

Such places often concealed endless treasures and fortuitous opportunities. Obtaining even a fraction of them would be of immense benefit.

Celestial King Wu nodded in agreement.

He surveyed his surroundings, trying to uncover the secrets of the cavern.

However, aside from the massive draconic shadow, they found nothing else out of the ordinary.

With that, the two continued deeper into the cavern.

The two proceeded deeper into the cavern, moving with caution. The rock walls along the path were covered in mottled traces, silent witnesses to the passage of ages.

The air in the cavern carried a faint, metallic scent, like a warning of the unknown dangers hidden within.

Both Chen Tiangang and Celestial King Wu were meticulously cautious men; they wouldn’t let a moment of greed cloud their judgment.

They knew that a place capable of producing a Primordial Qi projection had to be extraordinary, and one could never be too careful.

"Be careful. This place is more than it seems," Celestial King Wu warned in a low voice.

Chen Tiangang nodded, his expression turning grave.

He knew Celestial King Wu was right; this place was definitely not what it seemed.

As they delved deeper, they could feel an incredibly dense aura of war begin to permeate the cavern!

This aura of war was incomparably sharp, as if thousands of blades were materializing in the shadows. It made their skin prickle and breathing became difficult.

"Such a potent, sharp aura!" Chen Tiangang exclaimed under his breath. He knew this was an aura only found near veins of rare minerals or on the sites of ancient battlefields.

A look of astonishment flickered in Celestial King Wu’s eyes as he scanned the area, searching for the source of this martial aura.

For Martial Artists who practiced Body Refining Techniques, this aura was both an opportunity and a challenge. If one could absorb and perform Refinement on it, their own cultivation would benefit immensely.

The prerequisite, however, was being able to withstand the aura’s scouring assault.

Both men possessed profound cultivation and had some knowledge of Body Refining Techniques. Upon feeling this martial aura, they both felt a pang of regret, since neither of them specialized in such methods.

They exchanged a glance, and each saw the regret in the other’s eyes.

They knew that while this martial aura was incredibly precious, it wasn’t the ideal cultivation resource for them.

They primarily cultivated Primordial Qi Cultivation Methods, not Body Refining Techniques. While the martial aura could provide some tempering for their physical bodies, the effect would be nowhere near as potent as it would be for a Martial Artist who specialized in body refinement.

Still, neither of them planned to give up on it.

They knew that encountering such a dense martial aura was a rare opportunity in itself.

Even if they couldn’t directly absorb it through Refinement, they could still use it to hone their Primordial Qi and willpower.

~~~~~~

「At the foot of a large mountain on the other side of the valley.」

"According to the Hidden Soldier Map, the entrance to the secret vault should be somewhere on this mountain," Qing’Er said, pointing to a mark on the map.

Her sister nodded. "Exactly. We’ve come all this way; we can’t give up now. We have to find the entrance to the secret vault!"

The pair began their careful search at the foot of the mountain.

They knew that any place hiding such an important vault must be protected by well-hidden mechanisms and Restrictions.

Therefore, they didn’t search blindly. Instead, they followed the clues on the Hidden Soldier Map, methodically looking for any sign of an entrance.

As time went on, the two sisters grew increasingly tense.

They knew they were getting closer to the secret vault, which also meant the danger was growing.

But both were strong-willed and refused to be swayed by tension or fear.

They encouraged one another as they continued their search at the base of the mountain.

At last, after a thorough search, they found a hidden stone gate.

"This is it!" Qing’Er said excitedly, pointing at the stone gate.

Her sister’s face lit up with excitement. "You’re right, this has to be the entrance to the secret vault! Let’s hurry inside!"

With that, the two prepared to push open the stone gate and enter.

However, the instant their hands were about to touch the stone gate, a powerful repulsive force surged toward them.

"Aah!" The two cried out as they were sent flying backward.

Qing’Er and her sister fell to the ground, their Qi and blood roiling. It was clear they had suffered significant internal injuries.

"What powerful energy!" Qing’Er exclaimed, clutching her chest. "This stone gate has a Restriction on it!"

Her sister nodded. "Exactly. The Restriction’s power is immense. If we’d gotten any closer, we would have been severely injured."

They exchanged a grave look.

They knew opening this stone gate to enter the vault would not be easy.

Fortunately, they had the Hidden Soldier Map, which detailed the method for opening the gate.

Struggling back to their feet, Qing’Er took the Hidden Soldier Map from her robes and carefully compared it to the patterns and engravings on the stone gate.

"Here... this should be the place to trigger the mechanism."

Qing’Er said, pointing to a protruding stone block on the gate.

Her sister leaned in for a closer look and nodded. "Right. According to the Hidden Soldier Map, we just need to touch these stones in a specific sequence to open the gate."

As she spoke, she reached out and began to touch the stones in the sequence Qing’Er described.

Soon, a series of CLICKS and CLACKS sounded out, followed by a loud RUMBLE as the stone gate began to open.

As the stone gate slowly creaked open, a dense martial aura rushed out to meet them. It was as if countless sharp blades were materializing within, making their skin prickle and their breathing difficult.

Qing’Er and her sister were both thrilled. They knew they had finally found the entrance to the Armory Pavilion.

They exchanged a smile, seeing the excitement and anticipation reflected in each other’s eyes.

They knew that endless treasures and fortuitous opportunities awaited them.

~~~~~~~

’Phew... My strength has grown so much. It’s time to see if I can force my way through that Restriction.’

Having mastered the second layer of the Dark Radiant Golden Body, Fang Yue took a deep breath and once again stood before the Restriction pointed out by the Hidden Soldier Map.

His gaze was resolute as he slowly extended his hands, preparing to touch the wall of Qi that looked flimsy but was filled with repulsive power.

The instant Fang Yue was about to make contact with the wall of Qi, the power of his Dark Radiant Golden Body erupted from within. Golden light flowed across his skin as if he were cloaked in a suit of golden battle armor.

At the same time, the Primordial Qi in his body surged forth like a torrential flood, gathering in his hands via his meridians and forming a faint white halo around them.

"Break!"

Fang Yue roared, thrusting his hands forward with all his might.

This time, it was completely different from his previous attempts.

When his hands touched the wall of Qi, the powerful repulsive force struck as expected, but unlike before, Fang Yue was not thrown back.

The Dark Radiant Golden Body and his Primordial Qi intertwined within him, creating a powerful resistance that held firm against the repulsive force.

Under the pressure of his resistance, the wall of Qi began to tremble, looking as if it might collapse at any second.

Joy surged in Fang Yue’s heart. He knew he had found the way to break the Restriction.

He gritted his teeth and poured even more power out from his body. As he strained, the wall’s vibrations grew more and more violent until, with a deafening BOOM, it completely shattered.

~~~~~~~

"What was that sound? Could there be other people here?"

Chen Tiangang stared at the city before him. Hearing the deafening boom, a look of shock and suspicion crossed his face.

Celestial King Wu frowned as well, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound. But aside from the towering city before them, they saw nothing else out of the ordinary.

"Whoever it is, if they dare try to snatch the treasure from us, they’ll die!"

A vicious glint flashed in Chen Tiangang’s eyes. With a flicker of movement, he shot off in the direction of the sound.