Creak!
Mu Zibai gradually pushed the stone gate open. It seemed no mechanism was triggered, and nothing unusual happened. As he pushed, he said indifferently, "Qing Ning, you should believe me now. If there really was a mechanism, it would have triggered long ago. Hah...
A Cloud-Sea Devouring Mechanism...
How laughable."
Hmm?
Qing Ning frowned slightly, carefully probing her surroundings. There really didn't seem to be anything amiss. Yet, right at that moment, a sudden change occurred. A mysterious pattern appeared on the ground, immediately beginning to shimmer with light.
"Not good!
Be careful!"
Qing Ning was greatly alarmed, and Mu Zibai was also startled. The two of them flashed backward to retreat, but it was already too late. The light flared brilliantly, instantly enveloping them. In the next moment, an immense pressure swept over them, crushing down so heavily they could barely breathe.
It was real!
There really was a mechanism!
It truly felt like being trapped in a deep-sea quagmire.
Qing Ning hadn't expected it, and Mu Zibai had expected it even less. At this moment, they had no time to think too much. They immediately circulated the Spiritual Power within their bodies, preparing to force their way out. But when they activated their Spiritual Power, they were shocked to discover the pressure grew even stronger. The more they circulated their power, the stronger the pressure became. The more they struggled, the more they felt themselves collapsing. At first, they could still move, but after circulating their Spiritual Power, they couldn't even lift their arms.
Inside the hall, Gu Qingfeng watched the two trapped in the mechanism's snare. He shook his head and sighed helplessly, saying, "Don't circulate your Spiritual Power. Don't struggle. Don't make any movements. Otherwise, you'll only sink deeper. Stand still, don't do anything, keep your mind calm and peaceful."
Qing Ning tried to stop circulating her Spiritual Power, tried to cease struggling. Sure enough...
The pressure gradually lessened.
Mu Zibai was still struggling, struggling frantically. Perhaps he was too afraid of death; he simply couldn't stop struggling. But the more he struggled, the greater the pressure became. He felt he was about to die.
Gu Qingfeng flicked his hand, sending a spirit incantation flying over. With a *bang*, the light dissipated, and the mechanism stopped.
Qing Ning immediately felt as if a great weight had been lifted, though her face was still deathly pale from fright. Mu Zibai, meanwhile, had completely collapsed on the spot, lying on the ground like a dead dog, breathing heavily.
"This isn't a place you should be. Rest a bit, then leave quickly."
After saying this, Gu Qingfeng opened another stone gate and walked through. As he walked, he sighed inwardly, lamenting how today's youths were far too overconfident. Without even mastering mechanisms and formations, they dared to barge into cave dwellings recklessly. It was no different from seeking death.
But upon careful reflection, he realized he had been much the same in his youth. Back then, exploring cave dwellings, he had encountered countless dangers. Fortunately, he had always had a benefactor by his side helping him back then. Otherwise...
He would have died who knows how many times already.
Inside the hall, seeing Gu Qingfeng leave, Qing Ning wanted to get up and thank him, but she simply had no strength. She quickly took out two Yuan Qi Pills, handing one to Mu Zibai and swallowing one herself.
Although they had just narrowly escaped death, neither was injured. They had only depleted their vital energy, which would recover after some meditation.
As she meditated, Qing Ning pondered.
She was deeply curious about who that fellow just now really was. Not only could he detect things she couldn't, he also seemed extremely knowledgeable about mechanism arts. He had merely glanced casually and known there was a hidden mechanism on the stone gate, and even identified what kind of mechanism it was. What surprised Qing Ning even more was that he seemed to have just shot out a spirit incantation, and then...
Then the mechanism vanished?
How did he do that?
She didn't understand!
Although her cultivation was not low, having established her True Body and earned the title of True Being, she knew little about such obscure and esoteric side arts like mechanisms.
A short while later, after meditating, Qing Ning's vital energy began to gradually recover, and her complexion improved significantly. Mu Zibai beside her was the same. Although not fully recovered, he could now move freely.
"Mu Zibai, how are you?"
Mu Zibai sat cross-legged, continuing to meditate. He took a deep breath, shook his head, and replied, "I'm fine."
"Sigh!
I told you to be cautious, but you just wouldn't listen. If we had heeded his warning, nothing would have happened."
The more Qing Ning thought about it, the more fearful she became. "If he hadn't intervened just now, we would have died here today."
"Hmph!"
Mu Zibai was a proud man, a man with very strong self-esteem. Having experienced the recent events, he felt not a shred of gratitude. Instead, he felt his dignity had been insulted, and he had lost face in front of Qing Ning. This was intolerable to him.
After finishing her meditation, Qing Ning stood up and said, "He should be ahead. Let's go find him."
"Find him for what?"
Perhaps feeling he had lost face, Mu Zibai was no longer the elegant, graceful young master from before. He had turned cold and gloomy.
"Mu Zibai, how can you be like this? He just saved us. We should at least properly thank him, shouldn't we?
Besides, he's saved me twice now."
Qing Ning was a member of the Nine-Hua Alliance, a noble status far superior to that of a mere Chief of the Yunxia Sect's Twelve Courts. Seeing Qing Ning walk towards that stone gate, despite having a hundred objections in his heart, Mu Zibai had no choice but to follow.
Passing through two stone gates, they finally saw Gu Qingfeng.
At this moment, Gu Qingfeng was stationed beside the final array eye, carefully picking up fragments of Purple-Gold Heavenly Shining Crystal. After all, this stuff was Purple-Gold Heavenly Shining Crystal, containing Solar Essence—a type of extremely violent Spiritual Power.
If it were a whole crystal, it wouldn't be a big deal. But now it had shattered into a large pile of crystal ore shards, causing the Solar Essence inside to become highly unstable. This was very dangerous. The slightest mishap could cause an explosion, and once this stuff exploded, the power would be terrifying.
The moment the two arrived, they were immediately captivated by these purple-gold fragments. Especially Mu Zibai. Although he didn't know what these fragments were, he could sense the powerful spiritual aura they emitted. He had never seen crystal ore shards containing such a potent spiritual aura.
He was like this, and Qing Ning was the same. She also didn't know what these crystal ore shards were, but she could also detect the powerful aura emanating from the fragments. Similarly, she had never seen crystal ore shards containing such a strong spiritual aura.
"What's this?
I just saved your little lives, and not even a moment later, you're thinking of snatching my stuff?"
Gu Qingfeng stood beside the raised platform, glanced at the two, then lowered his head to carefully continue picking up the fragments.
"Fellow Daoist, you misunderstand...
We...
We came specifically to thank you for saving our lives. We hope Fellow Daoist will tell us your honorable name..." Before Qing Ning could finish, Gu Qingfeng had already lost interest in listening. He responded, "Thanks aren't necessary. If you don't want to die, get out of here now."
"Fellow Daoist..." Qing Ning tried to speak again but was once more cut off by Gu Qingfeng: "Not done yet? Get lost!"
"You...
How can you be like this!"
In all her life, Qing Ning had never been told to 'get lost' by anyone. Pointing at Gu Qingfeng, she said somewhat displeased, "I know what you're worried about, but rest assured, we won't snatch these fragments from you. I, Qing Ning, am not that kind of person. Besides, you've saved me twice now."
Having said that, Qing Ning turned to Mu Zibai beside her and said, "Let's go."
Mu Zibai didn't move. He didn't leave. His eyes, gleaming with avarice, were fixed intently on those fragments shimmering with purple-gold light.
"Mu Zibai, what are you looking at?"
"Qing Ning, we agreed before coming here: if we find resources inside the cave dwelling, we must split them equally. That's the rule."
(Please bookmark, recommend, and tip!!)