Golden, green, and red light blazed above the camp, crashing toward the barrier.
As Lin Langtian and the other two attacked together, Lin Dong did not stand by and watch. He also urged the Devouring Spirit Talisman into action, quietly attaching it to the barrier.
"Boom!"
The next moment, three streaks of light slammed into the barrier, unleashing wave after wave of powerful energy.
Then everyone below saw ripples appear across the seal, surging outward in all directions.
As the ripples spread, the energy striking the seal seemed to gradually dissipate.
But just then, a circle of strange black runes appeared where the three had struck, clinging to the barrier.
"Buzz, buzz!"
A series of strange fluctuations emanated from the black runes.
Then everyone saw that the area covered by the runes seemed to be corroded by something, quickly revealing a gap.
As that tiny breach opened, the entire barrier developed a flaw. The energy fluctuations across the surrounding light curtain immediately weakened considerably.
But Lin Dong was no longer concerned with any of that. As soon as the gap appeared, he called to Xiao Yan and flew toward the opening, which was barely three feet wide.
Though the gap looked too small to pass through, Xiao Yan did not hesitate. He beat his wings and flew toward it.
As Xiao Yan drew closer, Lin Dong urged the Devouring Spirit Talisman into action again, devouring a larger opening in the barrier. By the time Xiao Yan reached it, the gap was wide enough for him to pass through.
"Whoosh!"
Seeing Lin Dong dive through the barrier first, Lin Langtian and Wang Yan were not about to fall behind. They quickly flew inside as well.
Qin Shi, however, glanced down at the enormous wind luan bird, whose wings spanned twenty to thirty feet, and sighed. As he urged it onward, he also struck out and shattered the barrier completely.
As the four of them poured inside, countless adventurers in the camp rushed toward the now-open Ancient Tomb Mansion.
In an instant, the Ancient Tomb Mansion, which had lain silent for countless years, welcomed a flood of visitors.
While countless people stormed into the Ancient Tomb Mansion and began scavenging for resources, Cang Wu and Ling Qingzhu had made their way straight through all the palaces and arrived before the main hall.
Looking at the sea of fire before her, Ling Qingzhu knitted her willow brows slightly, seemingly pondering how to break the formation.
After all, Cang Wu had done all the work on their way here. With her pride, Ling Qingzhu could hardly just enjoy the fruits of his labor and then compete with him for them.
"Junior Sister, have you figured out how to break this sea-of-fire formation?"
Seeing her expression, Cang Wu chuckled and asked. His tone carried a hint of impatience.
Ling Qingzhu's brows furrowed even more. She was no talisman master and was even less skilled in formations. If she did not break it by force, simply trying to figure out how to dismantle it would be quite a challenge for her.
After thinking for a moment, Ling Qingzhu grew anxious and urged the Green Lotus beneath her feet, heading straight into the sea-of-fire formation.
Clearly, she wanted to enter the formation and activate it, then search for a way to break it from within.
For someone unfamiliar with formations, entering an unclaimed formation was indeed a good way to break it—provided they could withstand its attacks.
Cang Wu said nothing and did not stop Ling Qingzhu. He simply stood to one side, quietly watching her try to break the formation.
The instant she entered, the massive sea-of-fire formation sprang to life. The flames all around surged, turning into wave after wave of fire that swept toward the Green Lotus.
Ling Qingzhu remained calm. She raised a hand and sent out a streak of Primal Energy, cleaving the oncoming wave of fire apart. At the same time, she observed the formation's patterns, trying to find its weak point.
That was why Ling Qingzhu had entered the formation. For someone like her, who knew nothing about formations, facing an inactive formation from the outside made it impossible to see how it worked.
But once inside, she could sense the flow of energy through the formation as it attacked, allowing her to judge how it operated and search for its weak points.
"Boom! Boom!"
Wave after wave of fire came at her, leaving Ling Qingzhu scrambling to keep up.
In truth, Ling Qingzhu could have broken the formation by force. She only needed to attack it relentlessly, and the resulting damage would expose its weak point.
But Ling Qingzhu seemed to have something to prove. She kept focusing on defending herself, determined to find another way to break the formation.
"Junior Sister, sometimes the eyes can deceive you. You must use your heart. The way forward isn't before you—it's in your heart!"
Watching her, Cang Wu shook his head gently and spoke in a soft voice.
Ling Qingzhu was suddenly stunned by his words and turned to stare blankly at Cang Wu.
Just then, another wave of fire rushed toward her. As Ling Qingzhu reacted, she suddenly sensed something.
The next moment, a strange fluctuation seemed to emanate from within her.
Then Ling Qingzhu raised a hand and sent out a streak of Primal Energy—not toward the incoming wave of fire, but toward a spot off to one side.
"Boom!"
As the Primal Energy burst forth, the wave of fire strangely vanished, and the entire formation settled into stillness.
Looking at the formation she had so easily broken, Ling Qingzhu parted her lips slightly, a trace of surprise crossing her face. Fortunately, the veil over her face kept anyone from seeing it.
Cang Wu, standing nearby, looked just as astonished. But he was not astonished by the formation—he was astonished by Ling Qingzhu.
If Cang Wu had not sensed it wrong, that fluctuation had been the Supreme Induction Art, which he had spent all these years trying and failing to truly master!
Yet Ling Qingzhu had grasped its threshold just from a casual word of guidance from him.
She had not truly mastered it yet, but that was only a matter of time.
At the thought, Cang Wu's gaze toward Ling Qingzhu grew complicated. He sighed and said,
"Junior Sister, your talent is truly extraordinary—far greater than mine."
Cang Wu's words also brought Ling Qingzhu back to her senses.
When she realized what had happened, Ling Qingzhu turned to look at Cang Wu, her expression becoming strange as well. After steadying herself, she spoke softly.
"You flatter me, Young Master. If you hadn't guided me, Qingzhu wouldn't have been able to break this formation."
Cang Wu merely smiled faintly before saying,
"Now that the formation is broken, let's go inside first."
Ling Qingzhu nodded slightly and urged the Green Lotus into the main hall.
Before entering, however, she casually waved a hand and activated the sea-of-fire formation once more.
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