The moment the iron plate hit the ground, a barely perceptible muffled tremor came from underground.
It wasn't the ground shaking, but rather the spiritual veins underground, dormant for ten years, sensing the faint resonance of the Source Formation base, quietly awakening. The stagnant aura of the entire space suddenly loosened for a moment, then quickly returned to silence. Without the detection of a top-level Spirit Vision, this fleeting change would be completely undetectable.
Snow Empress stood in the center of the hall, her figure upright and still, her gaze sweeping over every corner and every crevice of the entire building. Her aura was restrained, and all her senses were fully deployed, firmly locking onto the movements of the entire old building. Within a radius of ten feet, even the falling leaves, the rising dust, and the slightest movement of Spiritual Power could not escape her perception.
"It's still a quarter of an hour before the beginning of Yin hour," the Snow Empress whispered a reminder. "Set up the formation in advance, stabilize your Spiritual Power, and once the exact time arrives, immediately activate the formation by drawing in the spiritual energy. Do not be impatient."
Yin Wujou nodded, bent his knees and squatted down, gently placing his palm on the cool, smooth iron plate.
Warm Spiritual Power flowed slowly from his palm, permeating and spreading along the fine forging patterns and orderly array lines of the iron plate. The originally dormant silver-gray array lines, nourished by the Spiritual Power, gradually lit up with tiny glimmers of light, starting from the central node and gradually illuminating the outer rings. The twelve star-shaped nodes successively emitted warm white halos, alternating between light and dark, flowing dynamically.
He did not rush to activate his Spiritual Power, but slowly and steadily nourished the array diagram, allowing his own Spiritual Power to gradually resonate and merge with the iron plate array base and the underground spiritual veins.
Pei Yuan had waited for ten years, and the discrepancies in time, fluctuations in Spiritual Power, and the influence of the seasons that he had recorded were now rapidly circulating in his mind and precisely aligned. At the hour of Yin in the spring night, the spiritual energy exchange of the veins was 30% slower, the Spiritual Power in the southeast was slightly weaker, and the Spiritual Power in the northwest was stronger. The output of Spiritual Power at the twelve nodes needed to be precisely adjusted to Perfect World match the timing of heaven and earth.
One point of error, and the whole game is lost.
Time passed slowly, the night breeze outside gradually subsided, the moonlight shifted westward, and the night grew ever deeper.
The building was deathly silent, save for Yin Wujou's steady breathing and the subtle hum of his Spiritual Power flowing through the empty hall. Snow Empress remained motionless, her figure as sturdy as a pine tree, her breath as still as water, her entire being undisturbed, silently guarding her post and isolating herself from all external interference.
The two quarters of an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
The night outside the window suddenly became still, and the spiritual energy between heaven and earth quietly shifted and changed. At the beginning of the Yin hour, it arrived precisely on time.
"The time has come," the Snow Empress said in a low voice, her tone crisp and decisive.
Yin Wujou suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze clear and sharp, devoid of any distracting thoughts.
The next instant, his Spiritual Power in his palm suddenly became stable, no longer probing and nourishing, but instead following the precise alignment of the twelve hours and twelve directions, gradually pouring it into the entire iron plate.
The first stream of Spiritual Power was injected into the north node at midnight.
A faint light suddenly appeared, the star-shaped node's halo expanded dramatically, and a slender silver-white light pattern flowed along the ring line, precisely aligning with the northeast node at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM).
The second, the third, the fourth...
The twelve nodes lit up in sequence, interlocking and endlessly regenerating. Rays of light crisscrossed and converged, and the complete Cloud Tracing Formation fully bloomed on the iron plate. The entire array was shimmering and translucent, illuminating the dark hall with a cool and bright halo.
The moment the array took shape, a deep, heavy rumble came from the depths of the earth, echoing through the three underground levels and shaking the entire building. Dust trembled on the ground, the piled-up scraps of paper and leaves floated slightly, and the stagnant aura around them exploded completely.
The once smooth and intact north-facing blue brick wall suddenly lit up with dense silver patterns, echoing and Perfect World overlapping the iron plate array. A spiritual light flowed between the bricks and stones, and the entire wall began to tremble slightly and slowly sink.
The descent was extremely slow and steady, without the slightest violent tearing or trembling. It was entirely the gentle tension of the array being unlocked, precise, controllable, and orderly.
A moment later, the wall sank three feet, revealing a dark and deep square passage.
The passage descends straight down, with stone steps extending layer upon layer, disappearing into endless darkness. Sisi chilling, earthy aura, mixed with rich, aged Spiritual Power, rushes through the passage, creating an atmosphere of silence, antiquity, and mystery.
The underground floors, the second floor, and the third floor, advance one level at a time, leading directly to the core of the secret chamber.
"The formation is correct." Yin Wujou let out a soft breath, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes.
Throughout the entire process, the Spiritual Power remained stable, the nodes were unbiased, the timing was accurate, and the orientation was precise. The Yun Su Variant Pre-Array was Perfect World unlocked without triggering any backlash or exhibiting the slightest deviation. The secret door, sealed for ten years, finally opened precisely tonight.
Snow Empress stepped forward slowly, her gaze falling on the entrance to the deep underground passage. Her expression was calm and unwavering, showing neither joy nor complacency. The closer she got to the truth, the less she could afford to be careless. This secret place, sealed for ten years, was far more complex than just a single layer of restrictions.
"Three layers of old-style balancing arrays remain within the passage. They aren't very lethal, but they can disturb the mind and obscure Spirit Vision," the Snow Empress said calmly, accurately pointing out the hidden dangers within the passage. "These are protective measures deliberately left by Yun Su to guard against those who forcibly break through the array with malicious intent. Those who enter through the proper path will only experience slight obstruction and will not suffer any damage to their essence."
As she spoke, she raised her hand and condensed a wisp of slender, cool Spiritual Power. A faint light flashed at her fingertips, and she was the first to strike the entrance of the passage.
A ray of clear light flew into the dark passage, instantly illuminating the layers of stone steps. The hidden patterns of the broken array within the passage were fully revealed. A thin gray aura floated on both sides of the stone steps, layer upon layer, seemingly ordinary, yet concealing a disturbing power.
"I'll lead the way, you follow closely behind." The Snow Empress stepped aside, her tone calm. "I'll break the remaining formation; you don't need to expend your Spiritual Power. Save your strength to deal with the main formation in the secret chamber and any subsequent variables."
Before Yin Wujou respond, she had already stepped into the passage.
A cool, clear Spiritual Power spread out layer by layer along her steps, and wherever it passed, the gray, remnant array's aura completely dissolved and dissipated without a trace. The barrier that had been obscuring the mind and vision was powerless to resist under the suppression of her pure and steady Spiritual Power, and collapsed instantly.
Yin Wujou put away the iron plate, hid it close to his body, and followed closely behind into the passage.
The passage was narrow and steep, the stone steps were perpetually dark, damp and cold, and slippery underfoot. The walls on both sides were made of solid bluestone, tightly sealed without a single gap, isolating all sounds and breaths from the ground. Stepping into this place meant being completely cut off from the world.
As you descend to the first level, the surrounding atmosphere becomes increasingly cold and damp, and the spiritual particles floating in the air become more concentrated, seeping into your meridians in Sisi and strands, warm and heavy.
On the second level, the yin energy below intensified, and no sound of wind or movement could be heard above. Only the steady footsteps of the two echoed softly in the passage, monotonous and empty. Fine water droplets seeped from the bluestone walls, their touch icy and bone-chilling. The damp, musty smell of years past, mixed with ancient Spiritual Power, rushed towards them.