On the third level, the darkness suddenly thickened several times over, and the spiritual energy field underwent a complete transformation.
No longer the gentle, nourishing spiritual energy, but a heavy, stagnant, and oppressive sealing force, firmly enveloping the entire space. This is the Spiritual Power core of the entire former site of the Spirit Vein Bureau, the convergence point of all underground spiritual veins, and the final location of the Yun Su Chamber.
At the end of the passage was a perfectly intact bluestone gate.
The stone gate is covered with intricate and precise array patterns, layer upon layer, connecting end to end. It is the ultimate variant of the Cloud Tracing Formation —the main array of the secret chamber. Compared to the standard array diagram engraved on the iron plate, the array patterns on the gate are more ancient and complex, with several layers of sealing circuits and balancing patterns. It contains a dual mechanism of self-protection and self-destruction, and its precision far exceeds that of ordinary arrays.
Ten years have passed, yet this formation has not decayed or rotted in the slightest. Its patterns remain clear and complete, and its aura remains stable and powerful, quietly sealing all the secrets behind the door.
Yin Wujou stopped in front of the door, raised his eyes and carefully examined the entire stone door array pattern. He opened his Spirit Vision and took in every pattern, every circuit, and every hidden node, checking and accurately reviewing them one by one.
"The main formation is intact, and the mechanism is undamaged," Yin Wujou said in a deep voice. "It requires the Iron Plate Formation Diagram as a guide, with Spiritual Power aligned layer by layer over twelve hours to activate all the circuits on the gate and break the seals and constraints before the gate can be opened. The energy cannot be interrupted or the order cannot be disrupted throughout the process. Once the Spiritual Power is interrupted or the nodes are misaligned, the formation will immediately trigger its self-destruct program."
The Snow Empress stood beside him, her gaze carefully sweeping over the entire stone gate area. She added calmly, "Self-destruction doesn't mean exploding or collapsing. It means instantly refining all the paper documents and spiritual vein records within the gate, leaving no trace. Once the formation is destroyed, the foreshadowing of ten years will be completely rendered useless, and the truth of what happened back then will be forever impossible to verify."
This is what makes Yun Su so meticulous and terrifying.
It is better to destroy than to leave anything behind. It will never be left to anyone who forcibly intrudes by chance and is unworthy of knowing the truth. Only those who fully understand the formation, comprehend the time and direction, and follow the natural order of the spiritual veins can see the truth.
"Let's begin." Snow Empress took a half step back, clearing the entire area of the array gate, and focused on guarding it. "I'll stabilize the surrounding spiritual energy field for you and isolate you from all external interference. You can activate the array with peace of mind."
Yin Wujou nodded, took out the iron plate, and placed it steadily on the ground in the center of the stone gate, so that it corresponded vertically and overlapped with the array patterns on the gate.
He sat cross-legged in front of the iron plate, his eyes gently closed, his aura completely suppressed, and his mind sank into a state of ultimate tranquility and clarity.
In his mind, Pei Yuan's time and location chart, Yun Su's original array diagram, the dimensions and texture of the iron plate forged by Old Zhou, and the spiritual meridians he had cleared were all integrated into one, clear and orderly, without the slightest confusion.
The next instant, his eyes snapped open.
With nimble and steady movements, his ten fingers flew across the twelve nodes of the iron plate, and Spiritual Power flowed out from his fingertips in sequence.
Zi hour, Chou hour, Yin hour, Mao hour...
The twelve time nodes were sequentially summoned and matched one by one. The silvery light flowed rapidly along the iron plate ring, completely replicating the execution trajectory of the standard Cloud Tracing Formation. Streams of spiritual light shot into the sky, precisely connecting with the variant array patterns on the stone gate, gradually activating the restriction circuits on the gate that had been dormant for ten years.
The first circuit lights up.
The second circuit lights up.
The third, the fourth...
The dense, ancient array patterns on the door were illuminated one by one by the shimmering white light, layer upon layer, interlocking, and the entire stone door was instantly covered by the flowing light patterns, and the array that had been dormant for ten years was completely awakened.
The underground spiritual veins resonated violently, causing the entire three-layered underground space to tremble slightly. The flow of spiritual energy suddenly accelerated, and the surrounding air was filled with Spiritual Power and became slightly hot.
Yin Wujou focused his mind and held his breath, completely merging his spirit with the formation. Every output of Spiritual Power was extremely precise, with varying degrees of intensity and speed, Perfect World matching the three rules of the heavens, the earth's veins, and the formation.
He could clearly sense that the variant array patterns on the door were gradually accepting the standard array base of the iron plate, and the old and new patterns were gradually merging and unifying, and the layered sealing and balancing mechanism was being unlocked and loosened layer by layer.
The process is tedious, lengthy, and mentally taxing, yet it allows no room for complacency.
After an incense stick has burned, the first eleven nodes have all been aligned, and all the preceding circuits and balancing patterns have been unlocked. Only the final node, the one at 9 PM, remains, which is connected to the central main lock. This is the last hurdle to opening the stone gate, and also the most dangerous and crucial one.
If the final node is successfully aligned, the central lock will release and the stone door will open automatically. If anything goes wrong here, the entire system will be destroyed.
Yin Wujou took a deep breath, steadied his fluctuating mind, and suddenly adjusted the Spiritual Power at his fingertips, slowing down the flow and increasing its intensity, precisely targeting the last node.
Just as the Spiritual Power was about to land, the Snow Empress beside her suddenly raised her hand, a cold glint flashing in her eyes, and her figure shifted slightly.
"Someone is approaching the old building." Her voice was extremely low and cold, carrying an extreme level of sharp vigilance. "Three people, moving stealthily, their auras concealed; they are definitely not night patrol soldiers, but rather undercover agents deliberately lying in wait."
Yin Wujou's Spiritual Power at his fingertips suddenly faltered, and his mind wavered slightly for a moment.
When the mind wavers, the Spiritual Power deviates, and the faint light at the fingertips suddenly shifts by half a point. It is only a hair's breadth away from the final node, but it has already become misaligned.
Buzz--
The entire stone door suddenly trembled sharply, the spiritual light flowing on the door became chaotic and flickering, the circuit that was originally unlocking in sequence suddenly reversed, the sealing power surged against the trend, and the oppressive atmosphere of the entire space instantly doubled.
The formation is out of balance, triggering an alert!
"Hold on!" The Snow Empress's voice was urgent yet composed, decisive as she spoke. "No need to distract yourself with scouting. I'll intercept them and be back in a moment. You guard the array's base and forcibly stabilize the Spiritual Power. We absolutely cannot allow the array to self-destruct!"
Before she finished speaking, her figure had already transformed into a light-colored afterimage, rushing out of the underground passage in an instant. Her movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
The faint light at the entrance of the passageway flashed for a moment, then returned to stillness.
Before the entrance to the underground chamber, only Yin Wujou remained, facing alone the chaotic, agitated, and self-destructive formation.
In a moment of clarity, he completely suppressed his distracting thoughts and cast aside his fears.
Panic and hesitation are useless at this moment. The only thing we can do is stabilize the base of the formation, correct deviations, and reverse the chaos.
Yin Wujou closed his eyes, forcibly suppressing his mental fluctuations, withdrawing all his senses, and abandoning all external interference, focusing all his attention on the array's balancing force.
With Spirit Vision activated to its fullest extent, the chaotic array patterns, the deviated flow of Spiritual Power, and the unbalanced aura of the nodes were all clearly revealed.
The slight deviation in Spiritual Power at the last moment, seemingly only a fraction of a second, was enough to disrupt the entire formation's timing and reverse its circuitry. A slight error in the twelve-hour closed loop can lead to disastrous consequences, and the sealing formation, stable for ten years, is now on the verge of collapse.
The light on the door flickered and pulsated violently, and waves of backlash pressed in through the air, layer upon layer, causing one's meridians to swell and one's mind to feel suffocated.