"Yes. Let's find a way out of here first."
"Nothing dangerous has happened in here so far, but if something changes, we can't just sit here waiting to die."
"Turtle-Snake Island has profound attainments in formations, and Young Master Fang is one of its foremost experts. He can surely help us break this restriction."
Everyone began discussing the matter, talking over one another. They were practically going mad. At a time like this, those two were still discussing what malatang was with such interest? Even if none of them had heard of malatang, and it sounded delicious, surely they should wait until they got out to discuss it?
Especially Yang Zhen. Even though he had seen the legendary Secret Treasure inside the Dao Comprehension Stele and possessed talent that surpassed the Light of Ten Stars, he hadn't seized it, so what the hell was he so pleased about?
At first, everyone had been so astonished by Yang Zhen that they took him for a Celestial Person. But when they heard he had actually failed to seize the opportunity, they began to turn up their noses at him.
What use was talent, however great? In the end, it wasn't as practical as casually comprehending a yellow-grade cultivation technique.
Seeing everyone's eyes on him, Fang Shenhe felt a surge of high spirits. He glanced at Yang Zhen with the hint of a smile.
When Princess Changyang and Su Qingyu, two women whom everyone admired, also turned their eyes on Fang Shenhe, the smile on his face deepened.
In other respects, Fang Shenhe might not have dared provoke a monster like Yang Zhen. But when it came to formations, he was confident that even everyone here put together could not match his foundations.
Turtle-Snake Island had long been renowned. Even a great cultivation nation like the Youyang Kingdom needed to consult Turtle-Snake Island on formations. Turtle-Snake Island had even participated in designing and creating the Youyang Kingdom's protective grand formation.
Fang Shenhe cleared his throat. Only after every eye had turned to him did he give Yang Zhen a meaningful glance.
Yang Zhen stood among the crowd now, no different from an ordinary person apart from being a little handsome. Wasn't he just as helplessly waiting for Fang Shenhe to find a way to break the formation?
As soon as the thought occurred to him, Fang Shenhe suddenly felt that Yang Zhen was perhaps nothing special after all. It was only his eccentric personality that had drawn so much attention to him lately.
And then there was that unlucky fellow Zhang Zongjin, who had confronted Yang Zhen head-on in the area where he was weakest...
At the thought of Zhang Zongjin, Fang Shenhe's heart tightened. He hurriedly composed himself and said with a smile, "The Dao Comprehension Stele is a wondrous creation of heaven and earth, a blessing from heaven for the cultivators of the Youzhou Continent. It carries the ultimate principles of the Heavenly Dao and will not harm us. From what I've observed during this time, this restriction is merely a test for us."
"So that's how it is. As expected of Young Master Fang! He saw what this restriction was for long ago."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. One cultivator hurriedly asked, "In that case, Young Master Fang, have you thought of a way to break it?"
Fang Shenhe smiled confidently, the light around him growing brighter and taking on a mysterious quality. "Although I haven't found a way yet, I've found the right direction. As long as we all work together, we'll surely get out."
"That's wonderful!" Everyone couldn't help cheering.
Yang Zhen curled his lip and said with a dumbfounded expression, "You've been talking all this time, and you still haven't found a way?"
"You..." Fang Shenhe's expression changed. He stared at Yang Zhen and asked, "Could it be that Young Master Yang has found a way?"
Yang Zhen waved a hand. "You're the brick expert, not me. You'd better hurry up and find a way, so you don't disappoint everyone."
Fang Shenhe sneered. "You don't know what you're talking about. With that personality of yours, you'll suffer a great loss sooner or later."
Yang Zhen smiled and ignored Fang Shenhe. Naturally, he had a way, but he had no intention of revealing it now. Instead, he immersed his mind in introspection.
Inside Yang Zhen's body, an ancient-looking book floated slowly, radiating an earthy yellow light. The presence it gave off sent a chill through him.
Yang Zhen had never felt such a terrifying presence. It was as though he were facing heaven and earth themselves.
Before heaven and earth, any powerful human cultivator, even the great demons and devils of legend, was as insignificant as an ant.
What struck Yang Zhen as a little strange was that, although the terrifying presence emanating from the book was so weighty that it was hard to bear, it was not particularly sharp. It seemed like something that had remained unchanged since time immemorial, with the presence of the Great Dao settled within it.
This book was what Yang Zhen had obtained inside the Dao Comprehension Stele-the Heaven and Earth Secret Treasure that Su Qingyu and the others had spoken of.
Yang Zhen understood the wisdom of not flaunting one's wealth more deeply than everyone here put together. Since some people knew of the Secret Treasure's existence, if he made a big show of announcing that he had obtained it, wouldn't he turn himself into a coveted prize? Once he got out, those hidden mighty experts would probably hunt him down across the world.
Aside from Yang Zhen himself, no one knew that he had already obtained the Secret Treasure's inheritance, or that the light of the stars was far more terrifying than the ball of light he had shown them.
Yang Zhen tried touching the book with his mind. At once, heaven and earth resounded with a boom. The world inside him seemed to burst apart, and the ancient book shone with ten thousand feet of light, illuminating his inner world.
A rumbling like the great chant of the Heavenly Dao rang out without end, while countless densely packed Heavenly Dao runes rose and fell in midair.
The light around the ancient book faded, leaving an utterly ordinary book. But the two great golden characters written on it struck Yang Zhen like a bolt of lightning.
"Heavenly Book!"
This time, he had truly struck it rich. Yang Zhen was so excited he nearly jumped up.
Something like a Heavenly Book had actually appeared here. How much good fortune would it take to obtain one?
Even Yang Zhen, a disciple of a minor sect, knew what the legends of the Heavenly Book meant.
"Young Master Yang, are you all right?" a gentle voice asked. Su Qingyu looked at Yang Zhen with some concern.
Yang Zhen smiled. "I'm fine. I just remembered something that might help us break this restriction."
"Heh!" Fang Shenhe sneered. "Natural restrictions like this are exceptionally strange and wondrous. They're not as simple as those made by human hands. Even on Turtle-Snake Island, methods for breaking restrictions like this are extremely precious. You don't know much about formations, so you mustn't act rashly. If you got yourself killed, that would be one thing, but if you dragged everyone else down with you, you could hardly escape the blame."
"Exactly. This isn't the time to show off. Princess Changyang and Miss Su are both waiting for Young Master Fang to break the formation. Yang Zhen, don't do anything reckless."
"Young Master Yang, you should wait for Young Master Fang. If even he can't find a way, we're probably finished."
The group began earnestly urging him against it, terrified that Yang Zhen would act recklessly and truly cause the restriction to change. If it turned from life to death, probably not one person present would escape.
Fang Shenhe wore a grave expression as he stared fixedly at one spot in the restriction. Before long, sweat began to bead on his face.
"If I'd brought the Turtle Shell Technique, I might have been able to find a way to break the formation easily. But the Turtle Shell Technique is far too precious, and I'm not yet qualified to study it."
"The Turtle Shell Technique? Could it be the formation technique recorded in the Heavenly Book: Profound Principles Chapter?" Princess Changyang's body trembled, and she spoke in surprise.
Fang Shenhe nodded and said proudly, "Although the Turtle Shell Technique is only one of the techniques in the Heavenly Book: Profound Principles Chapter, it encompasses everything under the sun. It is the foundation on which Turtle-Snake Island was founded. Unfortunately, I've only read a small portion at the beginning, so I can only give it a try."
With that, Fang Shenhe strode forward, gave a deep shout, and pressed both hands against the ground.
Yang Zhen, meanwhile, was a little dumbfounded.
Good heavens!
The Turtle Shell Technique is the foundation on which Turtle-Snake Island was founded, and it's only one of the techniques in the Heavenly Book: Profound Principles Chapter, while... Yang Zhen.
Yang Zhen looked inward again. Gazing at the Heavenly Book floating inside him, he used his mind to turn to the first page.
Heavenly Book: Profound Principles Chapter
He had obtained the entire Profound Principles Chapter!