Chu Yunfei infused his spiritual power into the array patterns, and a slight tremor immediately emanated from inside the stone platform.
Ling Xueyao gripped the golden slender sword tightly and quickly took two steps back.
"Be careful, this stone platform has just suppressed Dao Mysterious Realm demon soul, the internal formation may not have already failed."
Chu Yunfei did not stop.
The spiritual energy within the array spread along the cracks in the stone, and one by one, the dim lines lit up.
He soon discovered that these array patterns did not belong to the Soul-Locking Formation.
The core of the Soul-Locking Formation is above the stone platform, where all the power is concentrated in the golden chains, and the array patterns in front of us extend downwards, eventually leading to the bottom of the stone platform.
Chu Yunfei's heart stirred, and he continued to inject spiritual power along the array patterns.
Rumble!
A dull thud came from underground.
The entire black stone platform slowly moved to the left, shaking the dust on the ground and scattering it in all directions. A stone staircase leading underground gradually appeared in front of the two of them.
At the end of the stone steps stood a bronze stone door covered in verdigris.
A wisp of pure Spiritual Qi peeked through the crack in the door.
Ling Xueyao inhaled only a trace of it, and her still-recovering spiritual energy began to fluctuate.
She quickly walked to Chu Yunfei's side, her eyes revealing obvious shock for the first time.
" The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi here is even purer than that of the forbidden area of the Great Qian Imperial Family."
The wisp of Spiritual Qi that escaped from the crack in the door entered her meridians and circulated for almost half a cycle on its own, at a speed several times faster than when she usually cultivated.
Chu Yunfei also sensed the purity of that Spiritual Qi.
The concentration of Spiritual Qi seeping through the crack in the door was ten times higher than that deep within the Cangwu Mountain Range.
He had spent half a month hunting demonic beasts and cultivating deep within the Cangwu Mountain Range, and he vividly remembered the concentration of Spiritual Qi there.
Chu Yunfei stepped down the stone steps, holding the Abyss-Devouring Sword in his hand. After advancing to the Earth Rank Middle Grade, the Abyss-Devouring Sword became heavier again, and the dark gold patterns became clearer than before.
Ling Xueyao noticed the change in the Abyss-Devouring Sword, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.
She remembered that when the Cloud-Chasing Boat was ambushed, the aura emanating from this sword wasn't this strong.
But she didn't ask.
Among martial artists, it is always taboo to inquire about the secrets of weapons and techniques. Since Chu Yunfei did not take the initiative to explain, she would not use her status as a princess to press him for answers.
The two walked up the stone steps to the bronze door.
Chu Yunfei raised his hand and placed it on the bronze door.
A cold sensation traveled through my palm.
The bronze gate is three zhang tall, covered with a thick layer of patina. On each side, there is a blurred animal pattern, most of which has been worn away by time, leaving only a ferocious outline.
Ling Xueyao stood behind him, her golden slender sword remaining unsheathed.
She had already absorbed most of the medicinal power from the medicine, but her face remained pale.
"Be careful, this place is so well-hidden; it might be dangerous."
Ling Xueyao observed, her tone much more cautious than before.
She had read many ancient books in the Great Qian Imperial Family and had also entered the royal forbidden area.
The greater the opportunity left behind by a powerful person, the more dangerous the surrounding area often is.
Since this place has suppressed the demonic soul of the Dao Mysterious Realm, what lies behind the bronze door is definitely not simple.
Chu Yunfei did not rush to open the door.
He carefully inspected the door frame and then sent a wisp of spiritual energy into the bronze door.
The spiritual energy entered without being blocked, and nothing was triggered.
Xiaoxiao Dragon said in his mind, "There's no killing formation on the gate, but the Spiritual Qi inside is rather strange. To accumulate to this level underground, it either hides a high-grade spiritual vein or contains some kind of treasure that gathers the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi."
Chu Yunfei's heart stirred slightly.
What he lacks most right now is cultivation resources.
The essence of eight Heavenly Origin Realm assassins only caused his spiritual power to show signs of liquefaction.
To reach the Heavenly Origin Realm, the energy required far exceeds that of ordinary martial artists.
If what Xiaoxiao Dragon said is true, it might just be the perfect opportunity to help him complete the final step.
Chu Yunfei withdrew his hand and turned to look at Ling Xueyao.
"You stay here. I'll go in first to scout ahead. If there's no danger inside, then you can come in."
Ling Xueyao frowned slightly.
She had assumed that Chu Yunfei would let her go first.
After all, she still possesses the combat strength of the third or fourth level of the Heavenly Origin Realm, and her reaction speed far surpasses that of the Spirit Martial Realm warrior when encountering danger.
Chu Yunfei, however, volunteered to scout ahead.
This brought back the lingering guilt in her heart.
"You're only at the Ninth Level of the Spirit Martial Realm right now; you might not be able to escape if you encounter danger."
His tone remained cool, but with a touch more gentleness.
Chu Yunfei glanced at her and smiled, "That's why I had you stay outside to provide backup. If something happens to me, at least you can save me. If we're both trapped inside, neither of us will be able to leave."
Ling Xueyao understood what he meant.
The bronze door is located at the end of a narrow stone staircase.
If there is a killing formation inside, those who remain outside can still try to break it, but if two people enter at the same time, they will have no way out.
But she felt inexplicably uneasy.
Chu Yunfei had just blocked a palm strike from the Divine Sea Realm expert for her and then expended his spiritual energy to clear away the blood evil.
Even now, faced with unknown dangers, he remains prepared to shoulder the burden alone.
Ling Xueyao remained silent for a few moments, then held the golden slender sword horizontally in front of her.
"Let's go in together. There's only one entrance here. Separating would be more dangerous. If the bronze door closes, even if I stay outside, I might not be able to save you."
Chu Yunfei looked her up and down.
Noticing the strange expression on Chu Yunfei's face, Ling Xueyao asked coldly, "If you think I'm a burden, you can say so directly. Even if I only have the strength of the third or fourth level of the Heavenly Origin Realm, I'm still stronger than you, who's only at the Ninth Level of the Spirit Martial Realm."
A slight smile appeared on Chu Yunfei's lips, "I was just wondering why Her Highness's attitude changed so quickly."
Ling Xueyao's expression turned slightly cold. "I simply don't want to owe you anything more. Once we leave here, our relationship will still only be a transaction."
"I understand, but are you sure you can do it? If I hadn't caught you, you would have fallen to the ground."
Ling Xueyao's expression froze.
The embarrassing scene from when she first woke up flooded back into her mind, and a faint blush rose to her ears as the golden slender sword hummed softly in her hand.
"If you bring up what happened earlier again, I will kill you. The debt of saving my life is one thing, but the score must be settled separately."
"Okay, okay, I won't mention it."
Chu Yunfei stopped teasing and reminded him, "Then follow me inside. I don't want any more misunderstandings to arise while trying to save you."
Ling Xueyao stared coldly at him, wanting to draw her sword several times, but ultimately restrained herself.
If this person could just say less, he could be considered somewhat reliable.
Within his sea of consciousness, Xiaoxiao Dragon let out a meaningful chuckle.
"You brat, this girl just held a sword to your throat, but now she's worried about you venturing out alone. The fact that the Princess of Great Qian is concerned about you shows that the blow you took wasn't for nothing."
Chu Yunfei silently replied in his mind, "Shut up."
Xiaoxiao Dragon showed no sign of backing down.
"I'm just stating the facts. The Great Qian Princess is at the Eighth Level of the Heavenly Origin Realm, Flawless Spirit Physique, and is top-tier in every aspect. Most importantly, she now trusts you to some extent. If things continue like this, winning her over is only a matter of time."
Chu Yunfei simply ignored her.
He gripped the edge of the bronze door, and spiritual energy slowly flowed into his arms.
A heavy scraping sound came from below the stone steps.
The bronze door moved inward by one inch.
Dust that had accumulated for years fell from above the door frame, and the Spiritual Qi emanating from the cracks in the door suddenly intensified, turning into a thin layer of pale golden mist that spread outwards along the stone steps.
Ling Xueyao's Flawless Spirit Physique was drawn in, and her meridians began to absorb the surrounding Spiritual Qi on their own. She only stood there for a few breaths before a small portion of the spiritual energy consumed in her dantian was restored.
This surprised her even more.
There is a medium-sized spiritual vein in the royal forbidden area, which only a few people can enter. Even so, the concentration of Spiritual Qi there is far less than this level.
Chu Yunfei continued to exert his strength.
The bronze door slowly opened.
There were no arrows or array lights behind the door.
A stone path shrouded in pale golden mist appeared before the two of them.
The stone path was several meters wide, with extremely smooth rock walls on both sides, clearly carved by human hands. Every ten steps, an illumination crystal was embedded in the wall.
Chu Yunfei, carrying the Abyss-Devouring Sword, was the first to step through the bronze gate.
Ling Xueyao followed closely behind.
The two maintained a distance of three steps as they proceeded along the stone path.
The golden slender sword released a faint sword light, dispelling the surrounding pale golden mist.
The stone path was unusually quiet.
Chu Yunfei would stop and examine the ground and stone walls every so often he walked a certain distance.
There were no footprints or traces of monster activity here. Apart from the rich Spiritual Qi, there was no smell of blood or decay in the air.
After walking about a hundred feet, the space in front of us suddenly opened up.
A huge underground cave appeared before the two of them.
The cave ceiling is hundreds of feet above the ground, with stone pillars hanging from the top, their surfaces covered in pale blue fluorescent moss, illuminating the entire space.
The central area is sunken, forming a milky white spring pool that is nearly ten feet in length and width.
Wisps of Spiritual Qi rose from the spring water, condensing into a pale golden mist in mid-air, which then flowed slowly along the cave.
After countless years of nourishment, large areas of spiritual crystals have formed around the stone wall.
Ling Xueyao stared at the spring pool, her steps halting in place.
Born into royalty and accustomed to rare and precious materials from a young age, the fact that she showed such obvious shock speaks volumes about the value of the spring.
"This is... Earth Vein Spirit Spring?"
Ling Xueyao's voice was tinged with disbelief.
She strode into the cave, sensing the spiritual energy in the spring water with her divine sense, and could no longer hide the shock in her eyes.
Earth Vein Spirit Spring from underground spiritual veins requires tens of thousands of years of nurturing before it has a very small chance of forming.
Every drop of spring water contains pure spiritual energy, which can help martial artists greatly condense their spiritual energy.
Its value is immeasurable by ordinary spirit stones.
If the news gets out, it will be enough to make the Great Qian Imperial Family and the seven major sects simultaneously vie for it.
Chu Yunfei sensed the flowing power at the bottom of the spring, and a look of joy appeared in his eyes.
He was just one step away from reaching the Heavenly Origin Realm.
The essence refined by the eight Heavenly Origin Realm assassins has already caused the spiritual energy in the dantian to show signs of liquefaction.
If one can cultivate using this spiritual spring, breaking through to a higher realm is almost a certainty.
"No wonder that demon's Soul-Locking Formation could last for a thousand years; it turns out it was thanks to this."
Chu Yunfei looked up at the cave ceiling.
Tiny array patterns are hidden between the stone pillars, guiding the Spiritual Qi released by the Earth Vein Spirit Spring upwards into the abyss.
The Soul-Locking Formation on the stone platform is only the end of the array; the true source of power is this spring pool in front of us.
Ling Xueyao looked at the array patterns and understood the relationship between them.
The Soul-Locking Formation on that stone platform was extremely large, suppressing a Dao Mysterious Realm demon soul for a thousand years, requiring an astronomical amount of spiritual power.
Ordinary spirit stones simply cannot support it.
Without a continuous supply of external energy, the formation would have long since dried up and collapsed. The inexhaustible Spiritual Qi output from the Earth Vein Spirit Spring is the core of maintaining the formation's operation.
Now that the demonic soul has dissipated, the Soul-Locking Formation has collapsed, Earth Vein Spirit Spring no longer supplies spiritual energy.
This sacred spring is now ownerless.
Ling Xueyao turned her head to look at Chu Yunfei.
She originally thought Chu Yunfei would be blinded by this opportunity, but the latter did not rush to approach. Instead, he gripped the Abyss-Devouring Sword tightly and carefully observed the surroundings of the spring.
This caution earned Ling Xueyao's silent approval.
The Earth Vein Spirit Spring is teeming with life, and other things may be growing around it. If a demon beast were to stray into this place and absorb the Spiritual Qi over a long period, its cultivation level would rise to an extremely terrifying level.
Chu Yunfei slowly moved forward along the edge of the spring pool.
It was very quiet all around.
There were no footprints near the spring, and the vines on the stone wall showed no signs of damage, as if the cave had been sealed for thousands of years.
Just as he was about to step onto the bluestone at the edge of the spiritual spring, Xiaoxiao Dragon's fierce shout suddenly exploded in his mind.
"Don't move! There's something alive twenty feet west of the Spirit Spring!"
Chu Yunfei's pupils shrank sharply, and he stopped abruptly in mid-air.
He looked to the west, following Xiaoxiao Dragon's suggestion.
The pale golden mist slowly dissipated.
A pair of crimson vertical pupils, each the size of a fist, were staring intently at them from the shadows of the rock wall.