boyutpedia Chapter 2151 Breakthrough is Just Around the Corner
Chapter 2151 Breakthrough is Just Around the Corner
Cao Feiyu forcibly suppressed the pounding in her heart and the urge to step forward and investigate, her gaze instantly shifting to Chen Fei beside her. In this situation, she instinctively chose to trust Chen Fei's judgment.
Chen Fei did not rush forward, nor did he immediately use his divine sense to investigate. When faced with the unknown, which may involve extremely high-level formations or illusions, rashly using divine sense to investigate could sometimes lead to falling into a trap.
With a thought, he rapidly activated the incantation of the Undying True Light Mirror within his body.
In an instant, an invisible ripple spread out from the void three feet above Chen Fei's head, and a dark golden treasure mirror with an ancient and simple design slowly emerged from the void.
Chen Fei formed hand seals and pointed at the illusory image of the Spiritual Mirror above his head. Instantly, the hazy mirror surface lit up, and a pure and soft dark golden light shone out from the mirror, striking directly at the suddenly appearing white jade platform in the center of the hall.
Wherever the mirror's light falls, the space seems to become clear and transparent.
The high platform, the patterns on it, and the vast, pervasive spiritual energy fluctuations were all clearly visible under the mirror's light.
However, under the mirror's light, the high platform did not dissipate, distort, or reveal any flaws as usual.
It still stands there, its entire body shimmering with a warm luster, the mysterious carvings clearly visible, exuding an ancient and authentic Taoist charm.
On the high platform, the two vast and pure spiritual energy fluctuations remained unchanged under the illumination of the mirror light.
The mirror-like light of the Immortal True Light Mirror could not reflect any falsehood.
This means that the platform before us, and the spiritual energy emanating from it, are very likely real. At least, under the illumination of the current level of the Spiritual Light Mirror, it shows no trace of illusion or disguise.
“This…” Cao Feiyu’s beautiful eyes showed even more surprise and uncertainty.
She was aware of the power of the Spirit Mirror; at least, all the vengeful demons she encountered in the Tai Cang Realm had been exposed. Could it be that this platform and treasure were truly real?
Chen Fei frowned, not letting his guard down just because his spiritual light revealed no problems. On the contrary, his vigilance had risen to an unprecedented level.
"Senior sister, step back and don't get too close to the platform," Chen Fei said in a deep voice, while simultaneously making another thought.
The puppet that had been standing quietly to the side received the order and walked heavily towards the high platform of glazed white jade.
The puppet moved steadily and soon reached a place about three zhang away from the high platform of glazed white jade.
The puppet raised an arm, and the array patterns on its palm glowed slightly. A pale golden beam of light composed of elemental energy shot out from its palm, aiming directly at the two high-grade spiritual materials at the top of the platform.
This beam of elemental energy was not offensive; it was purely for the purpose of capturing and probing.
The pale golden energy sliced through the air at incredible speed, almost touching the edge of the platform. However, just as the energy entered a radius of about one zhang around the platform, it stopped.
There was no sound, no flash of light, and no sign of an energy burst.
The condensed pale golden Yuan Power vanished into thin air, just like ice and snow under the scorching sun.
It wasn't neutralized, swallowed up, or transferred; it simply vanished without a trace, without warning.
Chen Fei narrowed his eyes slightly. Yuan power was ineffective? Moreover, it seemed to be more than just that Yuan power was ineffective; it was an absolute dissipation.
The puppet raised its other arm, but this time it didn't shoot out Yuan energy; instead, it flicked a shuttle out from its fingertip.
The shuttle pierced the air with a sharp whistling sound, heading straight for the high platform.
The result was exactly the same.
The shuttle, the moment it entered within a ten-foot radius of the platform, vanished without a trace, leaving not even a speck of dust.
Physical attacks, too, negate the very existence of that area.
The puppet tried various methods, such as releasing detection waves and setting up magic arrays, but as long as any form of energy or matter entered the ten-foot radius around the high platform, it would completely dissipate without exception, as if it had never existed.
The high platform of glazed white jade stood quietly in the center of the hall, radiating an alluring aura of spiritual energy, but the area within a zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) around it seemed to have become an absolute forbidden zone.
Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu frowned. The scene before them was even more troublesome than the appearance of a late-stage Tai Cang Realm vengeful demon.
Two high-grade level 16 spiritual materials were within reach, but the path to obtaining them was blocked by an incomprehensible area of absolute dissipation.
However, Chen Fei was naturally not going to give up so easily. In the blink of an eye, a new test plan had already taken shape.
Since long-range energy and matter projection are ineffective, what about direct physical contact? Would it make a difference?
The puppet's eyes flickered with light, and without the slightest hesitation, it took heavy steps, walking step by step towards the high platform of glazed white jade.
Cao Feiyu stared intently at the puppet formation with her beautiful eyes, her slender hand unconsciously tightening its grip on the sword hilt.
The puppet was getting closer and closer to the platform. In an instant, its tall metal body stepped into the invisible boundary line that was one zhang away from the edge of the platform.
The anticipated violent energy clashes, flashes of light, and even the destruction or blasting of puppets did not occur. Nor did they exhibit the phenomenon of partial dissipation and annihilation upon contact, as was seen with elemental energy or alloy shuttles.
"Om..."
A buzzing sound, like the plucking of a harp string, came from the direction of the high platform, but it did not resonate in the air; rather, it resounded directly in the mental connection between Chen Fei and the puppet.
Immediately afterwards, the entire massive body of the puppet seemed to be frozen in place, as if it had been struck by a spell or had suddenly been encased in solidified amber.
It remained in the posture of lifting its foot forward, with one foot inside the boundary and most of its body still outside, completely still. Even the light flashing in its eyes froze instantly, no longer showing any change in brightness.
Chen Fei's expression changed slightly. His divine sense surged towards the puppet like a tide, attempting to re-establish control and activate its core formation, but there was no response.
The puppet array lost its response.
It was neither the core that was destroyed nor the formation that collapsed. Chen Fei could clearly sense that the Yuan Power core inside the puppet was still slowly operating, and the formation patterns engraved on the body were intact, still emitting a faint spiritual light.
The puppet itself, from its energy to its structure, was completely intact.
But it just stopped moving.
As if an irresistible and incomprehensible force had forcibly severed all control connections between Chen Fei and the puppet the moment it stepped into that area.
Seeing the puppet so strangely fixed at the boundary, Cao Feiyu felt a chill run down her spine. The strangeness of this platform far exceeded her expectations. It wasn't simply destroying anything that intruded, but rather a process of stripping away.
"Let me try," Cao Feiyu said softly.
Before she finished speaking, she pointed her fingers like a sword, and a sword essence imbued with the spirit of water-based swordsmanship burst forth from her fingertips. This sword essence was not intended for attack, but purely for contact and perception.
The sword energy pierced the air, creating subtle ripples, and shot towards the high platform like an arrow released from a bow.
Then, just like the fate of the puppets' elemental power and the alloy shuttles in the previous battle, it was exactly the same.
The moment the azure sword energy entered the area within one zhang of the platform, it vanished silently. Even the connection between Cao Feiyu and the sword energy was forcibly severed at the same time.
Cao Feiyu's delicate body trembled slightly, and her beautiful eyes sparkled.
Chen Fei took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. He activated the Undying True Light Mirror to its fullest extent, pushing its ability to perceive illusions and illuminate the origin to the limit of its current realm.
The illusory image of the spiritual light above their heads shone brightly, and the mirror surface, no longer hazy, became clear as autumn water. The dark golden mirror light also became purer, once again enveloping the high platform and the surrounding area.
The mirror light carefully swept over every inch of the high platform, trying to find the source, pattern or flaw of this strange area from the most subtle energy flow, the circulation of Daoist rhythm and even the spatial structure.
However, even under the extreme illumination of the spiritual light mirror, the platform remained the same platform. The spiritual light mirror could not reveal the true nature of the power in this area, nor could it reveal any array patterns or special energy nodes.
It's like an inherent, unchangeable rule in the main hall, or rather, a manifestation of a higher level of power that transcends the current level of the Spirit Mirror's perception.
Seeing this, Cao Feiyu pondered for a moment and said, "Energy is ineffective, the puppet is immobilized, perhaps... we can try an avatar? An avatar exists between reality and illusion, and is closely connected to the main body, perhaps it will make a difference?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Fei nodded. This was indeed a good idea. An avatar was formed from the essence, energy, and spirit of a cultivator, containing a trace of origin, but it was not a pure physical body. It was worth trying.
Without further hesitation, Cao Feiyu formed hand seals, and the pure water-elemental spiritual power within her surged and gathered around her.
A moment later, an avatar bearing a striking resemblance to her appeared, about seven or eight parts similar. This avatar possessed approximately thirty percent of Cao Feiyu's original strength and was exceptionally agile.
Cao Feiyu's mind stirred slightly, and her water-elemental avatar nodded to her, then turned around and walked lightly towards the high platform.
The avatar quickly arrived beside the array puppet. It paused slightly, seemingly sensing the puppet's state, and then its body swayed like ripples on water, crossing the invisible boundary and stepping into the area within one zhang of the high platform.
This time, it did not dissipate like energy, nor was it instantly frozen like a puppet. The avatar successfully entered that area and continued to walk forward a few steps until it reached the base of the glazed white jade platform, looking up at the two jade boxes at the top of the platform.
Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu's eyes both flickered slightly. Could it be that avatars were a viable option?
However, the water-elemental avatar that had reached the foot of the platform suddenly stopped. It stood there quietly, looking up at the top of the platform, no longer making any movements. Even the faint shimmering water around it stopped flowing, becoming like a still surface of water.
Cao Feiyu frowned and immediately tried to control her avatar through telepathic communication. But all she got in return was silence.
The avatar was clearly there, and the connection with her had not been completely severed. She could vaguely sense the avatar's presence, but she just couldn't send any instructions to it or control it to make any moves.
The incarnation stood quietly below the platform, like a beautiful crystal sculpture.
“The avatar has also lost control…” Cao Feiyu frowned deeply.
Chen Fei looked at the two jade boxes at the top of the platform, recalling all the details of the previous tests, searching for any places that might have been overlooked.
What if we use pure, unadulterated elemental power? For example, throwing?
As soon as this thought crossed Chen Fei's mind, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
"Senior sister, step back a bit."
Chen Fei said, and at the same time, he flipped his hand and took out a piece of spirit wood about the thickness of an arm.
This is sinking ironwood, a spiritual material with an extremely hard and heavy texture. It is usually used to refine some magical artifact parts that do not require high sensitivity to fluctuations in vital energy.
Chen Fei grasped the piece of submerged ironwood, without using any Yuan power, relying purely on his physical strength to lift it up, aiming at the two jade boxes at the top of the platform, and then suddenly threw the ironwood out.
Ironwood slipped from his grasp, slicing through the air with a muffled whistling sound. Because it was no longer imbued with elemental energy, its speed was far less than before.
The piece of submerged ironwood drew an arc in the air, its tip passing smoothly through the invisible boundary that caused the Yuan Power and Sword Yuan to dissipate instantly.
It did not dissipate.
It was not frozen in place.
It just went right through.
The moment Tie Mu entered that area, the space within a ten-foot radius around the platform rippled like a stone thrown into a calm pond, creating clearly visible ripples.
The ripples were somewhat similar to the spatial fluctuations that occurred when the murals were transmitted, but they were softer and more subtle.
After causing spatial ripples, the piece of ironwood did not stop, nor was it blocked or deflected by an invisible force. Instead, relying on the inertia given by Chen Fei's throw, it continued to fly forward, crossing the edge of the glazed white jade platform.
"Bang! Bang!"
Two sounds, not particularly loud, but crystal clear in the silent hall, rang out.
One end of the submerged ironwood struck the two milky-white jade boxes placed side by side at the top of the platform. The jade boxes trembled slightly and bounced upwards a few inches.
"It works!" Chen Fei's eyes gleamed with astonishment.
Having succeeded with his first strike, Chen Fei no longer hesitated. He flipped his wrist again, and another, slightly shorter piece of spirit wood appeared in his palm. The next moment, Chen Fei's wrist suddenly jerked, and a clever force emanated from the wood.
"Whoosh!"
The second piece of spirit wood flew out in response, not fast, but spinning and drawing an arc, precisely grazing the edges of the two jade boxes one after the other.
"Crack! Crack!"
With two soft sounds, the subtle energy contained in the spirit wood burst forth, gently flicking and lifting the edge of the jade box.
The two jade boxes were propelled by this clever force, changing their trajectory. Instead of falling back onto the platform, they were thrown diagonally towards Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu, who were located outside the platform.
Chen Fei did not immediately reach out to catch it, even though the jade box had already flown out of that strange ten-foot range.
Who knows what other strange things might happen after the jade box leaves the platform?
An ordinary puppet appeared, stepped forward, and stretched out its large metal hand to catch the two flying jade boxes.
The puppet held the jade box and stood still, without any restrictions being triggered or any energy backlash occurring.
The puppet was functioning normally, and apart from the special material of the jade box and the fluctuations of the spiritual material emanating from it, there were no hidden traps or energy marks.
Only after confirming that it was safe did Chen Fei signal the puppet to open the two jade boxes.
"Click!"
A soft clicking sound rang out, and with a slight effort, the puppet slowly lifted the lids of the two jade boxes.
Just as the lid of the box was opened a crack.
"Buzz!"
In an instant, a brilliant yet gentle light flowed from the jade box, illuminating the puppet's metal shell with a beautiful hue.
In the jade box on the left, a crystal stone with a full-body iridescent color lay quietly. Inside the crystal stone, countless tiny rainbows seemed to flow and intertwine, evolving into endless scenes of earth, fire, water, wind, mountains, rivers, and peaks.
In the jade box on the right is a strange gemstone shaped like a solidified teardrop. Inside the gemstone, faint shadows of swirling stars and the rising and falling of the sun and moon can be seen.
Two spiritual materials lay quietly in the jade box, their radiance both restrained and dazzling, exuding a natural Daoist charm. Just one glance was enough to captivate the mind and spirit.
The auras they emitted intertwined, enveloping the entire hall in a profound and mysterious Daoist atmosphere.
Cao Feiyu stared blankly at the two naturally imbued spiritual materials in the jade box, her gaze trembling, and her breathing involuntarily quickening.
The two treasures—a sixteenth-grade high-level spiritual material and a mid-stage Tai Cang Realm cultivator—lay quietly before them, within easy reach.
However, after the huge surprise came a strong sense of unreality.
From being relentlessly pursued by that late-stage Tai Cang Realm vengeful demon, to accidentally entering this empty hall, to the platform mysteriously appearing out of thin air, and finally obtaining the treasure through an almost childish trial-and-error method...
Although the whole process was thrilling, once the trick was found, obtaining the treasure seemed to go by a bit too smoothly.
This is an ancient celestial ruin, fraught with danger at every turn, and riddled with illusions. They had already faced trials where reality and illusion were indistinguishable. To obtain such a treasure so easily aroused Cao Feiyu's instinctive and strong suspicion.
"Junior brother, this..."
Cao Feiyu looked at Chen Fei, "This Ge Lingcai's aura and Daoist charm are undeniable. I sensed them with my divine soul and found them to be genuine. But this place is strange. Could it be an extremely sophisticated illusion? Or perhaps some kind of trap or bait that we cannot understand?"
These two spiritual materials in front of us seem real, but could they cause unpredictable consequences if we come into contact with or refine them?
Chen Fei's gaze was also fixed on the two high-grade spiritual materials, his doubts no less than Cao Feiyu's. This ruin, this high platform, everything about it exuded an eeriness. How could such treasures be taken so easily?
“What you are worried about is exactly what I am also concerned about.”
Chen Fei spoke slowly, his voice low, "Whether it's true or false, we'll verify it. Blind fear and blind greed are both undesirable."
As soon as he finished speaking, under Cao Feiyu's slightly nervous gaze, Chen Fei stepped forward. Instead of directly touching the spiritual materials, he first used his divine sense to examine the two jade boxes and the spiritual materials inside.
It was confirmed that there were no hidden formations, runes, or strange energies attached to it.
Then, Chen Fei reached out and communicated with the spatial dimension deep within his consciousness.
Without a sound, a spiritual material of a certain rank, along with the jade box containing it, vanished from the puppet's hand and was stored in Chen Fei's spatial storage. (End of Chapter)