The thick Stone Gate exuded an ancient and mysterious aura. On its left and right sides were forty-nine door studs each.
Ye Qingchen, Hong Yan, and Wang Qiang scanned their surroundings and saw a thick layer of dust covering everything, from the Stone Gate itself to the floor beneath it. This meant that no one else had ever made it here alive. The three of them exchanged pleased smiles. After all their effort, a reward was finally at hand.
Wang Qiang composed himself, suppressing the joy in his heart. He knew full well that the more triumphant the moment, the more vigilant one must remain. As the team leader, his first thought was never of treasure, but of his teammates’ safety. His gaze lingered on the Stone Gate, his eyes wide as he carefully observed it, searching for any hidden, deadly mechanisms.
After confirming it was clear, the tension left Wang Qiang. "Alright, it’s safe," he announced in a relaxed tone. He then took the lead, stepping toward the Stone Gate and beckoning for Ye Qingchen and Hong Yan to follow.
Hong Yan pushed at the Stone Gate, biting her lip in frustration. "Ah, it won’t open!" she said, disappointed.
Wang Qiang also gave it a try, but quickly found that brute force alone was not enough. After a moment’s thought, he told the other two, "Step aside. Watch me split it open with one blow!"
Seeing that Ye Qingchen and Hong Yan had moved to a safe distance, Wang Qiang drew his great saber. With a mental command, the Spiritual Power in his Dantian surged through his meridians, gathering in his hands.
SWISH!
The saber swept across, a streak of white light colliding with the Stone Gate with a dull THUD. At the moment of impact, an equal and opposite force rebounded from the gate, ripping the saber from Wang Qiang’s grasp. With a CLANG, it flew backward and embedded itself in the ground.
Wang Qiang’s face turned pale and his hands trembled uncontrollably; the webbing between his thumb and index finger was bright red. He looked at Ye Qingchen and Hong Yan beside him and said with frustration, "I can’t open this door!"
Is this trip destined to end in failure? Wang Qiang sighed, lamenting, "We’ve put in so much effort, only to come away empty-handed!"
Hong Yan lowered her head, unsure what to say. Suddenly, her beautiful eyes lit up. "What if the switch is hidden among these door studs?" she said excitedly.
Realization dawned on Wang Qiang. "Right! Why didn’t I think of that!" As he spoke, he reached out and pressed down on one of the studs.
"Wait!" Ye Qingchen cried out in alarm, but it was too late.
SWISH!
In an instant, all ninety-eight protruding door studs retracted into the Stone Gate.
WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH...
A hail of arrows suddenly shot out with terrifying speed.
"Damn it! Get back!" Wang Qiang roared. He instinctively reached for his waist, but his expression froze. Where’s my saber? He then remembered it was still stuck in the ground behind him.
This is bad! Seeing the arrows closing in, Wang Qiang’s pupils constricted in panic.
"Senior Brother, watch out!" Hong Yan shouted. She stepped forward, lashing out with her whip to swat away the nearest arrow. She continued to swing it relentlessly, deflecting the barrage.
Seeing this, Ye Qingchen quickly retreated a few steps as he circulated the Spiritual Power in his Dantian. In one swift motion, he clenched his hands, pulled the great saber from the ground, and threw it to Wang Qiang.
"Senior Brother Wang Qiang, your saber!" Ye Qingchen called out.
Wang Qiang spun around, catching the saber firmly in both hands. He stepped in front of Hong Yan and, channeling the Spiritual Power from his Dantian, began swinging the great blade with blinding speed. The saber became a blur, slicing the incoming arrows into two or even three pieces. Hong Yan remained at his side, using her long whip to knock down any stray arrows he missed.
But the volley was relentless. Soon, Wang Qiang’s swings began to slow. His forehead dripped with sweat, and his entire back was soaked.
"Damn it, why are there so many!" he cursed, though his hands dared not stop for even a moment. Fortunately, the frequency of the arrows was finally beginning to decrease.
After another minute, the barrage finally stopped. The ninety-eight door studs extended once more, returning to their original positions.
Wang Qiang wiped the sweat from his brow and collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.
Hong Yan was in better shape. With one hand on her hip, she let out a long sigh, her ample bust rising and falling with her breath. She giggled and turned to Ye Qingchen. "Little Brother Ye Qingchen, you weren’t scared, were you?"
Ye Qingchen didn’t answer. He was focused on observing the ninety-eight studs on the Stone Gate. With the naked eye, he could see nothing out of the ordinary. With a thought, he activated the Dual Pupil Martial Soul within his sea of consciousness, his eyes locking onto the studs. The ninety-eight studs magnified within his mind’s eye until he could see every minute detail upon their surfaces, and he began to scan them rapidly.
Seeing Ye Qingchen’s lack of response, Hong Yan worried that he had been frightened into a stupor. She quickly walked over to his side and waved a delicate, jade-like arm in front of his face.
Viewed through the Dual Pupil Martial Soul, her slender arm appeared enormous. Behind it, two large, perky mounds were so close they nearly brushed his nose.
"Stop messing around," Ye Qingchen said, reaching out to gently grasp her delicate arm. Her skin was cool and smooth to the touch.
Hong Yan glanced down at his hand, a playful smile on her face. "So you do know how to take advantage of the situation," she teased. "Looks like you weren’t shocked into a stupor after all."
Though she was joking, her worries subsided. Feeling the warmth from his hand, she raised an eyebrow and gave him a flirtatious, utterly charming smile. She didn’t pull her arm away, letting him continue to hold it.
Ye Qingchen’s gaze finally came to rest on the third stud in the second-to-last row on the right side of the Stone Gate.
"Found it!" he said, a grin spreading across his face.
He deactivated the Dual Pupil Martial Soul, and only then did he realize he was still holding Hong Yan’s arm. The soft, smooth sensation from his fingertips sent a jolt through him. He quickly let go and glanced cautiously at her face. Seeing no anger there, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"What is it, little brother? What did you find?" Hong Yan asked, her eyes blinking with anticipation.
By now, Wang Qiang had recovered. Hearing them, he got to his feet, saber in hand.
Ye Qingchen strode toward the Stone Gate and stopped before its right side. He confidently placed his hand on the third stud in the second-to-last row.
Wang Qiang’s expression changed. "Junior Brother Qingchen, wait!" he yelled.
Hong Yan’s face turned ashen. Her mouth fell open as she started to speak, but it was too late.
Ye Qingchen had already pressed down.