101: Three stone gates

Just as Qin Feng's left foot stepped onto the cold, smooth surface of the black single-log bridge—

"Buzz!"

The bridge shook slightly, and in the darkness of the abyss on both sides, dozens of pairs of crimson light points suddenly lit up! Immediately following a tooth-aching mechanical "click," twenty Puppet soldiers clad in tattered bronze armor and wielding strangely-shaped giant crossbows stepped neatly out of the shadows on both banks! Their movements were stiff yet precise. The giant crossbows in their hands, glinting with a ghostly cold metallic luster, were instantly raised, and a dense cluster of bolts locked onto the three people on the bridge!

Simultaneously, directly in front of the bridgehead, the ground cracked open, and a taller Puppet general clad in profound black heavy armor and wielding a giant axe slowly rose. Crimson soul-fire flickered in its hollow eye sockets, and a mechanical, cold voice echoed through the empty rift valley:

"Invaders... halt!"

"Verify... the password!"

The giant crossbows held by the twenty Puppet soldiers were covered in complex runes. The arrowheads were not made of ordinary metal but a dull, strange material that seemed to absorb light—the gang-breaking crossbow! This was a terrifying killing weapon specifically designed to pierce a Martial Artist's Protective Aura, and it had been lost for many years. No one expected it to appear here!

Being locked on by twenty gang-breaking crossbows at such close range on such a narrow bridge with nowhere to hide, even Su Yuetang, who was at the Mid-stage Martial King level, instantly felt a chill run up her spine and her scalp tingle! She had no doubt that once these bolts were fired simultaneously, the three of them would be shot into sieves in an instant; their Protective Aura would be completely useless!

"Not good! We can't force our way across this bridge!" Su Yuetang whispered. Her jade-like hand was already on her sword hilt, but she didn't dare move recklessly, fearing she would trigger a volley of bolts.

Ji Ruxue's muscles were even more tense, like a bowstring drawn to its limit. She held her daggers in a reverse grip, her sharp eyes scanning the Puppets for a flaw that might not even exist.

Qin Feng stood at the bridgehead, one foot on the bridge and the other still on the bank, also not daring to move an inch. He forced himself to calm down, his brain working rapidly. Fighting head-on was definitely the worst option!

"Don't panic!" he said in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over the Puppet general and the grim crossbows on both sides. "Maybe there's another way." He looked up, seemingly sensing something. "Is it... the zi hour yet?"

Su Yuetang was slightly taken aback. Though she didn't understand his intent, she still sensed the external Qi. "Almost. At most, another quarter-hour."

"Wait a moment," Qin Feng maintained his posture, his voice steady and carrying a strange, reassuring power. "If all else fails, we'll think of a way to force our way through."

Time passed minute by minute in the suffocating silence. The Puppets' crimson "eyes" on both banks stared fixedly at them, and the gang-breaking crossbows remained motionless, radiating a deadly threat. The Puppet general was like a statue, with only the soul-fire in its eyes flickering as it repeated: "Verify... the password!"

Finally, when Qin Feng reached a certain critical point in his mental countdown—

[Ding! The zi hour has arrived! Daily Intelligence has been refreshed!]

The familiar System notification rang in his mind, and the faint light panel instantly expanded!

[Today's Intelligence has been refreshed:]

[Green Intelligence: The activation password for the Puppet general guarding the single-log bridge is the former dynasty's name and a blessing—'Great Yu, for a thousand autumns and ten thousand generations'.]

[Yellow Intelligence: The defensive Restriction on the core secret chamber of the Treasure Trove (Three-Key Stone Gate) requires the collection of the three keys (Star, Moon, Sun) passed down through generations by the Vice City Lord, Grand Elder, and current Sect Master to open it without damage. Without the keys, forcing the door requires at least a Late Stage Martial Emperor cultivation and will trigger the final self-destruct mechanism, burying everything.]

[Yellow Intelligence: Three zhang behind the Puppet general, at the bottom of the left rock wall, there is a 'Ink-Veined Stone' of a slightly darker color. Tapping it three times consecutively with a specific force (about three hundred jin) can temporarily deactivate all Puppets and crossbow traps in this area.]

It's here!

Qin Feng felt greatly relieved, but his face timely showed expressions of "contemplation" and "realization." He looked sharply at the Puppet general as if he had discerned something from its armor patterns and the layout of the place. He spoke out loud, his voice steady and clear:

"The password—"

"Great Yu, for a thousand autumns and ten thousand generations!"

As soon as the words "Great Yu" were spoken, the crimson soul-fire in the Puppet general's eyes flickered violently! Its stiff neck seemed to move ever so slightly, as if "scrutinizing" Qin Feng.

Silence lasted for several breaths. In this oppressive wait, Su Yuetang and Ji Ruxue's hearts were in their throats.

Then—

"Ka... ka-ka..."

The soul-fire in the Puppet general's eyes returned to a steady flicker, and its mechanical voice rang out again: "Pass... word... correct."

"Pass... through!"

Accompanying its voice, the twenty Puppet soldiers on both banks simultaneously stowed their gang-breaking crossbows. Their crimson gazes extinguished, and they retreated stiffly into the original shadows, becoming silent statues once more. The Puppet general also slowly sank into the ground as if it had never appeared.

Crisis averted!

Both Su Yuetang and Ji Ruxue let out long sighs of relief, a layer of cold sweat breaking out on their backs. Their gazes toward Qin Feng were filled with unbelievable wonder. Ji Ruxue was purely shocked and confused, while Su Yuetang's beautiful eyes were deep; she increasingly felt that this young man was shrouded in a layer of impenetrable mist.

"Let's go, get across first." Qin Feng didn't explain and was the first to step onto the bridge. The bridge surface was smooth, and the suction from the abyss below was heart-palpitating, but the three of them had impressive cultivation. They stabilized themselves and quickly crossed the perilous bridge.

After reaching the other side, Qin Feng didn't rush forward. Instead, following the intelligence's instructions, he walked near where the Puppet general had risen and indeed found a stone at the bottom of the left rock wall that was slightly darker than the others and had natural ink-colored veins.

He circulated his Internal Energy, clenched his fist, controlled his strength, and tapped three times consecutively on the "Ink-Veined Stone" with moderate force.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

After the three dull thuds, an extremely faint "buzzing" sound of gears stopping seemed to come from deep within the cavern. An invisible sense of Restriction vanished.

"Alright, the mechanisms here are temporarily deactivated," Qin Feng explained.

Su Yuetang and Ji Ruxue glanced at each other, seeing the complexity in each other's eyes. He even knew this?

The three didn't delay any longer and continued deeper along the only passage. At the end of the passage was an incredibly massive, monolithic, heavy stone gate! The gate was cast from an unknown mixture of metal and stone, radiating an ancient, heavy, and indestructible aura.

The surface of the stone gate was smooth as a mirror, except for the central area where three large, strangely shaped keyholes were embedded side-by-side. The shapes of the keyholes corresponded to: a Star, a Crescent Moon, and a Blazing Sun!

Clearly, this was the "Three-Key Stone Gate" mentioned in the intelligence!

"No keys..." Ji Ruxue's brow furrowed. She stepped forward to carefully examine the keyholes and the gaps in the stone gate, attempting to find a mechanism hub with various delicate tools she carried, but without exception, all were in vain. The construction of this stone gate exceeded her knowledge.

"Let me try!" Su Yuetang took a step forward, and the powerful aura of a Mid-stage Martial King erupted! Radiant Hundred-Flower Protective Aura condensed on her jade hand. With a delicate shout, she slammed a palm into the center of the stone gate!

"Boom—!!!"

A loud explosion echoed through the passage, shaking dust from the ceiling. However, the stone gate remained motionless, and not even a single crack appeared! The counter-force caused Su Yuetang's blood and Qi to churn slightly, and a flash of horror appeared in her beautiful eyes. The sturdiness of this stone gate far exceeded her imagination!

"As expected, it won't work..." Su Yuetang withdrew her palm, her expression grave. "This stone gate contains an extremely strong Formation Restriction. Brute force can't break it unless one has a cultivation of Late Stage Martial Emperor or above."

All eyes finally focused on Qin Feng, who had appeared unusually calm from start to finish.

Qin Feng didn't try to pick the lock, nor did he attack the stone gate. Holding a torch, his gaze was like the most precise ruler, scanning the mountain walls, ground, and even the ceiling around the stone gate inch by inch.

Former Dynasty Great Yu... Vice City Lord, Grand Elder, Sect Master... three keys... Star, Moon, Sun... his brain worked rapidly, combining the System intelligence and known information to look for that possible glimmer of hope. Since the System gave the hint of "at least Late Stage Martial Emperor," there must be a way to open it without keys or bypass this stone gate! Would the designer of this treasure really leave only a dead end for descendants? Could there be an emergency passage or back door for internal personnel?

His gaze finally fixed on an inconspicuous corner on the right side of the stone gate, near the ground. On the rock wall there, some shallow patterns were carved that had been nearly worn away by time, appearing as if they were not naturally formed.