97: Chapter 97 Fire!

"Finally found it." You took a deep breath, suppressing the palpitations in your heart.

The Immortal Cave hung on a cliff halfway up the mountain, seven or eight zhang above the ground. The surrounding area was covered in wet and slippery mudslide marks, making it impossible for ordinary people to climb up.

But for top-tier experts like you and Wei Feisen, who were only one step away from becoming an Earthly Immortal, this was not a problem at all.

"Go up and take a look."

You tapped your toes lightly on the muddy ground, your body rising from the ground like a large bird. You swept through the air, using a protruding rock to gain leverage, and landed steadily on the stone platform in front of the Immortal Cave.

Wei Feisen followed closely behind, landing heavily at your side, making the stone platform tremble slightly.

You ignored him and walked straight to the stone door.

The stone door was seamless, its surface as smooth as a mirror. There was no keyhole, no handle, not even a crack to be seen. The strangest thing was that the door frame and the stone door looked too new, spotless. Having been buried in the mountain for hundreds of years, it should not look like this.

You looked around, but did not find any mechanisms.

You took two steps back, bent down to pick up a fist-sized stone, weighed it in your hand, and threw it violently at the stone door.

"Bang!"

Before the stone could touch the stone door, a layer of water-like blue halo suddenly appeared on the surface. The stone hit the halo and was instantly bounced away by a soft yet irresistible force, falling into the mudslide below.

You thought to yourself: As expected, there is a Formation protecting it. The methods of an Immortal Cultivator truly do not follow physical laws.

After testing it and confirming that the Formation was purely defensive, without any counter-attacks or lightning strikes, you began to figure out how to open it.

You went through all the tropes you had read in Immortal Cultivator novels in your previous life.

You bit your fingertip and flicked a drop of blood onto the halo.

The blood slid down the halo, and there was no reaction.

Blood-binding recognition, failed.

You placed your palm on the halo and slowly input your Great Grandmaster True Qi.

The True Qi was like a clay ox entering the sea; the halo didn't even flicker.

Inputting energy, failed.

You cleared your throat and shouted at the stone door in clear, articulate words: "Open Sesame!"

The sound of wind and rain continued, and the stone door remained unmoved.

You frowned and changed the password: "Open Sesame," "Heavenly King Covers Earthly Tiger," "Swift as the Law."

Wei Feisen beside you looked at you as if you were an idiot.

Matching the secret code, failed.

After trying more than a dozen methods, you spent half a day in front of the stone door, but that layer of blue halo remained as strong as ever.

Wei Feisen, who was on the side, finally couldn't help it. He wiped the rainwater off his face and looked at you in confusion: "Wanwan, don't you know the password? Why can't you open it?"

The air was suddenly quiet for a few seconds, with only the sound of rain hitting the stone platform.

You turned your head, looked at Wei Feisen's serious face, and couldn't help but cough awkwardly.

"Cough... well." You stopped what you were doing, patted the dust off your hands, "That was just something I made up to trick you into cooperating with me. There is no password."

Wei Feisen's expression froze.

"...What?"

"What?" You raised your eyebrows, your tone casual, "Are you blaming me for lying to you?"

Wei Feisen's Adam's apple bobbed. He slowly lowered his head, and rainwater dripped down his chin.

"No." When he raised his head again, that fawning smile was already back on his face, "Wanwan is so smart, it's only right for you to lie to me."

You nodded: "That's good."

Immediately, you turned around and continued tapping and banging on the layer of blue halo.

You didn't look back.

So you didn't see Wei Feisen's expression.

He leaned against the shed pillar, rainwater dripping from the gaps in the roof, hitting his shoulders. He watched your back as you squatted there, and the light in his eyes dimmed bit by bit.

For three days in a row, you ate and slept on the stone platform halfway up the mountain.

You tried every method you could think of, even having the Black Tiger Division bring in a warlock proficient in Qimen Dunjia, but the result was that the warlock couldn't even touch the edge of the Formation and was directly blown away by the halo.

An Immortal Cultivator's Formation is a complete dimensional strike against Mortal martial arts.

On the morning of the fourth day, the rain finally stopped.

You stood in front of the stone door, looking at that layer of blue halo that was still flowing endlessly, your patience completely exhausted.

"Screw you, Master Qingling!"

You kicked the halo, were bounced back two steps, and pointed at the stone door, cursing, "You leave a crappy Immortal Cave and set up a Formation, guarding against thieves? I ran all this way, and you won't even let me in. Are you not playing fair!"

The valley echoed with the profanities of the Great Li Empress.

After scolding, you caught your breath, and your eyes became cold.

"This is what you forced me to do." You whispered.

According to the information you learned from the Ziyu Li Family Cultivator earlier, you knew the setting of this world very well. The area you lived in was called the "Land of Faded Qi," and there was no free Spiritual Qi in the air at all.

The operation of the Formation in front of you must consume Spiritual Qi. Since it cannot be supplemented from the outside world, it can only rely on the Spirit Stone or some kind of energy source embedded inside the Formation.

The law of conservation of energy applies everywhere.

This energy source is definitely limited. As long as you keep consuming it, once the Spirit Stone is exhausted, the Formation will naturally collapse.

You turned around and waved at the Black Tiger Division army waiting in Formation below.

Several Black Tiger Division commanders immediately used lightness skills, jumped onto the stone platform in fear and trepidation, and knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

You pointed at the stone door behind you, your tone cold: "Pass my decree. Deploy five hundred Divine Might cannons from the Beijing suburbs camp and line them up on the opposite mountain."

The commanders were stunned.

"Did you not hear me?" You swept a cold glance at them, "Bombard it for me without stopping! Work in shifts for twelve hours. If the cannon barrel explodes, replace it with a new one. If you don't have enough gunpowder, go to the arsenal to get more! Keep shelling this place until you blow this damn door open for me!"

"Yes... Your Majesty!" The commanders were covered in cold sweat and hurriedly took orders and retreated.

Using Mortal cannons to bombard an Immortal's Immortal Cave—such a crazy move could only be done by this Saint Heaven Empress.

After deploying everything, you clapped your hands and prepared to go back to the palace to take a bath.

You turned your head to look at Wei Feisen. For the past few days, he had been standing behind you like a wooden stake, without saying a word.

"I'm going back first, you stay here and keep watch." You said casually.

Wei Feisen lowered his head, his voice hoarse: "Yes, Wanwan."

You noticed his silence, but you didn't pay any attention to it. After all, for the past few years, every time he professed his love to you and was ruthlessly rejected by you, he would be emo like this for a few days. You were already used to it.

You tapped your toes and swept in the direction of Linyuan City.

Outside the simulation.

Lin Shuangwan looked at the screen in front of her, her beautiful eyebrows slightly furrowed, and she put away the expression of watching the show on her face.

"Something is wrong."

She touched her smooth, tender face, and her eyes became deep.