C502 Breaking the Restriction

From the moment Woo Zhengyang met Jingxiang, he wondered if he could use her to gain access to the Heavenly Mirror Pavilion. Although this approach seemed a bit unscrupulous, he felt it was his only option.

Woo Zhengyang wasn't going to flatter and fawn over Jingxiang like Du Yusheng and Yuen Jinli did. Besides, judging by Jingxiang's demeanor, that tactic wouldn't work anyway.

After much contemplation, Woo Zhengyang couldn't come up with a good plan, except for one rather clumsy idea: make himself unwelcome at other Martial Mansions and try to involve Jingxiang as much as possible. Given her nature, she wouldn't stand idly by.

So, Woo Zhengyang aimed to provoke Yuen Jinli and Du Yusheng, ensuring they would be pushed to their limits and act against him quickly. Otherwise, once they each found their opportunities and went their separate ways, any confrontation would have nothing to do with Jingxiang.

"Woo Zhengyang, what do you mean by this? Are you saying we're useless?" Du Yusheng snapped, his anger flaring as he drew his sword, ready to strike.

"Alright, hold on a second. Yuen Jinli, what do you think?" Jingxiang, still acting as the mediator, stopped Du Yusheng and turned to Yuen Jinli for his opinion.

Yuen Jinli glanced at Woo Zhengyang and chuckled lightly, "Actually, he's not wrong. I have no objections to revising the distribution plan. Even if I end up with nothing, I'll accept it. Consider it a chance to accompany Miss Situ on a little adventure."

Yuen Jinli didn't seem angry, but Woo Zhengyang knew he had achieved his goal. Yuen's words indicated he was already furious.

Yuen wasn't concerned about the distribution; he even hoped Woo Zhengyang would take as much as possible, including Du Yusheng's share. That way, after dealing with Woo, Yuen's gains would be greater.

After confirming Yuen Jinli's stance, Situ Jingxiang turned to Woo Zhengyang and asked, "Alright, I have no objections. What's your distribution plan?"

"My plan is simple: each of us gets four shares, and they get one each."

Woo Zhengyang's proposal didn't surprise anyone. In his position of power, anyone would have made the same decision.

"I have no objections!" Situ Jingxiang was the first to agree. She was practical and saw Woo's efforts in finding the passage and breaking the barrier as deserving of a fair share.

"I have no objections either," Yuen Jinli added, still smiling, though his true feelings were unknown.

"Fine, I agree too," Du Yusheng finally conceded.

"Great, if that's settled, I'll start breaking the barrier. Miss Situ, please guard me and ensure no one disturbs my work."

"No problem!" Situ Jingxiang agreed.

Turning away, Woo Zhengyang once again focused his mind on the barrier of the stone door. Earlier, he had used the Array Origin Bead to memorize every pattern of the barrier, allowing him to quickly immerse himself in the task.

A series of hand seals flashed through the air, and suddenly, the barrier's rotation sped up. The original cracks began to close.

"What on earth is this kid doing? Instead of breaking the barrier, it's getting stronger! We have to stop him!" Du Yusheng exclaimed.

"Hold on, maybe this is the way to break the barrier. Can you control it otherwise?" Situ Jingxiang retorted, clearly annoyed.

Once again, Du Yusheng was put in his place by Situ Jingxiang, his face reddening with frustration towards Woo Zhengyang.

Situ Jingxiang had a point. The method to break this barrier was actually quite simple.

All you needed to do was find the method of its operation, then accelerate the barrier's rotation speed, causing the cracks to close.

With the cracks sealed, the outside flow of vital energy would diminish, absorbed by the surrounding passages until it was nearly gone.

Once the vital energy was depleted, the barrier would lose its power and could be easily broken.

Of course, saying it was easy was one thing; doing it was another.

Without the Array Origin Bead, Woo Zhengyang would find it nearly impossible to break this barrier.

Even if he could, it might take ten days to two weeks, and the Hundred Flower World's opening only lasted two weeks. If there were treasures inside, it would be worth it, but if not, those days would be a complete waste.

As the barrier cycled repeatedly, the mist formed by the vital energy of heaven and earth grew thinner and eventually vanished. Afterward, the barrier slowly dimmed and finally retracted into the patterns surrounding the stone door.

"I can't believe this kid actually broke it!" Du Yusheng exclaimed, his mouth agape in disbelief.

"Quick, open the stone door and see what's inside," urged Situ Jingxiang, her excitement barely contained.

Yuen Jinli's gaze grew more profound as he looked at Woo Zhengyang, finally focusing on the Array Origin Bead in Zhengyang's hand.

"Impressive. You managed to break the barrier; it must be thanks to this bead. I wonder what kind of treasure it is. I've never heard of it before."

"What? You want it?" Woo Zhengyang tossed the bead lightly in his hand, smiling as he asked.

"Of course not, just curious. I bet Miss Situ is curious too!"

Woo Zhengyang was puzzled as to why Yuen Jinli, usually so shrewd, would directly mention the Array Origin Bead. Hearing Yuen Jinli bring up Situ Jingxiang, Woo Zhengyang realized he was trying to gauge her reaction.

"I am a bit curious. This bead must be quite the treasure!" Situ Jingxiang, straightforward and unassuming, asked without overthinking it, prompted by Yuen Jinli's words.

Du Yusheng, standing nearby, also grasped the significance and looked at the Array Origin Bead with newfound intensity.

"This bead is called the Array Origin Bead. It has some effects on breaking and setting up formations. So, Miss Situ, are you interested?" Woo Zhengyang, despite his trust in Situ Jingxiang's character, was curious to see her reaction to the opportunity before them.

Situ Jingxiang realized something was off. In this setting, it was the perfect place for someone to kill and take treasure.

"I'm not interested in formations or this bead. I'm only interested in what's behind that stone door. Let's get it open already!"

Everyone noted Situ Jingxiang's response, and Woo Zhengyang felt reassured, his admiration for the Heavenly Mirror Pavilion growing.

However, Woo Zhengyang wasn't about to open the stone door himself. Who knew what lay beyond it?

"After breaking the formation, I'm exhausted. That stone door is too heavy for me to move!"

Woo Zhengyang said, feigning exhaustion, and sat down cross-legged nearby.

​