Chapter 488
Translator: Kazeyuki_ Editor: Jimmy_
Releasing his spiritual senses fully, Qin Wushuang realized that after a moment, the enemy had most likely stayed hidden deliberately. With a sophisticated mind, Qin Wushuang thought: “Since the enemy has remained hidden, he definitely wants to use the advantage of the terrain to launch a sneak attack on me. Perhaps, this person is not great at his skills, but I must be cautious of his venomous insects.”
With this extra mental preparation, Qin Wushuang started searching in all directions. After some exploration, he did not find any clues.
Qin Wushuang extended his wings and flew into the air and circled around the Tortoise King Mountain. He extended his spiritual senses to continuously search the inner areas.
Suddenly, Qin Wushuang’s spiritual senses was stirred. He dropped onto a giant mountain rock. Then, he gazed at the sheer cliff below thoughtfully.
It was because the spiritual senses inside his body had suddenly swept across an extremely familiar sensation. This was a miraculous sensation similar to a resonance.
Indeed, it was rather strange. As soon as this feeling emerged, it caused the blood inside Qin Wushuang’s whole body to boil. His primordial spirit also fluctuated in a way that was indescribable.
It was an extremely familiar feeling.
Qin Wushuang only felt that he seemed to have grasped a small clue. However, such a small clue remained unclear at the moment and left him feeling somewhat vague. He knew that everything must be related to the geographical region of this Tortoise King Mountain.
Qin Wushuang sat quietly and observed the surrounding geographical region. Paying extreme attention, he would not miss a single clue.
“This feeling is so familiar, and seemingly something I’m already acquainted to… What could it be?” Qin Wushuang started to think back and began to organize all of his past events and experiences.
When he had sorted out the event between the Great Luo Empire and the Green Jade Mountain at the border of the Heavenly Lake Empire, suddenly, Qin Wushuang’s heart was stirred. He thought about that Green Jade Mountain, that giant pit and that narrow escape from death.
Next, his thoughts followed the Seven Deadly Formation Arrays and reached the second layer, the Second Circle of the Formation deep inside the Great Cang Mountain.
Then, it was the Third Circle of the Red Dragon Empire.
The geographical region of each Circle had some similar places. Although the geographical region were not exactly the same, after experiencing the Third Circle of the Seven Deadly Formation Arrays, Qin Wushuang had gained a lot of understanding to this formation.
“Could it be that this Tortoise King Mountain is the Fourth Circle of the Seven Deadly Formation Arrays?” When Qin Wushuang thought up to this point, he felt the blood in his whole body surge.
If that was the case, everything seemed unavoidably coincidental.
“Initially, the Seven Deadly Formation Arrays was extremely miraculous. In the vast Tian Xuan Land, this thing fell into my lap. It proves that I am fated to have this formation. This way, if I happened to encounter the Fourth Circle in the Tortoise King Mountain, it’s entirely possible.”
When he thought there, Qin Wushuang had no more doubts in his mind. He started to search for the entrance.
With this thought in mind, Qin Wushuang’s search was no longer a blind one. Instead, he started to explore with a clear goal.
In the previous three Circles of the Seven Deadly Formation Arrays, each Circle had an entrance that hung in the air. This entrance was extremely narrow, hidden and difficult to find.
The other entrance required one to find it by passing through three to four layers of mechanisms. For example, the second Circle of the Great Cang Mountain was built that way. When Qin Wushuang first entered, he had entered through that cave hanging on top of the sheer cliff.
In fact, from the foot of the mountain, there was another entrance where one could enter by passing the mechanisms.
Qin Wushuang had revealed the secret entrance at the Great Cang Mountain to his father.
“If this Tortoise King Mountain truly holds the Fourth Circle, then for me to find that entrance, it would not be appropriate for me to enter through the cliff. I must enter from that entrance with the mechanisms. It would be easier to enter from that entrance. If someone is in the cave, it would be easier to avoid his detection.”
Qin Wushuang knew that regardless of whether someone had found this cave, as it was the Fourth Circle of the Seven Deadly Formation Arrays, he was free of worry.
It was because that set-up of this formation was extremely clever. Without the fortune of experiencing the First and Second Circles, it would be useless to enter any of the other Circles. One would not be able to break the seals of a single Circle nor activate the formation. Only Qin Wushuang, who had gone through the spiritual baptisms of the First and Second Circles was qualified to activate this formation.
Of course, at this moment, even Qin Wushuang could only enter the Fourth Circle. It was because the basic requirement to activate the Fourth Circle required him to be at the Refined Void Martial Stage.
And Qin Wushuang’s strength was at the Refined Void Martial Stage.
Thus, if this cave found by Qin Wushuang was the Fifth Circle, he would be at a dead end. With his strength, he could not activate any of the restrictions on the Fifth Circle.
With his experiences with the three previous Circles, usually the secret entrance was located beneath the mountain. This entrance was often well hidden.
Following this line of thought, Qin Wushuang had a lead and started to search beneath the Tortoise King Mountain. Around dusk, Qin Wushuang finally found a lead.
Following this clue, Qin Wushuang traced it back and indeed, it was extremely winding and complicated. After travelling across layers of obstacles, Qin Wushuang became more certain about his suspicions about the location of another Circle in this mountain.
“It is indeed a curious coincidence, it seems that most likely, this Tortoise King Mountain is the place for the Fourth Circle!” Qin Wushuang’s heartbeat also increased with his excitement.
Finally, he encountered the first mechanism!
The installation of these mechanisms were exactly the same, with the same technique. Only, the difficulty of the mechanisms increased according to the strength of the formation.
Since the requirement of this Fourth Circle was at the Refined Void Martial Stage, only by being at this level would allow him to activate this mechanism. Since Qin Wushuang had experience activating a similar set of mechanisms, he was proficient about his task.
After activating the first mechanism, there were no longer any traces of doubt in Qin Wushuang’s mind. Without question, he knew that this Tortoise King Mountain housed the Fourth Circle of the Seven Deadly Formation Arrays.
“Indeed as the owner of the formation had said, even being in possession of the Seven Deadly Formation Arrays, I must be careful with each step I take. Although each Circle of the formation is interconnected, they are opposing individuals. At any moment, anyone could discover these independent individuals.”
“Currently, the mountain cave of this Fourth Circle has been discovered by someone. It’s extremely dangerous. When Qin Wushuang thought of it this way, he warned himself to be extremely careful, “That person must have entered the cave and saw the size of the formation. Or else, he would not have kept staying in it. He must be unwilling to leave as he saw the sealed treasures inside the Circle!”
Qin Wushuang’s speculation was justified and reasonable.
After passing the first mechanism, the following parts were extremely easy. Almost following the vine to get the melon, Qin Wushuang had arrived at the second entrance of the mechanism and solved it.
After resolving two sets of mechanisms, Qin Wushuang had become extremely careful. He knew that after passing the second mechanism, it meant that he had entered the hinterland. He was also one step closer to the core area of the cave. As long as he arrived at the third mechanism, it meant he would be directly facing across the core area of the formation.
The interval between them was the entrance of the third mechanism.
Qin Wushuang did not make any sounds as he moved forward. Finally, he arrived before the third mechanism. He listened attentively and he knew that as long as he activated this mechanism, it would mean that he had entered the core area of the formation. If this person was nearby the mechanism, it meant that they would meet face to face on a narrow path.
However, according to Qin Wushuang’s assumption, even if that person was in this cave, he would not have known about these mechanisms. It was because only when one had activated the restriction of the formation, they would learn the location of the mechanisms.
Most likely, that person was able to arrive at this cave because he had passed by that cave facing the cliff coincidentally. If this person were to set up defensive measures, he would defend the front entrance of the cave.
That entrance and the entrance of the mechanisms were located on the opposite side of the formation. These two entrances were separated by quite the distance. In other words, if that person was defending at that cliff entrance, then the other party would not have noticed him activating the mechanism.
Qin Wushuang had already overcome his nervousness from before. From his deductions, he firmly believed that if he didn’t know the situation inside the cave and the knowledge that someone was attempting to invade the area, he would also set up a defensive line at that cave entrance.
He would not stay to defend at this unknown mechanism entrance.
In other words, it sounded extremely dangerous. In fact, when Qin Wushuang had entered from this location, he was the furthest from the danger.
Once Qin Wushuang, who had been used to the Seven Deadly Formation Arrays, entered it, he would not have to worry about the other party holding a terrain advantage.
Qin Wushuang fastened the Graceful Spiritual Bow lightly. He silently read the spell and slowly activated the mechanisms with one hand. He used all his efforts to suppress the energy wave and avoid alerting the other party in the slightest.
When the mechanism had been completely activated, Qin Wushuang jumped inside swiftly. As he flashed in like a ghost, at the same time his heart was lightened.
When he had entered the cave, his situation was more advantageous. As Qin Wushuang had expected, the formation of this Circle cave did not appear to be that different to the previous three Circles. It was especially similar to the Third Circle. With his speculation about the layout of the terrain, Qin Wushuang extended his spiritual senses and slowly started to explore.
Everything was within Qin Wushuang’s calculation. Just when his spiritual senses approached that cave at the cliff, that other person’s spiritual senses had also been stirred.
Instantly, Qin Wushuang withdrew his spiritual senses. Of course, he knew that the other party would not have been suspicious of him already having arrived at the cave.
Indeed, the spiritual senses of that man in black throbbed. He grasped the black staff in his hand tightly and leaned against the stone wall behind the entrance. On top of the black staff, there was a frightful object shaped like a human skull. All the holes on that human skull was black and exhibited an extremely evil monster aura, as if endless sin stayed hidden inside.
“Certainly this person is powerful…” Inwardly, some complicated thoughts arose in the man in black’s mind, “So soon, his spiritual senses has reached this place. If he has discovered this cave, he would come to this side for sure. As soon as he approaches the cave, I will launch a fatal attack!”
When he thought here, the man in black squeezed the black staff even more tightly. Beads of sweat filled his hand. Since all of his puppet martial artists had been killed, his confidence felt somewhat shakened.