"Don't celebrate too early. Working with me requires you to have the qualifications."
As Chu Feng spoke, he swept his sleeve, and three formations materialized before him.
Along with them came a map, clearly marking the locations of all three formations.
"Have your clansmen use my formation-breaking keys to break through these three formations one by one. You have a half-hour time limit."
"If they can't break through within half an hour, don't blame me for leaving you behind and going on alone," Chu Feng said.
"Mm." Tongling Yueyue nodded, then formed hand seals, and the antennae on her head began to vibrate rapidly in a rhythmic pattern.
"Young Hero Chu Feng, I've sent the message," Tongling Yueyue said.
"You have clansmen nearby?" Chu Feng asked.
"Yes. During my escape, I kept sending distress calls to my clansmen. They were already on their way to rescue me."
"They're very close to us now."
"But even if they were farther away, I could still send messages," Tongling Yueyue said.
"Good. Then let's wait half an hour and see." Without moving from his spot, Chu Feng set up a concealment formation and then sat down cross-legged.
"Young Hero Chu Feng, shouldn't we hide somewhere?" Compared to Chu Feng, Tongling Yueyue was rather worried.
"No need," Chu Feng said.
"What if the people from the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion come looking?"
"Those three from earlier will definitely go and report back," Tongling Yueyue said.
"They wouldn't dare," Chu Feng said.
Tongling Yueyue was only half-convinced but continued keeping a vigilant watch on their surroundings.
As for Chu Feng, he was brimming with confidence.
Time passed, and as they neared the half-hour mark, joy appeared on Tongling Yueyue's face.
"Young Hero Chu Feng—"
But before she could finish her sentence, Chu Feng stood up. "Looks like they succeeded."
"If that's the case, then have your clansmen go break through those three formations."
As Chu Feng spoke, he swept his sleeve once more, and another three formations appeared, along with a map marking their locations.
"Alright."
Seeing this, Tongling Yueyue immediately formed hand seals and sent another message.
"Oh right—tell your clansmen to use this formation-breaking key."
As Chu Feng spoke, a brand-new formation-breaking key materialized.
"Why?" Tongling Yueyue was confused.
"Are you really that dense?" Chu Feng looked at her with an amused smile.
"Huh?"
"So the formation-breaking key from before was fake?"
"This one is the real one?" Tongling Yueyue suddenly realized.
"Of course."
"We just met and didn't know each other at all. Why would I hand over my formation-breaking key so easily?"
"There's an old saying—you can never be too careful."
"You can understand that, right?" Chu Feng asked with a smile.
"Mm, I can understand, but... Young Hero Chu Feng, that's not what you said earlier."
"You clearly said that cooperation requires trust." Tongling Yueyue pouted her small lips.
"Exactly. You can never be too careful."
"Don't waste time. Have your clansmen break those formations quickly."
As he spoke, Chu Feng rose to his feet and headed deeper into the ruins.
Seeing this, Tongling Yueyue hurriedly followed after him.
Before long, Chu Feng arrived before a formation. He set up a formation-breaking array but didn't fully activate it. Instead, he set up a concealment formation to hide this formation from view.
Next, Chu Feng moved to the other formations and repeated the same process.
In the end, Chu Feng placed the same measures before four formations.
"Young Hero Chu Feng, why did you set up the formations but not fully activate them?"
Finally, Tongling Yueyue voiced the question that had been puzzling her.
"They are activated," Chu Feng said.
"But they're not fully activated," Tongling Yueyue said.
"Because I'm waiting for the right moment," Chu Feng said.
Hearing this, Tongling Yueyue furrowed her brow. After a moment's hesitation, she spoke. "Young Hero Chu Feng, I don't mean any disrespect, but this ruin really is no simple place. Please don't be careless."
"Don't worry. I never let my guard down."
Chu Feng said this confidently, then led Tongling Yueyue to what looked like a dead end. After setting up a concealment formation, he sat down cross-legged.
Tongling Yueyue pouted her small lips, her mind full of questions, but seeing Chu Feng like this, she didn't press further.
Suddenly, her face lit up with joy.
"Young Hero Chu Feng, my clansmen have broken through the three formations you arranged, one after another," Tongling Yueyue said.
"Mm." Chu Feng nodded, then formed four hand seals in rapid succession before rising to his feet.
But Chu Feng was facing the wall at the dead end.
"Do you think I'm strange?" Chu Feng asked.
"Er... a little."
"But you can never be too careful."
"Young Hero Chu Feng not telling me is perfectly understandable," Tongling Yueyue said with a smile.