Wen Xue's compass, though formidable, soon brought them to a halt once more.
Ahead of them was no longer an intersection. Instead, a barrier gate had appeared.
But this barrier gate was far from ordinary.
Floating around its perimeter were rows of talisman imprints, as though conveying some kind of hint.
"Junior Brother Chu Feng, why don't you come out and take a look?"
Sensing something amiss, Wen Xue retracted her compass and called out to Chu Feng.
"Sister, could you open your clothes a little wider?"
The barrier gate within Wen Xue's body was open, but outside the gate was, in reality, Wen Xue's clothing.
Chu Feng's gaze could see through Wen Xue's garments, but once he physically exited, he wouldn't be able to pass through them.
He would probably have to damage Wen Xue's clothes to get out.
Wen Xue realized what Chu Feng was worried about, but instead of complying, she grinned and said, "What's there to be afraid of? Don't tell me you're scared of crawling into my clothes?"
"I am, actually," Chu Feng said.
"There's nothing scary about it. If you took advantage of me, I'd just go tell Zi Ling about it," Wen Xue said.
"Now that you've said that, I'm even more afraid," Chu Feng said.
"Hehe, I'm just teasing you. Would your senior sister really do that?"
"Go ahead and come in boldly. I won't tell Zi Ling." Wen Xue's laughter was playful.
"Sister, stop messing around. Business first," Chu Feng said.
"Oh, fine. You really won't take advantage even when it's offered. Fine, fine — come on out. It's open now."
Wen Xue tugged her long robe open to either side.
Only then did Chu Feng dare to fly out from within Wen Xue's formation space.
Wen Xue promptly straightened her clothes as well. After all, now that they had arrived here, Chu Feng no longer really needed to hide inside her.
"Sister, this spatial formation of yours is quite nice, but the entrance point is honestly rather embarrassing. It's a little awkward," Chu Feng said, looking at Wen Xue.
"Awkward?"
"I'm not the one being shy about it, and here you are getting embarrassed. You really do love playing the innocent while taking all the perks," Wen Xue said.
"The thing is, I'm not exactly a righteous gentleman either. Having me go back and forth through that spot — I'm afraid I won't be able to restrain myself," Chu Feng said.
"Then just don't restrain yourself. A talented junior brother like you — who knows how many women would love to marry you? Your senior sister here, well… she wouldn't mind either."
Wen Xue arched her delicate brows and gave Chu Feng an exceedingly seductive look, paired with an equally alluring gesture.
Though Wen Xue's features were refined and lovely, when she made that seductive motion, it looked entirely natural — even captivating.
After all, she was an ancient being who had lived for countless years. Playing innocent might be a stretch, but pulling something like this off? Child's play.
"I was wrong. I shouldn't have tried to tease my senior sister."
Chu Feng had gotten a sudden impulse to joke around with Wen Xue — after all, she had been teasing him constantly, and Chu Feng's vindictive streak ran deep.
But only now did he realize he had picked the wrong person to mess with.
"Who's teasing? I'm being perfectly serious, Junior Brother Chu Feng. Give some thought to your senior sister, won't you?"
An additional trace of flirtation crept onto Wen Xue's enchanting face. She even took a quick step forward until her chest was pressed against Chu Feng's, her lips nearly brushing his cheek.
Whether she was joking or serious, it was impossible to tell.
"Ha, look at how cocky she's gotten. Chu Feng, just go for it," Egg Egg's voice rang out, laced with amusement.
Egg Egg never minded when things got more exciting, but Chu Feng really couldn't take much more of this — he didn't dare fan the flames any further.
So he quickly took a step back to create some distance, then immediately turned his gaze toward the barrier gate.
"Let's look at the gate. The gate."
"Business first."
He activated his Heavenly Eyes, and before long, Chu Feng discerned the crux of the matter.
"Inside this barrier gate, the moment you step through, you'll encounter a formation."
"If you can't break the formation, you'll lose the qualifications to venture deeper into these ruins."
"In short, if we fail, our journey ends right here," Chu Feng said.
"Understood. Got it."
As Wen Xue spoke, she grabbed Chu Feng in one swift motion. Before he could even react, she had already dragged him through the barrier gate.
They passed through the gate and arrived in a place shrouded on all sides by mist.
And the gate through which they had entered — it vanished behind them.