I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 567 - 567 566. Token_1

Chapter 567: 566. Token_1 Chapter 567: 566. Token_1 Several people gathered together.

“Hmm? Dai Yuanyang hasn’t woken up yet?”

He Chong didn’t see Dai Yuanyang’s figure, so he asked.

“Probably.”

Lu Ban replied.

“Since he’s not coming, we don’t need to concern ourselves with him. If he still hasn’t appeared by the end of the competition, we’ll consider his absence as a forfeiture.”

Du Ming chimed in.

Lu Ban looked on in satisfaction.

The others didn’t say much. Dai Yuanyang was clearly not well-intentioned in coming here, and it was only because these people adhered to tradition that they didn’t expel him. But everyone was quite pleased to see Lu Ban, who wasn’t one for reason, take action to discipline him.

It was like watching someone else’s naughty child causing trouble during the New Year, but because you were afraid of making trouble, you could only watch from the sidelines. Suddenly, an irate fellow rushed out and disciplined the child sternly, even dealing with the child’s parents who came for a mixed doubles scolding. Although it seemed the irate fellow’s behavior might not be admirable, it was quite satisfying to watch.

The group made their way up the mountain path.

This stretch of the mountain path had no obstructions from formations, and they could pass unimpeded.

Only the temperature grew hotter and hotter, the sultry air inhaled into the lungs raising one’s body heat.

Many were already sweating profusely and red in the face after just a few steps.

People like Seventh Master were so exhausted after walking just two steps.

On the other hand, Blindman Zhang proceeded step by step, as smoothly as someone with perfect eyesight, climbing the steep path without even breaking a sweat.

Tang Que broke only into a light sweat, a few strands of her hair sticking damply to her cheeks, which actually seemed to add to her charm.

Lu Ban saw nothing at all.

As for He Chong and Du Ming, they were the type with average stamina, affected by the humid and stifling air, moving slowly.

Shi Buwen seemed quite adapted to the climate, leading at the front.

Before long, they arrived at a temple near the mountaintop.

This temple had some Buddhist characteristics, but seemed quite bizarre. Upon entering, they saw another one of Fang Geng’s Divine Idols.

Only this time, the stone statue was even more non-human. While the ones encountered before were clothed and only their bodies resembled human form, this time even the body had taken the shape of tentacles wrapping around, lifelike enough to send shivers down one’s spine. Even the Inheritors of the Ninth River, who had encountered strangeness regularly, felt a natural discomfort and revulsion at sight of the Divine Idol.

Lu Ban grew increasingly suspicious of what exactly Mysterious Monarch was.

There on the altar in front of the Divine Idol, sat a cylindrical container, no bigger than a small ale barrel and seemingly not a cup, with a hole on one side, probably for inserting something.

Around the altar, it was empty, only a charred mark on the ground that isolated the altar from the outside world.

“Whoever can retrieve this token in the shortest time will win this round,”

Seventh Master said.

The group looked at each other, but none volunteered eagerly.

“I’ll give it a try first.”

Seeing that no one else rushed to proceed, Tang Que was the first to speak.

She approached the altar, lit an incense stick as per the Rules, glanced at the scorched line, and prepared to step over it.

But the moment she attempted to cross, a force surged, blocking her on the outside.

“Hmm?”

Tang Que hesitated, then raised her hand.

In an instant, her muscles swelled, her hand seeming to inflate several times over, her fist smashing toward the invisible barrier.

Buzz—

A muffled sound rang out, causing everyone to feel a bout of tinnitus.

The punch, which could have killed twenty-nine Qin Tiantians, was dissolved just like that.

Tang Que felt like she had struck a lump of cotton; all her force dissipated without effect, her fists shooting out left and right to no avail.

“It seems that brute force can’t break through this boundary drawn on the ground. Miss Tang, you need to think of another method.”

Du Ming offered his commentary from the side.

“Those who go first are bound to encounter this problem. The time spent probing the protections around the talisman actually helps those who come after.”

Seventh Master also followed up with an explanation.

Lu Ban watched the excitement from the side while using True Sight to inspect the temple.

He hadn’t noticed before, but now it was apparent that the entire building wasn’t the work of humans; the twisted walls, the lopsided roof—it was like a playdough house shaped by a child, then arbitrarily remolded by someone with a shadowed mind.

As for the charred traces that prevented Tang Que from getting close to the talisman, Lu Ban discerned after a closer look that they were remnants of human blood scorched by fire. As to where the blood came from and how long it had been there, Lu Ban was not sure.

The blood formed a barrier that could prevent most people from crossing.

In other words, to get the talisman in the middle, one would need to use a method of moving objects through the air or some other supernatural ability.

In that case, the Zhai Xing Lineage, with their stealing ability, could do it effortlessly.

No wonder Dai Yuanyang felt he had a significant advantage.

Unfortunately, he was probably still asleep in the room that Lu Ban had locked up.

After trying for a moment, Tang Que crouched down and picked up a piece of broken stone from the room.

Then, she threw the irregularly shaped stone towards the inside of the traces.

Effortlessly, the stone passed through the mark.

It seemed that ordinary stones could cross the barrier.

“Could it be that…”

Seventh Master dutifully took on the role of a narrator.

“Are you planning to knock the talisman out by throwing stones?”

Tang Que didn’t answer but picked up another stone.

Her muscles tensed, and then the stone was released from her grasp.

Smack—

The stone hit the Divine Idol, immediately rebounded, and struck the talisman, catapulting it out.

Tang Que quickly caught the talisman that bounced out.

In her hand, within a quarter of an hour.

She examined the talisman carefully. It appeared to be made of wood, with a rough surface and signs of being scorched. It wasn’t clear how it was related to the burnt blood around, but holding it, Tang Que only felt a wave of heat contrasting with the dampness of the mountains.

After the talisman was taken away, the blood barrier disappeared, allowing free entry and exit. It seemed that its peculiarity came from the talisman itself.

Tang Que didn’t give others the time to scrutinize the talisman thoroughly; she put it back in place.

Following that, everyone tried their own methods.

He Chong, for instance, used his eyes to spot the weak points in the barrier and managed success by hitting the talisman with a pebble, even if he lacked Tang Que’s strength.

Seventh Master discerned geomancy and positions, effortlessly grabbing the talisman as if reaching into a pouch.

Shi Buwen directly demonstrated his incredible speed, sneaking in to grab the talisman just as it was replaced and before the barrier could fully reform.

Blindman Zhang was even more mysterious. He pulled out a piece of paper from his chest, tore and folded it at will, and actually folded a paper figure.

The paper figure wobbled unsteadily but soon floated out carrying the talisman.

Finally, it was Lu Ban’s turn.

*

Wanting to play hard with the old man’s hoop.

Asking for recommendation tickets, asking for monthly tickets!