Gazing at the Six Tripods Ancient Temple from several dozen yards away, Qin Feng spotted a few Cyan Rock Crocodiles frolicking about and fell into deep thought.
'I never thought this kind of Fierce Beast would be found around the Six Tripods Ancient Temple. Cyan Rock Crocodiles are famous for their powerful defenses. Their thick Scale Armor is nearly on par with the shells of the Turtle Race. What's especially troublesome is their mouthful of steel teeth, which can easily shatter even Hundred-refined Refined Iron. Forget about the Martial Arts Second Layer Heaven, even an expert at the Martial Arts Third Layer Heaven with Elephant-Throwing Power might not be able to defeat this pack of beasts!'
'I can't fight them head-on; I'll have to use my wits!' Qin Feng stroked his smooth chin, his eyes flashing with intelligence.
After a moment of contemplation, his eyes suddenly lit up and he smiled. 'I remember now! These beasts have a weakness. They typically live in swamps, feeding on the creatures in the muck. However, they have a particular fear of the scent of the Lotus, especially pink lotus pollen. As soon as they smell that fragrance, they'll retreat back into the mud!'
'The Lotus grows from the mud but is not defiled—it's the natural enemy of these beasts from the mire! I think there are lotuses on the outskirts of the Barbaric Mountain Range. Once I make a simple Sachet, I can get past these Cyan Rock Crocodiles!' Qin Feng smiled faintly, and his figure vanished on the spot. Several hours later, he returned, now holding a Sachet that gave off the faint scent of a lotus flower.
This time, with the Sachet pinned to his waist, the Cyan Rock Crocodiles lounging lazily on the rocks by the ancient temple's entrance immediately grew restless and agitated. Their murky yellow, vicious eyes stared at the approaching figure, filled with both savagery and fury.
Qin Feng clutched the Sachet, remaining on guard. He moved as swift as the wind, his body seemingly weightless as he stepped onto the mud as if performing the Wave-Riding Light Step. This was the esoteric Power of Square Inches, a technique of the Martial Arts First Layer Heaven. By focusing the Power of Square Inches into a single point and drawing all his strength inward, his body became as light as a feather.
He did not let down his guard. These Cyan Rock Crocodiles looked extremely hostile. If not for the Sachet at his waist emitting a scent that the Cyan Rock Crocodiles found repulsive, they would have already charged him.
ROAR! With a few low warning growls, the Cyan Rock Crocodiles crouched on the ground, raising their long, pointed snouts, poised to strike.
Qin Feng's eyes were vigilant. He stared intently at the few large crocodiles, each nearly ten feet long, and approached step by step. Power gathered in his hands; if the Cyan Rock Crocodiles made any sudden moves, he would launch a thunderous strike.
However, to his relief, the lotus Sachet seemed to have taken effect. When he came within a hundred feet of them, the three Cyan Rock Crocodiles could finally bear it no longer. After a low roar, they swiftly dove into the mud, disappearing with a flick of their tails that sent muddy water splashing.
His chest heaved as he took a deep breath. Seizing the opportunity, an immense force erupted from his feet. BOOM! The mud beneath him exploded. Using this force, he shot like an arrow toward the massive rock where the ancient temple stood.
'I've finally made it. The Six Tripods Ancient Temple!' Gazing at the ancient temple before him, Qin Feng's heart stirred with excitement.
It was a massive ancient temple with a magnificent hall. Due to its great age, it was impossible to tell which ancient God-Demon it was dedicated to. On the altar, the Golden Body of the God-Demon was damaged beyond recognition. Qin Feng stepped into the vast hall, which had a wide, high dome. He couldn't tell what material the ancient temple was built from. Though weathered by the ages and somewhat dilapidated, its overall layout was still perfectly preserved. Stepping inside calmed one's mind and inspired a deep-seated reverence for the Divine being enshrined within.
'Judging by the style, this must be a Divine Temple left over from the Prehistoric Era. The layout is very similar to other ancient temples from that time! It's dedicated to some Demon God.'
Qin Feng's gaze swept across the ancient temple, finally landing on six Ancient Bronze Tripods. The six Great Tripods were archaic in design, carved with primitive, ancient patterns and some profound, ancient seal script. Even Qin Feng, who prided himself on his vast knowledge and strong memory, couldn't recognize them. He could only surmise that it might be the script of a small tribe from the Prehistoric Era that had vanished into the river of time.
After searching the area several times, Qin Feng returned to his starting point, frustrated. He had searched everywhere but couldn't find the mechanism to open the Earth Palace.
A strange light flickered in his eyes, his expression filled with frustration. His gaze swept sharply across every little corner of the surroundings as he thought to himself, 'This is strange. How can there be no entrance to the Earth Palace? Is it hidden within some kind of Prohibition? Could there really be an Array that even I can't decipher?'
Qin Feng considered himself quite accomplished in the art of Prohibitions. In his past life, in order to raid tombs, excavate ruins, and search for information on breaking through to the God Demon Realm, he had put a great deal of effort into studying Prohibitions and mechanisms. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to treat some terrifying ruins like his own backyard, running around and plundering them as he pleased.
But he had searched this ancient temple from top to bottom and hadn't found the slightest clue. Forget about getting in, he couldn't even find where the entrance was!
'No, I must have overlooked something!' Qin Feng's gaze scanned every corner of the Six Tripods Ancient Temple, finally settling on the six simple, unadorned, and rust-spotted bronze Great Tripods.
Seeing these six Great Tripods, an idea struck him. He walked forward and placed his hands on one of them, channeling his strength to move it. However, he immediately discovered something was amiss. An immense, heavy force met his own, and he found he couldn't move the Ancient Bronze Tripod an inch.
Qin Feng was astonished. He had now broken through to the Martial Arts Second Layer Heaven and possessed Tiger-Fighting Power. Logically, moving an Ancient Bronze Tripod weighing over a thousand pounds should have been no problem at all. Yet, he couldn't budge it in the slightest, as if the Great Tripod had grown roots and become one with the earth.
'There's a Profound Mechanism in these Great Tripods!' Qin Feng realized with a jolt. He hurriedly inspected them from top to bottom, but after his examination, his brow furrowed. Although the Great Tripods had a bronze color, they were cast from a strange ore he had never seen before.
This ore was deep in color, extremely dense, and its hardness was comparable to that of Myriad-Year Copper Mother. It couldn't be scratched by a blade or damaged by water.
Qin Feng examined them carefully. Aside from being unusually hard, the six bronze tripods didn't seem to have any other special qualities.
'No, wait—the patterns!' A flash of insight went through Qin Feng's mind. He remembered a detail he had overlooked. The patterns on the bronze tripods had been so eroded by wind and rain over the ages that they were almost unrecognizable, so he had initially dismissed them. Thinking about it now, the information about the entrance to the Earth Palace might be recorded on these six Great Tripods.
Sure enough, upon re-examining them, Qin Feng found another clue. Although many of the patterns on the six Great Tripods had become blurry, when viewed together at a glance, they seemed to reveal something strange.
It seemed that if the blurred patterns on the six Great Tripods were linked in different sequences, they formed a series of strange postures.
Qin Feng tried looking at the Great Tripods one by one in a clockwise direction. This time, his perception changed. The blurred patterns on all the Great Tripods seemed to come to life. Like figures on a spinning lantern, the patterns 'flew' out and transformed into a small figure. This figure then began to perform a Fist Technique.
'A Fist Technique? There's a Fist Technique hidden on these tripods!'
Qin Feng was startled, but he soon realized it was a very familiar Fist Technique. He had seen someone perform this Fist Technique before. It was called the Spiritual Snake Demon Subduing Fist Technique.
This Fist Technique was said to have been created based on the various movements of a Spiritual Serpent in battle. Its power was extraordinary, and it was an extremely precious Mid-Tier Spirit Martial Level Fist Technique.
Conversely, when he viewed the six Great Tripods in a counter-clockwise direction, the images changed again, forming another Mid-Tier Spirit Martial Level Fist Technique: the Profound Turtle Sea-Suppressing Fist!
A flash of insight sparked in Qin Feng's mind. 'Could it be that to enter the Earth Palace, I have to master both of these Fist Techniques? Will that unlock the mechanism?'