Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups Chapter 1262 - 612:

"Brother Fang, your life-saving grace is something I'll never forget."

Paying no mind to their words of thanks, Fang Cheng strode past the pair, heading directly towards Grey Eagle.

"Since we've pinpointed the exact location, what's the method to gain entry into the ruins?"

"The method to enter the ruins? I... I truly don't know."

Grey Eagle's gaze was unfocused, and he shook his head blankly.

He appeared to still be reeling from the shock of witnessing his companion dissolve into Buddha light just moments before.

"Is that so?"

Fang Cheng's eyelids lowered slightly, his voice carrying a chilling, frightening edge.

"If you cannot even provide that, then keeping you alive is pointless."

As he spoke, his fingers laced together and tightened into a fierce grip.

A series of sharp cracking sounds, akin to popping beans, exploded outwards – the threat was undeniable.

Grey Eagle's knees buckled, his face contorted in sheer panic as he waved his hands frantically.

"Brother Cheng, I swear I don't know how to get inside! But please, don't worry, I'll contact our superiors immediately; they must have a way to grant us entry!"

Fang Cheng gave a slight nod, gesturing for him to proceed.

As if granted a reprieve, Grey Eagle hastily pulled the backpack closer and unzipped it.

He rummaged through it with urgent haste, finally retrieving a hefty black communication device from its innermost pocket.

He quickly extended the antenna, his thumb rapidly tapping a sequence of encrypted channel buttons, preparing to make contact.

However, not a single weak signal bar registered on the screen.

The communicator's speaker emitted only a harsh burst of static.

Grey Eagle, now slick with sweat, gave the device's casing two sharp slaps before trying several backup channels, refusing to give up.

Yet, apart from more static, there was still no response.

"Enough, cease your useless efforts."

Fang Cheng cut off his futile attempts, casting a dismissive glance at the piece of junk.

"The spatial distortion here is immense; high-dimensional energy leakage has severely disrupted the surrounding magnetic fields. Ordinary radio waves cannot pierce this barrier; your signal is completely nullified."

Grey Eagle dejectedly set down the communication device, his face ashen, as if his last vestiges of hope had been irrevocably extinguished.

Without a connection to their leader, they were unable to obtain the means to enter the ruins.

They had braved danger and endured immense hardship to reach this point, only to be thwarted by an invisible barrier, leaving them staring in helpless frustration.

It was akin to finally discovering a mountain brimming with treasure after a perilous journey.

Only to realize you lacked the key to unlock the door, leaving you with nothing but sighs of regret.

Fang Cheng turned his head, his gaze once again fixing upon the shimmering golden barrier that rippled like disturbed water.

Dense fog swirled beyond the barrier, perpetually unable to breach its confines.

That layer of aura, crackling with potent corrosive energy, stood like an insurmountable wall of sighs, separating the current world from the ancient, unknown realm.

"Since there is no key to the door..."

Fang Cheng's eyes gleamed, a faint spark igniting within his pupils.

He slowly clenched his fists at his sides, the joints emitting another low, cracking sound.

A cascade of possibilities rapidly played out in his mind.

Then, lifting his head, he made a daring resolution.

Perhaps now was the time to test the recently acquired ability, and simultaneously gauge its combat efficacy.

Fang Cheng drew a deep breath of the frigid air, still carrying the faint scent of blood.

Then, a surge of power erupted from his Dantian.

The turbulent Qi, like a dammed river bursting its banks, roared through his Eight Extraordinary Meridians.

Buzz—

Blinding golden flames erupted from beneath his skin, flowing and spreading like molten magma.

In mere moments, the golden light expanded outward with thunderous force, creating a massive, six-meter diameter spherical shield centered upon him.

Mixed Element True Domain, activate.

The intense heat instantly banished the surrounding chill.

The air within the luminous shield writhed violently under the oppressive temperature, and the once damp ground sizzled and cracked into fine lines with an audible hiss.

Ma Donghe and Hou Peng were forcefully pushed back by the wave of heat, shielding their faces with their arms, their eyes wide with terror as they gazed at the figure who had seemingly transformed into the sun.

Without looking back, Fang Cheng strode directly towards the semi-transparent golden aura barrier.

Sizzle—sizzle—sizzle—

The instant the two distinct energies made contact, sparks and plumes of white smoke erupted profusely.

The high-dimensional radiation energy, imbued with terrifying corrosiveness, acted like a pack of ravenous piranhas smelling blood, frantically gnawing and compressing the golden halo.

The surface of the Mixed Element True Domain quivered violently, generating waves of fierce ripples.

Fang Cheng's expression remained composed, as if unaffected, treating the intense assault as mere a gentle breeze.

His leg muscles coiled like steel cables, crushing the arid earth beneath his military boots. He strained against an immense pressure that sought to pulverize him, forging a path through the barrier's narrow opening.

The moment he breached the barrier, the rush of wind and the astonished cries of Ma Donghe and the others ceased abruptly.

An immediate silence descended upon the surroundings.

The earth-shattering, sea-churning resistance and the golden barrier vanished without a trace.

Fang Cheng leaned forward slightly, then lowered his stance, finding solid footing.

The faint illumination from the Mixed Element True Domain barely cast light on the immediate vicinity.

It felt akin to traversing a deep, shadowed passage.

The air was thick with swirling black mist.

Beneath his feet lay a form of chilling, unyielding black rock.

A golden flame flickered within Fang Cheng’s irises.

Maintaining a steady gait, he strode purposefully into the passage's depths.

After an indeterminate period of walking, a subtle green luminescence began to emerge from the darkness ahead.

Fang Cheng moderated his pace, balled his right hand into a fist, and advanced cautiously.

Bathed in the soft light, he could clearly discern the scene before him.

It was a dilapidated stone tower, several meters in height.

The tower bore the marks of eons of weathering and decay, standing as a silent sentinel through countless ages.

The faint green phosphorescence originated from patches of moss clinging to the stone's fissures.

Before the stone tower, several fragmented skeletons lay strewn across the ground.

The bones themselves were gray and weathered, some having merged seamlessly with the black rock, a testament to their long demise.

Fang Cheng's gaze swept past the scattered remains, settling on a stone tablet half-buried at the tower's base.

Several lines of ancient script were etched into the tablet's surface.

Although the writing style was peculiar and seemed hastily done, Fang Cheng grasped its meaning instantly.

"The other side is perilous, ten deaths and no life."

"If one wishes to proceed, three bows before the tower to prove sincerity to the path, then the passage can be opened."

Having absorbed the inscription, Fang Cheng's eyelids lowered slightly as his gaze lingered on the skeletal remains for a beat.

It appeared these unfortunate souls had been aspiring adventurers seeking entry to the relic in their lifetimes.

Perhaps the tower and tablet were merely waypoints established by a powerful entity, or remnants of an ancient, malevolent ritual.

To bow before a long-deceased skeleton or an unseen effigy?

A wry smile touched Fang Cheng's lips; he refused to bend his knee, instead lifting his right leg.

His boot, clad in thick military material, hovered briefly before striking the ground forcefully in front of the stone tablet.

Bang!

A muffled thud echoed through the silent passage.

Fang Cheng's expression remained impassive as he lifted his leg once more.

Bang! Bang!

Three successive impacts, each carrying more weight than the last.

A surge of potent force emanated from the sole of his boot, causing the unyielding black stone ground to tremble slightly and leaving behind three distinct imprints.

"Bow my head? Never. Three stamps on the ground, merely to make a sound."

Fang Cheng withdrew his right leg, standing at attention.

He fixed his gaze upon the stone tower, awaiting any shift.

Several seconds elapsed.

Silence still reigned; the phosphorescent moss on the tower did not even stir, offering no indication of a passage opening.

"It seems such opportunistic tricks cannot fool the deceased who established this mechanism."

Fang Cheng gave a slight shake of his head.

Then, he slowly unfurled his fingers, gathering the golden flame from the Mixed Element True Domain into his palm.

If appeasement failed, perhaps shattering this decaying tower along with the tablet would clear a path forward.

Just as he prepared to take action.

The space directly above the stone tablet began to warp violently.

Accompanied by a howling gale, a slowly swirling crimson vortex ripped through the darkness, emerging and hovering in mid-air.