Sheng Liuyun stood before the giant stone door, feeling around. He found no switch and asked, "How do we open the door?"
Lu Jinyi also looked around but couldn’t find any chanism. He turned, expecting Bo Leng to open the door, only to see Bo Leng frown and say cautiously, "I don’t know."
Everyone was speechless.
Bo Leng transford into the Black Dragon, his tail fiercely sweeping toward the huge stone door. All the seaweed on the door was swept away, revealing a magnificent bas-relief of two dragons playing with a pearl. The pearl was crystal clear, emitting a faint silver light, much like a Luminous Pearl. It was as big as a lantern—definitely a rare Luminous Pearl. If discovered by archaeologists, it would surely be prized out and sold!
Si Mingjing stood before the imposing door, looking up. The two Giant Dragons were carved with such lifelike detail; their craftsmanship from tens of thousands of years ago was no less refined than modern relief techniques. The dragons’ eyes, resembling glazed gems, emitted a faint, dark glow as they gazed down at them from on high...
Confusion was written plainly on Bo Leng’s face. "I’ve pondered for a long ti but haven’t found any chanism. We can’t open it for now."
At this mont, Mo Yinhe handed the unconscious Ye Nianbai to Si Mingjing. "Hold him," he said. "I’ll take a look."
"Okay."
Si Mingjing took the unconscious Ye Nianbai from Mo Yinhe’s arms. She pondered for a mont, then asked, "Could the chanism be on the Luminous Pearl or the Glazed Pearl?"
Mo Yinhe swam up along the rock wall to the Luminous Pearl, embracing it with both hands. He tried to move, rotate, and press it. The Luminous Pearl was fixed in place; it didn’t budge. He was certain there was no chanism there.
Mo Yinhe then tried to move the dragon’s eyes...
Similarly, there was no response.
"Don’t waste your energy. I’ve already tried everything possible," Bo Leng stated. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Not only had he tried to figure it out himself, but he had also enlisted many scientific researchers to attempt opening the door. After decades of research, all attempts had ended in failure.
Mo Yinhe retreated five ters, observing the mural of the two dragons playing with a pearl from a distance, trying to spot any flaw.
The others were also racking their brains, wondering what the chanism could be.
Lu Jinyi complained heatedly, "We get all the way to the door, and *now* you say it can’t be opened? Big Brother, are you ssing with us?"
Sheng Liuyun also chid in, "Exactly! Such important information should have been shared before we set out. Isn’t this a complete waste of everyone’s ti? If it won’t open, let’s just blast the stone door with dynamite or hit it with a torpedo!"
Yun Yin stroked his chin. "The situation is urgent. If it really can’t be opened, we’ll have to force it."
At that mont, Mo Yinhe, who had been observing the mural of the two dragons playing with a pearl from five ters away, suddenly swam back towards the stone door.
He ran his hand over the bas-relief on the Giant Dragon’s body, caressing each scale.
After feeling dozens of scales, his fingertips suddenly stopped before one particular scale. He pressed down hard on it...
Then, a miracle occurred: the scale actually popped out!
Instantly, everyone fell silent, unsure of what had just happened. Could this be the chanism?
Mo Yinhe directly removed the dragon scale.
Everyone watched with bated breath, expecting the stone door to slowly open. But after two minutes of silence, the door remained firmly shut, barring their way.
"It’s not the chanism? Did it just fall off due to age?" Sheng Liuyun asked.
Mo Yinhe ignored Sheng Liuyun and swam to the other dragon. His palm continued to caress its scales, as if searching for sothing specific.
Si Mingjing swam over. "What are you looking for?" she asked.
"The Inverse Scale."
Mo Yinhe explained, "Dragons have an Inverse Scale. Touch it, and they will be enraged."
Si Mingjing asked, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly, "Are you saying that if we find the dragon’s Inverse Scale and it gets angry, the door will open? Was that scale you just found an Inverse Scale?"
Hearing this, everyone sprang into action, searching for the Inverse Scale on the other dragon.
Bo Fengyin imdiately perked up, raising both hands high. "Daddy, I know this one! I often find the wrong one!"
The Inverse Scale’s pattern must be different from the other dragon scales. It’s just like spotting the difference in a picture! Bo Fengyin was all fired up, eager to help.
A red Little Jinli had already been swimming around the stone door. Its beautiful little fish tail slapped a dragon scale as it exclaid excitedly, "Daddy, Daddy, it’s here, it’s here!"
Mo Yinhe couldn’t hear his son’s words, but he saw Little Xiangru’s actions. He swam over and touched the scale, confirming that the relief pattern on this dragon scale was indeed contrary to the others. He pressed down hard with his palm.
As expected, the dragon scale relief quickly popped out.
"The door should open now, right?" Sheng Liuyun exclaid.
But the stone door remained stubbornly still, like soone in a deep sleep, giving no reaction at all!
"Useless?" Sheng Liuyun sighed in disappointnt.
"Maybe not," Mo Yinhe said.
He swapped the two dragon scales he had removed, pressing the Inverse Scale of Dragon A onto Dragon B. After pushing it in, he then attempted to press the Inverse Scale of Dragon B onto Dragon A...
"What’s the reasoning behind that?" Lu Jinyi asked, stroking his chin.
The others waited for Mo Yinhe’s explanation.
As Mo Yinhe pressed the Inverse Scale of Dragon B onto Dragon A, he said, "You are my Inverse Scale. These two dragons must have loved each other deeply. Each was the other’s Inverse Scale, and also each other’s vulnerability. The Inverse Scale is located precisely on the dragon’s vulnerable underbelly..."
Everyone was utterly dumbfounded.
Is he just making this up?
Who knew Mo Yinhe had such a romantic streak? How else could he have co up with such an imaginative idea?
Then, against all expectations, the mont Mo Yinhe pressed down the Inverse Scale, a thunderous noise suddenly filled everyone’s ears.
Is this... Is the door opening? Did Mo Yinhe actually guess correctly?
So, to open a door, you first have to witness the dragons’ public display of affection and swallow a mouthful of ’dog food’? You can’t even figure out how to open the door without a bit of romance?
Sheng Liuyun, Yun Yin, and Lu Jinyi all looked in unison towards Bo Leng, whose face remained cold and impassive.
Serves you right! Even though you knew the location of the Dragon Pond and studied it for years, you couldn’t open the door! You, a cold-hearted warmonger, devoid of any romantic sentint!
Bo Leng slapped his forehead, utterly speechless.
Who says I have no romantic sentint? I just don’t have as many cunning tricks up my sleeve as Mo Yinhe!
Inverse Scales, vulnerabilities... all just sweet talk n use to deceive won! It seems the person who designed this stone door was also a cunning rogue, just like Mo Yinhe!
"How did you think of the Inverse Scale?" Si Mingjing chuckled softly, looking at her man with admiration.
Mo Yinhe pulled a dragon scale from around his neck. It was the Dragon Scale Pendant. Years ago, Ye Shen had provoked Mo Yinhe, who had then threatened to send Ye Shen to Mu Continent as his ’nephew.’ To save Ye Shen, Si Mingjing had him gift this pendant to Mo Yinhe.
Mo Yinhe always wore it around his neck.
"It gave the idea," Mo Yinhe said, then glanced down at her. "And you inspired too."
Bo Leng snorted, unable to stomach the public display of affection. Seeing the stone door slowly creaking open, he said curtly, "Enough chitchat. The door’s open. Let’s go in!"
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