The heavy stone door slowly creaked open, and a wave of damp, decaying air hit us directly. I could not help holding my breath as the scene before me gradually came into focus.
This was no Labyrinth at all—it was clearly a massive underground palace! The towering dome seemed almost endless, and the walls were carved with ancient murals, colorful yet carrying an eerie vibe. In the center of the palace stood a massive bronze tripod cauldron. The flames beneath the cauldron had long since extinguished, leaving only dark gray ashes, yet it still radiated an indescribable sense of oppression.
"This place... is so creepy..." Linger's voice trembled slightly. I grasped her hand and gave her a reassuring look. "Don't be afraid, we are all here."
"Senior Qingyunzi said this place is full of puzzles and traps," Qu Chen said, scanning his surroundings with a solemn expression. "Everyone must be extremely careful and not touch anything."
We walked slowly along the edge of the palace. Beneath our feet were smoothly polished flagstones, every step echoing hollowly, adding an even more eerie and terrifying atmosphere. The murals on the walls also grew increasingly bizarre, shifting from initial mountains and rivers into various grotesque creatures that bared their fangs and brandished their claws, as if they might pounce off the wall at any second.
"These murals... seem to be telling a story..." I pointed to one of the murals depicting a man holding a longsword, behind him a sea of corpses and a mountain of blood, and beneath his feet countless wailing souls.
"This is a swordsman from ancient times who fell into the demonic path," said Xuanfeng, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly speaking up. "To pursue power, he slaughtered living beings without hesitation and eventually suffered a Qi Deviation, turning into a monster that was neither human nor ghost."
"So, the master of this palace is very likely that fallen swordsman?" A chill ran through my heart, and I grew even more vigilant.
We continued forward, soon arriving at a fork in the road. Three identical passages stretched out without any markings, leaving us at a loss for a moment.
"Which path should we take?" Linger looked blankly at the three passages, her face full of worry.
"We cannot just choose randomly," Qu Chen shook his head. "If we take the wrong path, we will likely trigger some mechanism or trap."
I observed the three passages closely, hoping to find some clues. However, aside from the cold walls and endless darkness, I saw nothing.
"It seems we need to solve this puzzle..." I took a deep breath, my gaze landing on an inconspicuous corner of the wall where some pattern seemed to be carved...
I pointed to that corner and said, "Look over there, is there some kind of pattern?"
The others followed my pointing finger, looking confused at first. Only Xuanfeng stepped forward, examined it closely for a moment, and said, "These are characters from the ancient era, meaning 'Boundary of Life and Death'."
"Boundary of Life and Death?" Qu Chen frowned slightly. "Could these three passages represent life, death, and the unknown respectively?"
Xuanfeng nodded, pointing to a barely visible symbol above the entrance of one of the passages, and said, "If I am not mistaken, this symbol represents 'Life'. Choosing this path should lead us to a safe place."
We admired Xuanfeng's erudition and felt full of confidence in his judgment. Thus, without hesitation, we stepped into the passage representing "Life."
The passage remained dim and damp, with a faint yellow oil lamp lit at regular intervals on the walls on both sides, illuminating the path ahead. As we walked, I inadvertently caught sight of some strange symbols carved into the wall. They were not Ancient Scripts, but rather some kind of complex pattern exuding a mysterious aura.
"Qu Chen, look at these symbols..." I pointed at the wall, a lingering premonition in my heart telling me these symbols were far from simple.
Qu Chen also noticed these symbols. He reached out to touch the cold stone wall, his brow furrowed tightly as he muttered, "These symbols... seem to represent some kind of spatial law. Could it be..."
He suddenly paused, as if thinking of something, and snapped his head up to look at me, shock and excitement flashing in his eyes. "Lier, do you feel how much denser and purer the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy is here compared to the outside world?"
I closed my eyes and carefully sensed the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy. Indeed, just as Qu Chen said, the energy here was not only much denser, but its flow was also far more active, as if concealing some formidable power.
"Could it be... that this place connects to a higher-dimensional realm of Immortal Cultivation?" I murmured to myself, a turbulent storm rising in my heart.
Just then, a faint ray of light suddenly appeared ahead of us, as if the exit were right before our eyes. We quickened our pace and ran toward the light. However, the moment we stepped out of the passage, we were stunned by the sight before us...
The dazzling glare forced us to squint. Once our eyes adjusted, the scene left us all frozen in place.
This was no exit at all—it was clearly a much wider world!
We found ourselves in a valley surrounded by towering peaks piercing the clouds. The summits were capped with white snow, and the mountains were wreathed in mist and ethereal immortal vapor, resembling a wonderland. In the valley, stream water gurgled, birds sang, flowers bloomed, and Spiritual Energy pressed down on us. Compared to the outside world, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy here was even denser and purer, carrying a hint of invigorating sweetness.
"W-what place is this?" Linger covered her mouth in surprise, staring in disbelief at everything before her.
"Could it be... we really have come to a higher-dimensional realm of Immortal Cultivation?" I murmured, my heart both thrilled and apprehensive.
At that moment, a faint cough sounded not far away. Following the sound, we saw a figure sitting beside a giant boulder.
The person wore a gray Daoist robe, with white hair, a withered face, and a weak aura, as if gravely injured.
"Senior, are you alright?" Qu Chen stepped forward and asked with concern.
The man slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of light shining in his cloudy gaze. He looked at us and said in a hoarse voice, "Who... are you people? Why have you come here?"
We briefly explained our purpose and asked him what place this was.
After listening to our account, the old man let out a long sigh and said, "This... is the central area of the Labyrinth, and also the mandatory path to the exit. This old man has been trapped here for several years, and today I have finally waited for predestined people..."
He told us his name was Qingyunzi, originally an elder of the Qingyun Sect who had mistakenly entered the Labyrinth and become trapped here. He also said that at the exit of the Labyrinth resided a powerful Guardian Beast, and only by defeating it could one leave this place.
Qingyunzi described the appearance and weaknesses of the Guardian Beast in detail and imparted some methods for defeating the enemy.
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior!" We were endlessly grateful.
Qingyunzi waved his hand and said, "This old man no longer has the strength to fight. Whether you can leave this place depends on your own fortune. Remember, the Guardian Beast is immensely powerful; you must not lower your guard!"
We engraved Qingyunzi's teachings in our minds, bid him farewell, and marched toward the direction of the exit.
Along the way, we proceeded with extreme caution, taking every step deliberately for fear of alerting the Guardian Beast.
Finally, we arrived near the exit. A powerful oppressive force rushed toward us, making it almost impossible to breathe.
"Roar—!"
A deafening roar shook the earth. A massive monster resembling a Qilin, its entire body blazing with raging flames, appeared before us. Its gaze was fierce, its fangs bared, radiating a suffocatingly terrifying aura.
"Is this... the Guardian Beast?" My heart sank as I gripped the sword in my hand.
"Prepare for battle!" Qu Chen shouted loudly and charged forward first.
A fierce battle was about to break out instantly!
Flames soared into the sky, and the heat wave was overwhelming. With a single swipe of the Guardian Beast's paw, the earth shook. Not daring to take the blow head-on, I flashed aside to dodge the attack while swinging my longsword to send a sword qi straight at the Guardian Beast's eyes.
"Roar!" The Guardian Beast cried out in pain, roaring angrily as flames surged over its entire body, devouring my sword qi completely.
"Lier, I'll help you!" Qu Chen attacked from the other side, his longsword transforming into countless afterimages that enveloped the Guardian Beast.
Qu Chen and I cooperated seamlessly, attacking the Guardian Beast's weaknesses from left and right. Linger and Xuanfeng provided cover from the side, using spells to restrict the Guardian Beast's movements.
However, the Guardian Beast was formidable after all. Despite attacking for a long time without success, we gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.
"We cannot go on like this; we must finish this quickly!" Anxiety surged within my heart.
"Lier, use your Divine Artifact!" Qu Chen suddenly shouted, drawing the Guardian Beast's attention, only to be swept away by a sweep of the beast's tail.
"Qu Chen!" My heart tightened. Without time to overthink, I immediately channeled the power of the Divine Artifact within my body.
In an instant, a formidable power surged through my whole body. The longsword in my hand emitted a dazzling radiance, shining like the sun and lighting up the entire cavern.
I felt as though I and the sword in my hand had fused into one, indistinguishable from each other.
"In my name, slash!"
I raised the longsword high and slashed down at the Guardian Beast.
A massive beam of sword qi, resembling the splitting of heaven and earth, descended from the sky, completely enveloping the Guardian Beast.
The Guardian Beast let out a miserable shriek. Its massive body was split in two by the sword qi, turning into a ball of flames that vanished into thin air.
"We won!" Linger and Xuanfeng cheered aloud.
I let out a breath of relief. The sword in my hand returned to its normal state, and the power inside my body gradually faded, but that sensation of merging with the sword remained deeply imprinted in my mind.
"Lier, are you alright?" Qu Chen walked over, dragging his injured body, and asked with concern.
I shook my head, helped him up, and said, "I'm fine. How are you?"
"I'm fine, just minor injuries." Qu Chen smiled, his gaze falling upon the spot where the Guardian Beast had vanished. "Look, the exit!"
I followed his gaze and saw that right where the Guardian Beast had been, a portal radiating seven-colored light had appeared.
"Is that the Teleportation Array leading to the higher-dimensional realm of Immortal Cultivation?" Excitement surged in my heart.
"It must be! Let's hurry!" Linger said impatiently.
I nodded and, together with Qu Chen, Linger, and Xuanfeng, walked toward the Teleportation Array.
However, just as we were about to step into the Teleportation Array, Qingyunzi's voice suddenly rang out: "Wait! This Teleportation Array requires specific conditions to activate..."