Zhang Dong let out a weary sigh as he caught sight of the exit from this bizarre place. He had just scaled a colossal mountain, its surroundings nothing but a sea of corrosive acid. It felt as though they were trapped inside an enormous flask. In the center of it, all stood a towering mountain that they had to conquer before their flesh would be devoured by the acidic liquid. And as if that wasn't enough, they had to battle against hurricane-force winds and airborne creatures resembling harpies.
These monstrous beings, with razor-sharp talons and piercing eyes, circled overhead with an air of predatory grace, ready to strike at any moment. Zhang Dong and his companions had to remain ever vigilant, their senses heightened as they fought off the harpies' relentless attacks while continuing their ascent. All of these challenges combined, created an overwhelming test of both physical and mental fortitude as their flight abilities had been locked away. Impossible to activate as they risked being shredded by the winds around them.
‘What will await us next…’
The group couldn't afford to waste time contemplating their next move. Despite reaching the peak and defeating the mother harpy, the acid bath had already engulfed the area. Their feet were immersed in the green liquid, only saved by their body refining skills and layers of spiritual energy shielding their skin. If they had been even a minute late in defeating the final boss, victory would have been unattainable. Without delay, they leaped through the door in the sky that transported them to their next challenge on the path to the fiftieth floor.
Descending from the acidic mountaintop, they found themselves in a dimly lit dungeon. Unlike the previous one, this dungeon lacked the eerie shadows that obscured their vision. Instead, they were faced with numerous entranceways, each marked with a number. It was evident that a choice had to be made, but without any reference point, it proved to be a daunting task.
Finally settling on a path, they ventured into the first entrance, and so their expedition continued. Within a day, they maneuvered through treacherous corridors teeming with traps and malevolent creatures. Their long journey persisted until they eventually arrived back in the same expansive chamber they had departed from.
“Senior Brother, isn’t that the tunnel we used?”
“It seems to be so, I did mark it before we left…”
Zhang Dong nodded in satisfaction as the pathway they had chosen led them back to the chamber they had started from. Before proceeding, he cleverly left a trace of his spiritual energy behind to aid in tracking their progress. With the assistance of his system window, he could easily monitor their current path. It was evident that this trial was designed for individuals who possessed exceptional orientation skills or were aided by a system tracker. However, he couldn't help but wonder if there was more to this labyrinth than met the eye. Would it truly be as straightforward as he initially believed, or were there hidden challenges lying in wait?
“Let’s try another path and see where it leads us this time.”
With unanimous agreement, the group proceeded into the second tunnel. Again, a full day passed as they navigated through its twists and turns, until an unexpected occurrence disrupted their journey. The number of tunnels began to multiply, and the chamber itself expanded to accommodate this change. Initially, there were precisely one thousand pathways, but now another ten had materialized. It became apparent that there was a hidden complexity to this trial, surpassing their initial expectations.
Without any verbal guidance to rely on, the group forged ahead, venturing into the next tunnel in order to test their theories. Their journey persisted, and Zhang Dong diligently monitored his system window where the map was displayed. Through this technological aid, he confirmed a crucial fact: the maze they found themselves in was far from simple; it was constantly shifting as they progressed.
This was illustrated by retracing their steps through the initial tunnel they had traversed. Upon examining the map, he discovered that the path had transformed into something entirely different, solidifying the notion that the maze was in a perpetual state of change.
“If this blasted thing is shifting around, how are we supposed to get through the correct path?”
Huo Qiang complained while delivering a punch to the walls. Even though he was a nascent soul master that could soon reach the great circle realm, he was unable to leave a dent in the dark rocky walls. Destroying the walls with their cultivation might have already crossed everyone's mind but even with their current might, there was no going through. While it was possible to leave a few cracks in with their strongest attacks, getting through would be only possible if the walls were relatively thin.
“Perhaps we should part ways and spread through the tunnels individually?”
“Zhi is right, why don’t we split up?”
“I’m not sure if that’s the best idea…”
Zhang Liena furrowed her brows as she voiced her concerns to Zhang Zhi and Huo Qiang. Though they exuded confidence in their abilities, their tendency to act hastily was evident. Zhang Dong nodded in agreement with his wife, acknowledging her valid point. If splitting up was indeed the most effective tactic, he would have already considered it. However, he couldn't ignore the small issue that posed a challenge to this strategy.
“Liena is right, it could be possible that one of us finds the right path and ends up alone in a new section of this dungeon. There are some creatures roaming around, they might even reach the boss's chamber and be alone…”
“I see, the Patriarch is ever wise!”
“I’m fine in facing the boss alone!”
“Think for once you idiot, how will you be able to tell us that you found the right tunnel if you end up somewhere else? Would you even be able to come back to tell us? This place constantly changes shape, the tunnel you took would not be usable again!”
Liena's anger escalated as she shouted at the indifferent Qiang, who appeared unfazed by the confrontation. As their argument unfolded, Zhang Dong focused on finding a solution to their current predicament. Despite the ever-changing nature of the tunnels, he deduced that they were still confined within a single space. To confirm this, he consulted the three-dimensional map displayed on his system, which reassured him that there were no spatial techniques or formations at play in this maze.
“Please you two, just try to get along… we will probably have to spend a few weeks with this one but I think I have a solution for this dilemma.”
“You should be glad that my husband is here.”
“Why wouldn’t I be glad? Senior Brother is always good at getting out of such predicaments!”
He was glad that they believed in him this much but it was not easy to take all of this responsibility onto his shoulders. The group depended on his puzzle-solving abilities, which were augmented by the assistance of a cheat system. If he made a mistake in his assessment of this place, they could potentially be trapped indefinitely. The growing number of tunnels only served to amplify the confusion they would encounter the longer they searched this place.
Zhang Dong observed a subtle pattern that would likely bewilder ordinary cultivators. While most people would assume that the tunnels were shifting or adding themselves to the main chamber, this was not the case. As he ventured further into one of the passages, he discerned a faint clicking sound. Although it was barely audible amidst the perils of the caverns, he managed to uncover the secret of this place. Contrary to popular belief, it was not the tunnels that were moving, but rather the main cavern they had initially entered.
Within this chamber, numerous deceptive elements were at play to confound those undertaking the test. One of the primary tricks involved the manipulation of numbers. Initially, the first tunnel they entered was labeled as number one, but subsequently, the numbers were altered. As the chamber expanded, it was only the entrances to the tunnels that shifted, creating an illusion that deceived Zhang Dong's perception.
Leaving a spiritual indicator at the entrance further reinforced the false impression that the entrances remained in their original positions. If he and the other continued with this assumption then they would be unable to ever get through this place. Thus the tactic was easy, find the first tunnel they ventured through and orient themselves on it. Probably one of the thousand original entrances led to a proper exit.
“Well then everyone, I hope that you are well rested as we will be ignoring our safety for a while and aim for speed!”
The only solution Zhang Dong could conceive was to navigate through these areas with utmost speed. Although splitting up would expedite their progress, it also carried the risk of isolating them from one another. There was a chance that whoever reached the next area first would be separated from the rest of the group. However, there was another possibility to consider in case this scenario unfolded. It was plausible that multiple exits existed among the first thousand tunnels, which they could systematically explore one by one.
The nature of the test shifted from exploration to a race against time. With Zhang Dong leading the way, they disregarded the monsters and evaded traps that detonated in their wake. Although it appeared as if there were a thousand tunnels, his map enabled him to halve that number. After approximately a week of delving into the depths, they eventually reached a new area, distinct from the previous ones.
The area they arrived at revealed a temple adorned with numerous stone giants lining its sides. A flight of stairs led up to a statue seated on a majestic throne. This marked their final encounter on the floor, and without warning, the eyes of the rock behemoth began to glow a menacing red. The stone monsters then shed their petrified exteriors, unveiling a formidable layer of cold steel beneath.
The final battle approached, but by this point, it didn't faze them as much. For cultivators, navigating treacherous caves proved to be more troublesome than combating golemic contraptions. They embraced this challenge, relieved to be spared from the mental strain of puzzles and hidden pathways. Within moments, Qiang's newfound techniques unleashed intense heat, swiftly melting the army of metallic monsters before them.
Zhang Dong easily dispatched the main metal monster, resembling a gorilla made of gold and diamonds. The creature proved no match for his superior power and fell just like the others. The group breathed a collective sigh of relief as the door to the next area swung open, allowing them to leave this place behind.
With only a few floors remaining, they pressed forward undeterred. Every time they cleared a floor, a more formidable one emerged in its place. Their strength continued to grow, and soon both Zhang Zhi and Liena advanced to the Late stage, while Huo Qiang reached the pinnacle of the great circle of nascent soul. Now, only one floor remained, and once they conquered it, their true mission could finally resume.
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