Chapter 18: The Maze

“This should be a trial to test the strength of one’s willpower!”

The girl passed through the mist and saw a disciple from the Yin-Yang Sect leaning against a railing.

His hands seemed to be clutching the air, and his eyes were fixed on the empty space before him with a look of infatuation.

He mumbled incoherently, “My beauty, you really know what you’re doing… that little mouth of yours really knows how to suck…”

Suddenly, his body jerked, and he tumbled over the railing.

The girl shook her head.

‘He really couldn’t resist the temptation. He died before even catching a glimpse of the treasure.’

Suddenly, Li Ze felt a wave of dizziness.

When he opened his eyes again, he was back in his home on Earth.

His parents stood before him and said, “Little Ze, come over and eat New Year’s Eve dinner!”

A table full of festive dishes was spread out before them.

Li Ze felt deeply moved.

He stepped forward and hugged his parents tightly.

“Mom, Dad, I really missed you!”

Then, his parents’ eyes widened in shock as two hands pierced through both of their bodies.

His mother stroked his face.

“Little Ze, you…”

He spoke coldly, “Hmph, a petty trick.”

“Sorry.”

“You aren’t my parents. An illusion can never become real.”

The mental realm began to shatter piece by piece, revealing the original world.

Li Ze continued forward, encountering several disciples from both the Azure Sword Sect and the Yin-Yang Sect who were trapped in their illusions and couldn’t wake up.

Some had become emperors in their dreams, while others had goddesses kneeling to serve them.

Everything they had ever desired was being realized within the illusion.

Those who passed by after waking up didn’t bother trying to rouse those still trapped.

Such people could not be woken by others; they could only rely on themselves.

By now, he could no longer see Li Quan’s figure.

‘He’s moving so fast without being affected. Does he have a magical treasure on him to maintain clarity?’

In Li Ze’s eyes, Li Quan was synonymous with opportunity, and this was the best chance to kill him.

After walking for a while, a crossroads appeared ahead.

‘Senior, which path should we take?’

‘Let me think.’

He tried to probe with his divine sense, but the mist seemed to have the effect of blocking such searches.

‘Divine sense doesn’t work here.’

Li Ze pondered for a moment.

‘In a secret realm where the mist blocks divine sense, this is a classic maze.’

The middle path was definitely not an option, so Li Ze abandoned it decisively.

Of the two remaining paths, he chose one.

“Go left!”

After walking for a bit, a three-way intersection appeared.

“Go right!”

Before long, after crossing a long bridge, Li Ze reached the exit.

Li Ze looked at the path ahead and then back at the white bridge behind him.

It turned out that all the paths in the maze led to the same exit.

Taking the wrong path merely meant spending more time getting out or getting trapped inside.

Before him lay a deep, dark forest.

It was very quiet.

Ancient, towering trees were everywhere, along with various wild grasses and plants that emitted a faint fluorescence.

Five or six Azure Sword Sect disciples were walking ahead, but not a single Yin-Yang Sect disciple was in sight.

He didn’t see Li Quan either.

‘Strange, how could ordinary Spirit Realm disciples be faster than me at exiting the maze? Could they have a map of the maze provided by their sect?’

The Yin-Yang Sect disciples hadn’t received any maps, so they were at a disadvantage here.

This didn’t bother Li Ze, as it had nothing to do with him.

The disciples ahead all had tense expressions, appearing extremely cautious.

Just as Li Ze was about to continue forward, the transmission talisman at his waist suddenly buzzed.

Li Ze took the green talisman in his hand.

Li Ze: ‘Qing Ruanning?’

(◦˙▽˙◦): “It’s Sister Qing!”

“Xiaonuo, can you receive my transmission?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Xiaonuo, where are you?”

“Sister Qing, I’m at the exit~”

Qing Ruanning was somewhat surprised that Xiaonuo had actually found the exit before her.

An awkward laugh came from the transmission talisman.

“Haha, I haven’t found the exit yet. Every time I finish one intersection, there’s another one. It’s never-ending.”

‘Senior, let’s go find Sister Qing!’

Li Ze thought about it.

Having an extra partner meant an extra bit of strength to help him, which was quite good.

“Fine!”

“Sister Qing, wait for me there. I’m coming to find you!”

“Okay~”

The girl looked in the direction indicated by the transmission talisman and walked for a while.

Passing through the mist, she saw a glamorous woman with two streaks of hair framing her face.

She exuded a brisk and fiery aura that was very striking.

This woman was indeed Qing Ruanning.

She stood with her hands in front of her, her back to Li Ze, looking forward expectantly.

“Over here!”

Qing Ruanning’s body trembled as she turned to look at the girl.

She took two steps forward, staring intently into the girl’s eyes.

Just as she was about to say something, she remembered the reaction, speed, awareness, and insight Cai Xiaonuo had shown at Level 4 of the Spirit Realm.

Within that realm, she was peerless.

Qing Ruanning was considered a prodigy of her sect, but compared to Cai Xiaonuo, she felt she fell far short.

She believed that although her cultivation was higher than Xiaonuo’s, Xiaonuo was not inferior to her in terms of actual combat strength.

Thus, she swallowed the words she was about to say.

Instead, she spoke, “Xiaonuo, thank you for coming to find me!”

“It’s nothing. You’re usually so close to me, why are you being so polite now?”

The girl took Qing Ruanning’s right hand.

“Let’s go!”

Qing Ruanning looked at the girl before her.

She tightened her grip slightly, feeling a profound sense of security in her heart.

After crossing the long bridge, the deep forest appeared before the two of them.

Li Ze let go of her hand.

“We’re out!”

They continued forward.

The decaying leaves beneath their feet were soft, making their footsteps silent.

Only the faint sounds of their breathing and heartbeats throbbed in their ears.

The branches and leaves of the towering trees blotted out the sun.

Only the strange plants emitting a weak fluorescence provided a hazy source of light, casting distorted shadows of trees on the ground like crouching ghost claws.

Qing Ruanning said strangely, “Why is it so quiet here?”

Li Ze also found it odd.

Hadn’t Peak Master Luo Yi said that the Mountain Wilderness Secret Realm was full of magical beasts?

Why was this place so quiet and peaceful?

‘It’s indeed too quiet.’

Li Ze’s voice rang out in Cai Xiaonuo’s sea of consciousness, carrying a hint of gravity.

‘When things are unusual, there must be a monster. Be careful!’

Qing Ruanning nodded and subconsciously moved closer to the girl, her sharp eyes scanning the dark woods.

Ahead was a seemingly ordinary, large withered tree draped in fluorescent vines.

Suddenly, there was movement at its roots!

A tentacle-like root lunged out from underground like a bolt of lightning, sending soil and decaying leaves flying.

The tip was as sharp as a sword, thrusting straight toward the back of the girl, who was walking slightly behind!

The timing and angle of this skeletal tentacle’s appearance were extremely tricky, and its speed was startling.

It was clearly a long-premeditated ambush!

Hearing the sound, Li Ze did not panic.

The Azure Sword flew out from his storage bag instantly.

He spun around and swung his blade, severing the tentacle.

Qing Ruanning reacted as well, and a red talisman flew out.

“Burning Sun Fire, burn!”

After the large withered tree was hit by the Burning Sun Fire, its tentacles quickly squirmed and retreated.

Qing Ruanning said, “That’s a Level 3 tree spirit, equivalent to the strength of the early stage of the Dao Realm! Thankfully, the Burning Sun Fire counters wood attributes.”

Before she could finish her sentence, the Azure Sword streaked past her.

The withered tree’s tentacles were all severed, leaving it standing motionless in place.