kvmb Chapter 142 The Labyrinth and the Mystery
Chapter 142 The Labyrinth and the Mystery
The dazzling light engulfed the two of them. Zhuang Yu felt a blur before his eyes, and then his feet firmly planted on the ground.
He instinctively gripped Wang Yao's hand, looked around, and saw that the original open space had disappeared, replaced by a towering maze.
The walls of the maze were made of an unknown stone, with an uneven surface covered with densely packed runes that wriggled like twisted worms.
The runes emitted a faint, eerie light, flickering and creating a hazy, unsettling scene.
A strange energy fluctuation permeated the air, pressing down on their nerves, as if they were inside the belly of a giant living creature.
"Where...where is this?" Wang Yao's voice trembled slightly, breaking the surrounding silence.
She clung tightly to Zhuang Yu.
Zhuang Yu did not answer. He released Wang Yao's hand and carefully walked forward, trying to find the exit of the maze.
With each step, the stone slabs beneath my feet emitted a faint clicking sound, which was particularly clear in the tranquil environment.
He tried to decipher the runes on the wall, hoping to find some clues, but found that the runes were completely irregular and seemed to be constantly changing shape, interfering with his judgment.
After walking for a long time, they returned to their starting point.
Looking at the almost unchanged scene before him, Zhuang Yu couldn't help but feel a sense of irritation.
He circulated his spiritual power, trying to forcefully break through the maze, but found that the space here seemed exceptionally solid. His spiritual power was like a mud ox entering the sea, unable to budge it in the slightest.
"Don't worry, Zhuang Yu, maybe we should try a different approach," Wang Yao said softly, her voice like a clear spring, easing Zhuang Yu's anxiety.
However, Zhuang Yu's mood did not improve as a result; on the contrary, he became even more frustrated.
He looked up at the runes around him, which were flashing even brighter, as if mocking his incompetence.
This maze seemed to possess some kind of mysterious power, not only interfering with his judgment but also easily thwarting his will, which made Zhuang Yu, who had always had everything go smoothly, feel a strong sense of powerlessness.
Just then, a faint humming sound came from the depths of the maze, as if something was about to appear.
Zhuang Yu and Wang Yao exchanged glances, a sense of doubt and wariness rising in their hearts.
They looked in the direction of the sound and saw a light slowly rising from the depths of the maze...
"This..." Wang Yao was about to say something, but Zhuang Yu stopped her by raising his hand.
His gaze was fixed on the depths of the maze, a sharp glint in his eyes.
As the light faded, a sphere shimmering with a pale blue glow floated in mid-air, its surface swirling with mysterious runes that echoed those on the labyrinth walls.
The sphere rotated slowly, emitting a soft hum, like an ancient ballad, echoing through the labyrinth.
"Welcome to the Labyrinth of Wisdom." A clear, melodious voice rang out from the sphere, as pleasant as a wind chime.
"I am the guardian of this place, the wise spirit."
Zhuang Yu and Wang Yao were both stunned; they hadn't expected there to be other beings in the maze.
Zhuang Yu was the first to react, and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "Greetings, Senior Elf. I had no intention of offending you, and I would appreciate your guidance."
The wise spirit chuckled: "Offering guidance is not unacceptable, but there is no such thing as a free lunch. You will have to pay the price."
"What price?" Zhuang Yu's heart sank, and he felt a vague sense of unease.
"It's very simple, I'll exchange a portion of your spiritual power for it." The wise elf spoke casually, as if it were a trivial matter.
Zhuang Yu frowned; he hadn't expected the intelligent spirit to make such a request.
Spiritual power is crucial for cultivators. Losing a portion of spiritual power means a weakening of strength, which is undoubtedly putting oneself in danger in the perilous world of cultivation.
"This..." Zhuang Yu hesitated, unsure of what to do.
"You rude elf!" Wang Yao couldn't help but shout. "We've wandered into this place by mistake, and instead of helping us, you're taking advantage of our misfortune. This is simply outrageous!"
The intelligent spirit seemed unconcerned about Wang Yao's anger, and said calmly, "These are the rules of the maze. If you want to get a hint, you must pay a price. If you are unwilling, you are free to find your own way out."
Just as Zhuang Yu was weighing the pros and cons, the space within the maze began to change.
The surrounding walls slowly pressed inward, making the originally spacious passageway narrower and narrower, and the feeling of oppression grew stronger.
"What's going on?" Wang Yao exclaimed in surprise, feeling as if she was having difficulty breathing.
Zhuang Yu's expression also turned serious. He realized that the intelligent elves were not bluffing, and that this maze could indeed pose a threat to them.
He looked up at the wise elf.
"Time is running out. Make your choice," the wise elf's voice rang out again, tinged with a hint of mockery.
The walls continued to close in, the space grew smaller and smaller, Wang Yao's breathing became rapid, and her face turned pale.
Zhuang Yu felt immense pressure, as if a mountain was pressing down on his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
Suddenly, Zhuang Yu said, "I have an idea..."
Zhuang Yu's lips curled into a sly smile.
"Senior Elf, you said you wanted me to pay with my spiritual power, but my strength is too weak to pay that price. How about this, I have some understanding of the Dao of Space, so how about I demonstrate it for you, and you can see if my little trick is worth your guidance?"
The intelligent spirit seemed intrigued by Zhuang Yu's suggestion. It stopped spinning and let out a soft exclamation: "Oh? You have some knowledge of the Dao of Space? Then let me see it."
Zhuang Yu did not refuse. He took a deep breath and quickly formed hand seals, his fingertips shimmering with a faint golden light.
He circulated the spiritual power within his body and mobilized the surrounding spatial power, and a strange fluctuation spread outwards from him.
The space within the maze seemed to be drawn by some force, and began to slightly distort and deform.
The once smooth wall rippled, like pebbles being thrown into water.
The light emitted by the intelligent spirit also fluctuated, as if it had been disturbed in some way.
"Interesting..." The intelligent elf's voice carried a hint of surprise; it seemed it hadn't expected Zhuang Yu to actually possess spatial power.
Zhuang Yu did not stop. He continued to circulate his spiritual power, and the degree of spatial distortion increased. The runes on the walls began to flicker erratically, as if they were about to collapse at any moment.
"Enough!" the intelligent spirit suddenly spoke up to stop Zhuang Yu. "Although your spatial power is rudimentary, it is still somewhat accomplished. I can give you some hints, but that's all."
Zhuang Yu knew when to stop. He slowly dispersed his spiritual energy, and the space gradually returned to calm.
He cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your guidance, senior."
"The secret of this maze lies in..." The wise spirit paused, then slowly uttered a few words: "Go against the grain."
Wang Yao watched in stunned silence. She hadn't expected that Zhuang Yu would actually use this method to extract information from the intelligent spirit.
She looked at Zhuang Yu.
Zhuang Yu felt Wang Yao's gaze, turned to look at her, and a gentle smile appeared on his lips.
Their eyes met, and an ambiguous atmosphere filled the air.
“Going against the grain…” Zhuang Yu muttered to himself, looking into the depths of the maze, a slight smile playing on his lips. “It seems we need to change direction…”
Zhuang Yu pondered for a moment, recalling the wise spirit's words—to do the opposite.
He looked around, his gaze landing on the dead end they had been deliberately avoiding.
Normally, a dead end is a pointless trap, but now, combined with the elf's hint, this dead end seems rather strange.
“Let’s go, we’ll go over there.” Zhuang Yu pointed to one of the dead ends, his tone firm.
Although Wang Yao was puzzled, she chose to trust Zhuang Yu unconditionally and followed closely behind him.
As the two walked into the dead end, a chilling aura swept over them, and a faint, nauseating smell filled the air.
The runes on the wall flickered faster, their eerie light dancing like will-o'-the-wisps, casting a shadow on the two faces and adding to the eeriness of the scene.
Zhuang Yu reached out and touched the cold wall, feeling a chill run down his spine.
The wall surface is not smooth stone, but has a rough, granular texture, like the skin of some kind of creature.
He closed his eyes and carefully felt the texture of the wall, trying to find some clues.
Suddenly, he felt a tiny dent in the wall, almost imperceptible.
A thought struck him, and he channeled his spiritual energy into his fingertips, pressing down gently.
With a soft "click," a crack appeared on the wall, which quickly spread and eventually formed a door.
A soft golden light emanated from inside the door, contrasting sharply with the cold, eerie light within the maze. A powerful energy surge emanated from within the door, carrying a chilling pressure.
Zhuang Yu and Wang Yao smiled at each other. Zhuang Yu's face was full of confidence. He reached out and pushed open the door, and the two walked in side by side.
The sight behind the door shocked them—a huge cave lay before them, and in the center of the cave, a massive figure was staring menacingly at them.
The figure radiated golden light, like a god descending to earth, and its powerful aura made them almost unable to breathe.
"Trespassers shall die!" The deep voice echoed in the cave, carrying boundless authority.