Chapter 50: Trapped Within the Labyrinth of Ruins
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The labyrinth was dark and unfathomably deep. Its winding passages resembled the entrails of some colossal beast, while a chill, damp air thick with the stench of dust made the stomach turn.
Yun Yao held her breath, her heart pounding wildly. The eerie sound grew louder and louder, like a demonic chant drilling into her skull and sending a shiver through her.
“Rustle… rustle…”
At times low and muffled, at times sharp and shrill, the sound was like the claws of some creature scraping against the stone walls—or metal grating against metal. It was enough to make one’s flesh creep.
Yun Yao sensed something drawing near. She tightened her grip on the spirit sword in her hand until her fingertips turned white, fine beads of sweat gathering in her palm.
The air around her seemed to congeal, pressing down with such suffocating weight that she could scarcely breathe. Even the walls of the labyrinth appeared to grow more sinister and terrifying, as though demonic claws might reach out at any moment and swallow her whole.
“Who’s there, playing tricks in the dark?” Yun Yao shouted coldly, trying to bolster her courage with her voice. Yet the slight tremor in it betrayed her unease.
“Heh heh heh…”
A sinister laugh drifted out of the darkness, chilling to the bone.
Yun Yao’s heart tightened. She immediately recognized the voice as Qingfeng’s.
She had thought some monster from the labyrinth was approaching. She never expected it to be this scheming wretch!
“Qingfeng? You’re behind this?” Yun Yao demanded angrily, her fear instantly replaced by fury.
She clenched her spirit sword and stared into the darkness with eyes as bright as torches, as though she could see straight through it and pierce Qingfeng where he stood.
“And what if I am? Little Junior Sister, you’ve been separated from everyone else. Your senior brother came here out of kindness to keep you company!” There was a note of smugness in Qingfeng’s voice. He was certain he had already frightened Yun Yao out of her wits.
Yet the panic and helplessness he had expected never appeared.
Yun Yao merely gave a cold laugh. Then her figure flashed, and she charged directly toward the sound!
“You!” Qingfeng had clearly not expected such decisiveness. He let out a frightened cry and turned to flee.
Yun Yao moved with astonishing speed. Her spirit sword cleaved through the air with a sharp, piercing whistle.
Qingfeng fled in disarray, only to discover that Yun Yao had driven him into a dead end.
“Y-You… what are you trying to do?” Qingfeng stammered.
Yun Yao advanced step by step, the corners of her lips curling into a cold smile. “Senior Brother Qingfeng, didn’t you want to keep me company? Now I’m giving you the chance!”
She pointed the tip of her sword straight at Qingfeng’s throat. Terrified, he collapsed to the ground and begged for mercy in a jumble of incoherent words.
Yun Yao snorted and ignored him. Instead, she bound Qingfeng and tossed him into a corner.
Since he enjoyed playing dirty, she would let him savor the “delights” of this labyrinth.
After dealing with Qingfeng, Yun Yao continued making her way through the labyrinth.
It seemed to have no end. Its winding passages spread out like a colossal spiderweb, trapping her within their grasp.
A dim green light flickered along the stone walls, like ghostly flames, making the place even more sinister and terrifying.
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Yun Yao’s footsteps echoed through the empty passage, making her seem especially alone.
Minute by minute, time passed. Her strength gradually ebbed away as hunger and exhaustion continued to assail her.
Her mouth and throat were parched, her throat burning as though scorched by fire, while spasms repeatedly gripped her stomach.
Anxiety and despair surged through her like a rising tide. She was nearly ready to lose hope.
Just then, Yun Yao spotted a tiny figure in a corner of the labyrinth.
It was a stone sprite, its entire body formed of gray rock. Two beadlike green eyes spun about slyly, gleaming with cunning.
Yun Yao’s heart stirred. She remembered a small magical treasure she had obtained at the entrance to the labyrinth. It was said to attract the attention of stone sprites.
She took out the treasure and gently shook it. As expected, the stone sprite’s gaze was immediately drawn to it. Excitedly rubbing its hands together, it approached Yun Yao one cautious step at a time.
“You want this?” Yun Yao asked, waving the treasure in her hand.
The stone sprite nodded repeatedly, greed shining in its eyes.
“Tell me where the exit is, and I’ll give it to you,” Yun Yao offered.
The stone sprite hesitated, but in the end it could not resist the treasure’s allure. It extended a stubby finger toward a certain direction within the labyrinth and rattled off a string of words Yun Yao could not understand.
Following the stone sprite’s directions and combining them with the clues she had gathered earlier, Yun Yao finally determined the correct route to the exit.
Delighted, she tossed the treasure to the stone sprite, then ran toward the exit without looking back.
“Wait!” the stone sprite suddenly called after her. “There are mechanisms at the exit. Be careful!”
Yun Yao paused and glanced back. The stone sprite was already clutching the treasure and hopping away.
Though she felt somewhat puzzled, she had no time to dwell on it. She quickened her pace and raced toward the exit.
A sliver of light appeared at the end of the passage. Yun Yao’s heart leaped, and she thought she had finally found the way out.
Yet the instant she burst from the passage, she discovered that she had entered an even larger space.
“Welcome to my domain.”
A cold, sinister voice echoed throughout the cavern.
The moment Yun Yao stepped into the broad chamber, an intense, fetid stench rushed over her, nearly making her retch.
Looking up, she saw the Black Fiend Demon Venerable standing not far away, glaring at her menacingly. Greedy light flickered in his scarlet eyes.
“You had a road to heaven but refused to take it; instead, you walked straight into the gates of hell!” With a feral grin, the Black Fiend Demon Venerable condensed a mass of black demonic energy in his hand and hurled it viciously at Yun Yao.
The demonic energy came roaring toward her, carrying a suffocating pressure.
Yun Yao did not dare meet it head-on. She twisted aside to evade the attack, then lightly touched the ground with her toes and retreated with nimble grace.
The Black Fiend Demon Venerable’s attack missed and slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash. The earth shook violently, sending shards of stone flying in every direction.
“Trying to run? Not so fast!” the Black Fiend Demon Venerable roared and launched another attack.
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This time, he unleashed his ultimate technique, the Demonic Net of Heaven. Countless strands of black demonic energy coiled toward Yun Yao like venomous snakes, sealing off every avenue of retreat.
Trapped within the demonic energy, Yun Yao found herself caught between advance and retreat.
She drew a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Her gaze swept rapidly across the surroundings as she searched for a way to escape.
Suddenly, she noticed several peculiar patterns on the labyrinth walls. They seemed to contain some kind of power.
A bold idea flashed through Yun Yao’s mind.
She activated the spiritual power within her body and channeled it into the patterns on the wall.
In an instant, the patterns blazed with dazzling light. A mighty force surged out of them, dispersing all the demonic energy around her.
The Black Fiend Demon Venerable was stunned. He had never imagined that Yun Yao could use the labyrinth’s terrain to neutralize his attack.
Before he could react, Yun Yao seized the opportunity and drove her sword backward into his chest.
“Argh!”
The Black Fiend Demon Venerable let out a terrible scream as Yun Yao’s spirit sword pierced his chest, blood gushing from the wound.
Clutching his injury, he roared in fury.
Watching from her hiding place, the Purple Star Fairy secretly seethed with jealousy.
She had originally assumed Yun Yao was merely lucky. She had never expected her to be so formidable—not even the Black Fiend Demon Venerable was a match for her.
Meanwhile, outside the ruins, Jun Mohan waited anxiously for news of Yun Yao.
He cast a spell, attempting to sense her condition, but he could not detect her presence at all.
His heart felt as though an invisible hand had seized it in a merciless grip, leaving him scarcely able to breathe.
“Yao’er, you must be safe!” Jun Mohan prayed silently. His anxiety and love transformed into a powerful force that seemed to cross the boundaries of time and space, sending Yun Yao a trace of encouragement in the distant depths of the labyrinth.
Yun Yao felt the warmth of that power, and an indescribable emotion welled up within her.
She knew Jun Mohan must be worried about her. She had to escape the labyrinth as quickly as possible and return to his side.
After enduring one twist after another, Yun Yao finally found the labyrinth’s exit.
However, the instant she stepped out, she discovered a passageway filled with restrictive formations.
Dangerous light flickered throughout the passage, and the air was thick with a suffocating pressure.
“This…” Yun Yao stared at the passage brimming with restrictions and drew a deep breath. “It seems the true trial has only just begun.”
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