Chapter 102 — The Exits Appear
Chapter 102 — The Exits Appear
Chapter 102: Chapter 102 — The Exits Appear
The ancient voice had barely faded when the remaining cultivators resumed their search.
One day remained.
After 3 days of enduring the Maze of Ancient Illusions, nobody wanted to be trapped inside when the deadline arrived.
Some cultivators hurried through the corridors, hoping to discover a way out before time ran short. Others proceeded cautiously, unwilling to let desperation lead them into another trap.
Meanwhile, the 10 youngsters of the Lin Clan continued advancing together.
Lin Qing walked at the front, while Lin Chen carefully observed their surroundings. The others remained alert, watching the walls, the floor, and every passage they encountered.
They had already learned that appearances inside this maze could not always be trusted.
However, none of them expected what happened next.
Suddenly, the entire maze trembled.
The spiritual energy filling the corridors surged, and an ancient pressure descended upon every chamber.
The remaining cultivators stopped.
A moment later, the familiar voice resounded throughout the Maze of Ancient Illusions.
"Participants who remain within the maze, listen carefully."
Its voice carried an authority that left no room for doubt.
"The final stage of this trial is about to begin."
Several cultivators immediately raised their heads.
"The exits will now appear before you. Each remaining participant will be provided with an exit. You need not search for a common doorway, nor compete with others for the same passage."
A brief pause followed.
Then the voice continued.
"However, do not mistake the appearance of an exit for guaranteed survival."
The expressions of the cultivators changed.
"Your final challenge begins the moment the exit appears. Illusions, beasts, and other obstacles will stand between you and your escape. Only those who overcome these obstacles and reach their exits before the deadline will successfully complete this trial."
The ancient voice became colder.
"Those who fail to escape within the allotted time will be eliminated from the trial, transported outside the ruin, and have their cultivation reduced by 1 minor level."
Silence descended throughout the maze.
Then the voice delivered its final announcement.
"Let the final challenge begin."
**BOOM!**
The spiritual energy in every chamber erupted simultaneously.
Before the remaining cultivators, the space began to distort.
Light gathered in the air, forming doorways that stood upright several meters ahead of them. Each doorway was surrounded by a faint golden glow, and beyond its frame was a swirling expanse of light.
They were not ordinary doors.
Each one was connected to the space outside the Maze of Ancient Illusions.
The exits were real.
Every remaining participant could see one.
Yet nobody celebrated.
Something was wrong.
The distance between each cultivator and their exit appeared short, but an oppressive aura had begun to gather around the doorways.
The final challenge had arrived.
And it was already standing between them and freedom.
***
In one of the maze’s chambers, a young cultivator from a Holy Land stared at the golden doorway before him.
"Finally!"
He had spent the previous days struggling through the maze, and the sight of the exit filled him with relief.
Without thinking twice, he rushed forward.
The moment he took his first step, the ground beneath him split open.
**ROOOAAAR!**
A monstrous roar shook the chamber.
A gigantic beast clawed its way out of the ground, its enormous body covered in dark scales. Its eyes burned crimson, and its sharp fangs dripped with spiritual energy.
The cultivator’s expression changed drastically.
"What is that?!"
The beast swung one enormous claw toward him.
He hurriedly summoned his weapon and blocked the attack.
**BOOM!**
The impact sent him sliding several meters backward.
His arm trembled, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
He stared at the creature in disbelief.
The exit was right there.
He could see it clearly.
Yet this beast had appeared between them.
"Damn it!"
He gritted his teeth and unleashed his strongest technique.
Brilliant sword energy surged through the chamber, striking the beast’s body in rapid succession.
The beast roared again, but it did not retreat.
Instead, it charged forward with even greater ferocity.
The cultivator had no choice but to fight.
His chance to escape was directly behind the creature, but reaching it would require him to defeat the obstacle first.
And he was not the only one facing such a situation.
Across the maze, similar scenes unfolded.
Some cultivators encountered enormous beasts that blocked their paths. Others found themselves surrounded by illusions that attacked from every direction.
A few discovered that their exits stood beyond formations that distorted the space around them, forcing them to identify the correct route before they could advance.
The final challenge was not a simple race.
It was a test of whether they possessed the strength, judgment, and determination to overcome the obstacles placed before them.
The golden doorways remained visible.
The deadline continued to approach.
And the struggle began in earnest.
***
Elsewhere, Long Aotian stood before his exit.
His expression remained composed as he examined the golden doorway and the space surrounding it.
He did not rush forward.
After everything he had experienced during the previous days, he understood that acting carelessly could cost him the opportunity to complete the trial.
He released his spiritual sense, carefully examining the area between himself and the exit.
Moments later, his gaze sharpened.
A faint distortion had appeared in the air.
Then another.
And another.
In the blink of an eye, dozens of figures emerged from the distortions.
They wore the same clothes as Long Aotian.
They carried the same weapons.
Even their auras were nearly identical to his own.
Long Aotian narrowed his eyes.
"Clones?"
The figures did not answer.
They attacked simultaneously.
Long Aotian’s expression turned cold.
"Interesting."
He drew his weapon.
Golden light erupted around him as he stepped forward to meet the incoming attacks.
**CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!**
The chamber filled with the sound of weapons colliding.
Long Aotian’s movements were swift and decisive. He destroyed several figures in succession, but every time one disappeared, another emerged from the distortions.
The exit remained just beyond the battlefield.
He could not reach it without first breaking through the obstruction.
Long Aotian’s eyes narrowed further.
"So that is the final challenge."
He increased the power of his attacks.
He would not allow a trial to stop him at the very end.
***
In another chamber, Yue Kun faced a different obstacle.
A thick mist had appeared between him and his exit.
At first, it seemed harmless.
Then voices began emerging from within it.
Some called his name.
Others whispered about his failures, his weaknesses, and the people who doubted his abilities.
Yue Kun remained still.
He had learned enough from the previous days to understand that the maze would exploit anything capable of disturbing his judgment.
He closed his eyes briefly and steadied his breathing.
When he opened them again, his expression was calm.
"Enough."
He released a surge of spiritual energy.
The mist churned violently, revealing several enormous beasts concealed within it.
Their bodies were covered in pale fur, and their claws scraped against the ground as they advanced.
Yue Kun summoned his weapon.
"Then come."
The beasts charged.
He met them head-on.
***
Fu Xingchen’s challenge began with silence.
His exit stood before him, surrounded by a clear, empty space.
No beast appeared.
No mist gathered.
No illusion immediately attacked him.
He studied the doorway for several moments.
Then he took a cautious step forward.
The instant his foot touched the ground, countless thin lines of light spread across the floor.
A formation had been activated.
Fu Xingchen immediately retreated, but the lines continued spreading, forming a complicated network around him.
He recognized the danger.
If he stepped carelessly into the wrong section, the formation could trap him or attack him before he reached the exit.
Fu Xingchen’s expression grew serious.
He crouched and examined the patterns.
"An exit placed directly before me, yet a formation prevents me from reaching it."
He let out a quiet breath.
"The trial certainly knows how to test a person’s patience."
Rather than charging ahead, he began studying the formation, searching for a path through it.
The doorway remained in sight.
Time continued to pass.
***
The surviving designated successors of the Forbidden Families and Forbidden Sects encountered obstacles of their own.
Some faced powerful beasts that forced them to unleash techniques they had been reluctant to reveal. Others were confronted by illusions designed to provoke reckless attacks.
The most cautious among them made progress by studying their surroundings before acting.
Those who relied entirely on their strength soon discovered that even a powerful attack could be useless if they failed to understand the danger before them.
The exits offered no protection.
Every participant had received a doorway, but the trial demanded that each person earn the right to pass through it.
And with the final deadline approaching, every wasted moment mattered.
***
Meanwhile, the 10 youngsters of the Lin Clan stood before their own exit.
The golden doorway had appeared several meters ahead of them.
Beyond it, they could sense the presence of the outside world.
Lin Mo’s eyes brightened.
"At last! We can finally leave this place!"
He took a step forward.
"Wait," Lin Chen said.
Lin Mo stopped and turned toward him.
"What now?"
Lin Chen pointed toward the ground.
The others followed his gaze.
At first, nothing seemed unusual.
Then the earth trembled.
A low growl emerged from somewhere beyond the nearby stone pillars.
Lin Qing’s expression sharpened.
"Everyone, prepare yourselves."
The growl grew louder.
**ROOOAAAR!**
A gigantic beast emerged from behind the pillars.
Its body resembled that of a lion, but its head was covered in bony armor, and several long horns extended from its skull. Thick spiritual energy surrounded its body, making the air feel heavy.
The beast’s gaze immediately settled on the 10 youngsters.
It lowered its head.
The ground cracked beneath its claws.
Lin Mo’s earlier excitement vanished.
"...Of course."
Lin Jue tightened his grip on his weapon.
Lin Yuexin stepped back into formation with the others, while Lin Xuan and Lin Zhen carefully examined the creature.
The exit was directly behind the beast.
There was no hidden doorway to discover.
No distant path to search.
They simply had to get past it.
Lin Qing’s gaze remained steady.
"Don’t underestimate it. We don’t know what else the maze has prepared for us."
Lin Chen nodded.
"And we shouldn’t assume that defeating the beast will end the challenge. We need to keep our attention on the exit."
Lin Haochen and Lin Lian moved into position, while Lin Yu and Lin Mo prepared to support the front line.
The 10 youngsters had spent the previous days learning to work together under pressure.
Now, they would have to put that experience to the test.
The beast roared and charged.
**BOOM!**
The chamber shook as it rushed toward them.
Lin Qing stepped forward to meet it.
The others moved with him.
Their first clash against the final challenge had begun.
***
Throughout the Maze of Ancient Illusions, the same desperate struggle continued.
Golden exits stood before the remaining cultivators, promising an end to the trial.
Yet between every participant and that promise stood a different obstacle.
Some fought beasts.
Some battled illusions.
Others struggled against formations and hidden dangers.
The sound of combat spread through the maze as cultivators poured their strength into overcoming the final challenge.
For those who had survived the previous 3 days, the situation was painfully simple.
They had already endured the maze’s tricks.
They had already resisted its illusions.
Now, they had to prove that they could reach the exit.
The golden doorways remained open.
The countdown continued.
And the Maze of Ancient Illusions began claiming its final victims.