Chapter 103 — A Moment of Distraction

Chapter 103: Chapter 103 — A Moment of Distraction

The final challenge of the Maze of Ancient Illusions had begun.

Golden doorways stood before every remaining participant, offering a clear path out of the maze.

Yet none could reach their exit without overcoming the obstacles guarding the way.

Throughout the maze, roars echoed through the corridors, spiritual energy erupted in violent waves, and cultivators struggled against enemies that refused to let them pass.

The final day had turned into a desperate battle against time.

And among those fighting for survival were the successors of the Forbidden Families and Forbidden Sects.

***

In a spacious chamber, a young man wearing dark blue robes stood before a towering beast.

His name was Shi Tianyu, the designated successor of the Shi Family.

The beast before him resembled a massive black bear, but its body was covered in thick, stone-like scales. Each movement sent tremors through the ground.

Shi Tianyu held his weapon firmly.

His exit stood beyond the creature, its golden light visible over the beast’s shoulder.

He had no intention of wasting time.

"Move aside!"

He released a powerful sword strike.

A crescent of sword energy cut through the air, striking the beast’s chest with a thunderous impact.

**BOOM!**

The creature staggered backward.

Shi Tianyu immediately followed with another attack, targeting the same spot.

This time, the beast roared in pain.

A crack appeared across its armored chest.

Shi Tianyu’s eyes sharpened.

"So your defense isn’t invincible."

He advanced, launching a continuous series of attacks. Each strike landed near the existing crack, gradually widening it.

The beast swung its enormous paw, attempting to crush him.

Shi Tianyu evaded the attack and struck its exposed flank.

The creature stumbled.

Taking advantage of the opening, Shi Tianyu unleashed his strongest technique.

Brilliant sword light filled the chamber.

The beast let out a final roar before its enormous body collapsed.

Shi Tianyu landed several meters away, breathing heavily.

He glanced at the golden doorway.

"One down."

Without wasting another moment, he rushed toward his exit.

***

Elsewhere, a young woman in pale robes faced a completely different challenge.

Jiang Yue, the designated successor of the Jiang Family, stood inside a chamber filled with floating mirrors.

Her exit was visible beyond them.

However, every mirror reflected a different version of the chamber, and each reflection contained a different path toward the doorway.

Jiang Yue studied them carefully.

She had already discovered that some of the reflected paths were illusions designed to mislead anyone who followed them.

Choosing incorrectly could send her in circles or expose her to hidden attacks.

She extended her hand, releasing a thin strand of spiritual energy.

The energy passed through the first mirror without resistance.

When it reached the second, the surface rippled.

Jiang Yue immediately withdrew her hand.

"So that’s how it works."

She moved toward another mirror and repeated the test.

After several attempts, she identified a sequence of reflections that corresponded to the actual space around her.

Rather than trusting her eyes, she used the reactions of her spiritual energy to distinguish the real path from the false ones.

One step.

Then another.

She crossed the chamber cautiously.

Suddenly, a mirror shattered behind her.

A blade of light shot toward her back.

Jiang Yue twisted aside, narrowly avoiding the attack.

She retaliated with a palm strike, destroying the remaining fragments before they could launch another assault.

The chamber fell silent.

Jiang Yue looked at the doorway.

She was getting closer.

But she knew better than to assume that the remaining distance would be easy.

***

In another section of the maze, a young man from the Nether Lotus Holy Sect was locked in combat with several illusionary opponents.

Bai Jinyu moved between their attacks with practiced precision.

Every opponent possessed a different fighting style, forcing him to adjust his movements constantly.

One attacked with a spear.

Another wielded a heavy sword.

The third specialized in close combat.

Although their appearances were familiar, their attacks were relentless.

Bai Jinyu blocked a spear thrust and swept his leg toward the swordsman’s knees.

Before the attack could land, the third opponent struck from his blind spot.

Bai Jinyu twisted his body and caught the attack on his forearm.

Pain shot through his arm.

He retreated several steps.

"Damn it."

His exit stood behind the three opponents.

He could not afford to keep fighting indefinitely.

After examining their movements, he noticed something unusual.

Whenever one opponent attacked, another always left a brief opening near its right side.

The pattern was subtle, but it repeated.

Bai Jinyu’s expression changed.

"So you aren’t independent."

He deliberately exposed an opening.

The spear wielder immediately thrust toward his chest.

Bai Jinyu shifted sideways, allowing the attack to pass him, then struck the spear wielder’s wrist.

The weapon flew from its hand.

At the same instant, the swordsman attacked.

Bai Jinyu ducked beneath the blade and drove his palm into the swordsman’s chest.

The third opponent rushed forward to exploit the opening.

But Bai Jinyu was already prepared.

He turned and delivered a concentrated strike.

**BOOM!**

All 3 figures shattered almost simultaneously.

The chamber returned to silence.

Bai Jinyu steadied his breathing before looking toward his exit.

He had survived another obstacle.

Now he needed to make use of the time he had left.

***

Not every participant was progressing so smoothly.

In a narrow corridor, a young successor from a Forbidden Sect found himself surrounded by illusionary flames.

The flames did not burn his body directly, but their heat distorted his senses and concealed the movements of several approaching beasts.

He released repeated attacks, trying to clear a path.

Each time he destroyed one beast, another emerged from the fire.

His spiritual energy began to decline.

He gritted his teeth and continued fighting.

A mistake now would cost him his chance to complete the trial.

Further away, another successor successfully defeated the creature blocking his exit but discovered that a formation had activated beneath his feet.

He had to stop and examine the formation before proceeding.

Every second mattered.

The golden doorways were visible throughout the maze, yet their presence offered little comfort to those still struggling to reach them.

The final challenge was separating those who could adapt from those who could not.

***

Meanwhile, in another chamber, Sikong Chen was engaged in a fierce battle.

The successor of the Sikong Family stood before an enormous beast resembling a horned tiger.

Its body was covered in dark golden scales, and a pair of curved horns extended from its forehead.

Every time it charged, the ground cracked beneath its paws.

Sikong Chen’s expression was serious.

He had no intention of treating the creature carelessly.

His Heavenly Fate Spirit Body circulated, allowing him to maintain his composure as he studied the beast’s movements.

He had already exchanged several blows with it.

Although his attacks had inflicted injuries, the beast remained aggressive.

Sikong Chen moved sideways as its claws tore through the air.

He retaliated with a concentrated burst of spiritual energy.

**BOOM!**

The attack struck the beast’s shoulder.

The creature staggered, and a trace of blood appeared beneath its scales.

Sikong Chen immediately pressed forward.

His weapon flashed repeatedly, forcing the beast to retreat.

He was beginning to understand its movements.

The creature favored its right side when attacking, while its left side was slower to recover after a charge.

Sikong Chen adjusted his position accordingly.

When the beast lunged again, he evaded its claws and struck its exposed flank.

**ROOOAAAR!**

The creature roared furiously.

Its enormous body slammed into a stone pillar, sending fragments flying throughout the chamber.

Sikong Chen landed several meters away.

He glanced briefly toward the exit.

It was still there.

Only a short distance separated him from freedom.

He could already imagine stepping through the doorway and returning to the outside world.

His family would undoubtedly want to know what had happened inside the maze.

The thought occupied his attention for only an instant.

But an instant was enough.

The beast had not been defeated.

It had merely been waiting for another opportunity.

Its body suddenly twisted, and it charged from an unexpected angle.

Sikong Chen turned sharply.

His expression changed.

He raised his weapon to block the incoming attack, but his response was a fraction too slow.

**BOOM!**

The beast’s enormous claws struck him directly.

A violent force swept through the chamber.

Sikong Chen’s defensive energy shattered beneath the impact, and his body was sent crashing into the ground.

Blood sprayed from his mouth.

His weapon slipped from his hand.

For several moments, he struggled to rise.

The beast advanced.

Sikong Chen attempted to gather his remaining spiritual energy, but his body refused to respond as quickly as he needed.

He had fought carefully.

He had identified the beast’s attack patterns.

He had even gained the upper hand.

Yet the brief moment when his attention shifted toward the exit had given the creature the opening it needed.

The beast raised its enormous paw.

Sikong Chen’s eyes widened.

**BOOM!**

The attack struck.

His body collapsed beneath the force.

For an instant, the chamber became completely silent.

Then the beast turned away.

The golden doorway remained untouched.

Sikong Chen had failed to reach it.

A flash of light enveloped his motionless body, and he disappeared from the chamber.

The trial had eliminated him.

***

Outside the Primordial Trial Ground, the waiting area remained crowded with cultivators who had been eliminated from the earlier stages.

Representatives from the various factions continued watching the trial’s progress through the available means of observation.

Some discussed the remaining participants.

Others quietly waited for news of their younger generations.

Then a flash of light appeared in the designated area for eliminated participants.

A young man fell to one knee.

Blood stained his clothes, and his breathing was uneven.

Several people immediately turned toward him.

"Sikong Chen!"

A gray-haired elder from the Sikong Family rose from his seat.

He crossed the distance in an instant and appeared beside the young man.

"What happened?"

Another Sikong Family elder hurried over, his expression tense.

"Quickly, check his injuries!"

A surge of spiritual energy enveloped Sikong Chen as the elders examined him.

His injuries were severe, but he was alive.

The first elder released a breath of relief.

"Sikong Chen, can you hear me?"

Sikong Chen opened his eyes with difficulty.

"I’m... fine."

"Fine?" the second elder repeated. "Look at yourself!"

Sikong Chen lowered his gaze toward his bloodstained clothes and gave a bitter smile.

He had survived, but he had paid dearly for his mistake.

The first elder helped him sit upright.

"Tell us what happened inside."

Sikong Chen took several breaths before answering.

"The final challenge has begun."

The elders exchanged glances.

"The exits appeared before everyone still inside the maze," he continued. "Each participant has a real exit. We don’t need to search for a common doorway anymore."

He paused as pain crossed his face.

"But the exits are guarded by obstacles. I encountered a powerful beast. I thought I had figured out its attack pattern, but I let my attention slip for a moment."

His fingers tightened.

"That was all it needed."

The elders listened carefully.

Sikong Chen continued.

"The beasts aren’t the only danger. Other participants are facing illusions, formations, and different obstacles. Everyone is fighting to reach their own exit before the deadline."

A nearby elder frowned.

"So the final challenge is no longer about finding a path through the maze. It’s about overcoming whatever stands between you and the exit."

"Exactly."

Sikong Chen lowered his head.

"I was close. If I hadn’t made that mistake, I might have escaped."

No one immediately answered him.

The elder beside him placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You have returned alive. Do not waste that fact by dwelling only on what you lost."

Sikong Chen remained silent.

After a moment, the elder continued.

"You can examine your mistakes later. For now, let us treat your injuries."

The second elder nodded and began helping him recover.

Around them, several people who had overheard the explanation began discussing the new development.

The exits had appeared.

The final challenge was underway.

And every cultivator still inside the Maze of Ancient Illusions was now racing against the same deadline.

***

Far inside the maze, the golden doorways continued to shine.

The remaining Forbidden successors pressed forward, fighting beasts, breaking formations, and resisting the illusions that stood in their way.

Some had already defeated their first obstacles.

Others were still locked in desperate battles.

And among them, the 10 youngsters of the Lin Clan continued fighting the horned beast blocking their exit.

The final day was far from over.

For those still trapped inside, the next decision could determine whether they returned to the outside world as successful participants—or left with nothing but a lost opportunity and a reduced cultivation level.