Chapter 104 — Breaking Through the Final Obstacle
Chapter 104 — Breaking Through the Final Obstacle
Chapter 104: Chapter 104 — Breaking Through the Final Obstacle
The final day of the Maze of Ancient Illusions continued.
Throughout the maze, the remaining cultivators fought desperately to reach their exits.
Some had already overcome their first obstacles and were rushing toward the golden doorways. Others remained locked in fierce battles, unable to advance despite exhausting their spiritual energy.
The difference between success and failure was becoming increasingly clear.
Those who adapted to the challenges continued moving forward.
Those who made mistakes paid for them.
And with the deadline approaching, nobody could afford to waste time.
***
Inside a vast chamber, Shi Tianyu had nearly reached his exit.
The beast that had blocked his path lay defeated behind him, its enormous body gradually dissolving into spiritual energy.
He had suffered several injuries during the battle, but none prevented him from moving.
The golden doorway was less than 10 meters away.
Shi Tianyu increased his speed.
However, before he could reach it, the ground beneath his feet lit up.
His expression changed.
"Another formation?"
Thin golden lines spread across the floor, connecting to form a complicated pattern.
Shi Tianyu immediately stopped.
He had already encountered enough dangers inside the maze to know that charging blindly into an unknown formation would be foolish.
He examined the glowing lines.
After several moments, he noticed that the spiritual energy flowed toward 3 points near the edges of the formation.
Rather than attempting to destroy the entire formation, he gathered his spiritual energy into his palm and struck the first point.
**BOOM!**
The golden light flickered.
He immediately moved to the second point.
Another strike.
The formation trembled.
Shi Tianyu gritted his teeth and delivered a final blow to the third point.
**CRACK!**
The lines of light shattered.
The formation disappeared.
Shi Tianyu wasted no time celebrating. He rushed through the remaining distance and crossed the golden doorway.
A flash of light enveloped him.
He had successfully escaped the Maze of Ancient Illusions.
***
In another section of the maze, Jiang Yue was still navigating the chamber of floating mirrors.
The correct path had become clearer, but the remaining mirrors were beginning to move.
Their reflections shifted rapidly, creating false passages and hiding the real route.
Jiang Yue’s expression turned serious.
She could no longer rely on the sequence she had identified earlier.
The maze was changing the challenge while she was still inside it.
She closed her eyes.
Instead of examining every reflection individually, she concentrated on the spiritual energy surrounding the chamber.
The real passage had to connect to the space beyond the exit. The false reflections could imitate its appearance, but they could not perfectly reproduce the flow of spiritual energy through the chamber.
Jiang Yue slowly extended her spiritual sense.
There.
A narrow stream of energy passed between 2 mirrors.
She opened her eyes and moved toward the gap.
The mirrors immediately shifted, attempting to close the passage.
Jiang Yue released a burst of spiritual energy, forcing them apart long enough for her to pass.
A sharp blade of light shot from one of the mirrors.
She tilted her head.
The attack grazed her cheek.
Jiang Yue continued forward without looking back.
The golden doorway appeared directly ahead.
She took the final few steps and crossed its threshold.
Another participant had escaped.
***
Meanwhile, Bai Jinyu’s situation had become increasingly dangerous.
After destroying the 3 illusionary opponents, he had expected to reach his exit without further difficulty.
Instead, the shattered figures had left behind a thick layer of black mist.
The mist spread across the chamber, concealing the doorway.
Bai Jinyu immediately stopped.
He had already learned that the maze could turn even a seemingly successful battle into another challenge.
A low growl emerged from the mist.
Then another.
Several pairs of glowing eyes appeared.
Bai Jinyu tightened his grip on his weapon.
"More beasts?"
Three dark creatures emerged.
They were smaller than the first beast he had encountered, but their movements were far quicker.
The first lunged toward his throat.
Bai Jinyu blocked with his weapon and twisted aside.
The second attacked his legs.
He jumped backward, narrowly avoiding its claws.
Before he could regain his footing, the third creature charged straight toward his chest.
Bai Jinyu released a powerful burst of spiritual energy.
**BOOM!**
The creature was sent flying.
He immediately followed with a sweeping attack, forcing the other 2 beasts to retreat.
However, the black mist continued spreading.
He could not afford to remain trapped in the chamber indefinitely.
Bai Jinyu studied the creatures.
They attacked in a coordinated pattern. One forced him to defend while another attempted to strike from his blind spot.
If he continued reacting to every attack, his spiritual energy would eventually run dry.
He needed to break their rhythm.
When the first beast lunged again, Bai Jinyu deliberately moved toward the second.
The creatures adjusted their attacks to intercept him.
That was exactly what he wanted.
At the last moment, he changed direction and struck the ground.
A powerful wave of spiritual energy spread outward.
The 3 creatures were thrown off balance.
Bai Jinyu seized the opportunity, attacking each one before they could recover.
The first collapsed.
The second shattered into black fragments.
The third let out a final growl before disappearing.
The mist began to recede.
The golden doorway reappeared.
Bai Jinyu rushed forward and crossed it.
He had escaped.
***
Not every successor managed to overcome the obstacles so quickly.
Across the maze, several Forbidden Family successors were still engaged in battle.
One faced a beast whose hide resisted ordinary attacks. Another struggled against a formation that redirected his spiritual energy back toward him.
A successor from a Forbidden Sect had already defeated the creature blocking his path, only to discover that the remaining distance was filled with illusions designed to make him lose his sense of direction.
They were powerful young geniuses.
But the maze did not grant them an easy passage simply because of their status.
Every participant had to overcome the challenge in front of them.
And every second they spent fighting was another second taken from the remaining time.
***
Elsewhere, Long Aotian continued battling the figures that mirrored his own appearance.
He had already destroyed a large number of them, but the remaining opponents continued attacking without hesitation.
Long Aotian’s expression was cold.
He had recognized that the figures were connected to the distortions scattered throughout the chamber. As long as those distortions remained active, more opponents could appear.
He changed his strategy.
Instead of attacking the figures directly, he concentrated his spiritual energy into a single strike and directed it toward the largest distortion.
**BOOM!**
The chamber shook violently.
The distortion rippled.
Several of the figures flickered.
Long Aotian followed with another strike.
This time, the distortion shattered.
The remaining figures froze.
Cracks spread across their bodies before they dissolved into light.
The chamber fell silent.
Long Aotian lowered his weapon and looked toward the exit.
He had finally broken through.
He strode toward the golden doorway without hesitation.
The moment he crossed it, the light enveloped his body and transported him outside.
***
Yue Kun’s battle was nearing its conclusion as well.
The beasts concealed within the mist had forced him to expend considerable spiritual energy, but he had gradually adapted to their movements.
One beast charged from the left.
Yue Kun sidestepped.
Another leaped toward him from the right.
He raised his weapon and struck its head.
The creature crashed to the ground.
The final beast roared and rushed toward him.
Yue Kun planted his feet firmly.
His spiritual energy surged.
"Enough!"
He swung his weapon with tremendous force.
**BOOM!**
The beast was struck squarely in the chest and sent crashing into the ground.
Its body dissolved.
The mist scattered.
Yue Kun looked toward the exit and immediately moved.
He had no intention of giving the maze another opportunity to delay him.
Moments later, he crossed the doorway and disappeared from the chamber.
***
Fu Xingchen remained in the chamber of interlocking formations.
Unlike Long Aotian and Yue Kun, he had avoided engaging in unnecessary battles.
He had spent his time studying the formation blocking his exit, identifying the paths through which its spiritual energy circulated.
After several attempts, he finally discovered the central connection.
He gathered his spiritual energy into 2 fingers and touched a point near the edge of the formation.
A faint ripple spread across the floor.
Fu Xingchen moved to another point and repeated the process.
Then he reached the final position.
He pressed down.
**CRACK!**
The formation stopped circulating.
The glowing lines faded one after another, leaving the chamber completely still.
Fu Xingchen straightened.
"The path is finally open."
He crossed the remaining distance and stepped through the golden doorway.
The light swallowed him.
Another Holy Family successor had escaped the maze.
***
Meanwhile, the 10 youngsters of the Lin Clan were still fighting their horned beast.
The battle had become more intense than they had initially expected.
The creature possessed tremendous physical strength, and its armored head made it difficult to inflict serious damage with direct attacks.
Every time the youngsters attempted to surround it, the beast charged forward, forcing them to scatter.
Lin Mo evaded another attack and landed beside Lin Yu.
"This thing is tougher than it looks!"
Lin Yu glanced at the creature.
"You’re only realizing that now?"
"Do you have time to argue with me?"
"Then stop talking and help us bring it down!"
The beast roared and charged again.
Lin Qing stepped forward to intercept it, his spiritual energy surging around his body.
**BOOM!**
His attack struck the beast’s head.
The creature staggered, but it quickly regained its balance.
Lin Qing retreated several steps.
His expression remained calm.
"Attacking its head directly isn’t working."
Lin Chen had been observing the beast’s movements throughout the battle.
"The armor around its head is thick, but its movements become slower whenever it turns sharply."
Lin Xuan immediately understood.
"We should force it to change directions repeatedly."
Lin Zhen nodded.
"That will create openings around its sides."
Lin Qing glanced at the others.
"Then we’ll do exactly that. Don’t fight it head-on unless you have an opening."
The youngsters reorganized their positions.
Lin Mo moved toward the beast’s left side, drawing its attention. Lin Yu and Lin Jue approached from the opposite direction, forcing it to turn.
The creature roared and swung its head toward them.
Before it could complete the movement, Lin Xuan attacked its flank.
**BOOM!**
The beast staggered.
Lin Lian and Lin Yuexin immediately followed with coordinated strikes.
Their attacks landed in quick succession, forcing the creature to turn again.
This time, Lin Zhen struck its rear leg.
The beast lost its balance for an instant.
"Now!" Lin Chen shouted.
Lin Qing unleashed a concentrated attack toward the exposed side of its neck.
The impact sent a violent shock through the creature’s body.
It roared furiously and attempted to charge.
But the youngsters had already moved into position.
Lin Haochen and Lin Mo attacked from the front, forcing the beast to raise its armored head.
Lin Yu and Lin Jue struck its sides.
Lin Xuan and Lin Zhen concentrated their attacks on the weakened area.
Finally, Lin Qing delivered another powerful blow.
**BOOOOOOM!**
The beast crashed to the ground.
Its enormous body trembled before dissolving into spiritual energy.
The chamber fell silent.
For a moment, none of the youngsters moved.
Then Lin Mo straightened and let out a long breath.
"Finally!"
Lin Jue shook his head.
"You say that every time we defeat something."
"Because every time we defeat something, I think we’re finally done!"
Lin Yuexin laughed softly.
Lin Chen, however, had already turned toward the exit.
"Let’s go. We don’t know how much time remains."
The others immediately followed.
They had overcome the beast, but the final challenge was not complete until they crossed the doorway.
All 10 youngsters rushed forward together.
Lin Qing reached the threshold first, followed closely by Lin Chen and the others.
One after another, they crossed the golden exit.
A bright light enveloped them.
The chamber disappeared.
The 10 youngsters of the Lin Clan had successfully escaped the Maze of Ancient Illusions.
Not a single one had been eliminated.
***
Outside the maze, the space reserved for successful participants suddenly brightened.
A succession of golden lights appeared.
Shi Tianyu emerged first among the participants in this sequence, followed by Jiang Yue and Bai Jinyu.
Long Aotian, Yue Kun, and Fu Xingchen also appeared, their expressions showing the exhaustion of the battles they had endured.
Several other cultivators emerged soon afterward.
Some were covered in wounds.
Others had torn clothes and pale faces, their spiritual energy visibly depleted.
Nevertheless, they had reached their exits before the deadline.
They had completed the second trial.
The representatives of their respective factions immediately approached them, asking about their injuries and experiences.
However, the atmosphere was not entirely celebratory.
Several factions were still waiting for their designated successors.
And among the eliminated participants, Sikong Chen’s empty place had already become a painful reminder that even a powerful successor could fail at the final hurdle.
***
A moment later, another flash of light appeared.
The 10 youngsters of the Lin Clan materialized together.
Lin Qing glanced around before confirming that everyone was present.
Lin Chen smiled.
"We all made it."
Lin Mo stretched his arms.
"After everything that happened in that place, I never want to see another illusion again."
Lin Yu laughed.
"You’ll probably change your mind when we enter the next trial."
Lin Mo’s expression immediately darkened.
"Why would you say something like that?"
The others laughed.
Their relief was understandable.
They had endured days of false memories, dangerous encounters, and relentless challenges. Even the final battle had forced them to rely on teamwork rather than individual strength.
Yet all 10 had emerged successfully.
They had not lost a single member.
Not far away, representatives of the Lin Clan watched them with satisfaction.
The youngsters had preserved their unity throughout the trial, and their success was something worth celebrating.
However, the Primordial Trial Ground was not finished.
The Maze of Ancient Illusions was only the second trial.
Ahead of the surviving participants lay the remaining challenges, each waiting to test them in a different way.
For now, the cultivators who had escaped were given a brief opportunity to recover.
The survivors gathered with their respective factions, tending to their injuries and discussing what they had experienced inside the maze.
Some spoke about the beasts.
Others discussed the formations and illusions.
A few remained silent, still processing how close they had come to being eliminated.
Then, a deep and ancient voice resounded throughout the Primordial Trial Ground.
"Participants who have successfully escaped the Maze of Ancient Illusions have completed the second trial."
The conversations gradually ceased.
"The results of this trial have been recorded."
The voice paused briefly.
"Prepare yourselves for the next stage of the Primordial Trial Ground."
The announcement ended.
The surviving cultivators exchanged glances.
They had completed the second trial.
But their journey was far from over.