The trio was remarkably fast. In less than ten seconds, the worm behind them had devoured the other two people – skin, flesh and all.
Having finished its meal, the worm continued its crawl, surpassingly not slowing its pace!
Thankfully, Jiang Xiaobai and his companions were faster.
However, the real problem was being constantly chased. If they were to accidentally end up in a dead-end, or caught in a squeeze, it would spell disaster.
For now, the only silver lining was that they were faster than the group in front of them!
Apparently, those in the front had been running for a long time and their spiritual power was waning, making it easy for Jiang Xiaobai and his companions to catch up to them.
Jiang Xiaobai, on the other hand, was grinning maliciously.
Just a moment ago, these fellas had been plotting to attack them and use them as a delay tactic!
Their plan was sound, but unfortunately, they had completely underestimated Jiang Xiaobai’s strength!
Without any hint of hesitation, Jiang Xiaobai launched his attack from behind!
Nine Heavenly Star Sword Technique!
A fearsome burst of starlight sword energy rapidly surged forward. Completely caught off guard, the people in front couldn’t react in time, never mind that they were already exhausted.
Three people were immediately slain by Jiang Xiaobai, who afterwards swiftly caught up to the others using his Dragon-Cloud Step.
A kick landed on one man’s gut, causing him to collapse on the spot, wailing in agony. Both Gu Ning and White Crane were taken aback by Jiang Xiaobai’s ruthless approach.
Next, Jiang Xiaobai repeated the same with the remaining men, reserving special treatment for the person who had made the first move against him, treating him as a punching bag.
“It serves you right to die here, all of you!”
Jiang Xiaobai sneered repeatedly, unconcerned with their cries for mercy. They should have been prepared for this the moment they attacked him.
The fate of these people wasn’t hard to guess; they were eaten by the worm that was trailing them.
Ahead, Jiang Xiaobai saw a crossroads and felt a surge of relief.
However, as they were about to arrive, a group of fierce wolf-shaped monstrous beasts appeared from the left-hand side of the crossroads!
There were more than a dozen of them!
Each one was baring its fangs and mouths frothing bloody saliva, they growled and rushed towards Jiang Xiaobai and his companions.
Squeezed from both sides!
“Master, both of you, quickly get inside!”
With no other choice, Jiang Xiaobai brought out the Seven-Treasure Pagoda and hurriedly ushered the other two inside, then fiercely hurled it at the incoming wolf pack.
The Seven-Treasure Pagoda instantly grew larger, matching the passageway’s width before rapidly suppressing everything beneath it!
Due to his actions, all the dangers in the maze scaled up to the Late-Stage Merge Realm, which included the wolf pack and the worm, among others.
However, they were quite powerful!
Regrettably, no amount of power could withstand Jiang Xiaobai’s Seven-Treasure Pagoda. The wolf pack was instantly reduced to mush the moment the Pagoda descended.
Owing to his annoyance with the trailing worm, Jiang Xiaobai gritted his teeth and delivered a swing of his sword towards it.
The sword light soared, but what Jiang Xiaobai hadn’t expected was for gentle white light to emanate from the worm.
The white light blocked his attack effortlessly!
The disgusting white flesh on the worm convulsed like ocean waves.
And that was the extent of it!
There was no substantial damage!
Not succumbing to disbelief, Jiang Xiaobai again attacked with the Seven-Treasure Pagoda, but it was yet again stopped by the white light!
“Damn it, what in the hell are you? Are you unkillable?”
“You’re even more revolting than that skeleton!”
Jiang Xiaobai roared angrily and dashed into the crossroads, marking his route as he went.
Surprisingly, the worm seemed to know only how to move forward?
“Heh, it probably can’t stop because it’s been chasing too fast?”
Jiang Xiaobai chuckled to himself and let out a sigh of relief, releasing Gu Ning and White Crane from the Pagoda.
They resumed their journey!
“We’re nearing the heart of the labyrinth. The closer we get, the more dangers we’ll encounter. Apart from that, there are formation traps and so on.”
As they ran, Gu Ning explained, “Better hold your horses and conserve your energy. In a few days, when we’re closer to the center, there will be ample opportunities for you to take action.”
“But, could the exit be right in the center? What if it’s on the other side, given the size of this labyrinth, who knows when we will get there?” Jiang Xiaobai hastily said.
“The labyrinth’s exit isn’t in the center.”
Gu Ning shook her head, “We’ve been to the center before. There’s only a hall there, and every time a trial commences, the hall is filled with treasures and resources.”
“Oh? So, you guys have been to the hall, that means you know the way, right?”
“Of course not, with each trial, the labyrinth changes, and the exit is in a different place. There’s no fixed location, that’s what makes this so difficult!”
“To my knowledge, the entire labyrinth has only two exits, one visible one and another hidden one!”
“What? There’s a hidden exit as well?” Jiang Xiaobai was astonished.
The labyrinth had a hidden place?
“That’s what’s recorded. I’m not too sure myself. However, keep searching, what else can we do?”
Gu Ning shrugged and continued heading onward.
Even though she was unsure of where to go, they were still able to move closer towards the center. After all, any cultivator would know how to navigate.
On their journey, they encountered more people. Some were groups of two or three while others moved in large groups of more than a dozen people!
The passageway of the labyrinth was bustling with activity, everyone appeared united, collectively dealing with any danger.
This left Jiang Xiaobai speechless, but he understood why: given that there were no limit on the number of people allowed through the final exit, it gave rise to this unity. Otherwise, they definitely wouldn’t be united.
After walking for more than ten days, Jiang Xiaobai and his two companions finally reached the heart of the labyrinth.
No one else was here, only the three of them.
Thanks to Jiang Xiaobai’s ability to mark the robust walls, they were able to make it here rather quickly.
At the center, exactly like Gu Ning said, was a grand hall.
The hall contained many chests, presumably filled with resources and treasures. Jiang Xiaobai immediately rushed inside and opened a few chests, which indeed were full of fairy crystals, albeit of the lower grade—that weren’t of much use in large quantities.
“Master, on our way here, it really wasn’t that dangerous, huh.”
“As long as you carefully find the exit, won’t that be fine?”
Jiang Xiaobai voiced out his confusion.
At his words, Gu Ning and White Crane both burst out laughing, dazing Jiang Xiaobai.
Having scoured everything in the hall, the three of them immediately selected a fork in the road to proceed.
At that moment, the whole labyrinth suddenly shook.
The shake was significant, there was no doubt everyone could feel it.
“Kid, things aren’t as simple as you think they are.”
“The real test begins now.”
White Crane looked at Jiang Xiaobai with a mysterious smile.
Following that, an ear-piercing roar echoed throughout the labyrinth.