Chapter 95: Inferno Labyrinth
Chen Tian felt like he had stepped into a blazing red world. The heat was incredibly intense, and the air smelled strongly of sulfur.
Sweat dripped down Chen Tian's face as he looked around, trying to understand where he was.
The ground beneath his feet was cracked and rough, and the sky above was a swirling mix of red and orange.
"Is this where the trial will take place?" Chen Tian wondered to himself.
He found himself surrounded by walls of blazing fire on all sides.
The temperature was incredibly high, even for someone like him who had reached the Qi Refinement Realm.
His skin began to feel the effects of the intense heat, and he could feel sweat trickling down his forehead. However, he remained calm.
Taking a deep breath, he used his spiritual Qi to create a protective shield around himself.
"This place is draining my spiritual Qi!"
Chen Tian was shocked to discover that his spiritual energy, which he used to protect himself, was being destroyed by the fiery energy in this place.
He stood there, unsure of what to do.
"Everyone should have already been in their assigned places," Long Wei stated.
Suddenly, the commanding voice of Long Wei echoed through the surroundings, filling the air.
The sound waves from his voice bounced off the walls, creating a symphony of echoes that seemed to go on forever.
Each word he spoke carried a weight that grew stronger with every repetition, as if his very essence was projected through the echoes.
"Some of you have already used spiritual energy to protect yourselves from this place and may have noticed how it's being destroyed by the intense flame Qi. So relying on it for too long won't be helpful," Long Wei explained.
"I'll be brief to save time. This place is called the 'Inferno Labyrinth.' Each of you has been teleported to different locations within it.
Your Objective: The main goal is to find the exit and escape from this fiery maze.
The exit leads to safety and marks the successful completion of the first stage of this trial.
But time is limited as this place drains your protective Qi and exposes you to extreme heat.
Moreover, you'll encounter various beasts and illusions that can confuse your mind.
Hence, it's crucial to navigate the maze swiftly and efficiently while staying alert and focused.
Remember, reaching the exit might not be straightforward. You may need to solve puzzles or overcome obstacles along the way.
The intense heat threatens to exhaust you, but you must keep going.
Using your spiritual Qi and determination, you must journey through the labyrinth, enduring scorching temperatures and deceptive illusions that try to mislead you.
Good luck on your journey to escape the 'Inferno Labyrinth' and complete the first stage of this trial."
Long Wei's voice suddenly vanished from the surroundings, leaving a palpable silence in the air.
Chen Tian felt a sense of urgency. If Long Wei's words were true, it meant that his spiritual energy would be depleted rapidly.
He needed to act quickly to find his way through the labyrinth and escape before it was too late.
He took a deep breath and cleared his mind, determined to stay focused and complete the initial stage of the challenge.
"I hope Su Bingxin has it easier," Chen Tian thought, as he started moving ahead with heightened awareness and careful steps.
He was well aware that the upcoming trial would be difficult.
As Chen Tian began to walk, he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the fiery lava flowing along the walls.
The intense heat coming from the molten liquid made him shiver, but he knew he had to stay calm and continue moving forward.
He was certain that if he didn't have the spiritual Qi shielding his body, touching the lava would have instantly turned him into ashes.
Time was of the essence, and he couldn't waste more time.
Carefully moving forward, Chen Tian looked around to come up with a plan for navigating through the dangerous maze.
He continued walking straight ahead for a while, and after five minutes, he reached a spot where he faced two paths to choose from.
There was a path on the right and another on the left.
"Now, which one should I choose?" he wondered.
He was unsure about which path to take and felt hesitant.
As he stood between the two paths, thinking about what to do, he noticed something strange. There was a dim, flickering light coming from both paths, and it made the area around him look magical.
This made Chen Tian very curious.
All of a sudden, an idea popped into his head.
"Chaos Insight"
Chen Tian closed his eyes and concentrated.
When he opened his eyes, a soft blue glow emanated from them, allowing him to perceive both paths in a new way.
The right path had a fiery and scary feeling, while the left path had a similar energy but without the scary feeling.
'Hmm'
Chen Tin thought for a moment and believed that the right path was more dangerous than the left one.
'Okay, let's just go right.'
Despite knowing this, his adventurous spirit pushed him to choose the right path.
He believed that the riskier a place, the more chances it offered.
With determination, Chen Tian decided to take the right path, confident in the opportunities it might bring.
As he walked, he could sense the air getting hotter.
As he continued along the path, the air became more and more uncomfortable. Finally, he successfully reached the end of the path.
The room he stepped into was about 700 square feet in size. It had an atmosphere of mystery in the air.
Right in front of him, he saw three new paths stretching out in different directions, giving him the opportunity to make three choices.
One path was on the right, another on the left, and the last one was in the middle.
"This time, it's three!"
Chen Tian paused for a moment, contemplating his next move. Just as he was about to activate his Chaos Insight ability, he quickly sidestepped to the right, putting some distance between himself and his previous position.
Suddenly, a surge of scorching heat erupted from the exact spot where Chen Tian had been standing just moments ago. Swiftly evading it, he moved towards the right.
But there was no time for him to relax, as another burst of searing heat emerged from the spot where he had just avoided. The intense flames danced and twisted in the air, creating a shimmering illusion due to the unexpected currents.
'Heavenly Lightning's First Step'
Chen Tian used Heavenly Lightning Steps.
Lightning cracked on the ground as Chen Tian executed the Heavenly Lightning Steps with unparalleled speed and precision.
His body moved with electrifying agility, leaving afterimages in his wake.
Each step he took seemed to defy the laws of physics, as he effortlessly dodged the burst of searing heat.
With his heightened spiritual sense, he immediately scanned the room for any signs of danger.
As his awareness expanded, he focused his attention on the ground, searching for traps that might be concealed beneath his feet.
He noticed subtle irregularities in the floor, walls, and variations in texture.
"Formation!" he thought to himself as he carefully scanned the room.
"Damn it all, this room is a big formation!
I need to choose which path to take. I will be wasting too much qi if I keep dodging these traps."
Chen Tian muttered in frustration as he grasped the situation.
He understood that continuously evading these traps would deplete his Qi greatly.
'Chaos Insight!'
Chen Tian used Chaos Insight once again and discovered that the left path had hidden spikes, while the right path had pressure plates that activated arrow traps on the walls.
Realizing that the middle path was the safest option, he took a deep breath and made a quick decision.
With swift agility, he sprang into action just as intense heat surged from the ground.
The air filled with crackling lightning as he gracefully performed the Heavenly Lightning Steps.
He moved so quickly that it appeared as though he teleported, using the technique not once, but twice in rapid succession, instantly covering the distance to the middle path.
As he landed on the middle path, he looked around. The path was well-lit, stretching straight ahead and filled with gentle, comforting lights.
"Let's keep going. I don't want to waste any more of my spiritual Qi," Chen Tian thought to himself as he entered the middle path.