Initially, we expected a barrage of traps upon entering, so both of us proceeded with extreme caution.
However, after stepping inside, we discovered there was nothing there.
The passage ahead narrowed significantly, allowing only two people to walk side-by-side.
"Let's move forward first..." I said.
Lin Chun nodded.
We hadn't taken more than a few steps before encountering a fork in the path.
"Which way?" Lin Chun asked.
"Right..." I had no way to discern the correct path and casually pointed in one direction.
We then proceeded down the right-hand passage.
The overall structure of this passage was identical to the last, with no discernible difference in materials or style.
After walking down the right-hand passage for a short while, we again came to a fork with two directions.
Lin Chun was bewildered, "What in the world is going on?"
"A maze?" I asked, frowning.
I had heard before that mazes were indeed peculiar, and some powerful individuals could get trapped within them for countless years.
If that were the case, we'd be in trouble...
If we were trapped here for countless years, the outside world would have likely undergone earth-shattering changes.
Perhaps the Heavenly Dao would have already awakened by then...
But once inside a maze, there was no alternative but to find a way out.
"Let me try..." Lin Chun said, as he slowly gathered lightning power in his fist. He then punched the wall with all his might.
Immense power erupted, but to his surprise, the wall remained completely unmoved, not even a single mark left behind.
"This..." Lin Chun was momentarily speechless.
"It's no use. This was likely built by some cultivators in the past. With our current strength, we can't break it..." I sighed. "Let's make a mark here..."
Lin Chun nodded, "Then let's continue to the right..."
I nodded and took out a pork rib from a wild boar, removed the bone, ignited it with fire, and made a mark at the entrance of the right passage.
We had no map and couldn't sense our surroundings. Our only recourse was to try repeatedly.
Thus, we continued to the right for about half an hour before discovering the path was completely blocked.
"We went the wrong way..." Lin Chun said.
I nodded, "From now on, we'll try the other direction..."
We retraced our steps back to the last fork and proceeded left.
After another half-hour of walking, I found myself facing another wall...
We remained silent and changed our direction again.
We continued like this for nearly half a day, only to be met with a wall each time. It felt as if the maze had no exit.
At this point, I couldn't help but exclaim, "What in the world is going on..."
"Should we continue?" Lin Chun asked.
"We can't even go back now..." I sighed. "If we continue like this, even if we can go without food for a long time, we can't go without it forever..."
"If we don't get out, we'll likely starve to death here..." I stated.
Lin Chun nodded, "Let's keep trying..."
"Alright!" I replied and changed direction again.
This time, after walking for about two more hours, we were met with wall after wall.
Now, Lin Chun was starting to lose it, "We can't get out..."
"Don't rush," I said. "In a place like this, what matters most is your mindset. We both need to remain calm. Let's not rush to find the exit, let's rest and eat something first..."
Lin Chun nodded. After a simple meal and a good rest, we set off again.
We had no idea how long we walked, but the marks we made along the passages grew more numerous.
Initially, it was just a single line. Later, we started writing the character for "正" (zheng, meaning correct or upright), and at one junction, we had already marked it three times, meaning we had passed through that particular intersection fifteen times...
"It's to the left..." I said.
Lin Chun stopped talking and stepped forward.
After navigating around a corner and turning, we saw the scene before us. The two of us exchanged a look, and smiles appeared on our faces.
Before us was a giant octopus.
This monstrous octopus was incredibly huge; I even doubted how such a place could contain it.
However, seeing this creature filled us with relief.
The passages before were empty, but now a monster had appeared, indicating we were on the right track!