Collapse!
Collapse!!
Unending collapse—destroying everything, pulverizing the entire passage. No matter what death traps or hidden killers were embedded in this path, under such overwhelmingly destructive force, all of it was rendered useless. Completely useless. And this was exactly what Yi Tianxing wanted.
If the Nine Heavens Supremes wanted the various races to entertain them, then he would offer his own method of amusement.
A labyrinth—death—was composed of countless intersecting pathways. Destroy one, and a possibility is cut off. With each passage eliminated, the labyrinth's complexity diminished, hope for survival increasing. Destroying one or two paths was nothing, but destroying ten, a hundred? That would be catastrophic—it would utterly dismantle the entire labyrinth.
No passageways, no labyrinth.
He would forge his own path, and in doing so, leave none for others.
If anyone could see from above, they would witness a colossal maze suspended in a peculiar void. This world held nothing but the ever-shifting maze, built from innumerable chambers. Within it, the passages constantly rearranged themselves, relocating endlessly. But the total number of paths remained unchanged. Meaning: every destroyed passage permanently reduced the complexity of the maze.
If enough were broken, the maze would cease to be a maze.
"The audacity—to do this?"
"What's he thinking? Is he trying to flip the board? Does he think we won't act? Erasing him is but a thought away."
"If enough passages are broken, this entire structure will collapse. If he's not stopped, the Death Labyrinth will become a joke."
"Games must have rules. Yes, we set them—but once set, we must remain impartial. The world itself is full of change. Nothing is absolute. We created this labyrinth with rules, and however it unfolds should depend entirely on its players. Power gives one the right to defy the rules. This is an experiment, but we must not intervene. Surprises—are the most thrilling."
"Indeed. Only strength grants one the privilege of breaking rules. Boldness, decisiveness—this Yi Tianxing is extraordinary. No wonder he dared bypass Heaven's Will and petition the Dao directly to found a Dynasty governed by the Great Dao. Without such resolve, he'd never have achieved it."
"Unexpected developments make for better drama. That is true enjoyment."
From the void, nine colossal eyes watched the labyrinth below. Everything happening within it fell under their gaze. But they made no move to intervene. From the start, they'd agreed: once the game began, none of them would interfere. If they did, there would be no pleasure to gain from it.
They had no interest in robbing themselves of amusement.
Watching Yi Tianxing unleash unrestrained destruction, they remained true to their oath—not to meddle. They wanted true combat, real life-and-death, intellect clashing with intellect. Only such sparks were worthy of their attention. If any deviation was forcibly corrected, then what suspense remained?
Surprise is joy.Without surprise, it's just dull repetition.
The Nine Heavens Supremes, far from displeased, became even more intrigued.
This Death Labyrinth was only an experiment—their first test. Whether it would succeed remained to be seen.
All nine sets of eyes now locked onto Yi Tianxing with interest. Though he could not perceive it, for now he was simply too small—too weak. In their eyes, weakness itself was a crime.
"A labyrinth? I'll never try to solve a labyrinth. I'll simply trample it beneath my feet. And eventually—the entire maze will be gone."
Without hesitation, Yi Tianxing strode forward.
He didn't care if the Nine Heavens Supremes might be provoked. Why would he? If they had wanted to kill him, they would have done so from the start. They'd already captured everyone into this realm—cold-hearted and indifferent. Why would they take a personal interest in killing an ant like him?
If they wanted to stop him, they'd have done so long ago.
Since they hadn't, that meant what he was doing was still within their permitted range. He hadn't truly enraged them. After all, to them, people like Yi Tianxing were nothing more than seasoning—flavoring to be consumed by death. They weren't even worthy of serious consideration.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With each step he took, the path behind him collapsed. A wake of ruin, even chasms, formed at his back—horrific to witness.
The road he walked truly left no path for others to follow.
He reached another chamber—but this time, it wasn't a treasure room.It was a death room.
The instant he entered, the chamber sealed. A poisonous fog seeped from the walls, flooding the room almost instantly. Inside, it was certain death.
This wasn't ordinary poison.It was a terrifying toxin capable of slaying even a Golden Immortal on the spot.
Its name: Immortal's Inebriation (神仙醉).
It wasn't a wine, but far more dreadful. Merely inhaling its scent could seduce one into a drunken stupor—collapsing to the floor, unconscious. But that wasn't all. Once unconscious, its true terror began—draining cultivation, devouring vitality.
Worse yet, it trapped victims in dreams, devouring their lifespan. A single dream could drain centuries of life. If you dreamt for a thousand years, your life would shorten by a thousand years. Should the dream last ten thousand years, your lifespan would end accordingly. Even a fleeting nap could become an eternal sleep leading to death.
In truth, victims of Immortal's Inebriation never even knew how they died.
If it were anyone else, death would be immediate.
But Yi Tianxing was no ordinary cultivator.Inside his body resided the Venom God Life Aperture (毒神命窍).The poison from Immortal's Inebriation was instantly absorbed into the Life Aperture, converted into nourishment. The deadly toxin became part of his power, entirely under his control—as if it had returned to its rightful master.
His mind barely flickered, and the poison was already consumed.
He activated his power again. The entire chamber shuddered, then collapsed into dust.
Destruction. A path of ruin. No path for others.
Path after path fell apart. Chamber after chamber collapsed.
Many powerful beings attempting to reach chambers found only ruin and blocked routes. Frustrated, they were forced to turn back—seeking alternate paths. The longer it went on, the more often it happened. A sense of eeriness filled the air.
"What the hell? Who's doing this—destroying rooms and severing corridors? Completely disregarding the rules!"
Some experts roared in outrage.
"Smart move. We were brought here against our will—and now they expect us to play their stupid game? To hell with that. Flip the board. Break the passages. That's the best way to beat this maze. Crude? Yes. Effective? Absolutely."
Several cultivators' eyes lit up, realizing the method's potential—it was a shortcut to cracking the labyrinth.
But soon they discovered: they couldn't imitate it.Destroying even a single passage required terrifying power—far beyond their limits. Even attempting to do so left them exhausted, sometimes near collapse. It was foolish to even try.
"Who's destroying the labyrinth? That kind of power… it's terrifying."
A shadow fell over the minds of many cultivators.
Clearly, whoever this was—if they ever became an enemy—would bring nothing but despair.
Yi Tianxing continued walking, destroying as he went.
He had no idea how many passages he had already passed through.
Where he walked, only ruins remained.
Suddenly, a new corridor appeared.From within, the sounds of intense combat echoed.
Two cultivators—one fleeing, one chasing.
"A human—it's him!"
Ahead, a man clad in battle armor with long golden hair, wielding an ancient stone sword, launched dazzling cross-shaped sword strikes with every swing. His swordsmanship was exquisite—almost divine.
Behind him, however, lurked an even more fearsome enemy—a shadowy archer hidden in the darkness…