Maze Island was a relatively famous island within the Starry Sea, spanning a thousand li east to west. Its surface differed little from the countless other islands dotting the ocean. However, deep beneath its surface lay another world entirely—a vast network of intersecting tunnels and caverns, forming an immense, labyrinthine maze. It was from this extraordinary feature that the island derived its name.
Opinions varied on whether the colossal subterranean maze was man-made or a natural formation, its origins now lost to time. Within its sprawling depths, even a cultivator's divine sense could be distorted. What the divine sense 'saw' wasn't always real. For instance, your divine sense might perceive a passage branching left ahead leading to an exit, only for you to find a dead end when you actually arrived. That was the lucky outcome. Less fortunate explorers might find fierce demonic beasts lying in ambush...
Over the millennia since its discovery, countless cultivators had ventured into its depths, yet none had ever truly reached the maze's end. Indeed, whether the maze even had an end remained an unanswered question.
Once descended into the underground maze, finding a 'normal' way out became exceedingly difficult. Leaving, however, wasn't particularly complicated—one could simply employ the Earth Evasion technique to rise upwards. Yet this was generally considered a last resort. The maze teemed with powerful demonic beasts, predominantly Earth-attribute creatures for whom the soil was their domain. Encountering them while earth-evading would spell disaster...
Despite its extreme peril, Maze Island remained a prime destination for explorers over the ages. High risk promised high reward. The maze held infinite precious treasures and genius loci materials, forming an irresistible lure for treasure-seeking cultivators.
The majority of demonic beasts within the subterranean maze were Tier Three, making the primary explorers Golden Core cultivators. Occasionally, Nascent Soul cultivators would appear, their sights set on the deeper reaches where Tier Four beasts lurked.
Four months prior, Wang Chen, sensing an imminent breakthrough, had ventured out to sea for training and chosen Maze Island. Within the maze, he encountered a Level 8, Tier Three Dragon-Tailed Crocodile. Finding himself in poor shape at the time, he opted to flee. During his escape, he happened to pass a spot where he discovered three Void Cloud Flowers. Yet, pressed by danger, he was forced to leave without harvesting them. When he later managed to shake the beast, recuperated, and returned to search, he could no longer find the location.
Wang Chen scoured the maze for a considerable time without success, ultimately returning in disappointment. After a period of cultivation back home, he successfully reached the Eighth Level of the Golden Core. Just a month ago, he returned to Maze Island, but still failed to locate the Void Cloud Flowers.
Facing another fruitless journey, Wang Chen recalled Lin Feng's treasure-finding beast. He had sought Lin Feng out several times before, only to find him still at sea. Yesterday, Lin Feng visited the Sea Treasure Pavilion, and Wang Chen, learning of his return today, rushed over immediately.
...
Hearing Wang Chen's explanation, Lin Feng finally understood. He pondered for a moment before asking, "If the underground maze is as vast as you say, Brother Wang, how do we locate the Void Cloud Flowers? Xiaoqiu possesses treasure-finding abilities, true, but based on my experience, its sensing range for spiritual herbs tops out at about ten li. Searching such a vast landscape for specific flowers is like finding a needle in a haystack..."
"Not entirely without clues," Wang Chen countered. "While I don't know the precise location, I have a general area. We only need to search within Layer Two of the Northern Sector. The area isn't small, granted, but it offers a pinprick of hope."
"Northern Sector, Layer Two?" Lin Feng was surprised. "Maze Island has such detailed divisions?"
Wang Chen nodded. "Indeed. The entire maze island is divided into Eastern, Southern, Western, and Northern sectors. Vertically, it's stratified into layers. From the surface down to three hundred meters is Layer One. From three hundred to five hundred meters is Layer Two. Five hundred meters to a kilometer is Layer Three. Below one kilometer is Layer Four. The dangers escalate sharply the deeper you go. Golden Core cultivators typically operate within Layers One and Two, few dare enter Layer Three. As for Layer Four... even Nascent Soul cultivators hesitate to descend recklessly."
"Maze Island is that complex?!" Lin Feng inwardly clicked his tongue. He hadn't realized the subterranean maze wasn't just planar but a monumental three-dimensional structure, spanning a full kilometer beneath the surface. It was staggering. He thought further, then asked, "By the way, earlier you said 'should be soon enough'... what did you mean by that?"
Wang Chen explained, "When I first saw the Void Cloud Flowers, there didn't seem to be any beast guarding them. However, I suspect the Dragon-Tailed Crocodile chasing me might have also detected them. In fact, I suspect the reason I escaped relatively easily was that it chose to stop pursuing me. And the reason it stopped chasing... was likely to return for the Void Cloud Flowers. If my guess is correct... it means the flowers were probably targeted by that beast..."
Lin Feng frowned. "If that's true, and so much time has passed... wouldn't the Void Cloud Flowers have already been devoured?"
"Not necessarily," Wang Chen shook his head. "Remember I mentioned there were three plants? Even if it planned to eat them, the beast likely wouldn't consume all three at once. The most probable scenario is devouring one, then waiting to digest its medicinal power before consuming the next. After returning, I researched Dragon-Tailed Crocodiles and consulted my master. The consensus is that a Level 8, Tier Three Dragon-Tailed Crocodile, even if it ate the first flower four months ago, would require about half a year of cultivation to fully absorb its efficacy. Therefore, if Xiaoqiu awakens within two months, we might still reach the remaining flowers before the beast consumes the second one."
"I see..." Lin Feng nodded slowly, contemplating for a few moments before decisively agreeing. "Alright! Once Xiaoqiu awakens, I will accompany you, Brother Wang, to Maze Island!"
A flicker of joy crossed Wang Chen's face. "It's settled then! If all goes smoothly and without mishap, we should obtain two Void Cloud Flowers. We can each take one!"
...
Following their agreement to explore Maze Island together later, Lin Feng settled into a regular routine within Zhenhai City.
Apart from occasional trips out to familiarize himself with the city or browse the free markets, Lin Feng spent the majority of his time within his cave dwelling, diligently cultivating.
His current cultivation progress once again brought home the monstrous advantage of his Heavenly Spirit Root. Under identical conditions, his previous cultivation speed felt like a snail's pace compared to now. Whether absorbing the spiritual energy from a single spirit stone or consuming a single Grade Three Spirit Nourishment Pill, the experience felt vastly different from before. Previously, with his spirit root sealed and practicing a low-level technique, even the best resources yielded half the result for twice the effort. Now, it was the complete opposite. Cultivation flowed smoothly, unimpeded, achieving twice the result with half the effort. He was even beginning to savor the sensation of cultivation itself.
In just one month, fueled by this newfound efficiency, Lin Feng's cultivation ascended another level, reaching the Fifth Level of the Golden Core.
However, this meteoric rise in cultivation speed came with an equally staggering cost: an astronomical consumption of resources. For each cultivation session, he would lay out a thick layer of mid-grade spirit stones around himself. By dawn, these stones would invariably be completely drained. In the span of that single month, he consumed nearly one hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones. Moreover, he keenly felt that as his cultivation level increased, the demand for spirit stones escalated correspondingly.
Fortunately, Lin Feng's foundation was substantial. He possessed roughly four million mid-grade spirit stones, alongside a significant stockpile of magical treasures that could fetch a handsome price. At the very least, he was spared the relentless struggle for resources that plagued other cultivators. And even if his reserves dwindled, his Repair Technique ensured earning spirit stones wouldn't pose a significant challenge.
Additionally, besides cultivation, Lin Feng dedicated a portion of each day to studying Hundred Solutions to Formations. He had begun to grasp its fundamentals, gaining a solid understanding of formations. Applying the guidance from the text, he even used his original Grade Three Spirit Gathering Formation Disk as a foundation to properly deploy a true Grade Three Spirit Gathering Formation. This was a far cry from his previous method of simply scattering spirit stones haphazardly. The correctly arranged formation boosted its efficacy by nearly double.
...
Two months later, Xiaoqiu awoke right on schedule. Like the last time, there were no immediately visible, dramatic changes. The most notable difference was a significantly increased appetite. On the very day it awoke, it devoured a staggering ten mid-grade spirit stones, leaving Lin Feng utterly baffled—how could its tiny belly possibly hold ten egg-sized stones?
Upon learning of Xiaoqiu's awakening, Wang Chen displayed even greater excitement than Lin Feng himself. Both had long been prepared. The very next day, they stepped onto the teleportation formation, its light flickering as it whisked them away towards the legendary perils and promises of Maze Island.