Meanwhile, Xiao Jiuwuo watched A Jun's fading silhouette with growing unease. She lingered near Ning'er, then trotted over to observe the Yuwen boy. But the thick haze ahead had already swallowed all traces—nothing could be seen.
As for A Jun, he too could see nothing. Before him loomed massive stone shadows, barely visible through the sandstorm. He began following the Yuwen boy's earlier instructions, navigating this maze known as Palace-Locked Qihuán, until he stopped before a peculiarly shaped stone…
And so, the real trial began.
The haze showed no sign of lifting. A Jun couldn't glimpse the maze's full layout, let alone locate the exit the Yuwen boy had mentioned. He had to rely on his own exploration. He sprang into action, using his three-step Lingbo technique to dart through the maze, circling nearly every corner. Many times, a doorway resembling an exit appeared—only to vanish in the blink of an eye.
It turned out the rocks were mobile. Even if luck revealed an exit, without understanding the true mechanism, it was meaningless.
To an outsider, A Jun might've looked completely lost—like a headless fly, aimless and hopeless.
After a while, A Jun paused, perhaps tired, perhaps pondering the Yuwen boy's advice, searching for clues.
Then, he changed tactics. With a sudden leap, he soared into the air—trying to escape the maze by reaching a different dimension.
But it wasn't that simple. No matter how high or far he jumped, each time he landed, he was still inside the maze, standing exactly where he'd started. After many attempts, A Jun finally realized the problem and stopped again, seemingly dazed. Another strategy shift?
No. He was unexpectedly calm. He sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes to meditate. His intent was unclear.
"To this day, few have ever escaped this maze… You must uncover its hidden secret, or there's no chance. Of course, if it's you, perhaps…"
The silver boy's words echoed in his ears. A Jun began to analyze the mystery using his memory. It turned out his seemingly foolish actions had all been part of a plan to understand the maze. He knew success required knowing both self and terrain.
While moving on the ground, he used hidden weapons as markers to map the maze's layout and behavior. His aerial observations helped confirm the data. Though incomplete, he was building a new dimensional understanding.
These fragments were like puzzle pieces of a maze map. Through his wandering and leaping, they gradually formed a three-dimensional shape. A Jun carefully compared this mental map with all the intel he'd gathered, even adding a timeline.
However, the books he'd read rarely mentioned this maze. He vaguely recalled seeing something similar in a travel guide online—a massive stone formation listed among the world's ten wonders, located in this very region.
He also noticed that the maze resembled a mechanical array from the Zhuge clan.
The mechanical array originated from ancient numerology and Qimen Dunjia, recorded in the Kongming Heart Manual. A Jun had once read this ancient text in an elder's study. It covered all formations, techniques, and styles—created by a legendary figure and considered the Zhuge clan's sacred treasure. The mechanical array's theory stemmed from it.
If A Jun's guess was correct, then this place was likely the strategic zone known as Fishbelly Crossing. The maze he was in might be the legendary masterpiece: the Eight Formation Diagram—a fusion of the strongest mechanical array, the most mystical materials, and the most vital geography. It was said to have been laid down by the creator of the formation manual during a great war between Guardians and enemy forces.
The Guardian clan had used this maze to block an army of 100,000, protect the royal city, and turn the tide—ultimately repelling the invaders and saving the world.
Even with this knowledge, it was only a preliminary hypothesis. No solid proof. Statistically, his confidence was under 60%. For someone as cautious as A Jun, that wasn't enough to act. He couldn't be sure the Eight Formation Diagram matched the mechanical array from the manual.
But in this situation, A Jun had no other choice. His instincts urged him to try. Uncle had once said: in the face of difficulty, one must dare to try—failure is the mother of success. As long as he was careful, it shouldn't be too risky.
After a moment of mental preparation, A Jun decided to push forward.
Following the manual's steps for unlocking the array, he carefully explored each move. When he completed the final step, the elusive doorway appeared once again before him.
—Whew… that wasn't easy!
A Jun exhaled deeply and prepared to exit through the gap between two stones—but it wasn't that simple. Just as he stepped forward, another doorway appeared just behind and to the left of the first.
Each doorway revealed a different scene. The new one was dim and mysterious, hard to read. The right-hand exit looked familiar—its haze was thin, light shone through, almost beckoning him to choose.
A Jun hesitated. The military texts had warned: what seems false may be real, what seems real may be false. At this critical moment, he had to choose wisely—or risk losing everything. Failure would mean the trial was over.
Under pressure, A Jun suddenly thought of Xiao Xi. If it were Third Brother, he'd probably start playing "chicken"—"Whichever door the rooster picks, that's the one I'll choose." Hmm… not exactly his style. Still, the thought made him chuckle.
In such a tense moment, that laugh brought a surprising clarity. He suddenly recalled asking Uncle about how to find the path out of one's inner world.
It had been nearly impossible to locate, and Uncle had only told him: "What your eyes see isn't always the truth. The real answer must be felt with the heart." A Jun, being sharp, had taken that to heart and studied it well. He'd soon grasped the essence of what Uncle meant.
—Mm. I get it now…
He opened his eyes and began scanning everything with sharp focus—but still, nothing. His eyes were dry from staring.
Just as anxiety and doubt crept in, two green lights flickered within the dim doorway to the left—vibrant, full of life and hope. But they vanished as quickly as they came.
—Was that… just another illusion?
Hope had nearly bloomed, but his overthinking made him hesitate again. Yet his intuition surged, urging him forward. Those green lights felt real, trustworthy… Yes. He made his decision and stepped toward the mysterious exit.
After passing through a dim corridor, A Jun encountered a strange rock. The surroundings were still shrouded in haze—was he still in the maze?
Suddenly, the sandstorm that had blanketed the maze began to stir, thickening and swirling, then rushing toward him. Oh no—had he chosen the wrong exit? Was this the punishment for failure?
Confused and helpless, A Jun tried to summon his powers to defend himself, but his weakened state left him powerless. He turned to flee—but his feet were already trapped in the muddy ground. All he could do was raise his arms instinctively to brace for impact…
The sandstorm lashed at him relentlessly. A Jun didn't scream. He endured in silence, despairing and mocking himself for his weakness. He felt he had let everyone down. He even ridiculed himself—wasn't he still just that useless kid everyone talked about?
The punishment continued… but strangely, it didn't hurt as much as he expected. It wasn't as unbearable as he'd feared.
Soon, things began to shift. He still felt fine. Thanks to his goggles, earplugs, and breath filter, only a bit of grit had gotten into his mouth… Before long, the storm faded.
When the dust settled, A Jun brushed himself off, wiped his face, and slowly opened his eyes. Before him stretched a brilliant blue sky and majestic mountains. His feet, once bound, now moved freely.
—Hmm, looks like the tables have turned! My judgment was right. This trial… might be a success?
Thinking this, A Jun turned toward the coast. His companions had already emerged from the maze and were waving at him—smiling, cheering.
Only the Yuwen boy remained serious. He met A Jun's gaze with a knowing look—because the trial wasn't over yet. A Jun remembered his warning: if you're lucky and find the right exit, you won't be able to return the way you came.
—But if I can't go back through the maze… do I have to cross that towering mountain?
A Jun stared at the mountain, full of doubt and no clear plan. Tired, he leaned against the strange rock to rest.
His companions watched nervously from afar. No matter the path, it wouldn't be easy. The Yuwen boy had said as much—climbing the mountain was no simple task.
Xiao Xi, impulsive as ever, tried to rush over to help—but the Yuwen boy blocked him. He warned that if anyone interfered, A Jun's trial would fail.
Xiao Xi was furious. He glared at the stoic face beside him, grinding his teeth—this guy was seriously infuriating.
As the sun dipped lower and everyone stood helpless, the ground suddenly trembled. A Jun, still leaning on the rock, was suddenly flung backward by a powerful force.
Startled, he looked up—chaos surged again. The rock's surface began to peel away, revealing a dragon-like tail. It moved in sync with the trembling mountain. At the same time, the dragon-shaped rock near the others began to change.
The green shell at its center lit up again, emerald light coursing through the dragon's body. Its eyes gleamed strangely. The rock's surface cracked and fell away. The two dragon claws, once resting on the ground, lifted and slammed down.
With the dragon's tail, the mountain, and the dragon body all moving in unison, a massive azure dragon awakened—rising in splendor before the children. With a thunderous roar, it soared into the sky.
A Jun stood frozen—whether from the quake or the awe of the dragon, he didn't know. He stared blankly at the heavens.
As he stood dazed, the dragon flew over, circling above him. Then, it let out a deafening roar. —What now? Was there still a battle ahead? This trial was getting out of hand!
A thousand questions swirled in A Jun's mind. His companions looked stunned—except for the Yuwen boy, who calmly reassured them: A Jun was safe.
The dragon slowly approached the boy. Its presence was commanding, and A Jun felt overwhelmed. What should he do? Then he noticed something—the green glow in the dragon's eyes looked familiar.
—Oh! It was the same as the two green lights from the maze's fork—the ones that had given him hope and confidence.
The dragon drew closer, gently extending its tail beneath A Jun's feet. Alongside its majesty, A Jun sensed a warm kindness.
He hesitated, then stepped cautiously onto the tail… nothing happened. He took another step.
The dragon slowly lifted him to its horns. A Jun seemed to understand. He moved between the horns and held on tightly. Once he was secure, the dragon rose again—carrying him out of the maze.
Amid his companions' astonished gazes and joyful cheers, A Jun soared through the sky on the dragon's back, gliding through clouds. Some clouds even seemed to wave at him.
—Hmm? Maybe I'm just too happy and imagining things.
At that moment, A Jun realized he felt no discomfort. Overcome with emotion, he shouted with joy, mentally slapping himself.
—Who says a salted fish can't turn over? As long as you find the right method and work hard, effort will be rewarded.
Even those who fall to the bottom—if they hold onto hope, stay determined, and keep climbing in the right direction—will one day succeed, no matter how deep the valley or how painful the fall.
As A Jun rose into the sky, he finally saw the full terrain below. Just as he had suspected, the maze he'd just escaped was laid out in the shape of the Eight Formation Diagram. The winding fishbelly hugged the olive-shaped Canghai Lake like a fish's body. The beach, grasslands, and forest formed the tail. On the other end, where the lake met the great river, was the fish's mouth. And at the fish's eye—something was flickering, twinkling like a star… It was all too wondrous!
Suddenly, A Jun recalled a song he'd learned from a TV drama and began humming excitedly: "Dragon, dragon, you shine your eyes—forever and ever, shine your eyes!"
The dragon carried the boy gently back to his companions, then lowered its head. A Jun smiled and greeted his friends, but kept his hands firmly in place, standing steadily.
Then it dawned on him—if he kept standing like this, it might seem a bit rude. After all, he was standing on the head of a new friend. And not just any friend—a dragon, a rare divine beast… Was it really okay to wait for an invitation? Hmm, probably not.
Without hesitation, A Jun jumped down politely. Just then, a familiar figure reappeared—yawning and stretching.
"You're here!" The Yuwen boy once again bowed respectfully to the two elders.
"Oh… mm, all done?" The old man stroked his beard and walked slowly to the children, greeting the dragon warmly: "Little Green, thank you—this kid's a bit slower than the other one, huh?"
The dragon, seeing its old friend again, couldn't help but roar in response—as if saying "Don't mention it." But being a mountain-sized dragon, even a casual reply carried immense force. The gust blew the elder's beard across his face, his hair and hat askew.
The old man seemed momentarily dazed, fixing his appearance while deep in thought. Then he approached the dragon, gently placed a hand on its side, and said: "Mm, it's been a thousand years. Time to return… Just a bit longer. Thank you, child—I…"
Suddenly, seeing the children begin to drift away, the elder stopped mid-sentence. He seemed to snap back to reality, recalling something, and quickly raised his hands to shield his head—but too late!
The dragon roared again, this time more forcefully. The blast of wind engulfed the elder, shaking his face, blowing off his hair and hat.
Fortunately, the old man had a good sense of humor. He laughed heartily to distract everyone, then casually picked up his gear, put it back on, and sighed deeply.
—Whew, that was close…
But in his rush, he accidentally turned his side-swept bangs into blunt bangs, making the Cricket Brothers laugh so hard they slapped their thighs. A Jun quickly stopped Xiao Xi, and the Yuwen boy covered Xiao Shuai's mouth.
After the commotion, the dragon turned to the children, slowly approaching A Jun as if to say goodbye. This time, A Jun didn't hesitate. He brought Xiao Jiuwuo with him and gently embraced his new friend, expressing his gratitude through warmth and silence. It felt like they were communicating.
The dragon's eyes began to glow again—bright emerald, like gemstones.
Xiao Xi watched enviously, itching to join in and snap a photo. After all, dragons weren't exactly common. Luckily, Ning'er stopped him just in time.
After a while, the dragon gazed at the children, as if noting something. Then it rose slowly, waited for A Jun and the others to step back, and took off—returning to its post. It resumed its original form, leaving behind a single dragon tear, which fell onto the beach and crystallized into a pearl.
The elder smiled at A Jun, nodded in approval, then returned to the dragon-shaped rock to retrieve the green shell. He slung it onto his back—but it was so heavy, it nearly threw out his back. He groaned and rubbed his spine for a while before recovering. Clearly, he needed to keep up with his workouts.
At last, the small team couldn't hold back—they began cheering for A Jun's success. Ning'er, not one for big displays, stood quietly behind the crowd and softly said, "Congratulations."
A Jun seemed to hear her and was about to respond—when the Cricket Brothers interrupted with their usual enthusiasm. Xiao Xi and Xiao Shuai led the cheer, raising the team's energy. A Jun, overwhelmed by praise, felt like he'd forgotten something. Only Xiao Jiuwuo, perched on his shoulder, kept meowing—speaking on his behalf.
And of course, one more friend couldn't be left out… The Yuwen boy remained distant and cold as ever. But now, he seemed to be truly acknowledging A Jun—not just as a nuisance, but as someone worth recognizing.