CHAPTER 77 — The Labyrinth Devours Light
The moment Lin Xuan and his group stepped fully into the Primordial Root Labyrinth, the living corridor behind them sealed shut—soundless, smooth, absolute.
No seams.
No cracks.
No possible exit.
Like a mouth closing after swallowing prey.
Mu swallowed nervously.
"…I can't sense the outside world anymore."
Wen pressed a formation flag to the wall—
it fizzled instantly, devoured by the living wood.
"Even formations don't work?"
Aurora snorted, arms crossed.
"Please. This is a world beast. Its roots can dissolve low-grade formations like snacks."
Bai tightened his grip on his spear.
"Then we don't rely on formations. We rely on Lin."
All eyes turned to him.
Lin exhaled slowly, letting his dual-star core illuminate the darkness. Two small suns pulsed behind his pupils, washing the twisting corridor in a gentle, golden-white glow.
The labyrinth responded immediately.
RUMBLE.
Roots around them quivered.
The floor shifted.
The walls retracted in some places, expanded in others—
as if hundreds of eyes were embedded in the vines, watching him.
Aurora floated closer.
"It's reacting to your aura again."
Lin nodded.
"It's either testing me…
or deciding how best to kill us."
Bai smirked.
"Let it try."
Mu slapped his arm.
"Don't provoke it!"
Aurora sighed dramatically.
"Oh please, it's far too late for that."
---
A Hallway That Breathes
As they walked deeper, the "hallway" widened.
Twisting roots pulled back to form a dome-like chamber.
The air grew rich with spiritual essence—almost intoxicating.
Mu inhaled sharply.
"There's enough medicinal energy here to grow spirit herbs of earth-grade quality."
Wen touched a glowing cluster of moss.
"It's warm… alive."
Sheng stepped back nervously.
"Alive? As in… aware?"
Aurora flicked her fingers.
"Aware? Certainly.
But don't flatter yourselves—this place doesn't view you as equals."
Lin nodded thoughtfully.
"Then we move quickly."
---
The First Test — The Corridor of Hunger
The path split into three tunnels.
Left, middle, right.
Wen frowned.
"It's a repositioning labyrinth. The paths won't stay consistent."
Sheng stepped toward the right path—
but Aurora instantly grabbed him by the collar.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Try walking there."
He hesitated.
Aurora shoved a pebble into the path.
The pebble dissolved instantly, liquefying into nothing.
Sheng's face drained of color.
"Th-that path eats matter!?"
Aurora nodded smugly.
"Congratulations. You didn't die."
Wen pointed to the middle corridor.
"Then maybe—"
"No."
Lin stepped forward firmly.
The vines in the middle corridor tensed, as if ready to strike.
"The right path devours matter," Lin said calmly.
"The middle path kills anything with blood."
Mu gasped.
"How do you know!?"
Lightning flickered faintly in Lin's eyes.
"The roots trembled when Sheng stepped toward the right.
But when I stepped toward the middle…
they tensed harder."
Bai blinked.
"You could tell that from just one step?"
Aurora huffed with a mix of irritation and admiration.
"His instincts are abnormal.
Blame the dual-star core."
Lin motioned toward the left corridor.
"That leaves one option."
---
The Corridor of Echoes
They entered the left passage.
Unlike the others, it wasn't hostile.
Just eerily quiet.
Every footstep echoed unnaturally.
Even their breaths doubled back to them.
Wen stiffened.
"Something's wrong. That echo—"
Lin held up a hand.
"Stop."
They froze.
And the echoes froze too.
Except…
Another footstep sounded behind them.
Not theirs.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Heavy.
Bai spun immediately, spear brandished.
But the corridor was empty.
Sheng whispered, voice trembling:
"Something is copying us…"
Aurora's eyes narrowed.
"It's not copying."
She pointed upward.
"It's stalking."
Everyone looked up—
And saw it.
A mass of writhing roots clung to the ceiling, forming a twisted humanoid shape with hollow eyes and a gaping mouth.
A mimic vine.
Mu paled.
"This thing hunts cultivators…"
The creature dropped instantly—
SLAM!
Lin moved first.
Tribulation lightning crackled across his arm, and he thrust a lightning-coated palm upward.
BOOOOM—!!!
The mimic vine shrieked as holy lightning pierced its fake flesh—
shattering the roots into ashes mid-air.
Mu exhaled shakily.
"That… was close."
Wen swallowed, heart pounding.
"I didn't even sense it…"
Aurora scoffed.
"None of you would. Mimic vines prey on Nascent Soul cultivators."
Sheng froze.
"So it's that strong?"
"No," Aurora corrected.
"It's that sneaky."
Bai smirked at Lin.
"But Lin saw it."
Lin shrugged.
"I sensed hunger. That's all."
Mu rubbed her temples.
"You 'sensed hunger'? What does that even—"
Bai cut her off with a sigh.
"Mu… at this point, just accept that he's not normal."
---
Roots of Memory — The Titan Vine Speaks
As they progressed deeper, the vines around them began to glow faintly.
Lin stopped.
The roots ahead twisted unnaturally—
forming shapes, patterns, maybe even symbols.
Mu gasped.
"That's… language."
Wen stepped closer, eyes wide.
"It's writing something for us."
Aurora floated forward, expression sharpening.
"So it is interested in you."
Lin frowned.
"What does it say?"
Aurora traced glowing lines with her finger.
"It says…"
She paused.
Then read slowly:
> LEAVE.
THE HEART IS NOT FOR YOU.
TURN BACK, CHILD OF TRIBULATION.
OR BE CONSUMED.
Sheng paled.
"It knows we're here for the heart…"
Wen forced a laugh.
"Well… this is a polite warning, right—?"
The wall behind them slammed shut.
The vines ahead rippled.
The labyrinth roared.
Aurora smirked darkly.
"…It wasn't a warning.
It was a threat."
Lin stepped forward.
Lightning flickered around him.
Dual-star light pulsed from within.
And he placed his hand on the glowing message.
"Then let's see if it can make good on its threat."
The writing instantly dissolved—
and the labyrinth itself began shifting violently.
---
Final Scene — The Path to the Heart
The ground cracked open beneath them.
The ceiling split apart.
A tunnel of spiraling roots dropped downward, swallowing light.
Aurora's expression turned serious.
"This is it.
The route to the Titan Vine's heart."
Mu gripped Lin's arm.
"Once we enter… we won't get another chance to turn back."
Bai planted his spear.
"Then we push forward."
Wen nodded.
Sheng nodded after swallowing hard.
Lin stepped toward the abyss-like tunnel.
"Stay close."
Lightning swirled around him like a protective cloak.
Aurora whispered:
> "And pray the heart doesn't decide to eat you."
Lin smiled.
"Let it try."
And he jumped into the darkness.
The others followed.
The corridor closes behind them, the group plunging deeper toward the Titan Vine's core, where death, secrets, and ancient power await.
---