Chapter 28: Trapped in the Labyrinth, Extraordinary Powers Break the Deadlock

The heavy stone door creaked open slowly, releasing an ancient, chilling aura that made them all shudder involuntarily. Mao Yu stepped inside first, with Feng Yao and Mao Ling following close behind.

Before them lay a dark, deep passage. The walls on both sides were carved with bizarre patterns, as if whispering secrets long forgotten.

"Stay alert; there is something strange about this place," Mao Yu whispered, his supernatural perception fully engaged to scan for any movement.

"Brother, I’m scared..." Mao Ling gripped the corner of Mao Yu’s shirt, her small face deathly pale.

Mao Yu patted her hand gently to reassure her. "Don’t be afraid, I’m here."

No sooner had the words left his lips than the situation changed abruptly! The ground shook violently, and sharp spikes erupted from the floor like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

"Damn it! What’s happening?!" Reacting with lightning speed, Mao Yu pulled Mao Ling aside, narrowly avoiding the spikes. Feng Yao also moved quickly, darting behind a stone pillar nearby.

"This labyrinth is truly full of traps!" Feng Yao exclaimed, still visibly shaken.

However, this was only the beginning. The walls of the labyrinth began to shift, the once-spacious passage gradually narrowing as if to crush them into pulp.

"Seriously? This is such a scam!" Mao Yu grumbled while rapidly calculating a countermeasure.

"Brother, what should we do?" Mao Ling asked anxiously.

"Don't panic, I have a plan!" A glint of brilliance flashed in Mao Yu’s eyes. He noticed that the patterns on the walls seemed to be shifting according to a specific rhythm. "Sister Yao, protect Ling. I’m going to crack this mechanism!"

With that, Mao Yu began to study the wall carvings closely, searching for the underlying pattern. Time ticked away, and the walls drew closer, nearly brushing against them.

"How is it going, Mao Yu?" Feng Yao’s voice carried a hint of urgency.

"Almost there! Just a second!" Fine beads of sweat broke out on Mao Yu's forehead. His mind raced until, finally, he found it. Just as the walls were about to slam shut, he slammed his hand onto a specific pattern. It emitted a dazzling light, and the motion of the walls ceased instantly.

"Whew... finally got it." Mao Yu let out a long breath, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Brother, you’re amazing!" Mao Ling gazed at him with eyes full of adoration.

Feng Yao also looked at him with admiration, though her expression quickly turned solemn again. "Don’t celebrate yet; we haven't left the maze."

Mao Yu nodded, but at that moment, footsteps echoed from the distance. "They’ve caught up!"

"Damn, like persistent ghosts!" Mao Yu spat. The system prompted him that enemies were fifty meters ahead: five of them—three low-level supernaturals, two mid-level, led by Captain Liu.

"Brother, what now?" Upon hearing the enemies were coming, Mao Ling’s face went pale again.

"What’s there to be afraid of? When soldiers come, we block; when water comes, we earth-cover!" Despite his casual words, Mao Yu was calculating a strategy. A head-on clash was out of the question; he had to outsmart them.

He noticed the peculiar patterns on the walls were not mere graffiti, but ancient script. The system provided a prompt: "Ancient Runes: Contain powerful energy, capable of controlling mechanisms."

A thought sparked in Mao Yu's mind—wasn't this exactly what he needed? He stopped running like a headless chicken and began to observe the runes calmly. Sure enough, the sequence of the spikes and the movement of the walls were intrinsically linked to the changes in the runes!

Mao Yu pointed to one of the runes. "Sister Yao, step on this." Though skeptical, she complied. With a "click," the walls stopped moving.

"Wow, Young Master Mao, you’re a genius!" Mao Ling cheered excitedly.

Mao Yu smirked triumphantly, leading the two women through the maze like they were playing a game of Whac-A-Mole, easily neutralizing the traps. During the evasion, Mao Ling accidentally twisted her ankle. "Hiss... it hurts!"

Without hesitation, Feng Yao tore a strip of fabric from her sleeve, crouched down, and gently bandaged Mao Ling’s foot. Mao Ling looked at her with profound gratitude. Seeing this, Mao Yu felt a warmth in his heart. Adversity reveals true character; these are the real deal!

Just as they were about to disable the first major mechanism, Captain Liu and his men caught up.

"Heh, you little brats, you can certainly run!" Captain Liu sneered, a ball of flame coalescing in his hand. "Let’s see where you can hide now!"

Mao Yu gave a cold laugh. "It’s not decided who will end up the victor yet!" He reached out and tapped a rune on the wall.

"BOOM!" With a thunderous roar, flames erupted from the walls on both sides of the passage, forming a wall of fire that forced Captain Liu and his men to retreat.

"What the hell?!" Caught off guard, Captain Liu had his hair singed, and the smell of burnt hair filled the air.

"Boss, this kid is wicked!" one of his subordinates shouted in terror.

"What are you afraid of? Get him!" Enraged, Captain Liu ordered the attack to continue.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!" Several wind blades cut through the air, heading straight for Mao Yu.

Mao Yu reacted swiftly, pulling the two women to safety. "Ling, hide!" He shielded Mao Ling behind him, simultaneously manifesting an energy barrier to block the wind blades.

"Bang!" The barrier vibrated violently, and Mao Yu stifled a groan as a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. "Damn, that attack is strong!"

"Brother!" Mao Ling cried out, her eyes filled with worry.

"Don't worry, I haven't even started getting serious yet!" Mao Yu wiped the blood away, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes. He noticed the runes on the floor and formed a plan.

"Brothers, push harder! Take this kid down!" Captain Liu commanded, and his men swarmed forward.

Mao Yu curled his lip into a cold smile and beckoned to the supernatural leading the charge. "Come on then, I’m waiting for you!"

The attacker, provoked, roared and charged at Mao Yu. Just as he closed the distance, the rune under Mao Yu’s feet lit up, the ground cracked open, and sharp spikes shot out from the fissures.

"Argh!" The attacker couldn't dodge in time; a spike pierced his thigh, and he let out a shrill scream.

"Holy crap! What’s going on?!" The other attackers stopped in their tracks, staring in horror at the glowing runes.

Seizing the opportunity, Mao Yu unleashed his powerful supernatural ability. A blinding light engulfed the entire corridor. The intense fluctuations made Captain Liu and his men feel suffocated, as if a mountain were pressing down on them, rendering them immobile.

"What... what kind of power is this?!" Captain Liu’s face turned ghastly white, filled with dread. He finally realized he had provoked someone he shouldn't have.

Mao Yu looked at them coldly, his expression full of disdain. "Now, do you want to keep going?"

The men exchanged glances and ultimately chose to retreat. "You win this time!" Captain Liu spat a threat before fleeing in a panic with his subordinates.

"Tch, cowards!" Mao Yu curled his lip and withdrew his energy.

"Brother, you’re so cool!" Mao Ling threw herself into his arms, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

"That goes without saying!" Mao Yu tilted his chin up proudly and ruffled her hair. Feng Yao watched him with newfound respect, though she quickly regained her composure. "Don't get too happy yet; we still haven't cleared the maze."

Just then, the system prompt rang out: "High-energy signature detected ahead. Suspected Guardian Beast. Host, please be careful!"

Mao Yu’s expression shifted. "A Guardian Beast? Now things are getting interesting..." He clenched his fists, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. "Let’s go, let’s go meet it!"