The Thorne of Destiny-Chapter 100: Leaving the Maze

Adrian didn’t encounter any more challenges in the corridor. He was able to pass through without any more challenges.

He felt relieved when he reached the end and didn’t encounter any more mist puppets. He continued his way through the maze, wary of any more challenges that could be waiting for him.

He had been in the maze for a few days by now. Even though he didn’t know where he was, he knew he had travelled a long distance already. He couldn’t be far from the exit.

This realisation made him nervous and excited. His mind drifted towards the people he followed into the mystic realm.

What was their situation currently? Had they made it through the maze? Were they even alive? These questions bounced around his mind as he walked slowly through the maze. freeweɓnovel.cøm

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In another section of the maze, Julian and the remaining young man could be seen slowly making their way forward through the maze. The group of six individuals that entered the mystic realm is now down to two.

This goes to show how dangerous mystic realms are. The fact that they were even able to survive this long goes to show the foundation and power of the War Machine sect.

If it were a group of rogue cultivators that entered the mystic realm, they likely would not have been able to survive. They might not even have made it past the first obstacle.

Only with sufficient power and abundant resources were they able to survive inside the myatic realm for this long. Plus, this wasn’t their first encounter with mystic realms.

The War Machine sect was one of the five Super Sects on the Floating Cloud continent. It was also the only one present in the southern region.

Along with the Houses of Vyre, Blake, and the recently destroyed Thorne, they controlled most of the resources present in the whole southern region. This includes mystic realms. Or rather, those that have been found.

Mystic realms are special spaces that exist separately from the world. They exist in the void where the rules of the Heavens are not as strong. While most mystic realms occur naturally, there are some that are made by cultivators.

Powerful cultivators that are nearing the end of their lifespan and without any more hope would use the rest of their power to carve out spaces in the void and leave their inheritance there for a fated individual to benefit from it.

Some cultivators who had washed their hands of worldly affairs would spend the rest of their time perpetually cultivating in the void, before passing away quietly.

Their residences would eventually become mystic realms that would appear in the world after countless years.

This makes mystic realms incredibly valuable, as they often contain rare treasures, ancient relics, and cultivation resources that are impossible to find elsewhere.

However, their isolation from the natural order also means that the environments within them can be unpredictable and deadly. Julian’s actions were also a big gamble.

If he had reported to the sect that he had discovered a mystic realm, he would have surely been rewarded handsomely by the sect.

The resources to reach the Nascent Soul realm and become an inner disciple would have probably been granted to him, and perhaps even more. His status among his peers would also soar, bringing more prestige to himself and to his family by extension.

However, how could someone like Julian be satisfied with just that? His ambitions were far too great for him to be satisfied with the meager resources the sect might grant him.

If he were to monopolize this mystic realm for himself, the benefits he would gain would far surpass what the sect would give him.

What was the Nascent Soul realm? What was the status of an inner disciple? Those things would naturally come to him if he were to succeed here. His greed and ambition made him take the risk and enter the mystic realm without prior knowledge of the risks inside.

Julian wiped the sweat from his brow as he took careful steps down the pathway they were navigating. The young man beside him, the last remaining disciple from their group, clutched a bloodied arm but kept moving forward without complaint.

He was the only one left out of Julian’s team. With someone like Julian being the only partner he had here, it was unknown whether it was lucky or unlucky that he survived.

His injuries from facing the Nascent Soul realm puppet were too severe and couldn’t be healed by the pills he had with him. And he wasn’t brave enough to ask for healing pills from Julian. He could see that his mood had become more sour the more time passed.

A faint metallic scent of blood lingered in the air, a reminder of the battles they had fought.

"We can’t be far now," Julian muttered, more to himself than to the young man. His voice was hoarse from days of exertion, but his eyes remained sharp, scanning the dimly lit corridor ahead.

The only thing keeping him going now was the faint memory of the castle-like building they saw at the end of the maze. The treasures that were waiting for him were what kept him from losing his composure completely.

Even a shrewd person like him, who was adept at hiding his true nature, was already beginning to lose his cool. They had been in this maze for days now, only able to eat the beasts they had killed earlier in the Misty Mountains.

It seems the Heavens heard his complaints because when they turned into the next corridor, what they saw caused smiles to break out on both their faces.

Even the young man momentarily forgot about his injured arm as the joy on his face couldn’t be hidden. At the end of the corridor was an open field.

Yes, an open field. They had finally reached the end of this shitty maze.

Both Julian and the young man were about to rush down the corridor when an idea suddenly popped into Julian’s mind. Without hesitation, he told the young man to pass through the corridor first.

The young man’s face contorted from joy to gloom. He immediately realised what Julian was trying to do. He wanted to check if there was a trap on the path to their supposed freedom.

It was a valid concern. It was the perfect area to set one final trap. A cultivator who had spent days battling through the maze trying to survive would be ecstatic when they finally see the exit.

Such a person would probably lower his guard, making him easily susceptible to any trap that was set here.

The young man wanted to protest, but no words came out of his mouth. Deep down, he knew that Julian held all the cards here. He didn’t have enough strength to go against Julian.

He was still injured and in much worse shape than him. Even if he was perfectly fine, he was not strong enough to contend against him. Adding to the fact that he had developed a subconscious fear of Julian.

It wasn’t only him. All the outer disciples who knew Julian’s true nature had some degree of fear towards him. The image he displayed outside of a calm and mild-mannered individual was all a lie.

His true nature was that of a cruel and cold-hearted person who thought little of people’s lives. As long as it benefited him, there were virtually no lines he wasn’t willing to cross.

The young man hesitated, his body tense as he took the first step forward, holding his breath. One step. Then another, then another. His boots pressed against the ancient stone, waiting for any sign of a trap.

Any formation, any puppets.

Nothing happened.

He walked slowly, paying attention to every brick he put his foot on. He continued like this for a few minutes, taking as much time as possible in order to avoid any supposed traps.

After several tense minutes, they reached the end of the corridor and stepped into the open field.

No explosions. No formations. No attacks.

Julian’s eyes narrowed, a bit surprised by the result. But seeing that no trap was triggered, he followed, his grip loosening on his sword.

The open field stretched before them, devoid of any illusion or deadly array. They took deep breaths, taking in the fresh air that was different from the somewhat cramped atmosphere inside the maze.

The heat that they felt from the sunlight was one they had missed, as they basked under its warm rays. In the maze, there was no roof, only tall walls, so they could still see the sky, but it was starkly different.

The sky inside the maze was still and devoid of any color. It looked like a very realistic painting of the sky, without any of the elements that made it real.

The castle loomed ahead, its obsidian walls shimmering under an unseen light. They had made it.

The young man laughed breathlessly, his injured arm forgotten in his relief. "We-we actually survived!" He laughed out loud as he crashed onto the ground, the pent-up fatigue washing over him

He simply lay amidst the green grass, momentarily forgetting the pain from his injured arm. Even Julian had to take a moment to breathe and take in the scenary in front of him.