The corridors breathed.

That was the first thing Shaurya noticed as he and Lin Shu ran through the twisting passages of the Shadow Castle's maze. The stone wasn't dead — it moved, pulsed, shifted, like a living beast adjusting its ribs around intruders.

"Left!" Lin Shu called instinctively.

A wall slammed down on the left.

They pivoted.

Another wall surged from the ground.

They stopped dead, air brushing past their faces as if the maze itself whispered mockery.

Shaurya inhaled sharply, jaw tightening. For the first time in a long while — he was irritated.

"Again," he muttered, stepping back. "It changed again."

Lin Shu pressed her palm against the cold wall, trying to steady her breathing. "This maze… it's reacting to you."

Shaurya narrowed his eyes. "Obviously."

They tried again.

Using Aerial Steps, Shaurya leapt upward, bouncing off two walls, trying to get an overhead view — the ceiling sealed itself instantly, forcing him back down.

They sprinted through the next open corridor — it twisted mid-run, sending them backward.

Third attempt, fourth attempt, fifth attempt — every path bent away from his direction.

It wasn't random.

It was targeted.

Lin Shu watched him with a half-sigh, half-laugh. "It really hates you."

Shaurya pinched the bridge of his nose. "Everything that isn't alive usually does."

She couldn't help it — she laughed softly, the sound echo-less but warm.

But Shaurya's frustration finally broke through. He stopped, planted his feet, and exhaled slowly.

"This isn't a simple maze."

His eyes sharpened.

"It's a formation."

Lin Shu blinked. "Formation?"

"The walls, the movement, the reaction speed… all controlled from a core point."

His fingers tapped against his thigh.

"A formation eye."

Lin Shu's expression brightened with recognition. "Then if we destroy the formation eye, the entire maze—"

"—collapses," Shaurya finished.

He closed his eyes, drawing a deep breath.

"Alright. Enough of this."

A faint glow appeared across his pupils.

Immortal Eyes — Open.

The world changed.

Darkness faded.

Walls became transparent silhouettes of qi.

The entire maze lit up like a map of rivers — flowing spiritual veins, pulsing symbols, shifting currents.

And there — miles away, buried deep.

A bright knot of shadow and light.

The formation eye.

Shaurya smirked. "Found it."

He opened his divine sense, piercing through walls like spears of light, locking onto the exact direction.

Lin Shu stepped beside him. "Then let's go."

They both activated Aerial Steps.

But the moment Shaurya moved —

BOOM — !

The maze surged all at once. Entire corridors rearranged. Walls twisted like serpents. Passages warped, turned to dead ends, shifted like ribs crushing inward.

It wasn't just defending.

It was fighting back.

Lin Shu shouted, "Shaurya! The formation is focusing on you!"

"Good," he muttered.

His voice lowered, almost comically serious.

"Then I'll force it to break."

He reached for his sword — the same long weapon he rarely unsheathed unless necessary. The handle was wrapped in dark cloth, simple, unadorned, yet carrying a weight few could sense.

Shaurya gripped the hilt.

The air stilled.

Lin Shu swallowed. She knew what was coming.

Shaurya whispered—

"Divine Arts…"

The walls shook.

"…End of Darkness."

The maze had shifted violently when Shaurya moved.

But that sudden, overwhelming focus on him granted others a narrow window.

Elder Wan leapt through a temporary opening, slamming his palm into a barrier. It flickered weakly now — overtaxed.

"This is our chance!" he shouted.

Yan Chen and Xiao Rui rushed through a narrow corridor as the wall behind them sealed again.

Xiao Rui gasped, "The maze is distracted! Ha! This is the only time Shaurya being a magnet for trouble helps us!"

Lee Bie slapped his shoulder. "Focus, idiot!"

Further away—

Cheng Fang and Xu Ran almost collided with Elder Feng Yu when a corridor twisted.

Cheng Fang: "ELDER FENG YU!"

Elder Feng Yu: "Don't scream."

Cheng Fang: "SORRY ELDER—"

"Stop screaming."

"Sorry…"

Xu Ran nudged him gently. "At least we're finding everyone."

All across the maze —

Lu Fang stumbled into Jun Hua from a shifting wall. Xiao Lian found Muo Qian and Su Quan when a corridor opened behind her. Elder Liya emerged from a turning passage straight into Lin Shu's path.

Both froze — then burst into relieved smiles.

"Liya!"

"Lin Shu!"

They embraced briefly.

"Shaurya?" Elder Liya asked immediately.

Lin Shu nodded. "He found me first… and now he's going for the formation eye."

The elders exchanged looks — pride mixed with worry.

Elder Feng Yu arrived a moment later, eyebrows furrowed.

"Then… he is about to break the entire structure, isn't he?"

Lin Shu hesitated.

"…yes."

Elder Wan sighed. "Of course."

The maze rumbled — a deep, warning growl.

The elders and disciples steeled themselves.

Shaurya had made his move.

And the entire castle felt it.

A different battle raged in another part of the castle.

Skeleton fragments littered the floor. Spears made of bone lay snapped. The walls bore slash marks and cracks.

Moonlight Pavilion disciples panted heavily — exhausted, bleeding, eyes sharp.

Meng Liyu slid backward, boots scraping against the cracked floor, sword raised defensively. Blood dripped from her cheek, staining the collar of her robe.

Before her stood a towering skeleton giant — nearly five meters tall, ribcage open like a maw, hollow eyes burning with ghostly blue fire.

It roared — a harsh grinding sound like boulders snapping apart.

Meng Liyu steadied her breath. "We can still fight," she said, voice firm.

Her disciples nodded weakly.

The giant stepped forward.

The floor trembled.

And then—

It stopped.

Its skull turned sharply to the side.

As if sensing death.

Then—

CRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAACK—!!!

The wall beside it exploded.

A pure golden sword slash tore through the stone like tearing cloth. The slash was clean, sharp, impossibly bright — a straight line of divine precision cutting through everything in its path.

It looked almost beautiful.

The skeleton giant's eyes widened — in a parody of horror.

The golden arc hit it.

FWOOSH—!!!

Its body split in two like melting butter.

The slash continued, tearing through wall after wall after wall — carving a glowing crack through the castle, extending far beyond sight.

Dust settled.

Silence.

No monster. No giant. Just a deep trench carved into the ground, reaching straight through the last wall.

Moonlight Pavilion disciples stared in disbelief.

One of them whispered, "What… what kind of attack is that…?"

Meng Liyu didn't speak at first.

But then her eyes widened — recognizing the qi signature.

"This energy…" she muttered.

"It's him."

Her fingers trembled slightly —

"Shaurya."

Her disciples shivered. Hope and fear mixed in their eyes.

Because if Shaurya's attack reached this far…

What had he done?

At the Source — Shaurya

Shaurya lowered his sword.

A long, embarrassingly long crack extended behind him — walls gone, floor gone, everything sliced neatly as if a giant blade of light had been dragged across the world.

His golden aura dimmed, settling back into calm.

He blinked once.

"…maybe I overdid it."

Lin Shu appeared at the end of the newly created straight path, staring at the destruction.

Her eyebrow twitched.

"Shaurya."

He offered a tiny, sheepish smile.

"…yes?"

"You broke the maze."

"Good."

"And the floor."

"Mm."

"And five walls."

He glanced at the path of devastation. "…six walls."

Elder Wan, Elder Liya, Elder Feng Yu, and the disciples ran up behind her, each stopping in place the moment they saw the sheer scale of destruction.

Xiao Rui dropped his jaw.

"MASTER! You didn't break the maze— you erased it!"

Yan Chen rubbed his eyes. "I think I can see the other end of the castle."

Lee Bie squinted down the long crack. "We can send letters through this path."

Cheng Fang gasped. "Master, this is art."

Elder Feng Yu sighed, massaging his temple. "At least… you succeeded."

Shaurya sheathed his sword quietly.

Lin Shu crossed her arms, cheeks puffed slightly. "You overdid it."

He laughed softly — warm, gentle. "I aimed to break one wall. The castle moved."

Elder Wan exhaled deeply.

"Well… that is precisely what we expect from our Sect Master."

Xiao Lian tugged at Luo Chen's sleeve.

"L-Luo Chen… I think our master is too strong."

Luo Chen nodded seriously.

"Yes."

Everyone nodded seriously.

Even Lin Shu nodded — though she stepped closer, shoulder brushing his lightly.

Relief softened her expression.

"…just don't scare me like that again."

Shaurya nodded.

"Alright."

Luo Cheng whispered loudly,

"That means he'll definitely do it again."

Su Quan kicked his shin.

The sect laughed — a rare sound echoing in the ominous corridors of the Shadow Castle.

For a moment, it felt like warmth returned to the cold stone hall.

Shaurya lifted his gaze toward the long corridor ahead — a path torn open by his sword.

"Come," he said calmly.

"We continue exploring."

Far ahead, past the ruined walls and long glowing crack —

Inside A Secret Chamber.

A tall figure sat on a throne of black stone, eyes glowing faint violet, watching the intrusion with faint amusement.

As the golden crack reached the edge of his chamber, he rose slowly.

"Interesting," the figure murmured.

"A Cultivator capable of doing this much. Seems like the inheritor had arrived."

His hand rested on a sealed coffin beside the throne.

Dark mist leaked from its cracks.

And the faint whisper of a blade echoed through the chamber.

To Be Continued…

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