“Palace Lord?” Xue Bufan called out hesitantly, his voice echoing in the stone chamber.

When Seraphine didn’t respond, he raised his voice. “PALACE LORD!”

“You’re too loud,” Seraphine snapped, fixing him with an icy glare. “Even if your spiritual roots was completely ruined, I could find a temple in the mortal realm, remove their bell, and hang you up there instead. Daily morning and evening chimes would keep you plenty busy.”

“……”

Xue Bufan’s mouth snapped shut.

I floated alongside Seraphine as she moved forward, my miniature megaphone bobbing in front of me with a soft, firefly-like glow. Looking at my trusty little amplifier, I pressed my tiny hands together and bowed to it repeatedly.

Sorry, little friend. To avoid being hung up like a temple bell, I’ll have to put you away for now.

Out of the corner of her eye, Seraphine watched my dramatic farewell ceremony. The corner of her mouth twitched upward before she hid her smile, transmitting directly to my consciousness: “You can keep it.”

My farewell ritual came to an abrupt halt. My three circular optical sensors widened in surprise as I floated closer, still clutching my megaphone.

“I can use my megaphone?”

“Yes.”

“It won’t be too noisy?”

“No.”

An exclamation point appeared above my head as I glanced between my megaphone and Xue Bufan, who was now kneeling silently on the floor. I felt a wave of relief, but also confusion. My megaphone was definitely much louder than his voice.

Why the difference in treatment?

Seraphine’s gaze shifted to me, floating there with my megaphone, then to Xue Bufan behind me. The male protagonist seemed to sense her attention and cautiously lifted his head. The moment their eyes met, whatever improved mood Seraphine had been developing crashed back down to rock bottom.

Whether it was his current disguised face—ugly and inexplicably irritating—or his true handsome features, both paled in comparison to this ball of glittering light.

Actually, there was no comparison at all.

“Tch.” Seraphine clicked her tongue and flicked her sleeve dismissively. Her palm brushed past me as she moved, almost like she was gently patting my head.

“You’re cute,” she said simply, then turned to examine Qiu Shuangshuang’s condition.

I spun in a slow circle, three question marks of increasing size appearing above me. I held up my megaphone and examined it from every angle.

First time a host has ever called me cute. Is it because of the megaphone?

Cute?

I lifted one of my matchstick-thin arms and studied it.

Cute?

I raised one of my stick-like legs and examined it.

Cute?

I removed one of my dark optical rings and held it up for inspection.

My confusion only grew as I slapped the ring back into place. A warm, golden glow surrounded my body. Despite the confusion, I recognized this feeling spreading through my systems.

It was happiness!

Musical notes began floating around my head as I nestled onto Seraphine’s shoulder, my work instincts kicking in automatically. I opened my scanning protocols and did a quick environmental sweep.

Almost immediately, I let out a surprised “Huh?”

Not just me—Seraphine, who had been trying to sense Qiu Shuangshuang’s spiritual energy fluctuations, made the same puzzled sound and raised her hand to examine it.

The fire orbs that had been stationed around the room’s corners flew over to surround her, casting her slender hand in a circle of golden-red light.

I floated down to hover near her wrist, announcing in amazement: “There’s a ring.”

A simple black ring had appeared on the middle finger of Seraphine’s right hand. The design was ancient and unadorned, its dark surface reflecting the firelight with difficulty. It looked exactly like the ring that had pulled us into the illusion realm—except this one had three tiny grooves smaller than rice grains.

Seraphine’s other fingers bore rings of gold, red, and jade—all embedded with precious stones that sparkled beautifully. The plain black ring looked completely out of place among them.

A speech bubble appeared above my head with a disgusted expression, sharing Seraphine’s obvious distaste for the accessory.

The revulsion in Seraphine’s eyes faded slightly at my reaction.

“The Palace Lord has one too?” Xue Bufan asked in surprise, holding up his own hand to reveal an identical black ring.

Seraphine frowned with displeasure. “After you arrived here, nothing happened? You weren’t pulled into any illusions?”

Xue Bufan shook his head, then nodded, looking uncertain. “Actually, before being transported here, I had already experienced an illusion. I only discovered I was trapped in this place after emerging from it. Then I encountered you and Lady Qiu.”

Seraphine closed her eyes in frustration.

I quickly floated over, positioning myself where she’d see me the moment she opened them, and held up a small message board:

[Please keep your distance from the protagonist.]

Seraphine coldly took a step backward.

Xue Bufan looked confused.

At that moment, a choking sound came from Qiu Shuangshuang’s throat as she slowly regained consciousness.

Both Seraphine and Xue Bufan looked down at her. With the floating fire orbs behind them, their faces were cast in shadow, making their expressions unreadable. Still trapped in the terror of her illusion, Qiu Shuangshuang saw two dark figures staring down at her and instinctively screamed.

Seraphine leaned back and took a deep breath.

Her ears are doomed today.

I quickly floated over to rub her ears soothingly—though more in a metaphysical sense than physical, since I felt somewhat responsible as one of the “noise culprits.”

“Lady Qiu, it’s us,” Xue Bufan said, resisting the urge to cover his own ears. “You were pulled into an illusion, but you’re safe now. Lady Qiu, do you have a new ring on your hand?”

Still shaken, Qiu Shuangshuang frantically held up both hands. Seeing the black ring that had appeared on her finger, she screamed again: “Not this thing again!”

“Your voice seems more durable than your life,” Seraphine said sarcastically.

Qiu Shuangshuang fell silent.

Strangely, after being mocked by Seraphine, the girl’s expression actually began to improve. She seemed to finally feel the relief of having escaped her nightmare. Patting her chest, she sighed.

“I was pulled into an illusion where all my friends and family were there. I completely forgot I was in a secret realm and was laughing and talking with them normally. But then they suddenly started mocking me, tearing me down until I felt worthless. That’s when I realized—”

“Shut up,” Seraphine said coldly. “I have no interest in your adventure story. You don’t need to give me a detailed account.”

“…Oh.” Qiu Shuangshuang’s voice became flat. Yep, definitely back to reality.

Xue Bufan gave Qiu Shuangshuang a comforting smile and examined his ring thoughtfully. “It seems those who successfully escape the illusions receive one of these rings. But what’s their purpose? And they won’t come off.”

Seraphine had already sensed the power within the ring—it shared the same origin as the force that had transported her and Qiu Shuangshuang here. Someone with unfathomable cultivation was behind this, though their ultimate purpose remained unclear. The question was: where exactly were they?

“The key is still getting out of here,” Xue Bufan said.

“Why not leave it to the protagonist?” I suggested.

In stories like this, the main character always stumbles into opportunities. At critical moments, we should delegate such important responsibilities to capable people.

Seraphine scoffed and ordered Xue Bufan and the recently recovered Qiu Shuangshuang back to work.

If you’re not dead, get back to searching.

Qiu Shuangshuang puffed out her cheeks, missing her days at the Autumn Water Pavilion more than ever. With her parents and senior disciples around, she never had to lift a finger. The hardships she’d endured since running away from home exceeded all the difficulties of her first sixteen years combined!

Seeing that Qiu Shuangshuang looked ready to cry, Xue Bufan quickly said, “Lady Qiu, you just escaped an illusion. Why don’t you rest while I handle this?”

Qiu Shuangshuang paused, looking at Xue Bufan with gratitude. Her earlier appreciation for being rescued at a crucial moment surged back. His disguised, hideous appearance seemed to fade in the face of his genuine care. She opened her mouth, the word “okay” about to spill out, when she heard a sharp words.

“No.”

Palace Lord’s voice was as elegant and beautiful as she was—decisive and brooking no argument.

Seraphine walked to the wall and stood there, pulling a golden feather from her storage bag. Without even lifting her eyelashes or turning around, she said: “His cultivation is a thousand miles below yours. Who knows what might happen next? Are you really willing to entrust your life to someone whose power is even weaker than yours?”

Xue Bufan’s face showed embarrassment. “Palace Lord……”

“Enough talk.” Seraphine didn’t give him a chance to speak, fixing both of them with a cold stare. “How many times do I need to urge you before you’ll move those two legs of yours? Or are those not legs you’re walking on, but pieces of matchstick?”

“……”

Perhaps no one could survive Palace Lord’s razor-sharp tongue.

Qiu Shuangshuang silently climbed to her feet, brushed the dust off her dress, and resumed searching the empty room. All her gratitude, melancholy, and fear evaporated, replaced by sullen irritation.

I want to get out of here so badly! she screamed internally. No, not just out of here—out of this entire secret realm! Away from Seraphine! This woman is so fierce and terrifying!

“Host, you’re so commanding!” I displayed two golden thumbs up both in my speech bubble and on my message board, giving Seraphine double confirmation of my approval.

Rainbow sparkles emerged from my mouth as I added: “Not only commanding, but everything you said was completely factual and irrefutable!”

Facts triumph over eloquence! Even the protagonist has to obediently get back to work.

Seraphine chuckled softly and transmitted to me: “If I’m not mistaken, the real exit from this prison has a different mechanism entirely. This kind of searching won’t turn up anything.”

I tilted my head slightly, glancing at the two people quietly searching the room.

Following my gaze, Seraphine looked over at them and smirked disdainfully. “I just didn’t want to listen to them chattering.”

I see.

“The protagonist will figure out a solution,” I said, asking Seraphine, “Should we wait?”

Wait for what?

She never placed her hopes in others! Seraphine waved the golden feather in her hand at me.

All right, then I’ll cheer you on.

I did a little leg kick and announced: “Matchstick!”

A speech bubble appeared above my head showing a matchbox. A thin, long match emerged from the box, bent down to strike itself against the side, and burst into flame with a hiss. With fire on its head, it gave Seraphine a thumbs up.

Offering fiery encouragement to my host!

“……” Seraphine stared at me.

Strange little thing.

But… fine.

She shook her head and gripped the golden feather, rubbing it against the wall like a match striking its box.

The stone wall immediately rippled with formation arrays, identical to the ones that had absorbed her earlier attacks. Seraphine’s expression turned cold as she released the feather, letting it float in her palm where flames consumed it.

When the formation became visible, Xue Bufan and Qiu Shuangshuang backed away in alarm and looked toward Seraphine.

“Is that… a phoenix golden feather?” Xue Bufan asked in shock.

Seraphine didn’t answer, her attention focused entirely on the burning feather in her palm.

Everyone in the room could feel the tremendous energy fluctuations emanating from it. Cold sweat broke out on their foreheads as they instinctively stepped back.

Wind began to stir in the sealed chamber, lifting Seraphine’s hair. Her pupils reflected the flames in her palm as sweat beaded on her forehead. The moment the feather was completely consumed, she suddenly raised her hand and grasped the ball of fire.

The phoenix phantom I’d seen many times before materialized, enveloping Seraphine.

Her robes fluttered in the firelight as she closed her eyes, struggling against the formation that suppressed her cultivation and channeling all her spiritual energy into her palm. I watched as her fingers began to tremble, as if she could barely hold onto the flame. Just as her arm started shaking more violently, I heard her give a low shout.

“Go!”

The phoenix spread its wings and caught the flame Seraphine hurled at the wall. Without hesitation, it crashed into the formation array.

The overwhelming pressure from the flames forced Qiu Shuangshuang to her knees. She whispered in awe: “Such terrifying power…”

Despite having lower cultivation than her, Xue Bufan somehow managed to remain standing—probably protected by some defensive artifact. He quickly helped Qiu Shuangshuang to her feet, and they both retreated to a corner.

Only Seraphine stood before the flames, hands at her sides, eyes reflecting the firelight.

The entire space shook violently. The rippling formation stretched like a spider’s web, trying to contain the charging phoenix. But the mythical bird was razor-sharp, carrying momentum that seemed capable of demolishing the entire area. With a thunderous crash, it pierced through the barriers and smashed through the wall, continuing forward to carve out a long tunnel underground.

The person responsible for this destruction staggered backward, barely keeping her footing.

I quickly extended my thin arms to try to support Seraphine, but they passed right through her body, utterly useless. I paused for a moment, then simply held up my arms anyway.

“Good. The formation is broken, and spiritual energy is returning.” Seraphine popped a spirit restoration pill into her mouth and glanced back at me staring at my ineffective arms. She raised an eyebrow.

What, did that fire somehow affect your matchsticks too?

I lowered my arms and gave Seraphine two fiery thumbs up.

“Great! Can we get out now?” Qiu Shuangshuang’s earlier depression vanished, replaced by excitement that nearly made her bounce.

Xue Bufan walked over to examine the tunnel, peering into it and shaking his head. “There’s still no wind coming through. But Palace Lord, didn’t you want us to search for clues to escape? Why did you choose to break through the wall directly?”

He’d barely finished asking when Seraphine’s mouth curved into a smile that was… distinctly mischievous.

Xue Bufan’s internal alarms went off, and he quietly took a step back.

“Of course it’s for my Luanyang Palace. Did you think it was for you?” Seraphine said with her characteristically leisurely tone. “Besides, I’m not particularly interested in watching any romantic reunion scenes.”

Xue Bufan looked completely baffled.

Just then, a candle-flame-sized light appeared in the dark tunnel, slowly approaching. Before Xue Bufan could get out his “Who—“, a very familiar voice reached them.

“I didn’t expect the Palace Lord to be imprisoned in this kind of place too. Cough cough.”

Xue Bufan’s expression lit up with surprise and joy. “Little Tao?”

The voice in the darkness paused. “Young Master Xue?”

Soon, Siyi emerged from the tunnel supporting Xue Mengtao. The woman in pink robes extinguished her vermillion bird lamp and bowed to Seraphine first, smiling warmly. “I thought we’d spend the rest of our lives in that sunless prison. Who would have expected such a turn of fortune? Phoenix golden feathers are so precious, yet the Palace Lord used them for Mengtao and me. Thank you for saving our lives, Palace Lord.”

Phoenix golden feathers? Xue Mengtao froze. Though she didn’t know what phoenix golden feathers were, anything connected to the legendary divine beast must be incredibly rare. Her emotions became indescribable as she bowed deeply to Seraphine.

“Golden feathers may be precious, but they’re just dead objects. How could they compare to the importance of my Luanyang Palace elders?” Seraphine said leisurely. “Though I must say, the two of you being trapped in that sunless place wouldn’t have been entirely unfortunate.”

Her mouth curved into a slightly mischievous smile as she addressed Siyi: “You and Xue Mengtao were imprisoned together—with such a beautiful companion, being locked up wouldn’t have been so bad. But the situation here is truly painful to look at. Staying even one more moment makes me want to gouge out my own eyes.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Siyi and Xue Mengtao instinctively looked into the prison cell. They saw a delicate, adorable young woman standing there. Far from being eye-searingly hideous, she was actually quite pleasant to look at. However, the girl’s gaze was fixed on—all three of them unconsciously shifted their attention to the room’s only male occupant.

To make sure everyone could see clearly, I even lit up and flew above Xue Bufan, holding up a downward-pointing arrow.

Seraphine suppressed her laughter and sent a flame orb to float beside me.

Illuminated clearly by the firelight, Xue Bufan covered his face with his hands.

“Eye-searing,” Siyi repeated thoughtfully, her eyes lighting up. What an apt description.

Xue Mengtao couldn’t help but fall silent. Though she’d seen Xue Bufan’s disguised appearance before, she had to admit the Palace Lord’s words weren’t wrong. It was indeed somewhat… harsh on the eyes.

Setting aside the banter, Siyi gave Seraphine a general report of recent events. All the Luanyang Palace disciples who’d entered the secret realm were below the Golden Core Foundation stage. After entering, they’d grouped according to pre-arranged teams to explore and face dangers. As a palace attendant from Phoenix Peak, Xue Mengtao had stayed with Siyi.

With Siyi’s late Foundation Establishment cultivation and her skills as an artifact refiner, protecting Xue Mengtao had gone relatively smoothly. But five days ago, after they’d killed a mid-stage Foundation Establishment spirit beast, they’d discovered a ring in its nest and been transported to this prison.

“Please look, Palace Lord.” Siyi extended her hand, revealing the familiar black ring on her pale finger, also bearing three small grooves.

Xue Mengtao lowered her head and said quietly, “If Elder Si hadn’t been gathering Foundation Establishment herbs for me, we wouldn’t have fallen into this situation. I’ve implicated Elder Si.”

“That’s not right,” Siyi said, lowering her hand with a smile. “If we hadn’t had this opportunity, how would we have encountered the Palace Lord?”

She took out a compass and infused it with spiritual energy, coughing lightly before saying, “I’m sure the Palace Lord has already noticed—the Chongshan Secret Realm is different from before. It seems to be placing cultivators in different areas based on their cultivation levels.”

“Exactly,” Seraphine nodded.

Qiu Shuangshuang, who had been quietly listening from the side, exclaimed in surprise: “No wonder I encountered such terrifying opponents! I really almost died!”

Hearing her pitiful voice, Siyi turned to look at Qiu Shuangshuang and gave her a gentle smile. Qiu Shuangshuang instinctively smiled back, thinking that there were actually kind, approachable people around Seraphine.

“I haven’t asked for the young lady’s name yet,” Siyi said warmly.

Qiu Shuangshuang lifted her chin proudly. “Autumn Water Pavilion, Qiu Shuangshuang.”

“So you’re Lady Qiu.” Siyi’s smile deepened, and a bright gleam flashed in her eyes.

Seraphine rested her chin on her hand, sipped some spirit tea, and said, “I made an agreement with her to escort her to other Autumn Water Pavilion disciples, or if we can’t find any, to take her out of the secret realm.”

“But even before that, Young Master Xue had done Lady Qiu a favor.”

There seemed to be some deeper meaning in those words.

Xue Bufan immediately said, “That doesn’t count as a favor. I actually almost harmed Lady Qiu, so we’re even.”

“How can you calculate it that way! You did save me! I’ll never forget this life-saving grace, and I’ll definitely repay you!” Qiu Shuangshuang said firmly to Xue Bufan. “Besides, you’ve been so caring toward me. How could I be an ungrateful person!”

Seraphine looked at Xue Mengtao, who sat quietly, then exchanged a meaningful glance with Siyi.

Siyi picked up her spirit tea and drank, then set down her cup and sighed. “Young Master Xue really can’t be judged by appearances.”

“……”

Xue Bufan paused, closed his eyes briefly, and explained: “She’s still young, the same age as a sister I’m close to at home. I couldn’t help but look after her a bit more. Little Tao should know who I’m talking about.”

The Xue Mengtao he was looking at silently nodded.

Siyi smiled and said, “Young Master Xue is kind-hearted. Why explain to us? Mengtao, what do you think? Oh, and I haven’t introduced her to Lady Qiu yet—this is a palace attendant from our Beast Hall, specifically assigned to care for the Palace Lord’s spirit beasts.”

Qiu Shuangshuang clapped her hands together excitedly. “Error!”

Xue Bufan stared at Xue Mengtao.

That day, both the fire rock dragon and Xue Mengtao had been taken away by Seraphine. He hadn’t expected that Seraphine would actually assign her to care for the fire rock dragon…

“Hah, she really knows how to humiliate people!” a hoarse voice whispered in Xue Bufan’s ear. He pressed his lips together and transmitted back: “If it were deliberate humiliation, Elder Si wouldn’t risk gathering herbs for her. Let me find time to ask her about it.”

The voice sneered coldly: “You fool, still making excuses for them! Seraphine wanted to kill you that day!”

Xue Bufan didn’t transmit anything back and just smiled at Xue Mengtao.

The spiritual consciousness in the ring angrily withdrew its mental transmission, grinding its teeth in frustration. The boy chooses to use his brain at times like this! How infuriating!

Xue Mengtao tugged at the corner of her mouth and made eye contact with Qiu Shuangshuang. The young, delicate girl was sitting beside Xue Bufan, her features clean and bright, looking like someone without a care in the world. She clutched her fingers and responded to Siyi’s words: “Mm.”

Autumn Water Pavilion. Even as a servant who had rarely left home in the Xue family, she had heard of it. The reputation of the Autumn Water Pavilion in the Nanyang Continent, the young lady of the Autumn Water Pavilion… How nice.

It was then that Xue Bufan realized something too.

Why was he explaining himself to the elders of the Luanyang Palace?

I circled above several people’s heads, with Seraphine’s golden-red fire orb following wherever I went. I held my chin with my matchstick arms, deep in thought.

Something feels off.

I held up a sign saying “Please humans speak plainly” and made a circuit around the room.

Seraphine’s smile deepened as her gaze fell on the compass on the table, and her expression gradually became serious. She addressed Siyi: “Let’s discuss the important matter. Do you understand this formation?”

As an artifact refiner, Siyi was well-read and knowledgeable about formations. She moved her finger and produced several white stones, arranging them on the ground before speaking softly: “I assume everyone present has experienced illusions?”

Seraphine raised her hand slightly, and I nestled comfortably on the back of her hand.

“This prison was designed for those illusions,” Siyi continued. “If my guess is correct, this prison is much larger than we imagine, and more than just the five of us have been imprisoned here. According to my original theory, after all the cultivators in the prison experienced their illusions, the prison’s formation would change and transport those who successfully escaped their illusions to the next location.”

“Gulp.” Qiu Shuangshuang swallowed hard and asked quietly, “What happens to those who can’t escape their illusions?”

Siyi raised her eyes, her beautiful peach-blossom eyes curving into a gentle arc as she looked at Qiu Shuangshuang. But Qiu Shuangshuang felt a chill run through her body, her shoulders instantly sagging.

“There’s another trial…” she said in disbelief. “What is this place?”

“An immortal palace?” Xue Bufan suggested immediately.

Seraphine’s gaze sharpened.

Siyi remained silent, her fingers continuing to arrange the white stones in front of her as she went on: “That was the original plan, but the person who set up this scheme didn’t expect the Palace Lord to enter the game and refuse to follow their intended path…”

I looked toward the tunnel opening behind Siyi.

The hole that the fire phoenix had smashed through was pitch black, like a monster’s gullet. The entrance was charred from the fire, with melted material hanging from the walls like tear stains.

“But the architect has profound cultivation. Even with the formation damaged, they won’t easily let people leave. The Palace Lord will still have to continue deeper into their game.”

Seraphine slowly straightened up. The spirit tea in her pot had gone cold, but her spiritual energy had fully recovered. She spoke in a voice barely above a whisper: “Since I’ve entered the game, let’s see who wins and who loses.” Her peripheral vision fell on Xue Bufan beside her as she lifted her cold tea.

Protagonist. Opportunities.

Hah.

Opportunities without an owner—anyone can seize them!

She drained the cold tea in one gulp, her voice taking on the drink’s chill as she asked: “When does the next trial begin?”

As soon as she finished speaking, the prison cell they were in began to shake violently. The thick stone blocks from all four walls began to extract, move, and stack themselves.

Siyi pushed the final white stone forward and tossed the jade piece into her vermillion bird lamp, smiling at Seraphine: “It seems that would be now.”

“The formation has been damaged, so the timing moved up. The road ahead is extremely dangerous. We can only await good news from the Palace Lord. We wish you victory.”

Qiu Shuangshuang stood up shakily in the trembling room. She’d been listening to the conversation between Seraphine and Siyi, feeling the ring on her finger growing hot, and cried out in terror: “Dangerous? I don’t want danger! I don’t want to go—ahhhhh!”

Before she could finish her sentence, she fell through the collapsing stones into the darkness below.

“Lady Qiu!” Xue Bufan exclaimed in alarm. He glanced back at Xue Mengtao, who was being protected by Siyi’s formation, frowned, and leaped into the darkness after her.

“Helping the weak and supporting the downtrodden—a model for our generation,” Siyi observed.

Xue Mengtao stared blankly at the place where they’d fallen, saying nothing. From the past until now, the distance between her and Xue Bufan had always been like this bottomless, dark chasm.

“Let’s go,” Seraphine said to me.

I circled around Seraphine’s body and jumped into the darkness with her.

The dark water beneath the stones rippled gently, calmly receiving the person who leaped down. The ripples showed not the slightest disturbance.

I passed through the mist, my first words being: “Host!”

“Mm.”

The mist parted where her voice came from, revealing Seraphine’s graceful figure.

“Where is this place now?” Seraphine frowned and released a ball of flame. Where the firelight reached, it burned away the mist cleanly, revealing tangled vines. But more mist quickly surged in to replace it.

“Only you are visible within scanning range,” I reported.

“This mist reminds me of when we first entered the secret realm.”

Seraphine nodded, her mood souring.

“First a prison, now thick mist. The architect either loves playing mysterious games or has something to hide!”

I tilted my head. “Like the protagonist?”

Seraphine’s mood grew even worse. She shot me a sideways glance. “Exactly.”

But Xue Bufan and Qiu Shuangshuang aren’t here. Did they get separated to a different location?

Seraphine raised her hand and released a large expanse of flames.

A fire phoenix soared into the sky, spreading enormous wings with every feather carrying firelight. It burned brilliantly, consuming all the mist in its path. The sky cleared briefly, and before new mist could surge in, the fire phoenix cried out softly and exploded in the air like fireworks, sending countless sparks raining down.

The area in front of us became clear and bright, revealing a tall city wall covered in climbing vines. Seraphine flew to the top of the wall and peered inside, exclaiming in shock: “What is this?”

I flew up beside her and let out my own “Ah!”

It’s a maze!

Inside the city walls were countless passages formed by walls, all covered with dense vines. Just from standing there for a moment, a vine from the opposite side suddenly lashed out with the spiritual pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator. Seraphine’s heart raced as she quickly leaped down from the wall. Once she landed in the passage, the vines on the walls went quiet as if they’d lost their target.

Seraphine took a light breath and glanced up at the sky.

Mist surged back up, swallowing those twisting, entangled vines. It seemed the architect was determined to force anyone who entered to walk through the maze honestly. With so many Nascent Soul-level vines, there was no way Seraphine could escape.

Seraphine pressed her lips together, fire blazing in her eyes as she sent out a wall of flames to burn the mist viciously.

How secretive can you be!

Don’t be angry.

I put on a small flower basket and started scattering petals around Seraphine.

Seraphine glared at me. “You seem happy about this!”

Of course I’m happy!

Because—

“Ta-da!” I exclaimed.

Amid the exciting treasure-chest-opening music, I unfurled a map and enlarged it in front of Seraphine.

I announced proudly: “The moment I saw the maze, I quickly scanned and mapped it! Although it’s only a partial map, please rest assured, Host!”

I flew up to the city wall, extended my matchstick arm to poke at the vines clinging to the wall, then floated back down, passed through the wall, and emerged on the other side.

Through and out, through and out.

I streaked back and forth like a silver meteor, then drifted to a stop in front of Seraphine.

Musical notes floated around my head as I used my gentle voice to reassure her: “Please proceed with confidence, Host. I will scout the path ahead for you.”

“Hiss.” Seraphine drew in a light breath, looking back at the path we’d come from, now obscured by mist, and murmured: “Throwing myself into the game…”

“Hmm?” I queried.

Seraphine looked at me, her eyes growing brighter and brighter. “Right now, only three people entered this trial—myself, Xue Bufan, and Qiu Shuangshuang. We three were already one step ahead, but this small advantage is nothing compared to you!”

She couldn’t help but reach out and cup me in her hands, saying with delight: “Throwing yourself into the game to gain half a move on Heaven! Echo, so you are that crucial half-move!”

“You are my greatest stroke of luck!”