CHAPTER 137: OUT OF THE WOODS- MAZE.

The maze grew stranger the deeper they went. But surprisingly, Feng Jiao Xue and Mo Tianze no longer encountered anymore danger.

Easily walking near the exit of the maze. It also seems as if the contestants here are getting thinner and thinner because they no longer encountered some in passing. Wether it means that they have passed or have been eliminated? There’s a fifty-fifty chance for either.

The vines no longer struck at them, and the beasts that once hid in the shadows, waiting for their prey or prowling about seemed to vanish. What remained was an unnatural silence, peaceful but the atmosphere was as heavy as stone. Every step echoed against moss and dirt as if the world around them had been hollowed out.

Feng Jiao Xue’s breath misted in the air, though no cold wind brushed her skin. Her instincts screamed that something was wrong. The quiet pressed on her ears until even Mo Tianze’s steady steps behind her sounded too loud.

"Sister, looks like our luck is finally turning around" he beamed in relief, ears twitching with every soubd. His golden eyes scanning the path ahead.

She nodded. "The exam should be nearing its end. We need to hurry."

Mo Tianze nodded at that and followed along beside her.

The narrow path widened into a small clearing. In the center rose a wall of tangled vines thicker than tree trunks, woven together like a living barricade. The air was sharp with damp earth and sap, thick enough to sting her nose.

"Sister!" Mo Tianze immediately called out excitedly pointing at the opening. "I see the exit!"

Jiao Xue stopped as her lips curled up slightly at his excitement. "Im right beside you. I can see it too." She replied with a hint of amusement. "Let’s go"

With that, they immediately rushed towards the exit of the maze.

The vines shuddered hearing her words. They twisted violently, roots slithering across the ground. Tendrils lashed outward like serpents, snapping at their limbs.

Mo Tianze stepped forward, blade flashing. "Stay close."

He cut through the first wave of vines, each strike spraying glowing sap. Jiao Xue darted beside him, her breath sharp in her chest. Frost gathered around her palm.

"Shantrae zharna vī velora!"

A burst of shimmering ice shot from her hand, coating the vines in jagged crystal. They cracked under the weight, falling uselessly at her feet. The two of them pressed forward, carving their way through.

It felt endless. The vines grew back as quickly as they struck, a wall alive and unwilling to yield. Her lungs burned, her mana stretched thin, but she refused to stop. She pushed harder, every step fueled by the thought of sunlight beyond.

Then, light spilled through.

A narrow beam broke the green, warm and golden. Her heart leapt. "We’re close!"

With one last strike, Mo Tianze tore down the thickest trunk of vine. The barricade shuddered and collapsed inward, curling in on itself like smoke before vanishing into dust.

Beyond it....

Light.

Golden sunlight spilled into the clearing, flooding their faces. After so long in the suffocating shadows, the brightness was almost painful. Jiao Xue raised a trembling hand to shield her eyes, then lowered it slowly, wonder flickering in her chest.

They had reached the end.

Mo Tianze let out a long, controlled breath. His blade dripped with sap, his tail swayed behind him in relief. "We made it."

But the maze didn’t leave quietly. Behind them, the labyrinth walls trembled with a low groan. Mist collapsed inward, trees withering, roots tearing free. The endless corridors of shadow sank into the earth, leaving only bare ground and silence.

It was gone.

Jiao Xue turned forward and froze.

The path opened into a vast courtyard, paved with pale stone worn smooth by countless footsteps. Wide steps led downward to a flat expanse ringed by carved pillars. The phoenix emblem of the Academy glowed faintly at its center, etched into the ground itself.

And it wasn’t empty.

Dozens of figures lingered there. Cultivators, mages, demi-beasts. Some sat slumped against the pillars, their clothes torn and stained with blood. Others leaned on their weapons, faces pale with exhaustion. Groups huddled together, whispering in low tones. A few sharper eyes glanced up as Jiao Xue and Mo Tianze stepped through, their expressions unreadable, rivalry, curiosity, even hostility.

The air carried tension, heavy as the moments before battle. No one clapped for their arrival. No one smiled in welcome.

It was a waiting ground, nothing more.

Jiao Xue’s chest rose and fell with the silence. She could feel their gazes, some dismissive, some measuring, some openly hostile. Everyone here had clawed their way through the maze just as she and Mo Tianze had. And yet... this was only the beginning.

Mo Tianze tilted his head slightly, murmuring so only she could hear, "Looks like where many others have also passed already."

Her lips curved faintly, cold as the frost still lingering on her fingertips. "Good. Let them wait. We’ll pass them too."

They stepped down the stone steps together, their shadows stretching long across the courtyard.

The maze was behind them, but ahead was no peace, only a gathering storm of rivals, each waiting for the next trial.

The opening stretched wide like a clearing carved out of the maze’s endless walls, sunlight spilling down as if to reward those who had made it this far. The air was lighter here, carrying the smell of earth and the faint sweetness of grass. A few stone benches stood scattered around, while patches of soft moss and wildflowers crept between cracks in the ground. Beyond the walls, the world felt open again, like breathing after being held underwater.

Dozens of figures filled the clearing, some sitting cross-legged to recover their strength, others leaning against the walls, drinking water or nibbling on dry rations. The place thrummed with voices, a low and restless murmur, alive with excitement and tension.

"Did you see that? That boy carried his whole team out on his back, thought they’d collapse in there for sure."

"Tch, luck. The maze doesn’t test only strength but wit. Without quick thinking, no amount of muscle will carry you through."

"I wonder how many will fail... the academy won’t accept the weak. Better for them to give up now than face humiliation later."

"Still, imagine it, once inside, our future will never be the same. This could be the step to greatness."

Near the far edge, a group of younger hopefuls sat in a circle, rubbing sore legs and sharing canteens of water, whispering about what trials might come next. In another corner, older cultivators observed silently, their eyes sharp, as if weighing every new arrival.

The atmosphere carried both relief and tension. Some laughed in disbelief at their own survival, while others kept their expressions hard, already preparing for the next challenge. Every new figure who stumbled out of the maze was met with a mixture of curiosity and silent judgment, as though the clearing itself was a stage and its audience an unspoken test of worth.

The opening ahead was wide, a clearing carved out between towering stone walls. Above, the sky stretched endlessly, washed in pale gold light that spilled warmth over weary figures scattered across the ground. Grass had grown thin in places, replaced by hard-packed dirt, yet the air here felt freer, no twisting walls, no suffocating mist, just open space and the low hum of countless voices.

Clusters of youths in different robes and colors sat in loose groups, their weapons propped by their sides. Some leaned against boulders with eyes shut, conserving their strength, while others chattered animatedly, their tones carrying across the clearing.

"Did you hear? Someone said a group of four got trapped by the shifting paths and never came out."

"Che! That’s just a rumor. Don’t try to scare yourself. Focus, if we made it here, we’re already ahead of most."

"Tch, easy for you to say. My sword nearly got stuck in those cursed walls. If not for my talisman..."

"Keep your voice down. Look, more people are arriving."

The sound of boots against stone echoed as new figures stumbled out from the maze’s mouth, some gasping, others grinning in relief. A few already seated passers clapped or called out in mock cheer.

"Hah! Another bunch survived! Thought you’d be stuck in there for days!"

"Hey, you’ve still got all your limbs, guess the maze wasn’t too hungry after all."

Laughter rose, mingling with the tired sighs of the newcomers. The clearing was alive with motion: someone tending to a bleeding cut, another trading dried rations for a sip of water, while a tall youth in crimson robes sharpened his spear in silence.

Despite the noise, tension lingered, hanging like an invisible thread. Everyone knew this was only the first trial. The academy’s path was long, and many would falter before reaching its gates. Yet in this brief pause, beneath the wide sky, they allowed themselves a moment of rest, breathing freely after clawing their way through the maze’s choking grip.