You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

Of course, the chances of encountering enemies are equally high.

Chen Yang thought it made sense.

“You’re right. Blindly searching isn’t the solution. Finding the ‘reward points’ of the trial, either by waiting passively or by actively exploring, are both viable options.”

He looked up at the sky, which was fragmented by the dense canopy of trees, and the light grew increasingly dim.

It seems to be getting late.

There's something strange about this forest. We've walked for so long, but the scenery hasn't changed much; it's like we're going in circles.

Li Rou also noticed something was wrong.

"Master, we may be trapped in some kind of formation or naturally formed illusion."

The atmosphere in this dense forest was so unified that even a divine sense probed into it was like sinking into the sea; one's sense of direction seemed to be distorted here.

Is there a way to crack this?

"We have no clue yet."

The formations or restrictions here are connected to the rules of the entire trial space, and are extremely sophisticated. Forcibly breaking them would likely lead to unpredictable consequences.

Moreover, my knowledge of this type of maze is limited.

Li Rou's tone was apologetic.

"Perhaps... we need to wait until dawn, or trigger some condition? The trial grounds are often more dangerous at night, with limited vision and perception, making it easier to be attacked or fall into traps. Master, I suggest we find a relatively safe place to rest first, observe the changes here at night, and then make a plan."

After weighing the pros and cons, Chen Yang felt that Li Rou's suggestion was the right one.

Although he is in good condition at the moment, it is crucial to maintain sufficient energy and vigilance in this unknown and strange environment.

"Okay, let's find a place to stay first."

Chen Yang agreed.

"Where in this forest is relatively safe?"

"Try not to stay on the ground completely."

Leaving Judo.

"The ground is often an area where many dangerous creatures are active or where traps and formations are set up. You can look for the thick trunks or canopies of tall trees, where the field of vision is relatively open and it is easier to spot anomalies and avoid threats from the ground."

As instructed, Chen Yang looked up and searched among the towering ancient trees around him.

Soon, he spotted an exceptionally thick and sturdy giant tree with a canopy like a canopy. One of its main trunks, about twenty feet above the ground, was broad and flat, large enough for a person to sit cross-legged on. The surrounding branches and leaves were dense, forming a natural shelter.

He took a deep breath and leaped, landing lightly on the thick tree trunk in a few bounds. Once he was steady, he gazed into the distance, trying to see beyond the layers of branches and leaves.

However, as far as the eye could see, there was still an endless, almost identical, dense forest, like a green ocean, boundless and without end, with no obvious signs or roads.

Li Rou's voice echoed softly in his mind, carrying a hint of solemnity.

"Master, it seems the situation is more troublesome than expected."

Even without the maze, simply navigating this seemingly endless ancient forest would be no easy task.

"We can only rest here for the night and make further plans after dawn."

Chen Yang took a deep breath, suppressing his agitation, and said to Li Rou.

In this eerie forest that seems to have no exit, blindly wandering around is definitely not a wise move.

"Please rest assured, Master. I have set up several simple protective barriers here to prevent any uninvited guests from disturbing us at night."

Li Rou's voice rang in her mind.

Immediately, Chen Yang sensed a faint yet subtle fluctuation of divine soul energy emanating from the tree canopy where he was located, quietly spreading outwards like an invisible spider web, silently attaching itself to the surrounding branches and trunks, forming a hidden warning and protective barrier.

This restriction is not powerful, but it excels in its concealment and sensitivity. Any hostile or sufficiently high-quality creature that intrudes will be immediately detected by Chen Yang and Li Rou.

After setting up the restriction, Chen Yang sat cross-legged on the broad tree trunk, adjusting his breathing to recover his slightly depleted mana while carefully probing outwards with his divine sense like ripples, trying to perceive the mysteries of this forest more deeply.

Apart from the rustling of the wind through the forest and the occasional rustling of unknown insects, all around was deathly silent. The vitality brought by the rich spiritual energy formed an eerie contrast with this deathly silence.

Time flowed slowly, almost at a standstill.

I don't know how much time passed; perhaps it was only a few minutes in the outside world, but in this slow-moving time, it felt exceptionally long.

Suddenly, Chen Yang's ever-vigilant spiritual sense detected a strange movement!

The commotion came from the northeast, still quite far away, but it was moving toward this direction at a considerable speed.

It wasn't the sound of wind, nor the running of small animals, but more like... the sound of a group, heavy trampling and branches being roughly parted, interspersed with a few low and wild roars.

"Li Rou, something is coming from the northeast!"

Chen Yang immediately issued a warning in his mind and stared intently into the distance. However, the trees were so dense that his vision could not penetrate them at all.

Li Rou's spiritual perception range is wider and more acute than Chen Yang's at this moment.

She was silent for a moment, as if carefully discerning the situation, before her voice came through with a hint of seriousness.

"It's a baboon... no, not an ordinary baboon!"

These creatures are clearly different in size from ordinary beings, have a fierce aura, and show signs of spontaneous flow of spiritual energy around them. They are 'spirit baboons' that have undergone preliminary demonization or enhancement by passively absorbing spiritual energy and living in such a high-spirit environment for a long time!
Judging by the commotion, there must be quite a few!

Chen Yang felt a chill run down his spine.

"They seem to be heading in this direction? Is it a coincidence, or were they attracted by us?"

"Something's not right... Their route is very clear, it's heading this way!"

and……"

Li Rou's voice suddenly became more urgent.

"Their speed is increasing! Their aura is also clearly restless and aggressive! Master, prepare to retreat! We might be able to deal with one or a few of these spirit baboons, but judging from the noise, there are probably dozens or even hundreds of them!"

Once surrounded, even ants can kill an elephant if they outnumber them, let alone these baboons, whose individual strength is definitely not weak!

As if to confirm Li Rou's words, the roars from afar suddenly became denser and louder, and one could even vaguely see some tall tree canopies shaking violently. Clearly, the baboon troop was leaping and running among the trees, rapidly approaching!

"go!"

Chen Yang made a decisive decision without hesitation.

With a swift movement, he gracefully descended from the tree trunk, which was over twenty feet high, his movements as light as a leaf.

"Master, stop moving in the treetops!"

Li Rou urgently reminds everyone.

"These baboons are clearly skilled climbers in the forest. Up in the trees, our speed might not be an advantage; in fact, it would be easier for them to lock onto and track us. Once down on the ground, using the complex terrain and bushes to maneuver might give us a chance to shake them off!" "Understood!"

After landing, Chen Yang didn't stop. He chose a direction that was at an angle to the direction from which the baboon troop was attacking, and his figure transformed into a faint blue shadow, swiftly moving among the thick tree trunks and dense bushes.

He concealed his breathing to the extreme, walked lightly, and tried not to make any loud noise or damage the vegetation along the way, so as not to leave any obvious traces.

However, the commotion behind them was getting closer and closer!

The baboons' sense of smell and tracking ability were clearly beyond imagination. Chen Yang had only rushed less than a hundred feet away when he heard a noisy roar and the sound of trees shaking violently behind him. There was even a heavy thud on the ground not far away—fast baboons were already catching up!
"Whoosh!"

A dark shadow, accompanied by a foul stench, pounced from the side and behind, its sharp claws aimed straight for Chen Yang's back!
Without turning his head, Chen Yang swung his hand back, and a condensed sword aura shot out backward.

With a soft "plop," followed by a short, miserable scream, the lunging black figure was pierced by the sword energy, fell to the ground, twitched twice, and then fell silent.

Chen Yang glanced at it out of the corner of his eye and saw a ferocious spirit baboon nearly twice the size of an ordinary baboon, with bulging muscles and exposed fangs, its strength roughly equivalent to a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. Taking down one wouldn't be difficult, but…

More roars came from all directions!
Chen Yang's heart sank as he scanned the area with his divine sense.

In just a short while, at least twenty or thirty auras of varying strengths, all filled with hostility, had appeared around him, and the number was still increasing!
They seem to have formed a loose encirclement, squeezing in from all directions.

"We can't let ourselves be surrounded!"

Chen Yang's eyes turned cold. He stopped hiding and accelerated the circulation of his internal energy, suddenly increasing his speed. He rushed forward like an arrow released from a bow. At the same time, he waved his hands repeatedly, and sword energies crisscrossed, cutting through or forcing back the vines and bushes blocking his way and even the baboons that pounced on him.

"Roar!"

"Ow!"

His counterattack enraged the baboon troop, their roars grew even more ferocious, and their pursuit became even more relentless.

Baboons kept swooping down from the trees and leaping out of the bushes, their claws, fangs, and even thrown stones and branches raining down on Chen Yang.

Although Chen Yang could easily block or dodge, his speed of advance was inevitably slowed down, and his mana consumption continued to increase.

"This can't go on! We'll be worn down sooner or later!"

While Chen Yang frantically darted and weaved through the woods, he anxiously communicated with Li Rou.

"These beasts will never stop!"

Li Rou's voice remained calm as she quickly analyzed the situation.

“Master, these baboons are pursuing us so systematically and reacting so quickly and strongly to where we are... This doesn’t seem like a simple act of territorial defense or hunting.”

They seemed more like they were driven by some force, or... our arrival triggered some kind of 'cleaning mechanism' in this forest?

She paused, then suddenly said.

"However, any territorial creature usually has a defined range! If we focus our efforts on breaking out in one direction, they will likely stop pursuing us once we leave their core territory!"

"Makes sense!"

Chen Yang's spirits lifted. Instead of running around like a headless fly, he might as well take a gamble!
"We'll do it your way!"

He stopped trying to maneuver or hide, gritted his teeth, and activated the Qingwei Yuanjiang Great Art within his body at full power. His body shone brightly with pure light, and his speed increased dramatically once again. Like a slippery fish or a bolt of blue lightning tearing through the darkness, he charged headlong toward the previously chosen eastern direction!

All the baboons that blocked his way were either injured or forced back by his sharp sword energy, or he narrowly avoided them with his skillful footwork.

He no longer spared his magical power, seeking only speed!

Against the backdrop of almost frozen time, this chase and escape seemed exceptionally long and intense.

Chen Yang didn't know how long he had been running at full speed. Perhaps it was only an hour according to the outside time, but in this slow flow of time, the physical and mental exhaustion felt like it had lasted for a whole day.

His Taoist robe was torn in several places by tree branches, and there were a few shallow bloodstains on his body. His breathing began to become somewhat rapid.

The troop of baboons behind them continued to pursue relentlessly, their roars never ceasing, but it seemed that... the intensity and frenzy of the pursuit, after reaching a peak, began to ease.

"Master! Attention! The number of baboons ahead is decreasing! The pursuit pressure from the flanks and rear is also decreasing!"

Li Rou promptly reminded him, her voice carrying a hint of excitement.

"They seem to...slow down? No, they've stopped!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yang continued walking and scanned his surroundings with his divine sense.

Sure enough, those baboons that had been like a leech to Chen Yang suddenly stopped when they reached the edge of a forest that seemed no different from the rest of the area. They roared in frustration in the direction Chen Yang had fled, pounding their chests or the ground with their fists, but no longer took another step forward.

It was as if there was an invisible boundary there, firmly confining them within.

"As expected, there are territorial boundaries!"

Chen Yang breathed a long sigh of relief, slowed his pace, but remained vigilant, looking back.

Dozens or even hundreds of baboons of various sizes gathered at the edge of the woods, baring their teeth at him, but none of them crossed the line.

After confirming that they had truly stopped chasing him, Chen Yang finally stopped, leaned against a large tree to catch his breath, and quickly swallowed a Qi-restoring pill.

"Li Rou, your judgment is correct. We have broken out of their territory."

Chen Yang transmitted his voice, still feeling lingering fear.

Being chased by such a large and fearless group of spirit beasts with thick skin is not an pleasant experience.

"Ok.

It seems this forest has been divided into different areas, each occupied by a different powerful creature or group.

Li Rou analyzed.

"The place where we were trapped before, and this baboon territory, were likely part of the trial design, used to select and hone those who would enter. Now, have we passed the first 'selection'?"

"Maybe."

After a short while of rest, Chen Yang felt his magical power recover considerably.

"Regardless, let's get out of this troublesome place first. Let's continue in this direction and see if we can find a way out, or... other trial participants."

However, when he tried to continue in the chosen direction, something strange happened again.

No matter whether he walks in a straight line or adjusts his direction slightly, he will eventually end up inexplicably returning to a familiar place not far from the edge of the baboon's territory after going around in circles!
The subtle traces he deliberately left on the ground are clearly visible.

"A ghost wall? Another formation?"

Chen Yang's face darkened. He'd just escaped one trap, only to fall into another!

"Stop, Master."

Li Rou's voice was solemn.

"It seems we've... fallen into some kind of trap again."

The sense of space here is very off. (End of Chapter)