CHAPTER 76 — Into the Primordial Root Labyrinth
Dawn spilled fire across the sky as Lin Xuan and his group stood outside Cloudsky Sect's defensive barrier, preparing to depart. The air still carried the faint tremors of the tribulation lightning he'd unleashed days earlier—subtle reminders of the disaster he'd narrowly turned into victory.
Aurora floated beside Lin, shimmering with a starlit translucence, her voice ringing directly into the minds of those she allowed to hear.
"Everyone ready?" Lin asked.
Bai cracked his knuckles.
"Ready."
Mu tightened her grip on her cauldron, newly reforged with celestial alloy.
"Let's get the Sect Master his cure."
Wen checked the formation flags Lin had given him.
"Everything's prepared."
Sheng adjusted his upgraded blade with a nervous swallow.
"Lead the way."
Lin nodded.
Aurora smirked.
"Then let's begin your next grand mistake."
"Adventure," Lin corrected, rolling his eyes.
"Semantics," she sniffed.
---
Departure — But Not Unnoticed
As they stepped out onto the main road, sect disciples gathered in silent rows, eyes filled with awe and worry.
"Senior Lin… will you really face a Titan Vine?" someone whispered.
"No one's returned from that place in decades."
"Not 'no one'," another murmured. "Just… no one weaker than a Nascent Soul elder."
"And Senior Lin…"
They all fell silent.
They all knew.
Lin was strong enough.
But the Titan Vine was not simply strong.
It was primordial.
Ancient.
A living calamity.
The Sect Master stepped forward, leaning slightly on his sword.
"Lin Xuan."
Lin stopped and bowed.
The Sect Master's voice was low, hard, but weighted with trust.
"You are Cloudsky's spear.
Strike cleanly.
Strike deeply.
And return alive."
Lin smiled faintly.
"Yes, Sect Master."
"And," the old man added quietly, "thank you."
Lin bowed once more—
a silent vow—
and led his group down the mountain road.
The entire sect watched them go.
---
Road Travel — Growing Shadows
Three days later, the group traveled through dense old-forest territory. The canopy overhead choked out the sun, letting only pale beams leak through the leaves.
It was beautiful.
Ancient.
And increasingly dangerous.
Signs of demonic activity became more frequent.
Charred trees.
Shredded stone.
Strange footprints melted into the earth.
Wen knelt beside a blackened scorch mark.
"These burns… they're recent."
Aurora appeared, floating upside-down lazily.
"And sloppy," she added. "Demonic cultivators with no sense of restraint.
Pathetic."
Bai snorted.
"Think they're ahead of us?"
"No," Aurora replied. "They're following you."
Everyone froze.
"Explain," Lin said softly.
Aurora pointed toward the treetops.
"They're waiting. Watching.
Trying to measure how dangerous you've become."
Mu shivered.
"Do they know we're after the Titan Vine?"
"They suspect," Aurora said. "But they won't interfere.
They want to see if the vine kills you first."
Sheng muttered, "Comforting."
---
Worldbuilding Section — The Primordial Root Labyrinth
By midday, the group reached a ridge overlooking a vast valley. From above, they saw it clearly:
The Primordial Root Labyrinth.
A maze of living roots thicker than city walls, weaving like massive serpents across the land. The forest canopy hid most of it, but the earth seemed alive—rising and falling in slow waves, like the breath of a slumbering titan.
Mu inhaled sharply.
"It's… enormous."
Wen's face paled.
"I thought this was just an ancient forest."
Aurora shook her head.
"This is the outer shell of something far older.
Long ago, the Primordial Titan Vine grew across an entire mountain range. Its roots formed a living labyrinth that constantly shifts positions."
Bai squinted.
"Constantly shifts? As in… moving?"
Aurora grinned.
"Yes. Hope you don't get lost."
Lin scanned the valley, his dual-star eyes glowing softly.
"Tell me everything."
Aurora floated beside him.
"Very well. The Titan Vine is not a plant beast. It is a world beast.
A spiritual organism that predates most sects on this continent."
She held up a finger.
"One: It has no true form. Only manifestations of its vines."
A second finger.
"Two: It has a 'heart,' but it is not an organ. It is a condensed core formed from thousands of years of qi."
A third finger.
"And three: It is sentient.
It does not like intruders."
The group exchanged worried glances.
Lin smiled.
"So it's a challenge."
Aurora sighed dramatically.
"My master was insane. And now I serve someone even worse."
---
The Root Labyrinth Awakens
The moment Lin stepped within a hundred meters of the valley's border—
BOOM.
The ground quaked.
Birds burst from the treetops.
The entire labyrinth shifted—
roots twisting, rising, slithering beneath the soil like colossal serpents.
Mu grabbed Lin's sleeve.
"It's reacting to us."
"No," Aurora said.
"It's reacting to him."
Sheng swallowed.
"Is that good or bad?"
"Depends," Aurora said.
"Do you enjoy being hunted?"
The ground exploded.
VINES ERUPTED FROM BELOW—!!!
A wall of roots shot upward like spears, trying to impale Lin.
Bai stepped forward—
But Lin lifted a hand.
Tribulation lightning crackled across his palm.
"Don't."
He pointed at the sky.
A bolt of tribulation lightning fell like a heavenly guillotine, splitting the massive vine in two.
CRACK—BOOOOOOM!!!
The vine shrieked.
A sharp, painful echo rolled through the entire labyrinth.
Wen covered his ears.
"It… screamed!?"
Aurora grinned wickedly.
"Of course it screamed.
You pissed it off."
The roots around them twisted into position, blocking every exit.
The Primordial Titan Vine's roar shook the entire valley.
And the labyrinth started moving toward them.
---
Lin's Calm Amidst the Storm
Lin turned to his team.
"This thing is too big to fight head on. We need the heart."
Mu nodded quickly.
"I can sense medicinal essence deeper inside, but it's faint."
Sheng readied his blade.
"Then we carve a path?"
Bai cracked his neck.
"Perfect."
Lin stepped forward.
Lightning crackled.
His dual-star core pulsed.
Aurora's eyes gleamed with approval.
"Stay close," Lin said quietly.
"And don't fall behind."
---
The Labyrinth's True Welcome
The vines parted suddenly—
revealing a long, spiraling corridor of living wood twisting downward into darkness.
Mu whispered:
"It's… inviting us?"
Aurora's expression hardened.
"No."
Lin's eyes narrowed.
"It's studying us."
The entrance sealed shut behind them with a thunderous slam.
They had no way out.
Only forward.
Aurora floated up beside Lin, voice soft for the first time.
"Be careful, Lin Xuan.
This place… has killed people far stronger than you."
Lin smiled faintly.
"Then we'll just have to be stronger."
And the group stepped forward into the Primordial Root Labyrinth.
---