The gods were deep in discussion.
Outside the maze, the situation was just as intense.
"The sky won't work." Tang San frowned. "That entrance feels wrong. Let's circle around. He can't possibly seal the whole area."
He moved to the left, while Xiao Wu cooperated and sprinted right.
They actually found more openings.
But before they could get close—
Boom! A wall slammed shut in their path.
Still unwilling to give up, Tang San swung the Clear Sky Hammer downward.
The impact left his hands numb.
Clang! A sharp stone spike suddenly jutted out, aiming straight for his lower half!
Startled, Tang San slapped down with his Mystic Jade Hands and blasted himself backward.
No more messing with that wall.
He and Xiao Wu regrouped and exchanged head shakes.
"A hundred meters across, and he sealed every exit?" Tang San exclaimed, disbelieving.
"This is insane! He's only a four-ring Soul Ancestor! Where's all this soul power coming from?!"
Zhu Zhuqing made the first move, stepping into the single remaining entrance.
The walls shifted. She vanished from view.
Everyone else quickly followed—each person isolated into their own unique path.
This wasn't an ordinary maze.
The walls moved randomly.
Even Diyi Hong himself didn't know if any path actually led to him. It was all up to luck.
And just to spice things up—
A wave of five times gravity crashed down.
Everyone staggered under the weight, like a small mountain pressed on their shoulders.
"Haha! Bonus physical training! You're welcome!" Diyi Hong called out.
Silence was his only reply.
Now wasn't the time for training.
They wanted the immortal herbs!
Meanwhile, Diyi Hong locked onto Tang San with his spiritual power.
The floor beneath Tang San shifted—not the side walls, but right under his feet.
A pitch-black tunnel yawned open.
Tang San's scalp tingled!
He shot out his Blue Silver Grass to grapple and pull himself out.
But the wall he aimed for melted away instantly!
Tang San grabbed at empty air and started falling.
Still, he didn't give up.
He kicked against the wall, trying to rebound upward.
A stone slab dropped like a guillotine, smashing him down and sealing the hole.
Tang San clenched his jaw so tight it nearly cracked.
Targeted! He's clearly targeting me!
Forced to tumble down the tunnel, he activated Purple Demon Eye to try and see.
A side wall burst open with a scream.
Oscar flew out in panic.
Without thinking, Tang San caught him.
"I'm safe! Someone saved me!" Oscar cried out in joy.
Dai Mubai was falling too—with a giant stone ball right on top of him!
The massive sphere barely fit the passageway. With its speed and mass, it could easily flatten them.
Tang San grabbed Oscar and bolted down the tunnel.
The passage curved, becoming a slope.
Lights suddenly lit the way, letting Oscar and Dai Mubai see the stone ball above them.
"HOLY SH*T!" Oscar shouted. "What the hell is Diyi Hong trying to do?!"
Tang San was too busy running for his life.
Dai Mubai activated his Unbreakable Diamond Body and sprinted forward, quickly overtaking Tang San.
"Huh? Boss Dai, I thought you were gonna block it for us!" Oscar managed to shout mid-sprint.
"You block it yourself! You have Unbreakable Body too!" Dai Mubai shouted back.
That gave Tang San an idea.
"Oscar, run by yourself!"
He tossed Oscar forward, then activated his own defensive skill and followed.
"There's an alcove ahead!" Dai Mubai shouted. "Hide in the wall!"
The three dashed into the nearest crevice.
Tang San could feel the massive stone sphere passing by—its gust scraped his face like a slap.
Surviving the ordeal, they emerged from their hidey-holes and looked at each other.
"How the hell are we getting out?" Oscar asked.
"How should I know?" Dai Mubai grumbled, rubbing his head.
"I'm telling you, Diyi Hong is definitely targeting the three of us," Tang San muttered darkly.
A hatch opened above Tang San.
He looked up—and his pupils shrank.
Another giant stone ball!?
Tang San bolted back up the slope.
Oscar and Dai Mubai were too late—they screamed as they were chased by the new ball.
Tang San felt lucky to react fast.
Another crashing sound above.
Without looking, he knew—yet another giant boulder!
Tang San ran faster, but the passage was now blocked by the first ball!
He was trapped between two rolling death machines!
"You're absolutely targeting me!" Tang San shouted through clenched teeth. "If I get out of this alive, this isn't over!"
A hundred meters above, Diyi Hong was using his spiritual sense to livestream everything.
["Phoenix God": Streamer, that brat just threatened you. Better drop another one on him.]
["Nine-Colored Goddess": But he's already being sandwiched. Where would another one go?]
["God of Speed": That's easy—just dig a bowl-shaped pit. Drop as many as you like.]
["God of Emotion": I like that! Put some pressure on him. Isn't he the one with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step? Let's see him dance!]
Well—if the bosses wanted a show, Diyi Hong would deliver.
He reshaped the maze floor into a massive crater.
Then, as the trio slipped into alcoves again, he dropped a stone slab over each and opened a slide beneath their feet.
Straight down into the pit!
Tang San used his flying soul tool to glide down.
Oscar and Dai Mubai? No such luck.
They screamed as they plummeted.
Even with their Unbreakable Bodies, they were crying from the pain.
Still—better than being shredded alive by the Strangling Red Shoes.
Tang San didn't know the details. He eyed them strangely.
Even with defense buffs, wasn't that kind of fall a little reckless?
All around them, the pit walls opened—twenty massive holes!
Each one holding a 5-meter-wide stone sphere, half-exposed and ready to fall.
The trio felt the dread settle in their bones.
Were they all going to drop at once?!
Diyi Hong didn't immediately act. Instead, he turned to the live chat.
"Dear viewers, welcome to the Remote-Controlled Pit Escape Challenge."
"Ten balls, one divine sense, limited stock—get yours now while supplies last!"
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