187: The Labyrinth of the Moon

Yu Yue put away his great shield, and Xi Guang affectionately rubbed against his leg.

Ji Linghan relaxed his grip on his war hammer, and Thunder landed on his shoulder.

Han Ruoxue gently stroked Silver Pupil, and the Moon Shadow Leopard sat down gracefully.

Chu Yixing picked up the exhausted Azure Heaven, and Little Qilin let out a weak but proud whimper.

"Azure Heaven, you did very well," Chu Yixing said gently, feeding him a five-element spiritual fruit to help Azure Heaven recover.

After a short rest, everyone recovered their condition. The Water Trial had exhausted them, but it also made them more coordinated.

Through this trial, the pets' abilities had significantly improved, and their bodies seemed to have grown a bit larger.

"There's only one Moon Zone left," Han Ruoxue looked towards the passage, "and then it's the final challenge."

Chu Yixing nodded: "The Moon Zone might be related to your power, Ruo Xue. I don't know if it will be an amplification or a restriction, but since it's a trial, a restriction is more likely, so you need to be extra careful."

Han Ruoxue smiled: "Don't worry, with Silver Pupil here, illusions have limited effect on me. But if my abilities are suppressed, you all need to pay special attention."

Everyone regrouped and walked towards the passage on the water's surface, heading to the Moon Zone, ready to face new challenges.

The moment they stepped into the Moon Zone, everyone felt as if they had entered the cosmic starry sky.

The dark space was dotted with countless starlights, and a giant bright moon floated in the distance, emitting a soft and mysterious Moonlight.

Beneath their feet was a seemingly void yet solid space. The entire area coexisted with stars and the moon, filled with a tranquil and mysterious aura.

"This place... is so unique," Han Ruoxue felt the Moonlight Essence Energy flowing in the space. "It's of the same origin as my power but more ancient and pure. I haven't found any immediate effects; my power isn't suppressed, but I also can't borrow the energy here."

Silver Pupil was unusually excited. The Moon Shadow Leopard appeared even more mysterious and elegant under the Moonlight. Silver light flowed in its eyes, seeming to resonate with this space.

Chu Yixing vigilantly looked around: "Don't be fooled by the surface tranquility. This is the fourth zone, it will definitely be more dangerous."

Sure enough, as everyone delved deeper, the space began to change.

Moonlight condensed into solid obstacles and passages, forming an ever-changing Moonlight labyrinth.

Walls, platforms, and passages were all made of Moonlight, incredibly beautiful yet extremely dangerous.

"A labyrinth again," Xu Bai sighed, "This time it's a Moonlight version."

Yu Yue tentatively touched the Moonlight wall, and his finger was instantly slightly burned: "There's a defensive mechanism, we can't force our way through."

Ji Linghan lightly tapped his war hammer on the ground: "It seems we need to find the correct path."

Han Ruoxue closed her eyes, sensing the flow of Moonlight Essence Energy, but gained nothing: "Silver Pupil, can you see the structure of the labyrinth?"

The silver light in the Moon Shadow Leopard cub's eyes flared, but it quickly shook its head in confusion, indicating that the labyrinth was constantly changing and had no fixed structure.

"Random changes?" Chu Yixing frowned, "Then how do we find a way out?"

Just then, the bright moon suspended above the center of the labyrinth cast down several beams of Moonlight. From each beam, a Guardian made of Moonlight emerged. These Guardians had elegant forms, wielded Moonlight weapons, and were silent but imposing.

"Prepare for battle!" Chu Yixing said in a deep voice.

Yu Yue immediately raised his shield, putting up a Holy Light Shield, and Xi Guang's whole body also glowed with holy light, reinforcing the shield.

The Moonlight Guardians immediately launched an attack as soon as they left the range of the Moonlight. They could move instantly within the Moonlight labyrinth, their trajectories were strange and unpredictable, and their attacks carried pure Moonlight Power, causing considerable trouble for everyone.

Even more troublesome, the labyrinth itself was assisting these Guardians. Moonlight walls would suddenly move to separate everyone; platforms would suddenly disappear or appear; passages would change direction, making it impossible to guard against.

"This is too passive!" Ji Linghan repelled a Guardian with a bolt of lightning, but another immediately emerged from a side Moonlight wall to attack.

Xu Bai summoned Abyssal Creatures, but found that the Moon Radiance environment had a suppressive effect on the Abyssal Creatures. The summoned creatures' strength was greatly reduced, and Shadow Claw was also affected by the environment, appearing very uneasy.

Chu Yixing swung the green lotus immortal sword in his hand to attack. The sword energy he unleashed could injure the Guardians, but they could draw energy from the Moonlight to recover quickly. "We must cut off their connection to the Moonlight!"

Han Ruoxue tried to release Lunar Eclipse power. The dark purple energy could indeed temporarily inhibit the Guardians' recovery ability, but its range was very limited due to the suppression of the bright moon in the sky.

Chu Yixing frowned as he looked at the battle, then suddenly said, "Ling Han, try using lightning to interfere with the Moonlight energy and see if it has any effect."

Ji Linghan immediately acted. His war hammer crackled with lightning, and chain lightning leaped within the Moonlight labyrinth, indeed disrupting the flow of Moonlight Essence Energy. The Guardians' recovery speed began to slow down.

"It's effective!" Yu Yue seized the opportunity to completely shatter a Guardian with a Holy Shield Charge.

After finding a method, everyone's cooperation improved: Ji Linghan and Thunder were responsible for interfering with the flow of Moonlight energy; Han Ruoxue and Silver Pupil used Lunar Eclipse power to suppress the Guardians; Chu Yixing and Azure Heaven were the main attackers; Yu Yue and Xi Guang defended; Xu Bai and Shadow Claw created diversions.

After a fierce battle, all the Moonlight Guardians were eliminated, but the labyrinth still existed, and its changes became even more frequent.

"The Guardians were just the first test," Han Ruoxue judged, "The labyrinth itself is the true trial."

She reached out and touched the Moonlight wall, closing her eyes to sense it: "This Moonlight... is responding to my power."

"You touch it and it's fine, I touch it and it burns me..." Yu Yue muttered discontentedly.

Silver Pupil also approached the wall, the silver light in its eyes resonating with the Moonlight. The Moon Shadow Leopard seemed to instinctively know how to interact with the labyrinth.

"I might know how to get through," Han Ruoxue opened her eyes, first giving Yu Yue a gentle smile, then slowly explained, "This labyrinth isn't meant to trap people, but to test the trial-takers' understanding and control of energy."

She demonstratively tapped the moon god scepter against the wall. Under Silver Pupil's guidance, she injected a certain amount of Moonlight Essence Energy, causing the wall to ripple and then open a passage.

"Precise control of energy is needed to guide the labyrinth's changes," Han Ruoxue explained, "Silver Pupil can help perceive the patterns of energy flow."

Yu Yue was eager to try. He asked, "Can all types of energy work?"

Han Ruoxue said: "Theoretically yes, but there will be different degrees of suppression and amplification depending on the attribute, making it difficult to control. Silver Pupil can only intuitively sense moon-type energy."

Chu Yixing nodded, summarizing: "Then this stage will mainly rely on you and Silver Pupil. We will be responsible for protection and assistance."