Chapter 772: Key and New Challenges Behind the Door

Qin Feng held the ancient key and sighed slightly: "It took us so much effort to find a key. Now we should think about what it can open."

"That's nonsense. It must be to open a door!" Zhang Meng jokingly said while swinging his arms to relax his muscles, "After all, the mission of a key is to open a door. It's only natural!"

Ye Li glanced at him and said calmly: "You make it sound easy, but we don't even know where the door is now."

"Yes!" Chu Tian raised his head and looked around, "We have been trapped in this dark hall for so long, and we can't see any door at all. Do we have to go around in a circle again?"

Qin Feng pondered for a while, and suddenly thought of something. He turned his gaze to the shadow in the corner of the hall: "No, maybe we overlooked some details. The last time we solved the puzzle, there was a secret door hidden here. Maybe it's a similar situation this time."

"Another secret door?" Zhang Meng's eyes widened when he heard the word, "I say, why don't we just change our careers and become professional secret door finders!"

Chu Tian couldn't help but laugh and said, "Maybe it will work. We are very experienced now."

"Okay, stop talking nonsense and follow me." Qin Feng walked towards the dark corner of the hall, and Zhang Meng and Chu Tian hurriedly followed.

After they walked to the corner, they found that there were indeed some subtle grooves on the wall. Qin Feng took out the key and gently inserted it into one of the grooves. With a light "click" sound, the wall slowly vibrated, revealing a hidden stone door.

"There really is a secret door!" Ye Li said in surprise.

“It’s always the same routine…” Zhang Meng’s mouth twitched, as if he was a little fed up with this pattern.

After the stone door opened, Qin Feng led the way in. Behind the door was a dim passage, with a faint light source embedded in the stone wall, illuminating their way forward. The passage was very long, as if it led to some unknown depth.

"This place doesn't look right." Chu Tian whispered, gripping the weapon tighter in his hand.

Zhang Meng complained quietly as he walked: "This road is too long! It feels like it leads to a bigger pit."

Qin Feng did not speak, but just walked forward silently. He could feel the oppression in the air becoming stronger and stronger, as if some powerful force was waiting for them.

Finally, a huge stone door appeared at the end of the passage. The stone door was carved with exquisite and complex symbols, which were completely different from what they had seen before. These symbols emitted a faint light, as if calling them to go.

"Is this the final door?" Ye Li walked to the door and looked at the symbols carefully.

Qin Feng nodded: "It seems that this is the final destination of our key."

"What are you waiting for? Open the door quickly!" Zhang Meng rubbed his hands together, looking at the stone door excitedly, as if he couldn't wait to see what was behind the door.

Qin Feng took out the key and slowly inserted it into the keyhole in the center of the stone door. As the key turned, the stone door made a heavy roar and slowly opened.

However, the scene behind the door surprised everyone - this was not the mysterious treasure or ancient ruins they had imagined, but a... maze!

“What the hell?” Zhang Meng shouted, “We spent so much effort, and it turns out to be a maze?!”

Ye Li frowned: "The designer of this place is really too troublesome. Haven't we already solved so many traps? Why build another maze?"

Qin Feng looked gloomy and carefully observed the layout of the maze in front of him. This was not an ordinary maze, the walls were tall and solid, and were engraved with mysterious symbols. The passages in the maze were intricate and there seemed to be no pattern to follow.

"This is not an ordinary maze." Qin Feng whispered, "These symbols are the same as the previous mechanisms, and they seem to be guiding us. Every passage in the maze has its own unique features, and we must be careful."

"Then you have to lead the way." Zhang Meng said helplessly, "I have never been successful in walking through a maze. I always get lost."

Chu Tian smiled and said, "You are just a person with poor sense of direction, just don't run around."

After they entered the maze, they soon realized that it was even stranger than they had imagined. The passages were sometimes narrow and sometimes wide, and the symbols on the walls occasionally emitted a faint light, as if conveying some kind of information.

"This place gives people an uneasy feeling." Ye Li whispered, "Do you feel that the air here seems heavy, as if danger may appear at any time?"

Qin Feng nodded: "Indeed, there is some kind of power hidden here. We must always be vigilant."

They moved forward cautiously. Every time at a fork in the maze, Qin Feng would stop and carefully observe the changes in the symbols, trying to find the correct direction. As they went deeper, the layout of the maze became more and more complicated, and the changes in the symbols became more and more elusive.

"Does this maze have an end?" Zhang Meng muttered as he walked. "I feel like we're getting dizzy."

"Stop complaining. You can still go around the maze dozens of times before you get out of it." Chu Tian joked.

Ye Li suddenly stopped and raised her head, her eyes alert: "Wait... did you hear any sound?"

Everyone was stunned and listened attentively. As expected, from the depths of the distant maze, a low humming sound came, as if some huge mechanical device was slowly starting up.

"What's that sound?" Zhang Meng subconsciously tightened his weapon and looked around nervously.

Qin Feng narrowed his eyes, his expression solemn: "That sound... is likely the center of the maze. We must find it as soon as possible, otherwise the maze may change."

"Change? What does that mean?" Chu Tian asked with a frown.

"If the maze itself is a living structure, it is likely to change its path over time or even close the exit," Qin Feng explained.

Zhang Meng was furious after hearing this: "What? Then what are we waiting for? Let's run! Otherwise, when the maze changes, we will have to wander here forever!"

Ye Li rolled her eyes at him: "Don't you like running the most? Why don't you run now!"

Zhang Meng suddenly became energetic and rushed to the front: "What are you waiting for! Follow me! This time I will definitely lead you out of the maze!"

"Slow down!" Qin Feng shouted hurriedly, but Zhang Meng had already rushed out like a gust of wind.

Qin Feng shook his head helplessly: "This is really typical Zhang Meng style."

Although Zhang Meng rushed to the front, Qin Feng and Ye Li were still carefully observing the changes in the symbols. After some intense pursuit and judgment, they finally found the place with the buzzing sound in the deepest part of the maze.

It was a huge mechanical device, embedded in the wall of the maze. The device was extremely complex, with gears meshing and pipes interlacing, as if it was the heart of the maze.

"Is this the core of the maze?" Chu Tian looked at the huge mechanical device in surprise.

"It should be." Qin Feng carefully examined the mechanical device and found that it was also engraved with those mysterious symbols. He understood that these symbols must be the key to unlocking the device.

"Another puzzle this time?" Zhang Meng looked at the complicated symbols with a look of despair, as if his brain had automatically shut down.

Qin Feng smiled and said, "You don't have to use your brain this time. Let me take a look."

He began to analyze the operating principles of those symbols and devices step by step. After careful study, Qin Feng finally found a way to activate the device.

He pressed a few buttons on the device, and the mechanism made a low clicking sound. Then, the entire maze began to vibrate, the passage gradually opened, and a new way out appeared before them.

"It's done!" Ye Li said excitedly.

Zhang Meng instantly perked up: "Finally I can leave this damn place! This maze is driving me crazy!"

Qin Feng looked serious: "Don't be too happy too soon. Although the maze has been solved, we don't know what is waiting for us ahead."

"You are always so cautious." Chu Tian smiled, "But you are right this time. Who knows if there will be bigger trouble next."

They stepped onto a new passage and left the maze. As they continued to move forward, a faint light appeared in front of them. It was the exit they had been looking for.

"Look, there is light ahead!" Zhang Meng shouted excitedly.

They quickened their pace and finally saw the exit at the end of the passage. The moment they stepped out of the maze, everyone couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. In front of them was a vast open space, and a towering building could be vaguely seen in the distance.

"This is our next stop." Qin Feng pointed at the building and said, "It seems that this adventure is not over yet."

"It doesn't matter. Having come this far, nothing can stump us anymore." Zhang Meng said with a smile, his face full of confidence and expectation.

"I hope so." Ye Li said softly, with a hint of caution in her eyes.

As they move towards the towering building, new challenges are quietly unfolding, and the end of this adventure may be hidden in the shadow of the unknown.