Chapter 970 "The Ultimate Test of the Maze"

"This place is so strange." Bai Xue looked at the bright passage in front of her and frowned, "Why do I feel like I'm being 'stared' as soon as I enter?"

"Being watched?" Zhang Meng turned his head and showed a look that said "you are talking nonsense". "You are really overthinking it, right? Isn't this just an ordinary maze?"

Bai Xue took a deep breath and walked forward, but her eyes were fixed on the walls around her. "To be honest, the atmosphere here makes me feel a little uncomfortable. You said, these stone walls seem to be a little bit alive. Could it be... there are really ghosts here?"

"Ghost? You're imagining things again." Zhang Meng said as he walked forward quickly, without any worries at all. "There are no ghosts here. All the 'puzzles' come from our observation and logical reasoning."

"Then how do you explain these 'eyes' on the wall?" Bai Xue stopped and pointed at some patterns around her, with a slight smile on her face. "These patterns look a lot like eyes, don't they? It's like there's a peeping sight on every stone."

Zhang Meng frowned and looked in the direction she pointed. As expected, he found that among those seemingly ordinary patterns, there were some that looked like eyes, as if they were watching their every move through the darkness.

"This..." Zhang Meng paused, thinking, "This is quite interesting. It seems that the 'ghost' is not real, but a bit like the 'illusion' of this maze."

"Hallucination?" Bai Xue was deeply uneasy. "You mean, this maze not only tests our intelligence, but also tests whether we can stay calm?"

"That's right." Zhang Meng nodded. "The final test of the maze is not only to solve the puzzle, but also to let us learn to face our fear. Only by breaking through the fear in our hearts can we go further."

"Inner fear..." Bai Xue sighed, "Now that you put it that way, I understand. It turns out that this maze is not only an external challenge, but also a psychological challenge for ourselves."

"Yes," Zhang Meng looked at her, "So, the road ahead is not just about walking, but also about walking with your heart."

"'Go with your heart'?" Bai Xue raised an eyebrow, "Then what should I do? Close my eyes and go with my feeling?"

"You can't walk with your eyes closed." Zhang Meng smiled, "But you can try to adjust your mindset. The rules of the maze are sometimes not obvious, and many times, the answers are hidden in the details you least care about."

Bai Xue's eyes flickered, she thought for a moment, then nodded slowly, "Okay, I'll give it a try."

The two continued to move forward, the light around them became fainter, and only the sound of footsteps echoed in this dead space. As they moved forward, Bai Xue felt the atmosphere around her become more oppressive, as if with every step she took, she would hear a whisper in her ear.

"Did you hear that?" Bai Xue stopped suddenly and asked in a low voice.

Zhang Meng frowned, stopped and listened carefully, "I can't hear any sound, Bai Xue, are you overthinking?"

"No, I really heard some whispers." Bai Xue looked around nervously, "The sound is getting closer and closer, as if someone was whispering in my ear, warning me of something."

"Whisper?" Zhang Meng's expression remained unchanged. "Are you sure you are not scared by the atmosphere of the maze? Sometimes, people's thinking will be affected by unknown environments and produce auditory hallucinations."

"I clearly heard it." Bai Xue's voice was a little anxious, "And the voice seemed to say... 'Leave', 'Don't go on'."

"'Leave'?" Zhang Meng looked at her thoughtfully. "That's even more interesting. It seems that this maze is not as simple as you thought."

Bai Xue stepped forward uneasily, "Do you think this road is safe?"

"Safe? Who knows?" Zhang Meng suddenly showed a cunning smile, "However, sometimes, the more dangerous the place, the more it can stimulate people's potential. Since there is a voice warning you, it means that the test you are going to face is coming."

"Oh?" Bai Xue raised her eyebrows and slowed down her pace. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, if you don't face these 'challenges', you'll never know how strong you are." Zhang Meng said with a hint of joking, "Besides, since there are warnings, it means this road is not easy. This is the most interesting part!"

"You are really crazy." Bai Xue smiled, "I didn't expect that you are such an adventure enthusiast."

"Adventurous? Hehe, aren't you?" Zhang Meng shrugged. "Aren't we just going further and further on the road of adventure?"

The two continued to move forward, and the further they walked, the clearer the whispers in Bai Xue's ears became. She began to waver, and the voice in her heart became stronger and stronger, as if some unknown force was trying to pull her away from this path.

"Zhang Meng, I can't do it anymore. That voice seems to be reminding me of something." Bai Xue stopped and looked a little anxious. "I don't want to go on."

Zhang Meng stopped and turned to look at her, his eyes still calm, "Bai Xue, are you really scared?"

"I..." Bai Xue stuttered, "I'm not scared, I'm just... a little confused. I think if there really is an 'unknown force', maybe we shouldn't continue to get involved in it."

"But if we give up, all our efforts will be in vain." Zhang Meng walked up to her and whispered, "You know, true courage is being able to take that step forward when you least want to move forward."

"But what if we really encounter danger?" Bai Xue's voice lowered, "Look at these patterns, their 'eyes' are staring at us, as if reminding us... This place is not simple."

"Staring at us? Haha, don't you think that's just a psychological tactic of the maze?" Zhang Meng chuckled, "The maze itself is a mirror, it can reflect your fear and doubt. Your current emotions are the maze's way of 'testing' you."

"Test me?" Bai Xue's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that the maze is not an external dilemma, but the doubts in your heart." Zhang Meng patted her shoulder, "You have to believe that as long as you are not scared by these illusions, you can pass it smoothly."

Bai Xue stood there, her eyes gradually firmed up. After taking a deep breath, she took a step forward, "Okay, since you said so, I believe you. Let's keep going."

"By the way," Zhang Meng suddenly added, "it's a long way to go, do you want to take a break?"

"Rest?" Bai Xue stopped and looked at him. "When you say rest, do you mean we have to 'stay overnight' in this damn place?"

"Haha, there's no need to stay overnight," Zhang Meng blinked, "But I think you might need to adjust your mindset a little. Look, there seems to be a signpost over there, which may be the key to our next step."

Bai Xue looked into the distance and indeed found a stone tablet with some symbols written on it in a strange font. She swallowed and said, "I have never seen this word before, but let's go and take a look, maybe we can find some clues."

"Let's go," Zhang Meng walked over with a smile, "Every step in the maze is the key to the truth."