Snow and frost covered the Origin Armor, freezing it stiff.

The narrow blade mark was almost hidden in the snowy landscape.

Every member of the team fell silent…

Who had struck with the blade?

The answer was obvious.

“Beep beep beep!”

Just as everyone was silent, the Originium detector emitted a sharp alarm!

Yuan Yuan stood up abruptly and looked back in the direction they had come from. The alarm of the detector echoed from afar… What was truly terrifying was that when he looked back, it was still an intact and flawless "long road."

To the naked eye, there was no difference.

But no one dared to take a step back…

The silver light emitted by the Eye of Originium gradually receded. Li Chen’s expression was grim as he said in a low voice, "I can’t sense the Originium in the direction of our return. A powerful force has cut off our path."

"So that's how it is…"

Yuan Yuan narrowed his eyes.

He had speculated that Hong Zhong's team must have encountered an incomprehensible "supernatural phenomenon," which led to their "complete annihilation."

Now it seemed his guess was correct!

The "abnormality" encountered by the previous team was repeating itself at this moment!

"Captain… the way back is cut off!"

An inquiry came from the command channel: "What… what do we do next?"

"Of course, we move forward! We have no choice, do we?"

Yuan Yuan said coldly, "Even if the road wasn't cut off, the main objective of this mission is to confirm the existence of the 'Oasis'… If what Hong Zhong said is true, then the Oasis is not far ahead. All members, rest in place and prepare to depart!"

"Roger!"

The always silent Su He was the first to respond, "Deputy Team Leader Su He, ready to depart!"

"Jiang Yu, standing by!"

Voices of response echoed in the channel.

The Second Team was in excellent spirits, their morale high, without any sign of fatigue!

Before setting off, they had made full mental preparations, unafraid even of encountering a "cut-off road"… Since Hong Zhong was able to find a "way home," then they certainly could too!

After witnessing their comrade's "death anomaly"… they were eager to know the true truth of that "blade mark"!

And the truth was not far ahead…

In just a few dozen seconds, the entire team completed their rest, maintained their formation, and continued forward!

Huge snowflakes swept across the sky.

The howling wind surged through the narrow gaps of the labyrinthine stone mountains.

Gu Shen turned his head back.

Before setting off, he looked one last time at the cut-off return route. The fire embers floating in the snowy wind clung to the mountain walls and rocks… as if he could feel a trace of warmth.

It was a temperature very similar to snow.

But the difference was that the cliff attached to the fire embers was even colder than snow…

…

…

Heavy snow fluttered and fell.

A tall man reached out his hand and brushed the snow from his shoulders.

Inside Fort Guber, a small cemetery was built, where many heroes were buried. One tombstone after another witnessed the legends of their lives and the blood that had been spilled… The soil in this cemetery was red, still hot and scalding even when covered by frozen snow.

And at this moment.

The soil was dug open by several soldiers, and a wooden coffin was being lowered into the ground.

The tombstone next to it was ready.

"Investigation Corps, Second Team, Maze Mission Homecoming Captain, Hong Zhong."

Zou Hai silently watched this scene.

The funeral of Hong Zhong was the intention of Lord Lin Lin.

In recent days, the Second Team of the Investigation Corps had negotiated with Fort Guber more than once regarding the ownership of the body… And Lord Lin Lin's reply was simple: he refused to hand over Hong Zhong.

Due to the support of the Legion Commander, the Second Team was helpless.

Team Leader Zhong Yuan of the Second Team was located far away, leading the top-tier transcendents of the Second Team in the [Old World] of the flank, carrying out an extremely important sortie mission.

Therefore, the dispatcher could only make stern demands and angry protests.

Unfortunately.

Fort Guber did not buy it.

Several "soldiers" responsible for burying the body wore extremely complete and logically sound protective gear, armed from head to toe… If this scene was seen by the Second Team of the Investigation Corps, they would be exceptionally angry.

This was the body of a hero… and these guys were burying it as if it were a corpse carrying a virus?

The reason for doing this…

Was also the intention of Lord Lin Lin.

The second departure of the "Maze Mission" had lasted for more than ten days… During these ten days, Lord Lin Lin had observed and studied Hong Zhong's body more than once, but had gained nothing.

He could not find the reason for the abnormality in the Book of Life and Death.

The most bizarre thing in this world was this.

The sea, which should have been a stormy ocean, was calm and tranquil.

People with keen intuition could smell the oppression before the storm. Zou Hai was one of those people, and Lin Lin even more so.

Ever since "Hong Zhong" returned, Deputy Officer Zou had always felt an ominous premonition in his heart. It was only after meeting Gu Shen that it had calmed down slightly. During his years of guarding Fort Guber, he had encountered many events, large and small, and his intuition had never been wrong.

And this time, he fully supported the Brigadier General's decision!

Bury "Hong Zhong."

No longer conduct research on the corpse, and completely cut off the Second Team of the Investigation Corps' thoughts.

Wait until the latest Maze Mission sends back a response… and then decide whether to restart the research based on the clues brought back.

"Deputy Officer… something has happened!"

Not far away, a sentry ran over, looking nervous.

Zou Hai frowned.

Something happened?

"On the Book of Life and Death… the members of the Maze Mission have once again lost their spiritual connection!"

This news made Zou Hai's heart sink.

He rushed to the Tactical Command Center. The command room was now in a state of anxiety. Lord Lin Lin stood solemnly in the center, while Arul, with silver hair reaching her waist, had a face as cold as ice.

The Apostle's expression was very ugly, and her beautiful eyes stared intently at the large screen.

The data transmitted from the Book of Life and Death was projected onto the screen. The files of all twelve transcendents showed "Deceased"… The word "Deceased" did not necessarily mean physical death.

But… the remaining aura on the Book of Life and Death had dissipated, which meant that they had at least fallen into a state of "spiritual death"!

"It… has happened again…"

Arul's voice was somewhat hoarse.

The previous Maze Mission had been like this.

No one knew.

What exactly had happened to the team outside the fortress?

Her gaze did not move at all, but unfortunately, the information on the Book of Life and Death did not fluctuate and was very stable… It did not seem like a miracle would occur.

"It's good news."

Lin Lin said calmly, "This phenomenon means that Gu Shen has reached the same location as the last exploration team."

He was the calmest person in the war room.

None other.

"The abnormality of the Book of Life and Death, I don't think it has any reference value. Since Hong Zhong can return, then there must be a way to 'return'," Lin Lin said slowly, "This Maze Mission is to find out the real cause of the abnormality… I think Gu Shen and the others have already touched the truth at this moment. As a fortress stronghold within the Great Wall, we cannot provide any assistance at this moment. The only thing we can do is pray for their safe return."

This sentence was said very calmly.

Lin Lin mobilized his authority and erased all those "deceased" files…

At this moment, such negative information would only demoralize the operational command team.

Lin Lin's voice was very steady, directly denying the authority of the Book of Life and Death, but if you think about it carefully… the time nodes for the Book of Life and Death's abnormality after the two teams went out were indeed similar.

This was not nonsense.

Perhaps… there was indeed some special regularity that caused this kind of abnormality?

"In comparison, there is another important thing that we need to prepare for…"

The information on the screen changed again.

Dozens or hundreds of lenses were projected onto it at the same time…

"Two hours ago, the 'Sky Eye' of the Umbrella Defense Line sensed a strong 'wind pressure'," Lin Lin said softly, "That wind pressure came from the due north direction."

As soon as this was said.

Zou Hai's expression suddenly became serious.

After guarding Fort Guber for so many years, he knew too well the true meaning of the words "wind pressure"!

The deployment of "Sky Eye" in the North Continent was extremely difficult. Outside the Great Wall was a world where order had collapsed, and the Umbrella Defense Line, as a buffer zone, was the last place where it was possible to connect to the "spiritual network"… similar to the tentacles of the human world.

Even if these tentacles were very short.

But… it was better to have something than nothing!

After deploying the "Sky Eye," the Umbrella Defense Line was able to sense and warn of the impact of Originium tides in advance… These Originium tides would trigger many anomalies in advance.

Earthquakes, wind pressure, tides… and so on.

And this time.

The wind direction map returned by the Umbrella Defense Line had several terrifying vortices…

"The initial scale of the wind pressure is estimated to be A-level. The Umbrella Defense Line will usher in the most violent impact in twenty years… The estimated result given by [Deep Sea] is that after the Umbrella Defense Line's Originium energy is exhausted, it will be able to intercept 95% of the Originium tide. The remaining 5% of the power will seep into the defense line and collide with the Great Wall. If we don't take any action, then this 5% of the power may break through the Great Wall."

Lin Lin slowly turned around and looked at everyone in the operational command room, saying word by word, "Everyone, Guber… is about to be windy."

…

…

The wind howled!

The blizzard gradually subsided!

The cold and broken world had become a reflection of the Old World, thrown behind them. The team of twelve stood at the exit of the snow mountain canyon… No one could have imagined that the final route of Labyrinth 38 would be so easy to explore.

It only took a few tens of minutes.

The view ahead was suddenly clear.

Floating clouds drifted across the high sky, and large patches of light were cast on the ground and on their bodies…

It was warm.

In the distance was the "dreamland" that all travelers dreamed of.

The end of the journey.

The Oasis.

Yuan Yuan was stunned for a moment. He felt the blood in his body boiling and surging. A strong sense of "belonging" welled up in his heart. It turned out that everything Hong Zhong had said in the hospital bed was true… The Oasis was outside the maze, the Oasis was in front of him!

Everyone in the team was immersed in the joy of "seeing the Oasis," and they all showed痴痴s smiles.

Only one person had a different expression.

Gu Shen frowned. He squatted down… gazing at the thick layer of snow under his feet. In the silvery white snow, there were some broken and scattered wood chips. Hong Zhong also brought back a piece of wood chip from the Maze Mission.

Gu Shen stretched out two fingers and picked up a piece of wood chip.

This time.

He felt a familiar spiritual fluctuation…

This was the aura of Teacher's [Sacred Wood].

However, the spiritual fluctuations contained in this wood chip were very weak, and it also carried the artistic conception of withering and寂滅.

Gu Shen stood somewhat confused at the exit of the snow mountain canyon.

This was the end of the maze.

The large patches of green and the blue sky in the distance were as beautiful as a painting… However, the more beautiful something was, the more dangerous it was.

Gu Shen felt that the Oasis was too beautiful.

It was as beautiful as a dream.

Perhaps… it really was a dream.

"Wait a minute…"

He stretched out a hand and held Li Chen, who was about to move forward.

"Everyone, don't rush forward!"

This voice used the "spiritual power" remaining in the fire embers… The fire embers in all directions surrounded everyone and had now shrunk into a circle with a radius of dozens of meters. The flames trembled.

This voice, after the fire embers trembled, rolled out!

The next moment… Li Chen turned his head, but his expression was a mixture of confusion and anger.

"Brother Gu, can't you see… this is the Oasis!"

Li Chen said coldly.

He slapped Gu Shen's hand away and walked forward.

Gu Shen narrowed his eyes, looking at the silver eyes on Li Chen's head that were constantly rotating but had stopped releasing light.

At some point, the Eye of Originium had stopped working…

Perhaps… the snow mountain exit they were currently in was already a dream.

The entire team was moving forward "slowly." The only one who was a little different was the captain, Yuan Yuan. The expression of this fourth-order transcendent was different from the other team members. It was a mixture of joy and pain, as if he was in a struggle.

Gu Shen took a deep breath.

He stretched out two fingers again, preparing to fight against the "golden hoop" and release more of the炽火 to wake up everyone in the dream.

The moment his fingertips touched the 炽火.

"Bang!"

A familiar fluctuation welled up in his heart!

Gu Shen's pupils contracted.

That fluctuation… he had felt it once before entering the canyon!

Something had resonated with the 炽火, or with the Pluto Spirit!

This time.

The familiar fluctuation rose again, followed by the sound of crumbling and shattering mountain rocks behind him. A huge shadow enveloped the high sky, and the sound of metal clashing like chains rang out densely.

Everyone "subconsciously" raised their heads.

What the lost people shrouded in the dream saw was a sun burning in the shadow.

Their faces still wore faint smiles.

And what Gu Shen saw…

Was a huge snake head with a body coiled up for dozens of meters. The so-called "sun" was the pair of golden and炽热 snake pupils opened by the giant snake!

"Hiss hiss hiss…"

The mountain rocks were the snake scales.

The way home was the snake's body.

In the data files of the Investigation Corps for so many years, it had never been mentioned that such terrifying "supernatural creatures" existed outside the Great Wall… This snake, whose entire body could not be seen at a glance, was probably hundreds of meters long.

Humans could not survive in the [Old World].

But this snake… could.

This was probably major news that would shock the entire North Continent, and the most terrifying thing was that a supernatural creature had appeared in the vast and boundless [Old World]. Did this mean… a second one?

Or rather, countless ones?

It was truly ironic.

The end of the maze was not hope at all… but a dream leading to a dead end.

This path of hope leading to the dreamy Oasis was actually a path to death thrown into the embrace of this giant divine snake.

The great snake perched high, contracting its body.

Gu Shen suddenly took out the Ghost Mask and put it on. The moment he put on the Ghost Mask, his mental power began to condense and amplify rapidly!

The effect of the Ghost Mask!

This sealed item began to erode Gu Shen's sea of consciousness.

However, at this moment, the Ghost Mask directly encountered the Fighting Golden Hoop.

And the 炽火 in Gu Shen's sea of consciousness sensed the provocation of the "low-level sealed item" and took the initiative to stir up the intention of suppression… After the two collided, a wisp of 炽火 was successfully released.

炽热 flames burned in Gu Shen's eyebrows!

He roared in a low voice.

"Wake up!!!"

This mental thunderous sound rang in the hearts of every transcendent in the exploration team!

Like a sledgehammer!

Heavily smashing this illusion!

The first to wake up was Yuan Yuan. This captain was originally in a difficult situation of struggle. With Gu Shen's 炽火 sound, he directly broke free from this illusion. It took him two seconds to see the incredibly shocking scene…

Yuan Yuan's roar resounded in the snowy wind!

"Investigation Corps! All members, prepare for battle!!"

The second to wake up was not the spiritual transcendent Li Chen, but the deputy captain, Su He!

This man's mental power cultivation was quite solid, and he was considered one of the most resilient in the Second Team… Before the captain's roar could sound, he realized what was happening with the警音 of the 炽火.

Deputy Captain Su He's first reaction after waking up was not to retreat, but to advance.

He rushed directly towards the "giant creature" high above.

This taciturn man was incredibly sturdy in action. He pushed off the ground and stepped on the "flowing" cliff wall—that was the flying snake scale. After a few seconds, he leaped high!

He threw a punch!

This was a full punch from a top-level third-order expert!

"Bang!!!"

The sound of an explosion erupted.

Above the high sky, the great snake's pupils were indifferent.

Its lips curled up slightly, as if it was smiling.

It didn't even dodge, just calmly and indifferently overlooking the tiny ants that were provoking it. This punch, wrapped in the embryonic form of the domain cultivated by Su He, exploded in the air with a violent roar!

Broken snow splashed!

Su He landed on the ground and looked up at the great snake. Its cold eyes, obscured by the wind and snow, penetrated the thick fog and radiated a faint golden light that was soul-stirring. This punch did not leave any scars on it.

However… the purpose had been achieved.

This punch was just a punch with a lot of thunder and little rain.

It didn't seek to hurt the enemy.

It only sought to make enough noise.

The entire team was awakened by Gu Shen's 炽火 and the loud external noise.

"Prepare for battle!"

"Prepare for battle!!"

The sound of drawing knives rang out quickly. Without any communication, this elite team of the Investigation Corps completed its formation adjustment within three seconds of waking up… The Eye of Originium on Li Chen's head started to rotate again, and a shared spiritual link was established between the twelve people in the team. Everyone's mental state became stable under the coordination of the Eye of Originium!

Jiang Yu stretched out his hands, and the broken snow on the ground rolled up, turning into a blurred rain screen.

B-level ability [Rain Swamp], embryonic form of the domain activated!

On the ground, there was a harsh "friction" sound. [Rain Swamp] tried to pull the snake's body into the ground, but the scales seemed to have their own hard domain protection power, directly shattering this domain!

[Rain Swamp], ineffective!

Several dazzling rays of light bloomed in the team at the end of the snow mountain canyon. Various abilities of the third-order transcendents were displayed at this moment… Under the effect of the amplification link of the Eye of Originium, these powerful attacks, which could have shattered a small mountain, collided with the snake scales, at most only bursting out dazzling sparks.

The only one who caused the most damage was Captain Yuan Yuan.

He drew out his double blades and danced like a cheetah on the great snake, his blades fierce, like a pouring river, slashing on the snake scales, not only splashing out dazzling light and fire, but also leaving shallow white marks… Yuan Yuan was even more ferocious than Su He. He slashed alone from the snake's tail, directly to the snake's head, but the great snake maintained its usual "indifference."

Finally, Yuan Yuan leaped high and inserted his long knife into the snake's pupils!

With a crisp "clang" sound.

All abilities and domains were removed.

And Yuan Yuan's knife strike was also bounced away—

A golden ray of light shot out from the great snake's pupils, like a radiance piercing the sky, directly penetrating his entire body.

Above the flowing clouds in the high sky, a burst of bright and hot blood exploded.

Hot blood rained down.

Drooping on everyone's raised faces.

Li Chen's expression was pale. He stared blankly at this scene, feeling his soul struck hard… Captain Yuan Yuan's "corpse" exploded directly under the gaze of the fiery pupils in the air, shattering into thousands of brilliant fragments.

And his Eye of Originium trembled violently uncontrollably.

It was not because it was urgently linking twelve people and running overloaded.

It was because he saw something he shouldn't have seen…

The silver eyes stared directly at the giant snake spirit, feeling an unparalleled oppression on the spiritual level.

Blood slowly flowed from Li Chen's eyes.

He raised his head, wanting to remember the last scene before the captain's "death" in his mind, but the final vision turned gray… a true sense of gray.

He was deprived of his sight.

The link of the Eye of Originium was also broken at this moment.

The communication channel had already been broken in the illusion, but without the spiritual link of the Eye of Originium, it would not have any impact on this team… because everyone had fallen into a shocking silence.

That great snake did nothing.

It only waited and welcomed their attack with an arrogant posture, and shattered all the attacking desires of the elite team of the Investigation Corps.

What kind of strength would it take to fight against such a monster…

The full attack of a fourth-order transcendent could only barely leave a scar!

To kill it, one would probably need the strength of a titled level?

No…

No one had ever seen such a "monster."

Could the top-level title among human transcendents really kill it?