Chapter 53 The Great Maze Battle (Part One)

Under Rockwen’s direction, the Bloodshadow guild members blocked the exit directly, making their intentions perfectly clear.

“Zhang Tian, this is your personal matter. Settle it yourself in private.”

A voice came from within the ranks of the Guardian Knights—it must have been their spokesperson.

“Very well,” Zhang Tian replied, his expression unchanged, though his fist clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked. He relaxed his grip, shaking his head with a self-mocking laugh. “Looks like I won’t need to dirty my own hands.”

He glanced at the Bloodshadow side; their members already looked certain of victory. Zhang Tian withdrew back among his own guild, his gaze cold and sharp as he surveyed Zhao Nan from head to toe, before finally locking onto his face.

“Wait, there might be some misunderstanding here,” Gao Mingyang tried to intervene. Situations like this were rare—this wasn’t a street brawl that could be settled over drinks and apologies; this was a matter where blades would be drawn. Cold sweat broke out all over him.

To speak up at this moment required immense courage!

“Mingyang, you know them?” Rockwen was no longer angry; the culprit had been identified. What concerned him was whether anyone would try to stop them. He didn’t care much for obstacles, only that he didn’t want unnecessary losses before venturing further into the labyrinth.

Gao Mingyang spread his hands helplessly, apologizing to the people behind him—the newly formed guild, their bonds not yet strong.

He suddenly could not fathom how Bloodshadow, Purgatory, and Guardian Knights managed such strict discipline. The world had grown strange indeed.

But Gao Mingyang had always been the sort, if he couldn’t understand something, he simply stopped thinking about it. He’d rather just follow his own wishes in life—do what he liked, act as he pleased.

…

Zhao Nan had long seen through Gao Mingyang’s straightforward nature—a simple-minded fool, direct to a fault, both laughable and exasperating. Yet, to have such a fool by one’s side, however fleetingly, brought a surprising contentment to Zhao Nan’s heart.

He sighed. From Afanti he’d learned that Bloodshadow had two hidden classes, both level twelve, perhaps now level thirteen: Fire Dragon Magus and Barbarian King Warrior. Rockwen didn’t look like a mage, so his class was clear.

Meanwhile, the Purgatory side was silent. Surrounded by his followers, Westgate Yu offered a friendly glance, as if asking whether they should intervene.

Zhao Nan couldn’t decipher Westgate Yu’s intentions—anyone who could rise to the world’s top echelons later was probably not entirely normal. Zhao Nan doubted that their brief previous cooperation would be enough for Westgate Yu to oppose Bloodshadow for his sake.

Since Rockwen’s definite inquiry, the place had fallen silent for several seconds—five, ten, fifteen. At last, Zhao Nan raised his brows, extended his finger, and pointed at Rockwen’s face from a distance, then slowly beckoned him forward.

A few gasps sounded; faces around changed. Gao Mingyang muttered an expletive under his breath—Zhao Nan, in his eyes, was either mad or utterly reckless to provoke the other side at a time like this!

Crack!

Rockwen’s anger, which had seemed to subside, flared up once more. Such a blatant provocation nearly made him lose face. Curling his lips in mockery, he said, “Don’t worry, whoever acts bears the consequences. I won’t vent my anger on anyone else, as long as you don’t try to run. Mingyang’s people will be untouched.”

Who says big men lack cunning? Zhao Nan thought to himself, then sighed as if disappointed, “So, you’re still afraid of facing me one on one, aren’t you?”

The gesture moments ago was already deeply provocative; his words now struck at the heart. If the other still cared about pride, there was no way to swallow this insult. Rockwen could read the open challenge in Zhao Nan’s eyes—whether it was self-restraint or some ulterior motive.

“You’re both accomplices. If it’s a fight you want, make it two on two—us against you both!”

From behind Rockwen, a pale-faced young man stepped out. His complexion was white, yet his eyes were sharp and focused, like a vulture’s.

“Wang Wei, you—”

“I didn’t agree with what you did before, going after someone without confirming the culprit. But I never said I wouldn’t seek revenge,” Wang Wei replied coolly, glancing towards Purgatory and Guardian Knights. His meaning was clear: with so many watching, how could Rockwen keep his pride if he refused a duel?

“I understand,” Rockwen replied, striding outside the safe zone. He wasn’t stupid—rumors held that Bloodshadow was fractured within, and Wang Wei represented a different faction. Stepping forward now was a matter of the guild’s reputation. Their leader’s death had already tarnished their name; refusing this fight would only make things worse.

“If you’d just grabbed them straight away, there wouldn’t be so much fuss,” Wang Wei murmured as they left the safe zone, his tone half-scolding. This stoked Rockwen’s humiliation and fury—he swore to maim and kill his opponents with the utmost cruelty.

“Zhao Nan!”
“Brother Nan!” Gao Mingyang and Xu Fei called out anxiously. Once Zhao Nan stepped out of the safe zone, there would be no turning back. They followed behind Bloodshadow. Rockwen and Wang Wei were formidable—well-equipped, hidden classes, with fierce skills.

And who could believe they’d truly be safe after a duel?

But no one spoke, merely watching this farce unfold.

“Mingyang, leave your team and join mine. I have some questions for you,” Zhao Nan said quietly.

Their parties merged as Zhao Nan stepped from the safe zone, but Finina had not yet emerged. Rockwen and Wang Wei waited. Zhao Nan smiled, signaling her to slow her steps, feigning fear and reluctance.

“Zhao Nan, what’s the plan?”

In party chat, they spoke silently.

Gao Mingyang’s expression shifted, then he forced calm—he saw Zhao Nan’s level.

Level fifteen! This was his first time knowing Zhao Nan’s true strength.

“Besides Xu Fei and the other two, how reliable are your people?”
“They’re old acquaintances, roped in by me. There are a few, but most may falter… Bloodshadow’s numbers are overwhelming.”

Now Finina stepped forth, drew her sword, and stood half a meter before Zhao Nan. The two sides were about ten meters apart.

Stone Armor!

“Draw out the fight a little,” Zhao Nan whispered.

The Scepter of Sighs tapped lightly against Finina’s back. In that instant, she dashed forward with blinding speed, almost too fast for most to follow.

Finina’s target was Rockwen, the Barbarian King Warrior. He immediately felt the terrifying pressure emanating from her sword.

The Sky Sword Saint struck first—Starlight Combo! Eighteen consecutive blows!

Rockwen roared, not just to bolster himself but to activate a skill. Finina’s speed dropped noticeably; she seemed to freeze briefly midair.

Rockwen sneered, swinging his meter-wide axe high overhead, ready to strike her paralyzed form.

Clang!

In the blink of an eye, Finina recovered her speed. Her first blow deflected the axe, the second came instantly, and the next seventeen sword flashes rained down on Rockwen, relentless as a surging torrent.

A quarter of Rockwen’s health vanished instantly. Finina retreated as quickly as she had struck, her speed once more astounding everyone.

“Golden Battle Armor!”

A brilliant golden light enveloped Rockwen—an armor skill similar to Stone Armor but with immense defensive power. Licking his lips, he pressed the attack, his own speed impressive.

Since it was two on two, Wang Wei could not stand idle. He summoned a massive fire serpent, which coiled around him then darted at the enemy, its jaws snapping as it moved like lightning across the ground.

Ice Crystal Wall.

A massive ice wall rose before the fire serpent, but it shattered through as if it were paper.

Finina was locked in her own duel. Zhao Nan had instructed her to control the pace—not to win too quickly, but not to remain passive either. Her speed increased slightly as she maneuvered around Rockwen.

As the fire serpent burst through the ice wall towards her, she showed no sign of panic. Two whirlwinds sliced down from above, catching the serpent’s head. Wind and fire intermingled in a swirl of red and white; flames were torn into fragments, scattering, and the winds gradually subsided.

Wang Wei narrowed his eyes, spinning his staff—a blazing whip of fire extended from its tip.

Its target: Zhao Nan.

Zhao Nan raised his hand, not bothering with his staff, and fired a series of small fireballs, each one precisely striking the fiery whip.

Fire met fire—the whip seemed to sprout dozens of fruit, each one exploding in turn.

Mage against mage, Zhao Nan used a mix of low-level spells to duel Wang Wei. Wang Wei’s expression grew grave, his spells shifting from area-of-effect to single-target, and the pace of his casting grew faster, yet simpler. He felt drawn into Zhao Nan’s tempo; the Fire Dragon Magus’s terrifying offensive was being locked down by Zhao Nan’s quick, precise attacks.

And Zhao Nan, with each gesture, seemed utterly unhurried, as though he wasn’t even fully focused.

Rockwen’s attacks, too, had lost their effect—the Golden Battle Armor’s power was fading.

“Mingyang, disband the team.”

“Understood!”

At the same time, Gao Mingyang began to quietly communicate with his own people.