C86 Hundred Twist Thousand Return Palace(1)

Amidst the swirling sands of the desert stood a grand palace, seemingly both real and illusory. Its blue bricks and green tiles, golden beams, and jade pillars, along with a blood-red lacquered door and lifelike white jade reliefs, starkly contrasted with the desolate surroundings.

After a long and dusty journey, Woo Zhengyang, Gongyang Qiusheng, and their companions finally arrived at the palace's entrance.

"The Hundred Twist Thousand Return Palace... I can't believe it's actually here!" Gongyang Qiusheng remarked with a wry smile.

The Hundred Twist Thousand Return Palace is one of the fixed locations within the Mystic Trace Realm. These locations are where participants of the trials often reap the greatest rewards. However, the Hundred Twist Thousand Return Palace is the one place everyone dreads encountering, as many who reach it end up leaving empty-handed despite their efforts.

This palace is a labyrinth, an endlessly frustrating maze! While the name suggests countless twists and turns, it’s more accurate to say there are ninety turns.

The trial within the Hundred Twist Thousand Return Palace lasts for nine hours. If you manage to find your way out within that time, you'll be richly rewarded. Fail to do so, and you'll be forcibly ejected with nothing to show for it.

Historically, among those who entered the Hundred Twist Thousand Return Palace, only one in ten might accidentally stumble upon success, eight would leave empty-handed, and the last one might never return at all.

"Brother Gongyang, the Hundred Twist Thousand Return Palace is all about luck..."

"Are we going in together or splitting up?" asked the Qian brothers, Fang and Yuan.

Inside the Hundred Twist Thousand Return Palace, the rewards are minimal, but it's also the least dangerous of the four locations. Most challengers who end up here choose to go solo, hoping that by taking their own path, they might have a better chance of finding something worthwhile.

After a moment of thought, Gongyang Qiusheng said, "Let's go in together first and see what the situation is."

He then turned to Woo Zhengyang and asked, "We're already late to the party, and most of the challengers have probably gone in. Are you planning to try your luck alone, or would you rather join us and see how things unfold?"

"Since we're all here, let's go in together!"

"Alright, everyone, place your hands on the palace door," Gongyang Qiusheng instructed, stepping up to the large, red door.

Woo Zhengyang and the Qian brothers didn't waste any time and stood before the door as well. At Gongyang Qiusheng's nod, the four of them pressed their hands against the door simultaneously.

The moment Woo Zhengyang's hand touched the door, he felt as if he was being pulled into a vortex. When he reappeared, he found himself in a seemingly endless corridor, with Gongyang Qiusheng and the others not far away.

"Based on the experiences of those who've safely navigated the Hundred Twist Thousand Return Palace, we should keep moving forward, then choose a direction and continue straight. This might increase our chances of getting out. Let's stick together for an hour, and if that doesn't work, we'll split up. How does that sound?"

With about nine hours left, Gongyang Qiusheng suggested they move forward, and Woo Zhengyang and the others agreed. The four of them headed straight ahead.

Before long, they encountered branching paths on both sides, but they ignored them and continued forward. Eventually, they reached the end of the passage and had to make a decision. Gongyang Qiusheng marked the spot with a Heavenly Essence Stone, and they chose the left path, continuing to the end before turning left again.

After a short break, they found themselves back where they started. This time, they chose the right path, but again ended up at the starting point. They tried left, then right, repeatedly, always returning to the beginning. Despite this, Gongyang Qiusheng persisted with their exploration.

Woo Zhengyang, unfamiliar with the art of formations, sensed something was off. The paths seemed to loop back on themselves, with few detours. If they were just exploring, they should have achieved their goal by now.

"Maybe we should split up and try our luck," Woo Zhengyang suggested, ready to part ways.

"Gongyang, maybe we should split up too?" Qian Fang and Qian Yuan were growing impatient.

With a sigh, Gongyang Qiusheng smiled wryly, "It seems that's our only option. Once we return to the starting point, let's each take a path we haven't tried yet."

They continued on and soon found themselves back at the beginning.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye!" Woo Zhengyang said, bowing to the three as he took his leave.

"Brother Gongyang..."

"We should split up too."

"Leave? You won't be going anywhere..." Gongyang Qiusheng suddenly chuckled.

As he spoke, Gongyang Qiusheng swiftly unfurled nine small, blood-red triangular flags. Instantly, the surrounding energy surged, and a powerful force pinned Woo Zhengyang to the spot.

"I initially thought I'd let you and the folks from the Heavenly Martial Academy clash first, but fate is on my side. We've stumbled into the Hundred Twist Thousand Return Palace. This ancient formation enhances my skills, and as luck would have it, I'm quite the expert in formations!" Gongyang Qiusheng said, his face beaming with confidence.

"Brother Gongyang..."