Thud! Thud! Thud!
Heavy drumbeats echoed down from above the sand layers, reaching the ears of everyone within the Quicksand Maze. The finals had begun.
As several drumbeats rang out, sand gates formed simultaneously in the front, back, left, and right of the room occupied by Zhang Chen's group of twenty-five.
"Straight ahead." Bodhi performed a quick divination with his fingers and promptly indicated the path forward.
As the sand gates opened, a massive maze composed of special sand crystals gleaming with luster appeared before them. The walls forming the maze stood ten meters tall and connected to the ceiling overhead, sealing everyone inside with no possibility of climbing over them.
"These sand crystals can block the transmission of consciousness, as well as space and time. With Bodhi's reinforcement of the entire Quicksand Maze, breaking through the walls with the strength of our current Sand Mercenary Doppelganger bodies is clearly impossible. It seems we can only navigate this place through ordinary maze-solving methods. Still, with Bodhi guiding us, there is no need to think too much about it."
Before everyone entered the maze, Bodhi stood at the entrance and commanded them in an authoritative tone:
"During our progress through the maze, the White Tiger team must maintain a proper formation to ensure no one is ambushed by death spirits from behind. The passages here are wide enough for us to walk side by side. Form up according to my instructions. The twenty people ranked sixth and below in points will walk in the center, five abreast. Elder Wu and I will lead from the front. Zhang Chen, Elizabeth, and Dia, the three of you will guard the rear."
The so-called Dia was the demon man Zhang Chen had been wary of.
"Alright." Zhang Chen moved to the back of the