Chapter Summaries

Feng Ling and the others found the Giant Python at the lake and discovered a special food item in an underwater chest. After they fed it to the creature, the Giant Python swallowed it and left, while they were left wondering what to do next.

• Feng Ling spotted a White Python in the lake and led Huangfu Miaomiao and Pei Xianjue toward the shore while Li Qing warned them not to return to Fox Village.
• Huangfu Miaomiao reported that reaching the lake increased their exploration progress by 10%, and Feng Ling jumped into the water despite the others' concerns.
• Feng Ling found an underwater chest containing Giant Python's Feed, which held a fresh purple fruit inside its leaves.
• Feng Ling threw the feed into the lake, and the Giant Python surged out, swallowed it, and disappeared.
• Feng Ling and the others stared at the calm lake in disbelief after the Giant Python left.

Feng Ling led the group up Sanqing Mountain to uncover the remaining exploration areas and find the Labyrinth Master. Near the summit, they discovered a sleeping bovine monster beside a strange tree bearing fruit identical to the Giant Python's Feed.

• Feng Ling realized that discovering the Giant Python had raised Huangfu Miaomiao's Exploration Value by 10%, and decided they should continue up the Mountain Path to uncover the remaining 49%.
• The group climbed for hours, rested at Sanqing Palace, and left excess supplies in the Safe Zone before continuing with Baozi.
• Pei Xianjue recorded a dramatic live report as the group climbed, then admitted she was making the journey sound more dangerous for the higher-ups' review.
• The Cat Owl alerted Feng Ling to heavy breathing near the summit, where the group spotted a sleeping bovine monster holding a Steel Fork beneath a strange fruit-bearing tree.
• Feng Ling asked the others whether they might accidentally wake the monster, like characters in a movie cliché.

Feng Ling and Pei Xianjue entered the strange tower beside the Purple Fruit tree and were forced to kneel before a clay Idol of the Queen Mother of the West. Baozi helped them resist its fear-inducing power, but they escaped just as the Minotaur Monster began waking beneath two Fox Demons picking fruit.

• Feng Ling led the group past the sleeping Minotaur Monster and discovered a dilapidated tower beside a Purple Fruit tree, raising their Exploration Value by 7%.
• Feng Ling and Pei Xianjue entered the tower while the others waited outside, and Feng Ling recognized the clay Idol on its altar as the Queen Mother of the West.
• The Idol's overwhelming pressure forced Feng Ling and Pei Xianjue to kneel, and their attempts to stand only intensified the force.
• Baozi used his Card to soothe their fear, giving Feng Ling the chance to grab Pei Xianjue and retreat from the tower with him.
• Huangfu Miaomiao alerted Feng Ling that two Fox Demons were picking fruit in the tree as the Minotaur Monster began to wake below them.

Feng Ling and her companions fought the Minotaur Monster and realized the Purple Fruits might be behind the Labyrinth creatures’ revivals. After the Minotaur Monster died, a terrifying old woman emerged from the tower, and Baozi urged everyone to run.

• Two Fox Demons woke the Minotaur Monster when a fruit fell on it, and it killed one fox as the other fled.
• Feng Ling and Pei Xianjue attacked the Minotaur Monster together, bringing it down with wounds from Bone Blades and Pei Xianjue’s flaming blades.
• Feng Ling realized the Purple Fruits might let the Labyrinth creatures revive, and Huangfu Miaomiao swept the fallen fruit away.
• When Pei Xianjue tried to burn the Fruit Tree, skulls with eight legs swarmed out of its canopy, and Baozi pulled her away.
• Feng Ling killed the Minotaur Monster, then saw a skeletal old woman emerge from the tower as Baozi shouted for everyone to run.

Feng Ling and her companions escaped the old woman's poisonous mosquito swarm, but most of them fell ill and the Ancient Tower's Idol pursued them to the Safe Zone. Li Qing identified the Idol as the Labyrinth Master and suspected that the old woman and the mysterious fruit were tied to the Queen Mother of the West and her powers over immortality and plague.

• Feng Ling and Pei Xianjue used fire to hold back the mosquito swarm as the group fled to Sanqing Palace's Safe Zone.
• Huangfu Miaomiao, Pei Xianjue, Baozi, and Feng Ling developed severe symptoms, while Li Qing remained unaffected; Baozi soon lost consciousness.
• Feng Ling and Li Qing saw the Ancient Tower's Idol outside the Safe Zone, and Li Qing explained that it was the Labyrinth Master, awakened when Feng Ling entered the tower.
• Li Qing suggested that the old woman was linked to the Queen Mother of the West and that the tree's fruit was an evolved Elixir of Immortality, which revived the Monsters and was connected to the plague.

Feng Ling realized the Queen Mother of the West had a third form and used the Purple Fruits to treat those sickened by its plague. Li Qing explained that the third form might be stronger than the first two, leaving them to continue investigating the deity’s changing depictions.

• Li Qing told Feng Ling that the Queen Mother of the West had a third form, described in the Classic of Mountains and Seas as a half-human, half-beast deity who governed calamities and death.
• Feng Ling noticed the Cat Spider and Cat Owl carrying Purple Fruits and wondered whether the Elixir of Immortality could cure the plague.
• Feng Ling fed fruit juice to Huangfu Miaomiao, Pei Xianjue, and Bao Changzhi, and their fevers and rashes began to improve.
• Li Qing urged Feng Ling to eat some fruit to build resistance to the plague, and she ate half of the remaining ripe fruit.
• Li Qing reasoned that the third form would be stronger than the others and began explaining how the Queen Mother of the West’s image changed across history.

Li Qing and Feng Ling discussed the Queen Mother of the West’s three forms and the danger posed by her Mental Pressure and plague. After the others recovered from their nightmares, the group prepared to confront the Labyrinth Boss guarding the entrance.

• Li Qing explained how the Queen Mother of the West’s image changed over time and theorized that the Maze retained traits useful for survival.
• Feng Ling showed that her Bone Blade had begun growing back, while Li Qing urged everyone to rest before facing the Labyrinth Master.
• Pei Xianjue, Huangfu Miaomiao, and Baozi suffered nightmares caused by the Queen Mother of the West’s Mental Pressure, then woke one after another.
• Huangfu Miaomiao saw the Red Mist outside and learned from Feng Ling that a Labyrinth Boss was guarding the entrance.
• Pei Xianjue proposed using Grenades to destroy the idol, and Feng Ling agreed to the plan.

Feng Ling and the others discussed the Labyrinth Master’s three possible forms and assessed their abilities before planning an attack. The meeting turned contentious when Huangfu Miaomiao resisted being sent to set an ambush, and Li Qing insisted she was the best choice.

• Li Qing identified the Idol, the old woman called Queen Mother of the West, and a possible Leopard-tailed, Tiger-toothed Half-human, Half-beast Form as the Labyrinth Master’s three forms.
• Feng Ling asked everyone about their recovered abilities and explained that her severed tentacles had not yet grown back to full length.
• Pei Xianjue proposed destroying the Idol to stop its Mental Pressure and suggested that Huangfu Miaomiao carry Grenades to set an ambush.
• Huangfu Miaomiao objected to risking her life without a reward and suggested leaving the Maze with the Administrator instead of fighting the Labyrinth Master.
• Li Qing argued that killing the Labyrinth Master was the only lasting solution and said Huangfu Miaomiao’s Demon Card made her the best choice to set the ambush at the Ancient Tower.
• Huangfu Miaomiao jumped up and called Li Qing a stinking Daoist.

Feng Ling decided to mark Queen Mother of the West’s statue by interrupting its Mental Pressure with a grenade, despite the risks. After Li Qing’s divination warned her to keep the operation limited, she threw the grenade at the statue from the edge of the Safe Zone.

• Baozi urged the group to prepare a detailed plan, and Feng Ling explained that she needed to approach Queen Mother of the West’s statue within one meter to mark it.
• Feng Ling proposed using a grenade to interrupt the statue’s Mental Pressure, while Baozi warned that she might be trapped outside the Safe Zone if the pressure returned too quickly.
• Li Qing cast a divination for Feng Ling and drew Lesser Overcoming of the Mountain, advising her to know when to stop and avoid overdoing the operation.
• Feng Ling led the others to the Safe Zone’s edge, where they felt the statue’s Mental Pressure intensify.
• Feng Ling pulled the pin from a grenade and hurled it at Queen Mother of the West’s statue.

Feng Ling’s team survived the Labyrinth Master’s plague swarm and discovered that the Mountain’s fruits granted temporary immunity. Feng Ling tracked the retreating boss to the Ancient Tower, where it ate purple fruits and transformed back into the Idol, while the Minotaur Monster it had revived revealed the threat of the Elixir of Immortality.

• Feng Ling retreated from the damaged statue after Pei Xianjue and Huangfu Miaomiao called her back, realizing it had trapped her in a hallucination.
• Feng Ling threw a second Grenade at the statue, causing black insects and skull-headed spiders to swarm through the archway into the Safe Zone.
• Pei Xianjue burned back the swarm, and the team retreated into Sanqing Palace until the insects dispersed and the Red Mist faded.
• Feng Ling concluded that the fruits had given the team antibodies to the plague, then used her Mark to follow the Labyrinth Master up the Mountain.
• Feng Ling saw the revived Minotaur Monster and watched the white-haired old woman eat purple fruits in the Ancient Tower before transforming back into the Idol.

Feng Ling and Pei Xianjue investigated the spider silk the Labyrinth Boss had left behind and tested whether burning it would trigger an alarm. The test awakened the Minotaur Monster and brought Skeleton Spiders to rebuild the silk, leaving the group to face a strengthened warning system.

• Feng Ling told the group that the Labyrinth Master had returned to the tower, eaten the Purple Fruit, and revived the Minotaur Monster.
• Pei Xianjue proposed leaving the Maze to bring in reinforcements, but Feng Ling pointed out the spider silk stretching through the Corridor.
• Feng Ling and Pei Xianjue tested the silk by burning it while Feng Ling used her Marking Ability to watch for the Labyrinth Boss's response.
• When Pei Xianjue burned silk near the mountain path, Feng Ling warned her back after the Minotaur Monster awakened and spiders descended from the tree.
• At least a hundred Skeleton Spiders repaired the burned silk, and the Minotaur Monster arrived nearby and began patrolling.

Feng Ling deduced that the Labyrinth Boss’s third form would combine the powers of the Maze’s strongest creatures and devised a plan to stop it. After confirming the Cat Owl could gather fruit without provoking the Boss, she assigned Pei Xianjue to burn the Fruit Tree while she and Baozi dealt with the Minotaur Monster and lured away the Labyrinth Boss, leaving Huangfu Miaomiao asking what her role would be.

• Feng Ling explained her theory that the Boss’s third form would combine gigantism, Mental Pressure, plague, illusions, and endless revival.
• Feng Ling sent the Cat Owl to gather fruit, and it returned with a branch without attracting a response from the Minotaur Monster, Skeleton Spiders, or Labyrinth Master.
• Feng Ling and Pei Xianjue agreed to use their phones’ local network to coordinate their plan for the next day.
• Feng Ling assigned Pei Xianjue to burn the Fruit Tree while she and Baozi killed the Minotaur Monster and lured away the Labyrinth Boss.
• Huangfu Miaomiao asked Feng Ling what part she would be responsible for.

Feng Ling and her companions prepared to attack the Maze despite Li Qing’s extremely inauspicious divination. Feng Ling led Baozi down the mountain to draw away the Labyrinth Master, leaving Pei Xianjue to burn the Monster-reviving Fruit Trees.

• Huangfu Miaomiao remained torn over whether to help Feng Ling, assist Pei Xianjue, or stay in the Safe Zone.
• Pei Xianjue recorded the attack plan overnight, naming Feng Ling, Baozi, and herself as participants.
• Li Qing divined an extremely inauspicious Jian Hexagram, but Feng Ling dismissed it and loaded Pei Xianjue’s fireproof bag with more Grenades.
• Feng Ling left with Baozi while Pei Xianjue stayed behind, and the Cat Spider and Cat Owl accompanied them.
• Skeleton Spiders surged down the mountain, so Feng Ling threw a Grenade into their swarm and kept running downhill with Baozi.

Feng Ling killed the Minotaur Monster and tracked the Labyrinth Boss as it descended the mountain. She told Pei Xianjue that the Boss was coming, and Pei Xianjue left the Safe Zone to act.

• Feng Ling sent Baozi into hiding and ran up the mountain to confront the approaching Minotaur Monster.
• Feng Ling blinded the Minotaur Monster, cut the tendons behind its legs, and blasted it with a grenade.
• Feng Ling hacked open the Minotaur Monster's mouth, planted a grenade inside, and blew its head apart.
• Feng Ling used her Marking Ability to locate the Labyrinth Boss descending the mountain in its white-haired old woman form.
• Feng Ling messaged Pei Xianjue that the Minotaur Monster was dead and the Boss was coming down the mountain, and Pei Xianjue left the Safe Zone.

Feng Ling and Bao Changzhi confronted the Labyrinth Master while Pei Xianjue went to carry out Feng Ling’s request to burn the tree. Feng Ling was overcome by the Boss’s Mental Pressure, but Bao Changzhi weakened it, and she faced the monster’s terrifying third form.

• Pei Xianjue confirmed that Feng Ling had asked her to burn the tree, and Huangfu Miaomiao followed her to help.
• Li Qing wondered whether Feng Ling’s Hive Card was influencing Huangfu Miaomiao’s attachment to her.
• Feng Ling told Bao Changzhi to suppress the Labyrinth Master’s Mental Pressure and use Grenades to wake her if she fell into an illusion.
• Feng Ling attacked the Labyrinth Master with Grenades and Bone Blades, but its Mental Pressure forced her to her knees.
• Bao Changzhi weakened the Boss’s pressure as it transformed into a half-human, half-leopard creature with six spiked tails.

Feng Ling nearly died fighting the Half-Human Half-Leopard Labyrinth Boss, but she managed to wound it before it left. At the mountaintop, Pei Xianjue and Huangfu Miaomiao discovered fresh leaves growing on the tower’s offering table, suggesting the roots could still produce fruit.

• Feng Ling attacked the Leopard Woman with her Bone Blade, axe, and Grenades, while Baozi shot the creature from a distance.
• The Leopard Woman overwhelmed Feng Ling, impaled her with its tail spikes, and left her for dead after Feng Ling severed four of its tails.
• Feng Ling’s Cat Spider and Cat Owl tried to help, and she used the opening to strike the Leopard Woman before it delivered another attack.
• Baozi found the gravely wounded Feng Ling and sent Pei Xianjue a message telling her to return to the Safe Zone.
• Pei Xianjue finished burning the towering tree and prepared to leave with Huangfu Miaomiao, who warned her to burn the tower’s offering table as well.
• Pei Xianjue found tender Green Leaves growing on the offering table inside the tower.

Pei Xianjue and Huangfu Miaomiao fled the mountain as Queen Mother of the West returned, but Leopard Woman struck Pei Xianjue down near the Safe Zone. Li Qing rescued her and treated her, leaving Huangfu Miaomiao angry that he had arrived at the last moment and taken the credit.

• Pei Xianjue hesitated to enter the tower after seeing a mural of Queen Mother of the West, while Huangfu Miaomiao damaged the Giant Tree's exposed root.
• Feng Ling warned Pei Xianjue and Huangfu Miaomiao to return to the Safe Zone, and they rushed down the mountain as the mist turned red.
• Huangfu Miaomiao took Pei Xianjue's grenades and threw them at the approaching Queen Mother of the West, but Leopard Woman's roar paralyzed Pei Xianjue and her tail pierced her waist and abdomen.
• Huangfu Miaomiao tried to drag Pei Xianjue into the Corridor, but Li Qing appeared, carried her into the Safe Zone, and fed her fruit as treatment.
• Huangfu Miaomiao administered a Recovery Potion to Pei Xianjue and left angrily, accusing Li Qing of picking up credit.

Feng Ling returned badly wounded after the battle with the Labyrinth Master, while Baozi used his ability to calm her and Pei Xianjue’s mental trauma. After waking, Feng Ling learned that part of the Fruit Tree remained inside the tower and tracked the injured Labyrinth Master back to its offering table.

• Huangfu Miaomiao left to watch for the Labyrinth Master while its roars caused Pei Xianjue’s mental state to worsen.
• Baozi returned carrying Feng Ling, and Huangfu Miaomiao gave her a Recovery Potion.
• Baozi used Kichijoten’s Card Ability to calm Feng Ling and Pei Xianjue, but the Labyrinth Master’s roar shattered the peaceful atmosphere.
• Feng Ling woke from a nightmare, explained that Mother Feng had directed the orphanage where she grew up, and asked about Pei Xianjue.
• Huangfu Miaomiao told Feng Ling that an unburned section of the Fruit Tree remained as the offering table inside the tower.
• Feng Ling used Mother’s Longing to track the injured Labyrinth Master to the tower, where it guarded the offering table beneath the burning tree.

While recovering in the main hall, Feng Ling planned another attack on the Labyrinth Master and urged the frightened Pei Xianjue to help burn its roots. Pei Xianjue revealed her insecurities and questioned Feng Ling's fearlessness, then began to consider Huangfu Miaomiao's challenge to decide whether she cared about proving herself.

• Huangfu Miaomiao counted the group’s supplies, prepared their remaining self-heating meals, and shared them with Feng Ling, Pei Xianjue, and Baozi.
• Feng Ling told Pei Xianjue that the Labyrinth Master was guarding the tower and recovering, so they could try to attack it again the next day.
• Pei Xianjue panicked at the prospect of fighting again and admitted she had entered the Supervision Bureau through her father’s influence, had little combat experience, and was haunted by killing Liang Zhou.
• Feng Ling insisted that Pei Xianjue only needed to burn the tree roots during the next attack, while Pei Xianjue asked why Feng Ling was willing to risk dying.
• Pei Xianjue said Feng Ling had nothing to lose, and Feng Ling objected that the remark was hurtful before asking Huangfu Miaomiao to persuade her.
• Huangfu Miaomiao challenged Pei Xianjue to consider whether she cared about earning recognition and changing how others saw her, leaving Pei Xianjue thoughtful.

Feng Ling and Pei Xianjue recovered while planning another attack on Leopard Woman and the offering tree. Just as they prepared to head for the summit, Huangfu Miaomiao reported that two Foxes were approaching.

• Pei Xianjue recorded dramatic last words and asked Feng Ling to preserve them if she died.
• Feng Ling rested and reviewed the fight, identifying Leopard Woman's Mental Pressure, mobility, and lower body as problems to address.
• Feng Ling and Pei Xianjue recovered, while Baozi needed more time to regain his Card Ability.
• Li Qing's divination warned of another exceptionally dangerous operation, but Feng Ling prepared grenades and weapons anyway.
• Feng Ling assigned Baozi to support her while Pei Xianjue burned the tree, then Huangfu Miaomiao reported that two Foxes were coming up the Mountain.