On the water's surface.
Standing on the turtle shell, Shen Ye held a long strip of paper and read:
"One pair of dark goat horns."
"Right, here they are." The Eight-Tentacled Monster set the items down.
"Twelve ghost lingzhi," Shen Ye read.
"Twelve... one, two, three... twelve. All here," the Eight-Tentacled Monster said.
Holding the twelve ghost lingzhi, it carefully placed them on the pile of things beside Shen Ye.
The quest items were practically piled into a mountain.
"Next, six Beiyang earth ginseng," Shen Ye read.
"Mm, exactly six." The Eight-Tentacled Monster stacked them neatly.
Shen Ye sighed and said quietly:
"Passing the trials this way just isn't exciting at all."
"You're actually complaining that it isn't exciting? Do you think I want this?" the Eight-Tentacled Monster said woodenly.
"Sorry, I wasn't blaming you-one piece of water-scale moss," Shen Ye read.
"One piece of water-scale moss-how many tasks are left?"
"We're halfway through."
"So slow."
"Yes... let's speed things up."
And so they passed one stage after another.
The final stage.
Shen Ye looked at the strip of paper and read:
"Pass through the maze, find the exit, and successfully leave."
Relieved of its burden, the Eight-Tentacled Monster gathered up all the quest items, let out a long breath, and pointed in a direction.
"Just fly up from here and follow the underground passage forward. That'll take you into the maze."
"All right, thanks."
"Hurry up and go! Don't come back!"
Shen Ye shrugged, put away the Skeleton King, then darted upward.
Only after he left did the Eight-Tentacled Monster look grave and murmur:
"That kid is so strong... his mentor is crazy too, actually telling him to 'look around.'"
"The exploration of the great tomb may speed up again..."
Elsewhere.
Shen Ye had already entered the Underground Maze.