The moment Yan Xuanlanbin stepped through the portal, the world twisted and warped around him. The air grew thick and heavy, as if the very fabric of reality was folding in on itself. He found himself standing at the entrance of an endless labyrinth, stretching beyond sight—a maze carved from shimmering threads of time itself.
The Labyrinth of Time was the sixth realm, the place where past, present, and future collided in an unrelenting cycle. Here, cultivation was not measured by strength alone but by one's ability to navigate the shifting currents of time without losing themselves.
Yan's heart beat steadily as he stepped forward. The Supreme Sword pulsed in his grasp, its golden flame now weaving with frost, storm, and the lingering spiritual energy of the last realm.
Every step sent ripples through the labyrinth's glowing paths. Time itself seemed fluid here—moments looped back, memories twisted, and distant echoes of possible futures whispered through the air.
A low, ominous hum filled the space, vibrating with power and mystery.
Suddenly, the labyrinth walls shimmered, and spectral images flickered before Yan's eyes — visions of his past battles, moments of triumph, and flashes of failures. Each one was vivid, alive, and begging for acknowledgment.
But the labyrinth was no idle spectator.
The path ahead split into countless forks, each shimmering with different possibilities, like branches of a colossal tree stretching through time.
Yan's cultivation senses flared. The Temporal Insight Technique — a rare skill granted to those who mastered the essence of time — activated within him, sharpening his perception to catch fleeting glimpses of what lay ahead.
He moved with purpose, following the faint trails of golden light that flickered like fireflies in the dark maze.
But the labyrinth was a test of more than navigation.
From the shadows of time itself emerged the Chrono Wraiths — ghostly guardians of the labyrinth, born from fractured moments and lost time. Their forms shifted between ages, appearing as warriors from different eras, all bearing weapons forged in temporal flame.
They moved in eerie silence, their eyes glowing with cold blue fire as they converged on Yan.
Without hesitation, Yan drew the Supreme Sword, its blade shining like a beacon in the shifting dark.
The Chrono Wraiths attacked in unison — blades slicing through past and future, attempting to trap Yan in endless loops of time.
Yan responded with explosive speed, weaving between their strikes, his sword flashing in arcs of fire, ice, storm, and spirit.
He unleashed a technique he had refined in the Realm of Storms: the Dragon Tempest Vortex. The sword spun in a deadly cyclone, sending bolts of lightning and freezing winds crashing into the wraiths.
But the wraiths did not fall so easily. They melted into shimmering particles, only to re-form seconds later, relentless as the flow of time itself.
Realizing brute force alone wouldn't suffice, Yan tapped deeper into his cultivation core.
He activated the Temporal Flow Technique, allowing his body and mind to briefly synchronize with the labyrinth's shifting time currents.
The world slowed around him; moments stretched like molten glass. He moved in a blur, striking wraith after wraith with pinpoint precision.
Each strike fractured their forms further, until the last wraith shattered into a cascade of light.
But the labyrinth was not done with him.
Ahead, a massive clock tower rose from the twisting paths, its gears turning in impossible patterns. At its summit, a figure stood cloaked in shimmering light — the Keeper of Time.
The Keeper's eyes glowed with the knowledge of millennia.
"You seek mastery of time," the Keeper said, voice echoing like a distant chime. "But to conquer the Labyrinth, you must confront yourself."
In a flash, the Keeper summoned a mirror of pure temporal energy, reflecting Yan's own image — but twisted, aged, and marked by the failures Yan feared most.
The reflection spoke, voice cold and accusing: "You are weak. You will never master the Supreme Sword. Your journey ends here."
Yan's heart clenched, the weight of doubt pressing down.
But he gripped the sword tighter, his cultivation seals flaring brighter.
"No," Yan said, voice steady and clear. "I am not defined by fear or failure. I am the bearer of the Supreme Sword, and I will carve my own destiny."
With a roar, he unleashed the Spirit Dragon Strike, channeling all his elemental energy and newfound temporal power into one devastating blow.
The blade glowed with golden fire, icy frost, crackling storm energy, and the ethereal light of spirit.
The strike shattered the mirror and sent the Keeper of Time reeling back.
The labyrinth trembled, time flowing back to its natural rhythm.
Yan stood tall, breath steady, heart blazing.
He had passed the sixth trial.
His cultivation advanced again — the Fifth Bloodstage Seal broken, a step closer to the ultimate power of the Supreme Sword.
Beyond the labyrinth lay the seventh realm — a place whispered about in legends: the Shadow Realm.
A place where time itself seemed to cease.
Yan sheathed the Supreme Sword and took a deep breath.
His journey through the nine realms was far from over — and the true test had only just begun.