Unforeseen Danger - A Maze

An hour passed as Xiao Ming, Xue Mao, and the Blood Ant General moved deeper into the dense terrain of the secret realm.

The forest around them was eerily quiet, save for the faint rustling of leaves underfoot and the occasional chitter of the Blood Ants trailing behind.

Even the oppressive qi that had hung over them earlier seemed to have grown still, as though the realm itself was holding its breath, waiting for the right moment to strike.

The three transformed cultivators followed closely, their movements stiff and devoid of life. They neither spoke nor showed any sign of independent thought, their minds thoroughly subdued by the Blood Ant hive.

Their hollow eyes stared blankly ahead, their bodies moving as if pulled by invisible strings. Xiao Ming glanced at them briefly, his expression unreadable.

They were nothing more than tools now, their fates sealed the moment they had crossed him.