Demon King: Hero, don’t run away!

Yang Yu tested the red square, while Bai Jin and the others cleared monsters, and the guards had to execute Yang Yu’s commands promptly.

The more time wasted, the brighter the light of the red square would become, possibly causing all previous efforts to fail and triggering forced displacement.

Under Yang Yu’s command, the guards acted like precise mechanisms, orderly moving the squares and placing them in the most suitable positions.

After spending nearly half an hour, the irregular closed pattern was repeatedly dismantled and reassembled by Yang Yu and the others, until Yang Yu finally pushed the last square into the shining red square.

But, this was not the end.

Clearing the monsters emerging from the squares, Yang Yu commanded the team to push the previously reserved movable squares into the corners.

Each corner was an unknown territory, and there was no other way but to probe carpet-like.

Fortunately, Yang Yu had reserved enough movable squares to fill the unknown corners amply.

Guardians one by one pushed the squares into the corners. Most squares remained calm, but four squares seemed to trigger some mechanism, each revealing three magic arrays that summoned some stronger mixed fish monsters.

Bai Jin and Iyas reacted swiftly, slaying those monsters with tough hides and high attack near the squares before they could assault the nearest guardian.

When the last mixed fish monster fell, a melodious hymn echoed across the wide chessboard, as if praising the wisdom and courage of Yang Yu and the others.

Five different colored beams descended from the sky, with countless shimmering magic power converging towards the light pillars, and five towering Centaur Warriors appeared within.

These five brown-toned Centaur Warriors stood over three meters tall, their figures surpassing this world’s Centaur Clan, and their equipment was exceptionally refined, with armor gleaming bright.

These Centaur Warriors were the Layer Guardians of the Ninth Floor.

Yang Yu promptly commanded the confused nearby guardians:

”Guards, retreat from the Ninth Floor. Leave the rest to us.”

Upon hearing Yang Yu’s command, the guards scrambled up the stairs, leaving the Ninth Floor.

Three Centaurs leapt down from the square, brandishing long axes to launch an assault on Yang Yu, while the other two Centaurs fired arrows for cover.

Yang Yu slightly tilted his head to avoid the shooting of the two Centaurs, then proceeded towards the three charging Centaurs.

Each of these Centaurs had over twelve thousand blood volume, strength exceeding three thousand, speed over two thousand, possessing skills like Short-range Rapid, Heroic Charge and control skills like Sticky Netherworld and Earth Split, utilizing terrain for flanking attacks.

Facing these five Centaurs, ordinary S-Class adventurers would find them very tricky.

But for Yang Yu and the others, such maze layer guardians posed no threat at all.

Just slightly stronger mixed fish.

Yang Yu brandished his sword blade to resist the attacks of the three Centaurs, slightly restraining them, while Bai Jin, under the dual boosts from Luo Luosi and Iyas’s skills, unleashed multiple powerful magic spells, easily reducing the blood volume of the five Centaurs to around five thousand.

Finally, Iyas opened her bow, using the attack-oriented Holy Light Skills, Holy Light Judgment to clear the field.

”Bam!”, as loot fell from the Guardians transforming into magic light.

Thanks to Iyas’s luck, this dungeon strategy yielded quite a few good items.

Apart from ten dropped pages and several rare potions, Yang Yu also acquired two pieces of Epic Equipment and two Skill Scrolls.

Although they were not needed, they could be sold when funds were tight for emergencies.

After collecting all the loot, Yang Yu was about to seek the path leading to the Tenth floor when the chessboard beneath their feet trembled violently.

Suddenly, the arranged squares began to sink slowly, perfectly integrating into the ground without leaving a trace.

Soon after, the chessboard Yang Yu and the others were on also began to sink slowly.

On the empty ground, red light flickered, and a phoenix pattern emerged on the flat surface.

After descending about 20 to 30 meters, the fall abruptly halted.

The Ninth Floor of this Underground Maze directly transformed into the Tenth Floor.

Without warning, the red light before Yang Yu and the others shifted into blue light, with a large magic array featuring a flaming phoenix pattern expanding across the empty area.

A phoenix engulfed in cyan flames emerged, flapping its enormous cyan flame wings from the magic array, scattering myriad cyan sparks.

The Flame Phoenix faced Yang Yu and the others, hovering mid-air, and uttered a melodious call, with a wave of blue flame unfurling from it.

Squatting slightly, Yang Yu raised his shield, activating Interception, swiftly deploying an Illusion Shield to split the cyan flames apart.

Luo Luosi hurriedly crafted a Magic Shell, enveloped around Yang Yu’s Illusion Shield forming a small structure, fully defending against the cyan flames.

Once the descending flames ceased, the chessboard ignited into a drizzling flame around Yang Yu and the others.

The Flame Phoenix vigorously flapped its wings three times, stirring hot winds, causing the flames on the ground to form a large cyan array centering around it.

A cyan flame icon manifested on Yang Yu and others.

Yang Yu gently tapped his finger, revealing information on the icon’s status.

”Ghost Fire Roasting Array” inflicted 20 sustained damage per second while in the array, imposing a ghost fire burn status that decreases strength, defense, special defense, and speed by 20%.

Yang Yu attempted to dispel his burn state by consuming burn medicine, but after several bottles, it proved ineffective.

Iyas sensed her strength significantly diminished by the peculiar array as she reached out to apply All Dispel to eliminate the abnormal state from everyone, but Yang Yu stopped her:

”Iyas. As long as we’re standing in this burning zone, the abnormal states might not be dispellable. Hop onto Lotcar, maintain distance, and attack.”

Without further words, Iyas climbed onto Lotcar, while Bai Jin had already flown high using Dancing in the Air, chanting Water Magic to prepare for an attack.

Luo Luosi retracted the straw in her mouth, sighing, ”It sure brings back memories. My adventure group once conquered the Underground Maze together like this. This Flame Phoenix is not simple, ranking third among the underground maze guardians I’ve seen.”

Yang Yu pointed at Lotcar’s back to Luo Luosi:

”It’s also dangerous here. Climb onto Lotcar’s back and support us. I’m confident your past experience in conquering underground mazes will be useful.”

Driving the Shell to fly up, Luo Luosi laughed, ”With your current strength, even without my special support, you should easily handle this Flame Phoenix.”

Yang Yu shook his head, gazing up at the soaring Flame Phoenix, replying:

”Not necessarily.”