Chapter 205: Dark Waves Surge Again: The Rough Road Ahead

##Stellar Journey: The Cosmic Voyage of the Lan Xing Boy

###Chapter 204: Dark Waves Surge Again: The Rough Road Ahead

Finally, through Zhang Cheng's relentless effort, the energy beam tore a fissure; Zhang Cheng seized the chance, his form flashed, turning into a streak of light that surged into the Sea of Stardust.

"Good!" A hint of approval flashed in the eyes of the Dragon Star Sage who had been silently watching Zhang Cheng; the boy's perseverance and determination were beyond his expectations.

However, this is only the beginning.

Upon entering the interior of the Sea of Stardust, Zhang Cheng found himself inside a massive energy maze. Countless energy turbulence streams intertwined, forming walls impossible to surpass, blocking his path.

"What a complex energy maze!" Zhang Cheng inhaled deeply, suppressing his shock, and began calmly analyzing the situation before him. He knew the Dragon Star Sage's test would not be so simple. This energy maze tested not only strength but also wisdom and adaptability.

"We must find an exit quickly!" Zhang Cheng looked around, his gaze steady. The Dragon Star Sage had said he had only half an hour; if he exceeded that, he would be trapped in the energy maze forever.

Zhang Cheng dared not delay; he steadied his mind, carefully observing the patterns of the surrounding energy flow, trying to find clues to solve the maze. Time slipped by second by second as Zhang Cheng darted through the maze, searching for an exit. He was like an invisible cheetah hunting in a tangled jungle, each step cautious yet full of power.

Just as Zhang Cheng was laboring to unravel the energy maze, a strange spatial disturbance suddenly echoed from afar. The wave was cold and malevolent, like a venomous snake spitting poison, sending a chill down his spine. An alarm rang in Zhang Cheng's mind, and a strong sense of unease surged within him.

"Who's there?!" Zhang Cheng shouted sharply, simultaneously unleashing powerful mental force to probe the direction of the disturbance.

"Heh, your reaction is rather swift," a gloomy voice came from the void, followed by a figure clad in a black robe, exuding a strong scent of blood, slowly materializing.

"Blood Night Demon Family?!" Seeing the newcomer, Zhang Cheng's pupils suddenly contracted, a wave of terror roiling in his heart. He never expected members of the Blood Night Demon Family to appear here! Could it be that...

"Exactly, just as you guessed," the black-robed figure said with a sinister smile, "We are ordered to come and stop you from passing the test."

"Just you?" Zhang Cheng snorted coldly, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes. Though he knew the Blood Night Demon Family was powerful, Zhang Cheng was not one to be slaughtered!

"Arrogant brat, you'll soon pay for your ignorance!" the black-robed figure roared, forming hand seals, muttering incantations.

As his spell took effect, the surrounding space began to quake violently; the already tangled energy maze, under the corruption of dark power, grew even more chaotic, the once orderly energy turbulence now ran amok like a mad beast, without any pattern.

"Not good!" Zhang Cheng thought grimly; this dark force not only disrupted the maze's operation but also kept eroding his body. He felt waves of dizziness and his movements grew sluggish.

The black-robed figure looked at Zhang Cheng's suffering, a ferocious grin on his face, "Kid, enjoy these final moments!" With that, he flashed and vanished into the chaotic energy turbulence.

Zhang Cheng forced himself to endure the discomfort, desperately trying to steady his form, yet the dark force gnawed at his body like a maggot in the ankle bone, making concentration impossible.

"Kelinda..." Zhang Cheng whispered, his heart full of worry and self‑blame; he didn't know how much longer he could hold on, but he could not fall here, he still had to rescue Kelinda, and... "Kelinda..." Zhang Cheng whispered again, his heart full of worry and self‑blame, he didn't know how much longer he could endure, but he must not collapse here, he still had to save Kelinda, and...

Bead‑sized beads of sweat rolled down Zhang Cheng's forehead; he clenched his teeth, struggling to resist the dark force's erosion. Yet the power was like a bone‑gnawing maggot, constantly gnawing at his will, rendering his once agile body painfully sluggish.

"Damn it!" Zhang Cheng muttered, and by a misstep was struck by a sudden energy turbulence; his body, like a kite with its line cut, crashed heavily onto the maze's wall.

"Cough…" Zhang Cheng struggled to stand, only to find his body felt as if it had fallen apart, pain unbearable. He looked up toward the distance; the exit was right before his eyes, yet it seemed so far away, as if never reachable.

"Give up, kid!" the Envoy of the Blood Night Demon Family hidden in the shadows, watching Zhang Cheng's pitiful state, felt a surge of triumph, "You will never pass the test!"

Zhang Cheng ignored it, clawing his way up from the ground, his gaze fixed on the direction of the exit, inch by inch trudging forward. Every step was a huge trial for him, yet he never gave up, because he held a belief: to survive and rescue Kelinda!

"What a tenacious will!" the Dragon Star Sage, who had been observing from the shadows, watched Zhang Cheng's back, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes. He knew the Envoy of the Blood Night Demon Family's appearance was unexpected, but it was also another test for Zhang Cheng.

"Senior, why don't you intervene?" a young voice beside the Dragon Star Sage asked, puzzled.

The Dragon Star Sage shook his head, his gaze deep toward the energy maze, and said slowly, "This is his test, also his destiny. If he cannot overcome this difficulty, how could he bear the burden of saving the universe?"

"But..." the young man began to say, but was cut off as the Dragon Star Sage raised his hand.

"Some matters must be faced by him alone; all we can do is believe in him."

Within the energy maze, Zhang Cheng still struggled desperately; his consciousness grew increasingly hazy, and the scene before his eyes began to warp. He knew he was about to collapse.

"Hahaha, kid, give up!" the Envoy of the Blood Night Demon Family, seeing Zhang Cheng on the brink of collapse, couldn't help bursting into laughter, "Who do you think you are? To think you could pass the test is sheer delusion!"

Zhang Cheng suddenly lifted his head, his blood‑red eyes fixed on the source of the voice, a cold curve forming at his mouth: "Who said I'm giving up?"

"Hm?" the Envoy of the Blood Night Demon Family blinked slightly, sensing something amiss. In the next instant, he saw Zhang Cheng's body erupt with dazzling golden light...

"Just you? Still trying to resist? How overconfident!" the Envoy of the Blood Night Demon Family scoffed at the golden light bursting from Zhang Cheng, his eyes full of contempt, "I'll see how long you can struggle!"

He formed hand seals; a yet stronger dark force surged like a tide toward Zhang Cheng, attempting to devour him completely.

"Ah!" Zhang Cheng roared in pain, feeling as if his body were being torn apart. The dark force kept eroding his will, nearly driving him mad.

"Give up, kid!" the Envoy of the Blood Night Demon Family's cold voice echoed in Zhang Cheng's ear, "If you cease resisting, I can give you a swift end! Otherwise…"

He deliberately elongated his words, his tone dripping with threat.

"Otherwise, I will make your life worse than death, forcing you to watch your beloved woman be tormented to death by the Blood Night Demon Family!"

"Kelinda..." Hearing the name, Zhang Cheng's gaze, which had been about to scatter, instantly focused.

He recalled Kelinda's gentle smile, the hope in her eyes, and the promise between them.

"No, I cannot give up!" Zhang Cheng felt a surge of powerful energy, forcibly resisting the dark force's erosion, roaring, "I still must rescue Kelinda; I cannot die here!"

"Hmph, stubborn fool!" the Envoy of the Blood Night Demon Family snorted coldly, a cruel glint in his eye, "Since you're courting death, I'll grant it!"

He suddenly clasped his hands together, and a more terrifying dark force instantly enveloped Zhang Cheng.

"Ah..." Zhang Cheng let out a painful wail as his body convulsed violently. He felt his consciousness gradually dimming, the scene before his eyes growing ever more distorted.

"Kid, you can slowly savor this despair!" the Envoy of the Blood Night Demon Family, watching Zhang Cheng's suffering, a feral grin on his face, "I will personally destroy everything you have, letting you die in hopelessness!"

However, just as he thought victory was assured, an anomaly erupted.

Zhang Cheng, who had been on the brink of being devoured by the dark force, suddenly burst forth an even more dazzling golden light.

"How... how is this possible?" the Envoy of the Blood Night Demon Family exclaimed in disbelief, staring at the scene.

He clearly felt Zhang Cheng's aura continuously rising, as if breaking through some constraint…

"You think this is all my power?" Zhang Cheng slowly lifted his head, his blood‑red eyes flashing cold light, saying word for word, "You really underestimate me, Zhang Cheng..."

A bad premonition rose in the Envoy of the Blood Night Demon Family's mind; just as he was about to retreat, he saw Zhang Cheng already vanish from the spot…

"Not good!" Zhang Cheng's figure flickered like a phantom, and the next second appeared behind the Envoy of the Blood Night Demon Family, a golden fist brimming with power smashing into his back.

"Boom!"

A deafening blast; the Envoy of the Blood Night Demon Family, though reacting in time and raising a dark shield, was still hurled by the force, crashing heavily against the maze's wall.

"Cough…"

The Envoy of the Blood Night Demon Family coughed up a mouthful of blood, shock and fury in his eyes. He hadn't expected Zhang Cheng to unleash such overwhelming power; it far exceeded his expectations.

"You think this will defeat me?" the Envoy of the Blood Night Demon Family wiped the blood from his mouth, his gaze turning even more sinister, "I admit, your strength truly surpasses my imagination, but…"

He took a deep breath, slowly raised his hands, and the dark energy around him began to churn violently.

"The real battle has only just begun!"

The Envoy of the Blood Night Demon Family roared, clasped his hands together fiercely, and a more terrifying, purer dark power surged out from within him, instantly enveloping the entire labyrinth in a suffocating darkness.

"This is..."

Feeling the terror of this power, Zhang Cheng's expression changed drastically, a strong sense of unease welling up in his heart. He knew the Envoy of the Blood Night Demon Family still had stronger moves he hadn't used, and this power was likely beyond his current ability to withstand.

"Kid, this is what you forced me to do!"

The Envoy of the Blood Night Demon Family's voice echoed in the darkness, like a demon's whisper from the abyss, filled with cold and killing intent: "I will make you pay for your foolishness!"

In the darkness, countless bolts of black lightning danced like mad snakes, carrying an aura of destruction, wildly surging toward Zhang Cheng.

"Damn it!"

Zhang Cheng gritted his teeth, golden light forming a protective barrier around him to block the dark lightning's attack. However, this power was simply too strong, and his defense wavered under the relentless bombardment of the black lightning.

"Boom—boom—boom..."

Continuous explosion sounds echoed in the labyrinth, Zhang Cheng's figure submerged in the blast's firelight, his fate unknown.

In the distance, the Dragon Star Sage watching the battle had a solemn expression, his eyes filled with worry.

"Zhang Cheng, you must hold on..."

He gripped his scepter tightly, silently praying. He knew Zhang Cheng faced an unprecedented crisis, but he believed Zhang Cheng could overcome the difficulty and successfully pass the labyrinth's trial.

At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared beside the Dragon Star Sage, a voice tinged with anxiety and anger sounding:

"Stop!"