Chapter 16: Gu Xie, Master of the Ancient Hall of Mount Tai

"You were right, Third Brother. Even when facing monsters of this caliber, the game's mechanics provide us with a way to defeat them."

Qu Zheng smiled, a look of relief washing over him as he gazed at the tiger beast that had already crumbled into ashes. Behind them, at the center of the formation they had just activated, a tiger-head sigil had manifested.

Ye Yu patted Qu Zheng on the shoulder and said, "It’s clear we’ll continue to encounter monsters like this, and they will likely be even stronger than this tiger. We need to be more vigilant about our surroundings."

"Mhm, you're right."

Luo Feng nodded. He never expected that the puzzles would be solved in such a way; it had completely refreshed his understanding of *God’s Bane*.

"Alright, let’s keep moving."

The trio continued forward. Along the way, they encountered another giant tiger beast with stats similar to the previous one. Having had enough of the initial fright, Qu Zheng easily located the hidden formation and dispatched the beast without much effort.

Once the second tiger was sealed and defeated, a massive bronze gate appeared before them. They approached slowly and pushed it open. As the heavy doors groaned apart, Ye Yu froze, his expression turning to one of utter astonishment.

"You guys!"

"Third Brother!"

Standing before them were Huang Hong and the others, who had taken the 'Monster' path. Ye Yu had never expected their reunion to happen like this.

"I honestly didn't think this gate could be opened from the other side. We put every ounce of our strength into trying to push it open earlier," 'Cup of Wine Traps the Hero' said, sounding relieved as he saw the trio.

Ye Yu chuckled. "I’m glad you made it through safely. But tell me, how did you handle the monsters?"

He was deeply curious. Given the monsters he had faced, the ones on the combat path must have been significantly tougher.

Huang Hong replied, "We couldn't beat it at first; we were chased by a hound-like beast the whole way. Later, we discovered some mechanics—seals that could weaken the hound's attributes. After weakening it several times, we managed to kill it together. Otherwise, there would have been no way to bring it down."

"Impressive. I didn't think you'd break through like that. We sealed ours away, though. It seems there’s a distinct difference between the puzzle path and the combat path." Ye Yu raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised by the revelation.

"It’s all thanks to this blockhead," Huang Hong said, gesturing with a look of annoyance toward 'Cup of Wine Traps the Hero,' who was grinning nearby.

The latter, seeing Huang Hong point at him, flashed a peace sign at the group with a look of supreme smugness.

As the seven of them entered the bronze gate, a stone door leading further ahead swung open. While 'Cup of Wine Traps the Hero' skipped ahead, clearly pleased with himself, Ye Yu leaned in and whispered to Huang Hong, "I thought you said he was a blockhead?"

"Let me tell you, he’s a classic case of someone with a screw loose. Just ask the others. He’s completely unhinged and never plays by the rules. But when he gets serious, he’s not stupid at all. His analytical skills are razor-sharp; his brain is definitely working just fine." Huang Hong shuddered, recalling their journey together. It was clear he never wanted to be stuck on a path with that man again.

"It's true," added Tan Cong, who was usually quiet. "He’s a bit eccentric, but his ability to handle monsters and analyze routes is incredibly accurate. He’s just… weird." Tan Cong shook his head with a wry smile.

"God is fair," Luo Feng concluded after hearing their assessments. "He gave him such great talent, but the catch is that he’s missing a few marbles."

"Exactly, Luo Feng. I support that assessment!" Luo Wei added, giving a thumbs up.

"Is he really that type of guy? I honestly couldn't tell..." Ye Yu said, glancing at 'Cup of Wine Traps the Hero' with a mix of doubt and intrigue.

Once gathered, the group moved forward, discussing their experiences and sharing information to see if they could find any common ground for the challenges ahead.

"Third Brother, based on what you said, your puzzle path is just about sealing the monsters. But finding those formations isn't easy. If you hadn't discovered that first, we might not have made it this far," Huang Hong remarked.

"It’s clear that the 'Ancient Mount Tai Palace' isn't just about puzzles or combat," 'Cup of Wine Traps the Hero' said, turning back to look at Ye Yu. "Now that we’ve met up, we don't need to split up anymore, right?"

"Probably not," Ye Yu replied after a moment of thought. "I’ve realized there’s a common link: both paths require utilizing formations to deal with these monsters. Their power levels far exceed ours, so if we don't use the environment to our advantage, we’ll never make it out."

The seven of them entered a vast, empty hall. Pillars of fire stood at the four corners, casting a dim, twilight-like glow over the shadowy space. Deep in the distance, they could see a staircase leading to a ten-meter-high throne, with a figure sitting upon it.

"Be careful. This looks like the final destination," 'Cup of Wine Traps the Hero' said, his face suddenly turning grave. His eccentricity vanished. Because of the many shadows in the room, he was the most effective fighter among them, so he took the lead.

"Looks like we’re in for a fight," Huang Hong whispered, staring at the throne. He could feel a faint, oppressive aura emanating from the figure.

"It seems we have no choice," Ye Yu said. He pulled out his ancient zither and swept his fingers across the strings. A streak of purple light shot toward the throne.

"Snow Moon Intersecting Light."

The two beams of purple light hurtled toward the figure, but just as they were about to strike, the figure stood up. The formations inscribed on the walls of the hall flared to life, illuminating the entire space.

The figure swept his arm, batting away the purple energy with ease. The sheer power behind that movement was alarming, making Ye Yu realize they were in for a difficult battle.

Now, in the bright light, they could see the figure clearly: a man in a green robe, holding a jade flute in his right hand. He wore a terrifying ghost mask, and faint air currents swirled around him, acting as a protective barrier.

His name appeared above him: **Gu Xie**.

Standing six-foot-three, Gu Xie exuded a strange, ominous aura. A jade ring adorned his right thumb. Above his name was a prefix: [Master of the Ancient Mount Tai Palace]. There was no doubt—he was the final boss.

"You dare intrude upon my Ancient Mount Tai Palace and destroy my formations? You will die!"

Gu Xie’s voice was deep and filled with murderous intent.

Ye Yu frowned, sensing something odd about the boss. "Does anyone else feel like this Gu Xie is a bit..."

Before he could finish, Gu Xie flicked his fingers. Several red beams of energy shot toward them. The hall’s formations pulsed, clearly amplifying his power.

Huang Hong jumped to the front, raising his massive shield to block the attack. He tried to parry the energy back at Gu Xie, but the force was too great. After enduring seven strikes, Huang Hong’s health bar dropped significantly. If not for Luo Feng’s quick healing, he would have been at seventy percent health already. The shockwave forced him to one knee.

"His attacks have a lingering shockwave effect? If we take those head-on, it’s over," Ye Yu warned, signaling everyone to dodge instead.

*Whoosh.*

Another finger-flick attack came for Ye Yu. He barely dodged it; had it connected, he would have lost half his health.

On the other side, Gu Xie targeted Luo Feng. Luo Feng’s pupils constricted as he activated 'Overdrive Mode,' crouching to narrowly avoid the strike.

"Damn, that’s fast!" Luo Feng cursed, shocked.

"How is the difficulty this high for just seven people?" 'Cup of Wine Traps the Hero' muttered. He dissolved into black mist, dodging the attacks before slamming his palm into the ground. Shadows gathered beneath him, forming a suit of black flame armor, and a polearm appeared in his hand.

"Weak."

Gu Xie let out a mocking laugh. He stomped his foot and lunged, closing the distance to Huang Hong in a single breath.

Huang Hong tried to activate 'Overdrive Mode,' but it was too late. Gu Xie struck the shield with a palm surged with terrifying power.

*Boom.*

A muffled thud echoed. Huang Hong was sent flying, but Luo Wei controlled his copper puppet to catch him mid-air.

"Thanks," Huang Hong grunted, his eyes burning with combat spirit. "This boss is much stronger than anything we’ve fought. I had a melee-reflect effect active, and he took some damage from it."

He was right. Gu Xie’s health bar dipped to ninety percent, but the sheer force of his counter-attack proved just how dangerous the boss truly was.