So, how did Jack Young end up coming out of the same place as the Golden Blade King and Sandlord?
Well, to explain that, we need to rewind the story a bit.
After Fiona Fang triggered the black stone mechanism, the entire third layer of the labyrinth was turned upside down. Every section started shifting and moving. The whole 3D sliding puzzle went wild, twisting and spinning like someone hit the 'reset' button, rapidly reassembling itself into a brand-new shape.
While it was reshuffling, Jack Young was running through the maze. Since he had no clue where his section would end up, he decided to pause for a bit and wait for things to settle before moving on. He used his echo-location system along the way and found the maze had completely changed—now the paths were much clearer. While the average treasure hunters were still running around like headless chickens, Jack had already reconstructed the maze map in his mind and instantly found a shortcut.
His ears picked up the sounds of weapons clashing and fierce fighting. Judging by the noise, neither side was weak—this must be the spot! Jack sped up, darted around a corner, and burst into a secluded, hidden stone chamber.
And there, he saw two guys going at each other, blades drawn, in the middle of a heated fight.
It was Sandlord and the Golden Blade King.
Why were these two here? Why were they fighting? Jack had no idea. He just knew they didn’t have any deep-seated grudge. As soon as he charged into the battlefield, both men instantly stopped, eyeing each other warily and then turning their attention to Jack.
Sandlord’s gaze was cautious and a little confused—he could tell Jack wasn’t weak, but couldn’t figure out what made him strong. The Golden Blade King’s look was more complicated. He ripped off his cloak in one swift motion, revealing his true face, hand already on his blade, eyes flashing with golden light: “You? Well, well, finally ran into you again! Let’s see who can save you this time!”
"Damn it..." Jack couldn’t help but mutter under his breath. Of all times, he had to bump into someone he knew—and it was the Golden Blade King! With his new twin-style martial arts, Jack was confident he could beat the Blade and Sword Attendants, but the Golden Blade King? That’d definitely take some serious effort.
Jack Young didn’t have time to waste on chit-chat. He rushed forward and slapped his hand against the wall. Buzz—waves of force rippled through the adamantine rock as Jack focused all his energy. Would Bronze Axe King stab him in the back? He had no idea, but he had to gamble. He bet Bronze Axe King was a man of his word, and that hearing 'Wind Wushang' sent his killing intent into overdrive.
He bet right.
Sandlord’s eyes flickered, watching Jack’s back, but Bronze Axe King stepped forward, blocking his view. For now, Bronze Axe King dropped his grudge and helped Jack keep Sandlord in check!
Looks like his urge to get to the other side was even crazier than anyone thought.
Crack—a fissure split the wall, then quickly widened. Jack gritted his teeth. This wall was over a meter thick, and busting through it was no joke. High-speed vibrations were draining his stamina and focus, but he couldn’t let up. The voice on the other side was getting more frantic—he had to hurry! No time to slack off!
Crack crack—the fissure snaked toward the center, bits of rubble tumbling down. Just one more minute. One minute, come on!
"Hey, you on the other side—listen up!"
Bronze Axe King’s voice rang out. Both Golden Blade King and Sandlord froze, while Jack was sweating bullets from anxiety.
"If you don’t show yourself right now—"
Jack’s arms were shaking, the adamantine wall covered in cracks, but words were still faster than breaking rock.
"You’ll never see that woman again—"
Bronze Axe King dragged out his words, timing it perfectly. He knew Jack would never break through in time.
[Navigation notice: not part of the story, skip translation.]
"All it takes is one punch—"
If he could combine the strength of his other self with his own skill, this adamantine rock would be nothing!
"And I’ll—"
Damn it, if only I had more power! I need more power!
"Smash her—"
Hurry up, hurry up! I’ve got to make it!
"To a pulp!!"