Old Man Sun was brimming with resentment; for what he intended to achieve, nothing was beyond sacrifice. The lives of myself, Shirley Yang, Fatty, and Young Sister, four individuals, were like weeds in his eyes, something he could discard without hesitation. His actions could no longer be measured by common sense.

Though I was wary of Old Man Sun and kept a close watch on his movements, in that fleeting moment, my attention was seized by the abnormal phenomena erupting in the Immortal Village. Who would have thought that amidst such vigilance, one small lapse, a mere minute of distraction, would allow him to slip through and completely sever our retreat.

I had no desire to test the true power of fate with the lives of the group hanging in the balance. In a fit of rage, I slammed Old Man Sun to the ground, but by then, the Coffin Worms were swarming out of the village in a terrifying deluge. I had no time to deal with him now. Glancing around, I spotted several stone archways spanning the two sides of the deep ravine.

I calculated that attempting to escape back towards the Lingxing Hall by traversing the ancient cliff of the ravine would certainly result in us being overtaken by the Coffin Worms midway. I pointed sharply, motioning for Fatty and the others to quickly climb onto the stone archway.

Old Man Sun struggled to rise from the ground, attempting to obstruct us again. Fatty, having been simmering with suppressed anger, didn't utter a word upon seeing this; he drew his entrenching tool and brought it down with a vicious thwack onto Old Man Sun's head.

Although Old Man Sun was wearing a climbing helmet, the heavy blow from Fatty's tool was too much to bear. His eyes rolled back, and he crumpled to the ground.

I decided, "Let Old Man Sun change his own fate; let's get out of here!" Shirley Yang couldn't bear to abandon him. She called out to me, "We must take him!" and together with Young Sister, they grabbed the unconscious Professor Sun by his legs, desperately dragging him towards the stone archway.

Helpless, I could only grit my teeth and help lift him with Fatty. The four of us, handling him like a dead dog, hauled and dragged Old Man Sun under the pillars of the archway.

The yang sui reflectors set in the surrounding circular stone troughs were instantly buried by the Coffin Worms, and the nearby light dimmed abruptly. In the darkness, I realized that many Coffin Worms had already crawled onto my boots. Although they were scattering in fright, uninterested in chewing on living flesh, the Coffin Worms were coated in putrid venom; wherever they crawled, rot followed. We could only avoid them by keeping our distance to survive.

I told Fatty to carry Old Man Sun on his back, and the others successively climbed onto the carved dragon pillars of the archway to gain height. Just as our front feet landed above, the ground below erupted with a "whoosh" sound. I looked down again, and the beam of the tactical spotlight revealed that black tides of Coffin Worms were surging past the base of the stone pillars. Mixed in were ground squirrels, earth turtles, tomb borers, black weasels, poisonous snakes, and countless other strange insects and beasts whose names I didn't know—all creatures that haunt hidden places like graves and crypts.

The Coffin Mountain was not the desolate underworld it appeared to be. Despite being encased in bronze armor, the unique environment—the sheer cliffs resembling coffin lids surrounding it—fostered the growth of the Xuan Qi (profound essence), leading to the sustained existence of numerous organisms, forming a relatively sealed ecosystem. Alternatively, perhaps these creatures were merely the food source for the Nine-Death Startling-Tomb Armor. Now, the living beings near the Immortal Village were suffering a catastrophe, fleeing desperately toward the underground Jade Marrow Grottoes.

The instinct and premonition that both insects and animals possess regarding disaster far surpass human capability. The events unfolding in the Immortal Village of Coffin Mountain could only signify that a terrible, massive catastrophe was imminent. However, it seemed more potent poisons were deployed in the cliffs below, for as soon as the Coffin Worms reached the walls, they stiffened and died, their corpses raining down into the Jade Grotto.

Trapped on the stone archway, clinging to the beams, witnessing this scene that felt like the end of days, an icy dread crept up from our cores. Yet, no one knew what would happen next. Just as we felt utterly helpless, I saw Old Man Sun, whom Fatty was holding under his arm, suddenly open his eyes and wake up.

Old Man Sun realized Fatty was hoisting him up the archway and immediately reached for the Emei Daggers he carried. I saw it clearly from the side—he was preparing to strike. I roared, "You damn fool, are you looking to die!"

Fatty also sensed things were amiss and cursed, "Trying to play dirty with Fatty, are you? I'll drop you, you old bastard!" He instantly loosened his grip on Old Man Sun and tossed him off the stone pillar.

Old Man Sun's body, hooked by the Flying Tiger Claws, swung violently beneath the archway. Shirley Yang strained with all her might to pull him up, but the violent swinging caused the joint where the pillar met the beam to creak ominously. Danger was everywhere. This ancient archway was at least several hundred years old; it couldn't withstand such stress. The sounds and vibrations warned us it could collapse at any moment.

Just as Old Man Sun was about to plunge into the deep abyss, Shirley Yang released the Flying Tiger Claws, the head of which happened to snag precisely on the strap of Old Man Sun's backpack. The steel cable instantly tightened, suspending Old Man Sun mid-air.

The stone archway was not sturdy, and the space between the two pillars and the single beam was exceptionally narrow. I shouted from my precarious position above (where visibility was poor), "Forget Old Man Sun! Even if we save him now, he'll end up killing us eventually."

Shirley Yang was groaning under Old Man Sun's weight, finding it difficult to even speak. But by the look in her eyes, I knew her nature: she wouldn't let go even if it killed her. I saw her hands were shredded by the chain of the Flying Tiger Claws, blood dripping down the line onto Old Man Sun's face, and I worried for her silently.

Old Man Sun hung there spread-eagled in the air. He wiped the blood from his face and rasped, "Miss Yang... let go. What is fated... cannot be changed. Before Coffin Mountain is destroyed, we are all destined to be safe." Saying this, he drew his Emei Daggers and began sawing at his backpack strap, trying to free himself from the hook of the Flying Tiger Claws. Fatty was eager for Old Man Sun to crash below and shatter to pieces; he even forgot his chronic acrophobia, leaning over the archway to shout advice—telling Old Man Sun exactly which part of the strap to cut to achieve the most difficult freefall in the shortest time.

Young Sister couldn't bear to watch the tragedy unfold. She cursed Fatty for always stirring up trouble, while simultaneously pleading with Old Man Sun not to do anything foolish. Although she wanted to help Shirley Yang, she was terrified of the Coffin Worms. Seeing the tide of insects surging up the sheer cliff below paralyzed her hands and feet with terror, leaving her anxious but helpless.

The situation had us four lined up on the archway: Shirley Yang and Young Sister at the front, then Fatty, and I was on the far end. I was blocked from helping Shirley Yang by Young Sister and Fatty—I was too far away, full of will but lacking the means. But seeing Shirley Yang’s hands nearly severed, I could no longer stand by.

I risked falling into the deep ravine at any second, scrambling over Fatty and Young Sister to reach Shirley Yang's side. I leaned over and caught the steel chain of the Flying Tiger Claws in my hand. I intended to haul Old Man Sun up, but the movement caused significant strain. I felt a sharp pain in my hand, and the entire stone structure vibrated violently, seemingly ready to collapse.

Before I could pull him up onto the archway, Old Man Sun severed the backpack strap caught by the claw. His body whooshed and plummeted into the pitch-black fissure of the mountain body.

In that instant, my heart felt like fifteen buckets drawing water—a tumultuous mix of uncertainty. I felt neither relief nor loss. I had an inkling that Professor Sun falling into the abyss might not mean his death; moreover, judging by all the signs surrounding him, he had seemed like a walking corpse ever since we entered the Tomb of King Wuyang.

Furthermore, if the revelation deduced by the prisoners of the Immortal Tomb truly manifested, Old Man Sun couldn't possibly have been smashed to pieces. Perhaps his fall from the archway was also destined to happen. What we knew at this point was only one uncertain outcome, riddled with variables and the unknown.

I took a deep breath and looked up at the other three; all of them wore expressions of deep bewilderment and loss. Perhaps each was silently asking, "Will the final disaster foretold in the Heavenly Omen actually occur?" But only the ceaseless passage of time could offer a real answer.

Most of the Coffin Worms that had escaped the Immortal Village had perished in the deep gorge near the entrance to the Lingxing Hall. Except for the metallic grinding sounds of the Nine-Death Startling-Tomb Armor echoing from the thick fog overhead, the surroundings were utterly silent. But I knew clearly: the greater the silence in the air, the greater the danger looming. It was the oppressive quiet before a storm.

In the span of a thought, I felt a continuous, ominous sound rush toward us, growing from a distance. Coffin Mountain was long and narrow; we were situated in the rift valley within Pangu's belly. The Immortal Village followed the mountain's contours into the chest and abdomen area of Pangu's body. The source of the sound came from higher up Coffin Mountain, from the direction of the mountain's neck—the Corpse-Shaped Peak.

With the sound came incessant tremors. I saw that the stone archway was about to fall apart, so I urgently signaled the other three to get down. We exchanged worried glances. What was happening in Coffin Mountain? Judging by the noise, was the entire mountain range collapsing? Was it an earthquake caused by the splitting of the earth's veins, or was the Nine-Death Startling-Tomb Armor tearing the mountain apart?

My mind reeled, and I murmured to myself, "Is it an earthquake and collapse? If so, we will be buried underground forever with Coffin Mountain..."

Fatty said, "Old Hu, I say as long as the cart isn't completely overturned, we keep pushing. Forget what's happening in this mountain; we need to keep running. Survival of the fittest!"

Just then, we heard someone shout loudly from behind us. I quickly turned my head. Across the deep ravine, I saw a figure. It was too far for the spotlight to reach, but the voice was unmistakable—it was Old Man Sun. It turned out that when he fell from the archway, he had been snagged by the wooden stakes of the plank road tucked into the cliff wall and hadn't fallen directly into the Jade Grotto to his death. However, he could only climb up from the opposite side.

This was not unexpected, and I paid him no mind. Right now, I felt the best thing was to be as far away from this man as possible. But I heard Old Man Sun shouting, seemingly telling us: "Don't move an inch! Stay right there and wait for me! I finally know the truth of the Heavenly Omen! What's happening now isn't an earthquake... it's not an earthquake..." Amidst his shouts, ignoring the mountain's tremors, he attempted to climb back onto the archway to cross the rift valley. The four of us no longer trusted anything Old Man Sun said; who knew if he intended to test the truth of the Heavenly Omen with our lives again? I said to Shirley Yang, "Don't worry about Old Man Sun anymore. He's not a living person like you or me; he's probably just a walking corpse released from Coffin Mountain. This mountain is about to collapse; let's go our way."

Without further argument, I grabbed Shirley Yang and led the way. Fatty and Young Sister followed, asking, "Where are we retreating to?" I pointed toward the towering cliffs that resembled coffin lids. An earthquake would trigger large-scale landslides. Coffin Mountain was like an uncovered stone coffin; rocks falling from above would bury the Pangu Vein completely. Only the base of the surrounding stone walls offered relative safety within the entire mountain.

With the intense shaking and collapse of the mountain body, normal walking was impossible. We had to hold onto the surrounding steles and pillars, scrambling and leaping toward the sheer cliff. Just as we passed the yang sui trenches encircling the rift, we saw Old Man Sun scrambling over from the other side of the valley.

Before we could speak, Old Man Sun rushed to say, "It's not an earthquake..." Before he finished speaking, the earth seemed to be violently lifted up, tilting with a thunderous rumble. Unable to keep their footing, everyone fell to the ground. The angle of the tilt gradually increased, and once down, we couldn't get back up, forced to remain prone.

It was like the heavens were shaking and the earth was moving. Coffin Mountain was filled with deep, rumbling noises. We crawled on the ground, desperately scrambling toward the base of the cliff. Finally reaching the foot of the wall, we squeezed into the rock caves previously used to store suspended coffins. The cliff wall was immensely thick; the Nine-Death Startling-Tomb Armor outside had not yet managed to penetrate the rock, offering temporary shelter from the debris collapsing from the summit.

Fatty saw Old Man Sun following behind and cursed, "Who are you still trying to fool? Anyone, even an idiot, can see this! If it's not an earthquake, what is it? Judging by the magnitude, it must be at least an eight or nine!"

I said, "I've experienced earthquakes; this is it. It must be the Nine-Death Startling-Tomb Armor damaging the earth's veins and causing the vibration, but it can't be a nine. A magnitude nine earthquake is nearly a destructive, submerging event that can cause an entire mountain range to sink into the ground."

Old Man Sun seemed desperate to tell us something, but he was breathless and unable to speak for a moment. Fearing he might attempt another unimaginable action, I looked around for something to bind him with. However, the ground's tilt grew steeper. The rock walls amplified the sound; the deafening earth tremors came in waves, one closer than the next, rattling our eardrums until they felt ready to burst. Speech was completely drowned out. Debris, including many roof tiles, constantly rolled past the entrance of our rock shelter.

A sudden shock struck me. The tilting of the mountain must be causing the houses in the Immortal Village to collapse. If we had remained on the stone archway above the Jade Grotto of the Lingxing Hall, we would have been buried by the scree and tiles cascading down with the incline. My sudden impulse to hide in the cliffside cave for the suspended coffins was largely driven by the desire not to stay put as Old Man Sun advised. Could it truly be fate?

If a destined fate truly exists in this world, I felt as if I were sensing the gravity controlling destiny from the unseen depths. Amidst the immense catastrophe engulfing the Immortal Village, regardless of whether our actions were conscious or unconscious, we could never prevent the final disaster. An invisible, mysterious force beyond mortal comprehension controlled everything, and we, trapped within Coffin Mountain, were merely specks of sand in a desert storm, or droplets in a vast ocean. No matter how hard we struggled, we were forever powerless.

Looking at the scene, it was clear that Coffin Mountain was about to be buried underground in moments. Above Coffin Mountain were the towering peaks of the Coffin Gorge, like endless skyscrapers pressing down. If the earthquake was severe, it would cause even larger landslides. Even if the thousand-foot mountains split open, the resulting falling debris and soil could bury Coffin Mountain. If that were the case, how could the prophecy in the Heavenly Omen—that countless dead from the Immortal Village would crawl out of the mountain—ever come to pass?

Old Man Sun suddenly stood up, gripping my shoulders tightly, trying to make me listen. But the roaring in the mountain was continuous, and amidst the tremors, I could only watch his mouth move. Without lip-reading skills, I couldn't understand what this scene was telling us.

Seeing he couldn't speak, Old Man Sun gestured wildly. Everyone felt as if they were trapped in a violently shaking carriage. In the darkness, only a few faint spotlight beams provided illumination, but I quickly grasped the message Old Man Sun was trying to convey. After a moment of realization, I was not just surprised; it felt as if the soul within my body was trembling along with the earthquake.

I concluded that Old Man Sun was likely trying to say: "This is not a normal earthquake; Coffin Mountain is moving. It will not be buried underground. This mountain, packed with corpses and tombs from all dynasties... will soon enter the Yangtze River."