Fan DeBiao was so terrified his mind spun; he nearly fainted, collapsing to the ground, only to be caught by Su Yougui. If it hadn't been for Young Master Liu giving that crucial shove at the very last second, the three of them would have been swallowed whole by the great serpent. The mere thought sent shivers down their spines.

Young Master Liu was the first to react: “Hurry up and climb! Climb up the serpent’s body, quickly!” With that, Young Master Liu was the first to embrace the massive serpent’s two-meter-wide body and begin inching upward. At that moment, the serpent's head was plunged into the earth, making it impossible for it to rise immediately.

Young Master Liu led the climb, Su Yougui reacted second, followed by Fan DeBiao, and finally Hu Beikang brought up the rear. The four of them scrambled up the creature's trunk. Awooo, awooo.

At this, the gigantic snake let out a thunderous, dragon-like roar. Its body thrashed violently, but thankfully, the cavern wasn't very high; they managed to climb out with relative ease onto a ledge about five meters up. The instant Hu Beikang’s hand latched onto Young Master Liu’s outstretched arm, the giant python’s body plummeted back down with a crash.

Looking down, they saw the serpent devour dozens of human heads in one gulp, still furiously sweeping forward. The python took a deep breath, generating immense suction that dragged stones, sand, and severed heads into its gullet. Instantly, hundreds of heads vanished entirely into the serpent's maw.

Inspecting the creature, its body had visibly doubled in girth, becoming far fatter than before. Young Master Liu immediately took the lead, urging the others to sprint toward the far end of the serpent’s gaping tunnel. He knew that carving out such a passage must have cost the serpent dearly, and it would not abandon its lair so easily; it would surely return.

However, after running frantically for what felt like ages, they saw no sign of light ahead. Curiosity finally got the better of them: “What in the world is going on? This great serpent is, at most, thirty or forty meters long, yet we’ve been running for nearly a thousand meters and still haven't reached the end.” They couldn't help but feel perplexed.

The group decided to stop and gather their thoughts. Fan DeBiao spoke first: “Master Fan, take a look at our situation. We’ve burrowed into the serpent’s lair.

Is it possible that the spot we entered from was merely the serpent’s entrance, and this entire passage has no actual exit?” Young Master Liu countered: “Impossible. A serpent’s lair must have both an entrance and an exit; it can’t only have one opening. Furthermore, the place we were in is the serpent’s head area.

The head is where the exit should be, as it needs to emerge facing forward from the main entrance. Have you ever seen a serpent back out?” “But why can’t we find the exit now? You know the spot we were just at wasn't the real exit; it wasn't a deliberately excavated opening, but one the serpent hastily tore open to devour us.” Fan DeBiao argued.

Su Yougui chimed in: “Exactly. That means the serpent’s tunnel extends far beyond where we are standing now.” Young Master Liu felt a prickle of doubt. How could this serpent tunnel be so incredibly long?

Putting aside further contemplation, Young Master Liu simply instructed everyone to follow him and keep moving forward, hoping to locate an exit. Retreating back the way they came was out of the question; that area was now a death trap where the massive snake would certainly be lying in wait for its prey. They marched onward for another solid half-hour, yet no glimmer of light appeared.

Running blindly in the pitch black for so long left the group feeling utterly despairing. A tunnel this long simply shouldn't exist; there had to be a reason. Young Master Liu forced his mind to calm down and suddenly recalled an ancient tale: in some tombs, to deliberately mislead tomb robbers, the tomb owner would construct a fake side passage.

This tunnel didn't lead into the main tomb but was deliberately coiled into a loop. Robbers, plunged into darkness, would wander aimlessly, convinced they had encountered a ghostly barrier, causing even the bravest to retreat. Could I have stumbled into a spatial loop?

Young Master Liu pondered this thought. Young Master Liu told the others: “Let’s make a mark right here and see if we are circling back.” He then ordered everyone to scrape up the surrounding dirt and pile it into a small makeshift barricade. If they were indeed tracing a circle, they had entered a loop of infinite recursion.

Hearing this, Su Yougui and Hu Beikang both gasped for air: “What? Are you telling us we’ve been running around in circles this whole time?” Fan DeBiao sank to the ground, panting heavily: “Mother, oh my mother, just kill me now! I’ve been traveling for ages only to end up back where I started!

I feel like a monkey being played for a fool!” Young Master Liu quickly soothed them: “Alright, alright, stop the complaining. If you want to stay here and wait for death, I won't say another word. If you want to live, follow me.” With that, Young Master Liu brushed off his pants and walked away.

The other three could only roll their eyes, swallow hard, and trail after him. They certainly didn't wish to become the serpent’s next meal. Indeed, it wasn't long before they actually turned a corner and found themselves facing the barricade.

“Can someone tell me what is going on here?” Fan DeBiao demanded, staring at the others, utterly bewildered. He would never have believed that after walking for so long, he had merely been tracing a circle. Forget about others thinking him a fool; he felt utterly stupid himself.

Su Yougui was direct: “Boss, don't you realize what this means? It means we were going in circles. Everything we experienced was real, the obstacle we faced was genuine.” Hu Beikang offered a simple interpretation: “Actually, we might not be walking in a circle.

Maybe we walked the perimeter of a square tunnel.” Young Master Liu concentrated, deep in thought. A square seemed unlikely, as he hadn't noticed any sharp, defining turns. Realizing this, Young Master Liu turned to his companions: “If you want to live, stay with me.

Do exactly as I command. Otherwise, the four of us—a scattered pile of sand—won’t manage to break free.” “Yes, alright, we’ll follow you. We’ll do whatever you tell us to do,” the three affirmed, looking to Young Master Liu.

“Good. I’m glad you have that resolve. Now listen: as we walk, tap the walls.

See if you find any mechanisms. If I’m not mistaken, the tomb entrance itself is designed as a spiral access point. We must circle the perimeter to gain entry.

Digging a passage out from within the tomb complex is our only way out, otherwise, we either suffocate here or get eaten by the serpent. You choose,” Young Master Liu said this with apparent ease, though internally, he had no certainty. This speech was merely intended to calm the others, preventing panic from causing unnecessary trouble.

He knew that when facing crisis, the greatest threat wasn't the external problem, but the state of one's own mind. “Alright, we’ll follow you. Master Fan, you lead us.

If we get out, I’ll give you a mountain of gold and silver,” Fan DeBiao vowed fiercely, tapping the stone wall as he walked, trying to locate a mechanism that would lead from the outer access tunnel into the inner passage. True to Young Master Liu’s words, they didn't search long before they found the exit. A wave of relief, a surge of excitement, washed over them—they had found the way out so easily!

Young Master Liu cautiously activated the mechanism, and another tunnel opened before them. A single crimson glow immediately caught Young Master Liu’s attention. In this intensely grim location, caution was paramount.

He immediately stepped back several paces, worried it might be the eye of some lurking creature about to strike. He knew many tomb owners placed venomous insects or Gu worms inside passageways to deter intruders. These creatures often survived for millennia, thriving in such environments.

To be safe, Young Master Liu waited, prepared to extinguish the spark instantly if necessary. But after waiting a long time, the light began to dim noticeably, showing signs of dying out. Young Master Liu felt something was wrong.

He moved forward cautiously to inspect it closely and discovered it was merely a stray cinder falling from a torch. It seemed someone carrying a torch had passed through this area recently. Young Master Liu stood up as Su Yougui and the others approached.

“What? There are other people inside the tomb? Are you joking?” Fan DeBiao looked at Young Master Liu with alarm: “Are they tomb robbers?

Or perhaps some kind of Jiangshi…” Young Master Liu considered this: “Most likely tomb robbers. In places like this, Zongzi often appear, but Zongzi don't typically wander around carrying torches, nor do they crawl through low tunnels like this. So, the possibility of a Zongzi is basically ruled out.” “Zongzi?

What Zongzi? Pig Lao San’s Zongzi?” Fan DeBiao asked curiously, saliva already forming at the corner of his mouth. “Zongzi is what you commonly call a zombie, but there’s a difference between a Zongzi and a Jiangshi.

A Zongzi is agile and mobile all over its body; even if its flesh is decayed and looks sticky like a glutinous rice dumpling (zongzi), it can move freely. A Jiangshi, however, is much cleaner—its entire body is rigid, hence the name!” Young Master Liu gave them a brief lesson. Hearing this, Fan DeBiao immediately lost his appetite.

It was true; they hadn't eaten since entering this cavern, almost a full day ago. The mention of Zongzi made his stomach rumble, but picturing the zombie-like creature, he thought, Forget it, I’d rather starve.