Since there was no danger here, under the guidance of Young Master Liu, the remaining group continued their way. The moment the four of them slipped inside, a grating sound was heard as the stone door automatically sealed shut. Young Master Liu tried to reassure them, "Don't be afraid. We can get out later. As long as we are patient enough to loop back around, this door will surely open."

Having gained experience from the first passage, this second level was much simpler. Just as before, they advanced while tapping along the surrounding burial chambers, hoping to locate an empty space within one of them—which would indicate the location of an exit door.

But after tapping and knocking for a long time without success, a few of them couldn't help but feel their resolve waver. Buzz, buzz, buzz.

Suddenly, the faint sound of a mosquito reached them. Hearing that buzzing, Young Master Liu’s face instantly turned deathly pale.

It seemed his suspicion had been correct: this cavern was indeed infested with Gu insects.

And judging by the sound, this must be the legendary Dugu, ranked third on the list of notorious Gu creatures.

Legend held that this Dugu was an incredibly potent venomous insect; a single bite would instantly cause the victim to recoil, transforming them into a grotesque creature, neither fully human nor ghost.

Master Zhang Enpu had once mentioned this Gu named Dugu to him. The Master recounted a time when he and a junior martial brother were tomb raiding; the junior brother, in an effort to save him, was bitten by a Dugu. The result was immediate: the brother collapsed, unconscious. When Zhang Enpu tried to use a torch nearby, his brother's face was already swollen and disfigured beyond recognition, and lesions were beginning to fester on his body. He could even see maggots oozing out of the afflicted flesh.

Yellowish foam continually bubbled from his mouth—a sign of rising stomach acid. Most terrifyingly, his junior brother wasn't dead; he was actively crawling towards Zhang Enpu. By then, the brother had lost all coherent consciousness, having devolved into a walking corpse, a malevolent spirit. Without hesitation, Zhang Enpu killed him and fled in haste.

Two years later, when Zhang Enpu returned to that very tomb, he was astonished to find his junior brother was still alive. Though, not in any true sense of the word. The brother merely dragged his bloated body back and forth within the tomb passage, ceaselessly awaiting prey.

To alleviate his brother's torment, Zhang Enpu ultimately cremated him.

Even though his brother had been infected by the venomous insect and transformed into that wretched half-human, half-ghost state, a faint sliver of human consciousness remained in his mind. The thought of a living person pacing those dark tunnels for two years, eating corpses when hungry and drinking blood when thirsty—that existence…

Young Master Liu drifted off, lost in the horrific memory.

"Boss, Boss, what are you doing? Hurry up and look! That thing is catching up! What do we do?" Hu Beikang shook Young Master Liu’s arm as the buzzing sound grew nearer.

Damn it, looks like there’s no escaping this trap.

"Quickly, hold your breath and lie flat on the ground! Lie as low as you possibly can! Do not let them detect us!" Young Master Liu shouted urgently.

The four instantly dropped to the floor, clamping their mouths shut to stop breathing.

Listening to the buzz, buzz, buzz of the insects overhead, Young Master Liu felt his heart nearly stop. He felt a surge of blood rush to his head. He was barely in control of himself, recalling his martial uncle trapped in the tomb for two full years, visualizing that grotesque appearance…

Young Master Liu didn't know what words could possibly suffice.

In the tomb, the most crucial thing was maintaining a clear mind. Current Young Master Liu had forgotten this vital point; he felt nothing but sheer panic, the certainty of doomsday. He had no idea if he could endure until the end.

The other three were faring slightly better, as they were unaware of the reactions caused by being bitten by the Dugu Gu.

Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz.

The sound gradually faded until it vanished entirely. Young Master Liu and the others let out deep, shuddering breaths. By this time, Young Master Liu was drenched in a cold sweat, the damp earth from the tunnel clinging to him until he nearly resembled a mud statue.

"We need to open this door now! Quickly! Before that Gu insect finds us again!"

With that, Young Master Liu grabbed his shovel and began hammering—thump, thump, thump, thump.

"Listen! Listen closely!"

Young Master Liu commanded them to hold their breath again and focus on listening. Only after confirming the absence of that telltale buzzing sound did he allow them to resume action.

Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz. Suddenly, the sound returned, right beside their ears! Young Master Liu immediately stopped and was the first to drop prone to the ground. Seeing this, Fan Debiao also frantically threw himself down.

Then, with a sharp smack, Hu Beikang slapped the back of his own neck. The buzzing sound of the Gu insect named Dugu vanished completely.

Su Yougui chuckled, "What a capable lad, hah."

Fan Debiao also jumped up from the ground with obvious relief, clapping Hu Beikang on the shoulder: "Well done! You'll get a reward when we get out."

Young Master Liu rose from the ground, his face completely devoid of expression. He simply looked at the remaining three and commanded, "Start digging." The four then frantically attacked the wall—bang, bang, bang, bang—and after much effort, they managed to clear an opening back into the passage.

"Fan Debiao, you go first. Su Yougui, hurry up!"

Once the two were inside, Young Master Liu slipped in after them.

But just as he entered, Young Master Liu suddenly kicked the door shut, trapping Hu Beikang outside.

"Boss! What are you doing? Let me in! Hurry up and let me in!"

Hu Beikang yelled desperately from the outside.

Fan Debiao and Su Yougui looked at Young Master Liu, utterly bewildered. "Master Liu, what is this? Why won't you let Hu Beikang in?"

Young Master Liu erupted in a torrent of curses: "Didn't I tell you to follow my orders? Everything according to my plan! But this Hu Beikang refused to listen! When I told you all to lie flat, this idiot didn't just refuse to lie down—he actually killed the Gu insect! Now look! Young Master Liu has been infected! He has no hope of survival. And if this patrolling Dugu doesn't return to its lair, more Gu insects will emerge. If they can't find Hu Beikang, they'll likely burrow inside to find us!"

Young Master Liu’s expression remained stony as he glared at the two men. "What are you waiting for? Move!"

The two had no choice but to press forward. They understood that Hu Beikang was truly doomed. What a pity—such a capable combat partner destroyed by a single venomous insect.

This led into another winding tunnel. However, this one appeared significantly smaller, so narrow that a person could barely draw a full breath inside.

They hurried away from that spot, constantly moving forward, hoping to find a place, any place, where they might survive.

Continuing their rhythm of tapping and knocking, after another period of time, they finally discovered another way forward. The three couldn't hide their elation; this passage seemed free of significant danger.

Just then, Fan Debiao suddenly shrieked because his hands had brushed against something slimy. He jerked upright, but in doing so, his head slammed hard against the compacted earth overhead, nearly knocking him senseless.

"What's wrong, Fan Debiao? Why are you yelling?" Young Master Liu asked curiously.

Fan Debiao pointed behind him. "I felt blood! Something thick and muddy behind me! Do you want to see? There’s fresh blood back there!"

Young Master Liu’s heart seized. He had long suspected that others had passed through here before, and this finally confirmed it. He hastily lit one of the talismans in his hand and examined the spot. Indeed, drops of blood stained the ground. The three followed the trail of blood, desperate to see what creature had left it.

But after walking for less than half an hour, they stopped dead, utterly stunned. Before them lay the carcass of an unknown animal, its belly ripped open. It was unknown because the creature was so massive it completely choked the passage; its head was on the far side, completely unseen from their current vantage point.

Staring at the colossal corpse, Young Master Liu involuntarily sucked in a sharp breath—it was truly enormous.

When they knocked on the creature’s distended stomach, it sounded round and hollow, as if packed with something.

Suddenly, with a loud bang, the monster’s body exploded. Blood sprayed everywhere, and rotting flesh burst forth, knocking the three men off balance and forcing them to crouch onto the ground.

Looking at the remains scattered on the floor, the three nearly vomited. Fortunately, they weren't as splattered as they might have expected.

"Huh? What's that?"

Suddenly, Su Yougui noticed a small, round object on the ground and quickly walked over to inspect it.