Once the group waiting rushed into the cavern, they discovered a labyrinth of branching tunnels, dense and intricate like the holes in a piece of European cheese. Fortunately, they were all quite small, making the main passage easy to discern.

As they ran, Young Master Liu glanced back and saw shadows closing in relentlessly. Suddenly, two red dots flared behind the nearest shadow, raising instant goosebumps on his skin. Could it be more Blazing Armored Beetles? No, their speed wasn't this sluggish; these two red dots looked much more like eyes.

The Zongzi was chasing them, and now two red dots were chasing the Zongzi. Young Master Liu cursed inwardly: "Damn it, what is the situation now? Are those two red dots planning a mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind? What do they take us for?"

Just then, Fan DeBiao suddenly yelled, "Holy hell! A trap, jump!"

Before Young Master Liu could process what was happening, a flash of light blinded him, and he suddenly soared out of the tunnel entrance, landing hard on solid ground.

Looking up, he was stunned. The spot they had just jumped from was the very hole that had chilled him to the bone earlier. Where they stood now was the flagstone resting over the pool of water.

There was no time to think. The Zongzi shot out of the cave mouth. Fan DeBiao and Jackson immediately raised their double-barreled shotguns and fired.

The Zongzi took two direct hits and paused mid-air. With a jolt, it prepared to attack again, but as its swollen, deformed body moved, a tongue shot out of the cave and tightly ensnared it.

Seeing this spectacle, everyone present was utterly astonished. Wasn't that the tongue depicted in the wall carvings? How could the monster inside the cave still be alive after all this time? What exactly was it? Was Fan DeBiao right that it was a snake?

But what kind of snake had such a colossal tongue? If it were truly a snake, it would surely qualify for a Guinness World Record.

The old Zongzi, Zhang Jiao, was tightly bound by the tongue, leaving only its head, which was about the size of a basketball, thrashing violently, clearly struggling to break free. Yet, the tongue remained perfectly still, seemingly unconcerned by the Zongzi's immense force.

Suddenly, the Zongzi let out a roar, deafening and echoing throughout the entire cavern, indicating it was exerting its maximum effort. The binding tongue began to tremble, suggesting it would soon give way under the strain.

There was no time for further deliberation. Fan DeBiao and Jackson aimed their double-barreled shotguns directly at the Zongzi's head. But before they could fire, the tongue started to shake violently; perhaps the Zongzi's strength was too great, causing the restraint to falter.

Fan DeBiao swore, "Damn it, this tongue is intentionally making trouble for us! Let's just take it out too; it’s a menace either way."

With that, he opened fire continuously with his double-barreled shotgun, and Jackson, going all out, joined in the chaotic barrage.

Bullets whizzed out, but not a single one struck the Zongzi; they all hit the tongue. Due to the high power of the double-barreled shotguns, the tongue began to spew black goo—it was impossible to tell if it was blood.

At that moment, two sharp clicks sounded near their ears—Fan DeBiao and Jackson were out of ammunition.

Looking back toward the cave entrance, the situation hadn't improved; in fact, it was escalating rapidly. The Zongzi had managed to extend one arm. Overwhelmed by rage and finding no better weapon, Fan DeBiao pulled the dagger from his waist and flung it toward the Zongzi's head.

With a dull thwack, the tongue was snapped free by the Zongzi and slapped against the wall. Simultaneously, Fan DeBiao's dagger struck the Zongzi dead center in the heart. Driven by immense force, it actually pinned the creature to the stone wall.

Seeing Fan DeBiao's throw strike the Zongzi's heart, everyone felt a surge of joy. The Zongzi lay motionless; it seemed Fan DeBiao had finally laid the spirit to rest.

But just as they breathed a sigh of relief and collected themselves, the Zongzi convulsed, shook off the dagger, and lunged toward them. Da Guoguo shouted, "Run!"

Without hesitation, they spun around and bolted, but as they turned, a thunderous BOOM erupted behind them. They looked back, and by the beard of my seventh uncle, everyone was utterly dumbfounded.

A colossal python—no, a super colossal python—had burst through the cave entrance, extending a section of its body. It clamped down hard on the Zongzi with its jaws. With one massive gulp, it swallowed the Zongzi whole. Its eyes locked onto the group, and staring into those empty depths was an indescribable discomfort. The snake's head was barely a meter away, and remembering what they had just witnessed, everyone swallowed hard.

The snake was unimaginably huge. The cavern entrance, tall enough for a man, was less than two-thirds the thickness of this serpent's body, which explained why the stone had shattered. This also attested to the sheer hardness of the creature’s scales.

The snake was oddly shaped. It had two long horns protruding from its head, not on the sides, but set parallel atop its skull. Its nostrils were enormous, and it periodically exhaled forcefully at the group. Both its upper and lower jaws featured two extraordinarily long fangs. Most strangely, its skin displayed four distinct, interwoven patterns of color: azure, yellow, crimson, and black. These colors mingled in a disorienting swirl, making the eyes water. In the mortal world, snakes with such vibrant, multi-colored patterns were invariably lethally venomous. Was this serpent poisonous? Young Master Liu’s heart plummeted. Damn, this thing was too big! One bite from that head, and even an elephant wouldn't last a second. Thinking this, he instinctively felt fear, his legs trembling uncontrollably.

A rustling sound emanated from the snake's body; it seemed hungry. The group wasn't even enough for a mere snack. Da Guoguo stared blankly at the serpent, and the others remained frozen, seemingly paralyzed by terror. Fortunately, the snake made no immediate aggressive move, or their end would have been bitterly unjust!

Just as they relaxed, the snake's head suddenly lunged forward, sending Young Master Liu’s heart rocketing back into his throat. In these few minutes, his heart had leaped up and settled down countless times; he truly worried that even if he escaped alive, he’d suffer long-term effects like heart disease.

But luck was on his side. The snake's head only extended to half a meter from Young Master Liu before it could go no further. Liu was startled, wondering if the beast was a vegetarian. Tilting his neck, he realized the snake was stuck. Even trapped, the serpent was clearly unwilling to give up, writhing its body, yet unable to reach Liu. Young Master Liu quickly yelled, "Back up!"

With that, everyone retreated dozens of steps, moving to the furthest edge of the flagstone, farthest from the python.

Young Master Liu observed the python. Its body, two or three meters behind its head, was still undulating. He immediately suspected the Zongzi was causing trouble inside. He hadn't expected the Zongzi to be so durable, capable of causing mischief even after being swallowed. Still, this was a benefit; it at least provided a momentary distraction against the snake’s attack.

Liu searched the surroundings. Not only were there no formidable weapons, but there wasn't even a small tool left. Dealing with the python seemed entirely unrealistic now. The best course of action was to seize this opportunity and escape immediately. He quickly turned to Da Guoguo, suggesting, "Shouldn't we withdraw?"

Da Guoguo ignored him, standing still as if deep in thought. This exasperated Young Master Liu to no end. Suddenly, Da Guoguo exclaimed, "I know what this is!"

He pointed at the python and said, "This thing is called the Xiu She. Legend says this snake can swallow an elephant."

Hearing this, Young Master Liu gasped, "I admit its massive size, but saying it can swallow an elephant seems a bit far-fetched!"

Da Guoguo explained, "I read this in ancient texts. The Shan Hai Jing records: 'The Ba Snake eats elephants, and its bones are expelled after three years. A gentleman who consumes it will never suffer stomach ailments.' It is described as being blue, red, and black. Another account says it is a black snake with a blue head, located west of the rhinoceros. The Shan Hai Jing mentions this 'elephant-eating snake' in two places; I never imagined such a creature actually existed! By comparison, the Xiu She is far rarer than the Giant Panda—it's a nationally protected animal of the highest grade."

Fan DeBiao interjected, "What? Highest grade protected animal? If we got this thing out, humans might become the rare species! I say this isn't a snake at all; it's a bloody dragon."

Hearing the word 'dragon,' Jackson immediately pulled a cross from his chest and began frantically waving it in front of the Xiu She, mumbling prayers from the Bible. It seemed Jackson held the same deep aversion to dragons as the Chinese do toward the numbers four and seven.

Jackson's gesturing, however, enraged the Xiu She. It bared its fangs, its body twisting violently. Jackson flinched and quickly retreated, as the serpent’s head slowly began inching toward the group.

The chaotic noise grew louder, and just as despair settled upon them, there was a sudden shattering sound. A torrent of tentacles and writhing bodies surged from the walls and the water toward the Xiu She. Looking back, the area behind them was the same—the entire cavern was engulfed in a swarm of insects.