Uncle Diao gave the order, and several men quickly produced rope guns, loaded them, and pulled the triggers, sending ropes snaking up to firmly anchor onto the head of the Buddha statue.

Young Master Liu quickly counted; one rope corresponded to one person. Wang Zhicai and Lin Miaoke, lacking the stamina for the climb, were carried up on the backs of two strong men. Young Master Liu had expected Fei-fei Wang might also struggle and was preparing to assist her, but she immediately refused, surprising him by proving nimble as a swallow during the ascent, outpacing everyone else.

Fan Debiao and Jackson, feeling completely relaxed, started treating the climb like a competition, much to Young Master Liu’s exasperated amusement.

Just halfway up the ascent, the surrounding sarcophagi suddenly began to shake again, emitting the familiar clacking sound. This unexpected “surprise” startled Young Master Liu so badly he nearly lost his grip and fell.

The frequency of the shaking this time was significantly faster than before, and the clacking noise was louder. Whether it was purely psychological or not, he couldn't afford to dwell on it; everyone surged upward in a frantic rush.

“Wait, this isn't a corpse changing! Everyone stop!” came the sudden declaration from Clay Figure Zhang as he climbed.

The moment Clay Figure Zhang spoke, Uncle Diao quickly signaled everyone to halt. The entire tomb chamber fell silent instantly. Countless beams of light from the flashlights swung wildly everywhere, leaving Young Master Liu dizzy and disoriented.

That sound resonated throughout the chamber, seemingly drawing closer, producing a suffocating sensation.

Being suspended mid-air was intensely unpleasant. Young Master Liu was already growing to despise this feeling. He had resolved never to engage in this kind of activity again in his life, yet here he was, forced into this predicament once more.

In truth, so much in a person's life is beyond their control. Even if you dread an action a thousand times over, under the pressures of profit, power, or danger, one is compelled to proceed.

As Young Master Liu was lost in these reflections, he heard a faint clack-clack sound echoing from directly above him. He recalled there were no sarcophagi above the Buddha statue’s head—how could that noise be coming from there? Yet, at that moment, Young Master Liu finally understood why Clay Figure Zhang had stopped them. There was something as dangerous above their heads as what was in the coffins.

He was certain he wasn’t the only one who heard it; the others weren't deaf. Instantly, the area erupted as if a pot had boiled over, with noisy discussions breaking out, making Young Master Liu’s head feel ready to explode.

He noticed Fan Debiao swinging near him. “Young Master, what the hell is going on? Damn it, is anyone supposed to survive this?”

Young Master Liu hadn't understood the situation from the beginning, so he couldn't answer Fan Debiao’s frantic question, instead tilting his head up to watch Clay Figure Zhang.

Illuminated only by flashlights, Clay Figure Zhang appeared indistinctly above. Given how thoroughly he was wrapped up, it was impossible to tell what he was doing. He was the only one who truly knew the situation, and nobody dared to move rashly while he remained silent.

Seeing Young Master Liu staring blankly at Clay Figure Zhang, Fan Debiao imitated the action, squinting up at him. After a pause, he muttered, “What are you looking at him for? Damn it, did you see him sprout a pair of wings earlier like the rest of us?”

Indeed, Clay Figure Zhang had no wings. Though the man was personally irritating, having him positioned ahead provided Young Master Liu with an unexpected sense of security. Unconsciously, he felt a need to rely on him in this environment.

Young Master Liu didn't reply to Fan Debiao, just kept staring intently through narrowed eyes. Uncle Diao was growing impatient and swung forcefully closer to Clay Figure Zhang, trying to ascertain the situation.

Before Uncle Diao could speak, both he and Clay Figure Zhang snapped their heads up, fixing their gazes intently upward. Young Master Liu was farther away; his flashlight could only clearly illuminate the two men, leaving the situation directly above them invisible. However, judging by their extreme reactions, coupled with the persistent noise from the Buddha's head, Young Master Liu was certain something was up there.

Resolving to move closer to see what Uncle Diao and Clay Figure Zhang had discovered, Young Master Liu clenched the flashlight in his teeth and pulled himself upward with force. Seeing Young Master Liu suddenly ascend, Fan Debiao immediately followed suit in a chaotic rush.

As they climbed, both Uncle Diao and Clay Figure Zhang simultaneously jerked their bodies involuntarily. Young Master Liu instantly sensed trouble. Uncle Diao was a man of experience, and Clay Figure Zhang had navigated countless dangerous scenarios; whatever could make both of them tremble must be truly extraordinary.

Witnessing this, Young Master Liu instinctively stopped climbing. He shone his flashlight upward and saw a dense, black mass hovering above Uncle Diao and Clay Figure Zhang. The mass constantly emitted that incessant clack-clack-clack sound. Although he couldn't discern what it was, the thing projected an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Mustering his courage, Young Master Liu prepared to climb higher for a better look when the dark mass suddenly shifted. Then, Uncle Diao roared, “Everyone back down to the ground, now!”

Hearing this, Young Master Liu immediately knew things had gone critical. Without overthinking, he released his grip and slid straight down. The friction burned his palms fiercely. Shining his light down, he saw his fingertips were bleeding. Everyone knew that the heart is connected to the fingers, and such an injury caused a piercing, bone-deep pain.

The situation was too perilous; he still had no idea what that black mass was. Young Master Liu had no time to tend to his wounds. Clutching his flashlight, he scanned around frantically for Uncle Diao and Clay Figure Zhang.

Several distinct pop-pop sounds echoed, and bright flares shot into the air, instantly illuminating the entire tomb chamber. The gunshots came from behind him. Young Master Liu spun around to see Uncle Diao, Clay Figure Zhang, Jackson, and Old Wu all positioned behind him, still holding their firearms at the ready.

Clay Figure Zhang stared fixedly upward, his usually fearless eyes now tinged with palpable terror. Looking at the others, their eyeballs seemed ready to pop from their sockets.

Young Master Liu felt a terrible premonition, spun around, and looked up. In a single second, he was completely paralyzed by the sight before him, every sinew in his body tightening.

The body of the Buddha statue was entirely covered in black, slimy things—layer upon layer of them—serpent coiled upon serpent. The clack-clack-clack sound was the friction created by their overlapping bodies.

Not only that, but a significant number of these same black creatures were now slithering out of the coffins lining the walls.

These snakes varied in size, and their bead-like eyes glowed a terrifying, blood-red hue, instantly inducing horror.

Young Master Liu had only recently witnessed the aggression and venom of these creatures, and the memory was still fresh. Now, they appeared in masses, ready to swarm. The twenty or so people present stood no chance of dealing with such a horde.

There was no time to think; a surging wave of the black serpents rushed toward them. The grating clack-clack-clack was ear-splitting. A few of Uncle Diao's bolder subordinates already had their submachine guns blazing, firing relentlessly into the mass of snakes on the floor, sending chunks of flesh flying. The purplish-black ichor splashed onto the ground, immediately emitting smoke.

Their indiscriminate firing was proving largely ineffective. The snakes were closing the distance, and their numbers were multiplying. Continuing this defense seemed impossible; everyone would eventually end up like Wu Bai. To his shame, Young Master Liu’s mind was a complete blank; he couldn't conjure a single viable plan.

Just then, a brute from Uncle Diao’s contingent lost his nerve and screamed that he was going to fight the snakes head-on. He pulled a packet of yellowish material from his backpack, which looked hard and rigid. A white fuse trailed from the bottom of the packet.

On closer inspection, it was clearly a detonator cord. The packet itself was dynamite. The man pulled out a cigarette, tucked it into his mouth, lit it with his lighter, took two deep drags, and then used the glowing tip of the cigarette to touch the fuse.