The four of them screamed in the air, struggling desperately to escape the truly intense shockwave of the explosion. Ma Xiong, flying freely, thought to himself, "If you convert this to explosives, it must be no less than ten kilograms of TNT. With this much power, falling down afterward is going to hurt." Then, a shift in thought brought a frustrated curse, "Damn it, what time is it to still be thinking about my expertise? The main thing right now is how to land safely."

Before he could finish the thought, their bodies plummeted straight to the ground. After a cacophony of strange noises and screams, the group landed on the floor. The sensation, just as Ma Xiong had predicted, was certainly unpleasant.

Lu Zong felt a heavy tightness in his chest, a breath completely stuck in his throat. Finally exerting his last bit of strength, he managed to cough up a large amount of red material—blood. He nearly fainted from the shock.

Ma Xiong, Fatty, and Ganda were not faring much better than Lu Zong. Except for Ma Xiong, the other two were either vomiting blood or gasping for air. Ma Xiong alone lay motionless on the ground, his wide eyes staring blankly at the wall.

Lu Zong, overcome with curiosity, followed the direction of Ma Xiong’s gaze and instantly forgot his own pain, staring intently at the wall as well.

Fatty and Ganda sensed the unusual focus in the other two's eyes and looked over, only to discover with astonishment that the wall they had been looking at was completely blown open. Now, all they could see was a blinding white expanse, shifting and swirling as if it were a sea of white foam. Upon closer inspection, they realized the white material was composed of colossal carnivorous plants, similar to the one they had encountered earlier. For some unknown reason—perhaps from being trapped behind the wall for too long without sunlight—they were entirely pale, resembling rotting corpses covered in moldy growth. If the four hadn't already seen these plants in their true colors, they would have fled in terror.

Lu Zong shakily managed to stand up, and Ma Xiong helped Ganda to his feet. Neither of them took their eyes off the wall, watching closely, afraid the growth might suddenly surge toward them.

The white plants writhed violently in the open space, their vine-like appendages as thick as wrists whipping against the stones on either side, causing the rocks to bounce wildly with every impact. The group scrambled to find a quiet corner to hide.

Lu Zong said, "How are we supposed to get through this mass of carnivorous plants? Charging through seems unrealistic. We couldn't handle even one before, and now they are countless times denser."

Ma Xiong replied, "It seems we have no choice but to retreat and rethink our approach. Fatty, what do you think?"

Fatty, supporting his heavy frame, crouched weakly by the corner of the wall, motionless. He looked utterly exhausted and said in a low voice, "I say, guys, let's just forget it. Let's rest here for a bit. That stuff won't reach us for a while anyway. Ugh, I'm dead tired."

Ma Xiong looked at the prone Fatty and teased, "Fine, we’ll rest here for a while. We have plenty of time. If those carnivorous plants catch up, we won't be scared. We've got this big meat cushion to cushion the blow. I guarantee those plants will eat you first—so plump and white, no need to even pluck the hair." He pointed at Fatty's bald head, which made the other two chuckle, drawing their attention to Fatty’s shiny scalp.

Fatty erupted in an angry outburst, "Damn it, in a situation like this, you're still laughing? Escaping alive is what matters right now. Let's go, hurry up!"

The other three exchanged smiles and followed Fatty back toward the original access tunnel. They reasoned that if they didn't get back now, the mechanism of the passage might shift, and they’d be forced towards the danger even if they didn't walk into it.

The thought spurred them on, urging Fatty to quicken his pace.

But Fatty, leading the way, suddenly stopped, letting out a small gasp.

"What is it?" Ma Xiong asked anxiously, following close behind.

Fatty stammered, "Look ahead of us, that..."

Before he could finish, Ma Xiong let out a surprised "Ah!"

Lu Zong and Ganda looked ahead and were amazed to see a spherical object standing in the middle of the passage. It appeared to have a slight fissure in the center, as Lu Zong noticed objects near the sphere being pulled inward.

A thought flashed through his mind: "Could that be the Ice Crystal Fetus? Why would it be here?"

He turned to Ma Xiong and asked, "Ma Xiong, is that the Ice Crystal Fetus we encountered earlier? Why is it here?"

Ma Xiong turned to Lu Zong, taking a moment before answering, "I can't be sure, but what is certain is that moving forward will present a challenge. Look, aren't those smaller things around the Ice Crystal Fetus being sucked in?"

Ganda, having endured too many close calls, was on the verge of a breakdown. His voice was edged with a cry, "Oh god, why is that woman up ahead staring right at me?"

Fatty glanced at the corpse and said, "That's not strange. It’s because you’re handsome."

Lu Zong followed Ganda's gaze to the Ice Crystal Fetus and noticed that the corpse's eyes seemed fixed on him. Recalling the Mona Lisa, he explained, "Don't worry about that. It’s an effect of optics. The female corpse we see through this crystal doesn't match the actual one inside; our eyes are being tricked by the Ice Crystal Fetus. It's hard to explain to you, just know that the light reflecting off the corpse's body is refracted by the crystal, making it appear as if she’s looking at herself. This is all normal. Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was also painted based on this optical principle, just with slight variations in presentation."

Ganda, however, wasn't listening at all, his face fixed in an expression of sheer panic. Knowing that such emotion was dangerous in their desperate situation, Lu Zong forced himself in front of Ganda to bolster his courage and encourage him to stay strong.

But this course of action was unsustainable. Carnivorous plants behind them, the Ice Crystal Fetus ahead. Advancing meant being sucked into the Fetus’s maw; retreating meant being devoured by the plants. Now, they seemed to have only these two choices. Fatty shook his head, a look of despair crossing his face.

Lu Zong urged, "Everyone, pull yourselves together, stop looking so listless. We are all grasshoppers on the same blade of rope now; none of us can escape. So, we must unite."

Fatty replied, "Alright, we'll listen to you. Whatever you say, we'll do." Lu Zong knew Fatty was currently impulsive and prone to emotional outbursts, so he didn't argue, dismissing it as a brief temper tantrum—Fatty was known for his bad temper anyway. He stated, "Very well, since everyone is looking to me, I won't hold back. My suggestion is that we all unite to figure this out."

Ma Xiong spat and remarked thoughtfully, "That could work?"

Lu Zong countered, "If we move forward now, the most we'll face is a fight with the Ice Crystal Fetus. Look, its suction isn't that strong. Maybe if we link arms and hold onto the rock, we can push past it. But if we retreat, we are surely doomed. We just killed its kin; they must be furious, and we’ll be at a disadvantage."

Ma Xiong agreed, "I support Lu Zong's idea. As long as we stick together, there’s no woman we can't get. If the four of us link arms, even if the fissure in the Ice Crystal Fetus is huge, it can’t possibly swallow all four of us at once, right? I suggest Fatty take the lead. He’s at the front; even if he gets sucked in, he might not be pulled all the way through."

Fatty was the first to object. "Damn it, have you no conscience? You don't have to attack my life just because you ridicule my figure! Is only your life precious? I think we should do this instead: let's roll a nearby rock over to block that fissure."

Lu Zong nodded after hearing that. "Yes, that’s good. A bit more humane than Ma Xiong’s suggestion. I propose we do this. Let’s vote to decide now."

Fatty interjected, "Raise your hand if you agree, stand on your head if you disagree." He then raised both hands to lead the vote. The other three, hearing Fatty's words, couldn't object—they certainly couldn't joke about themselves just to humor Fatty’s joke.

So, the four walked to the side of the passage wall and selected a loose, somewhat round rock from above, estimating it would be easier to roll. After much effort, they managed to pull the rock down. Then, the four got busy. First, they found a spot neither too close nor too far from the Ice Crystal Fetus, ensuring they would have enough combined strength to roll the rock into the fissure. Then, linking arms, they embraced the stone. On Lu Zong's count of "one, two, three," they pushed the rock out, leveraging the suction force. The stone obeyed, rolling perfectly along the current and lodging squarely against the fissure. The three felt an immense sense of relief. Only then did they finally exhale.

Lu Zong looked at the Ice Crystal Fetus, and even while catching his breath, he asked about the fissure.

Ma Xiong replied, "That thing must have woken up after three thousand years. It seems to be hungry and needs something to eat."

Fatty disagreed. "I think it’s a time tunnel, sucking everything here in to traverse to another dimension. Perhaps this is connected to the mummified Loulan beauty we are seeking."

Lu Zong listened to both explanations. "You both have a point. Regardless of why, at least it's blocked now. The immediate danger is gone. We should leave quickly."

Ma Xiong agreed, "Yes, let's leave quickly, before the rock shatters and blocks our exit."

No sooner had he spoken than the rock exploded with a deafening boom, just like dynamite. They were once again thrown to the ground by the powerful shockwave, panting heavily. Ma Xiong slapped himself, "Damn it, what a jinx I am."

Lu Zong felt the suction force increasing relentlessly. He realized how powerful the pull must be if it could disintegrate a rock. With this thought, he swiftly grabbed onto something soft nearby, simultaneously warning the others, "Quickly, grab onto something! That thing’s gravitational pull has become much stronger!"

And all he heard from behind him was Ma Xiong roaring at him, "Damn it, drop whatever you're holding! Don't drag it!"