As the few of them, panting, reached the underside of the vines, they were finally free from the pull of gravity. However, when they looked up, they were nearly scared rigid.

A dozen or so infant bodies were suspended directly above their heads, their cavernous mouths wide open, ready to swallow them whole at any moment.

Ma Xiong trembled, the dagger in his hand shaking as well. He stared intently at the infant forms, wildly slashing the blade above his head. The other three followed his lead, waving their own blades.

Lu Zong said anxiously, "Ma Xiong, this isn't a solution. They'll attack us sooner or later. How many more flares do we have?"

Ma Xiong snapped back angrily, "And you have the nerve to ask? Why did you run over here? We were better off back at the Ice Crystal Fetus. Even being swallowed by that was better than being torn apart by these things."

Lu Zong replied, "Ma Xiong, don't blame me. You didn't see how terrifying the eyes of that female corpse were. My nervous system nearly shut down. It’s a good thing I ran fast; if I hadn't, I’m sure that female corpse would have chosen me as its target."

Ma Xiong felt slightly mollified. He stopped waving his hands, rummaged through his bag, and finally pulled out a flare. He lit it quickly and began swinging it around.

In the utterly black cavern, the light cast by the flare was dazzling. The carnivorous plants, long accustomed to life underground, recoiled swiftly from the sudden light. Soon, the space above their heads fell silent.

They collapsed onto the ground, the flares burning rapidly in their hands. Lu Zong said, "Everyone, quickly go find some other things that can burn. These flares are precious; we can't rely on them constantly."

With that, he took the lead, gathering twigs and leaves from the vicinity and placing them before them, lighting them.

Ma Xiong said, "This isn't a solution either. Behind us is the Ice Crystal Fetus, and in front are the giant man-eating plants. Those carnivorous plants are only temporarily scared by the firelight. From the looks of it, such massive biological systems should adapt quickly. Maybe in the next second, they’ll get used to this intense light. We need to get out of this hellish corridor quickly."

Sure enough, Lu Zong noticed that the vine-like plants, previously frightened aside, were creeping back, gradually closing in on the four of them. Terrified, the four backed up until they were huddled shoulder-to-shoulder, each clutching a burning stick.

At this moment, the silent Gan Da suddenly spoke. However, his voice didn't sound as shaky; it carried a note of composure. He calmly said to Lu Zong, "Lu Zong, look ahead of me. That Ice Crystal Fetus is rolling over here. It won't be long before we're sucked in."

Lu Zong suspected that Gan Da had reached a point of despair, which was why he wasn't showing panic. Scientifically speaking, people often become indifferent to everything when desperate, indicating that Gan Da was thoroughly stunned by fear.

Lu Zong turned, shielding Gan Da behind him, and said, "Don't be afraid, we have torches. I doubt it will dare approach us." He waved the torch a few times. Indeed, he noticed a flash of light reflecting ahead—likely from the female corpse's eyes—and the Ice Crystal Fetus immediately stopped advancing, freezing in place. The reflection vanished.

He declared, "This is good. The female corpse has stopped too, and the vines won't attack for now. We can catch our breath and think of a plan. If all else fails, we'll charge through with these torches. We won't be afraid of fighting the female corpse; after all, there are four of us."

With that, he clenched his fists, eager to fight.

As the four were encouraging each other, they heard a rapid crackling sound echoing through the corridor, as if from an earthquake—an immense, powerful disturbance. Lu Zong felt his feet tremble, and a deep, rumbling sound rose from the earth beneath them.

His mind went blank, and he stared at the others in alarm. The other three looked at each other, equally bewildered by what was happening. Finally, Lu Zong suddenly realized they might be standing atop an active volcano. His heart pounded. "Could it be an eruption? Do you feel any large-scale movement underfoot? It feels like a massive contingent is advancing."

The other three listened intently, and they too heard the booming from below, like an army on the march. Ma Xiong wiped the sweat from his face and muttered, "What do we do now? Charge the Ice Crystal Fetus, or the carnivorous plants, or charge straight into hell?"

Lu Zong couldn't decide. He looked at Fatty, Fatty looked at Ma Xiong, and Ma Xiong looked at the huddled Gan Da, shaking his head in resignation. They exchanged helpless glances, unsure of their next move.

Lu Zong declared, "Let fate decide. Damn it, I refuse to believe my life ends here. Today, I’m betting against fate. I’ll wait right here."

Ma Xiong joked, "Heh, you wait here then; we won't keep you company. I think we should be proactive. While we still have fire, we should rush forward."

Lu Zong looked at Ma Xiong, chuckling, "I knew it. How could the ever-confident Ma Xiong falter at a critical moment? Fine, we'll do as you say. Since it was your suggestion, you take the lead, and we’ll cover your retreat."

Ma Xiong, looking at the sly grin on Lu Zong's face, cursed internally, "This kid is getting more cunning by the minute, damn it." But having suggested it, he had no choice but to go himself.

He picked up another match from the ground, raised it above his head, and cautiously began walking toward the Ice Crystal Fetus. Perhaps sensing the heat, the Ice Crystal Fetus actually began slowly retreating. The four watched excitedly as it rolled back, feeling an immense surge of relief. However, they also noticed that the speed of its retreat was gradually slowing, and they saw the fissure beginning to widen.

He gestured for Ma Xiong to watch the fissure, warning him that it was almost adapted to the source of heat. Ma Xiong whispered, "Shhh, look, it’s right by the mining shaft. Once it retreats past that point, we can slip into the shaft and seal it off, getting rid of it for good."

Lu Zong looked and indeed spotted the shaft. The Ice Crystal Fetus was now stopped there, seemingly no longer receding, as Ma Xiong approached step by step, waving his burning torch.

Lu Zong said in disappointment, "It’s over. It looks like it intends to block our exit."

Fatty suddenly exclaimed excitedly, "Don't rush. It looks like our savior has arrived."

"Our savior is here?" Gan Da asked, startled. "What do you mean, savior? Are there other people in this cave?" Hearing the word "savior," Gan Da latched onto it like a lifeline, bombarding Fatty with questions.

Fatty spoke slowly, "Our savior isn't a person; it's the one who designed this tomb. Listen, do you hear that sound?"

The three perked up their ears, determined not to miss any crucial development.

But all they heard was the familiar deep rumbling. The only difference was that the sound, which had previously come from all directions, now seemed to originate directly in front of them.

Fatty said, "Have you noticed? Haha, do you know why this thing stopped retreating? It senses the earthquake behind it. If I'm not mistaken, the chasm we encountered earlier is widening bit by bit. The floor of this corridor is collapsing one section at a time. If it doesn't move toward us soon, it will fall in, and then we'll be saved."

Upon hearing Fatty’s words, the three instantly became excited. But their elation lasted only a moment before they sobered up. "If that chasm swallows the entire floor of this corridor, where will we be standing? Won't we fall in with it?"

Fatty scratched his head, admitting sheepishly, "That's true. We'd die too."

Just as he finished speaking, they heard a tremendous booming sound from ahead. Then, huge sections of the floor began to collapse, plunging into the vast abyss. After a long pause, the sound of impact finally drifted up—a clean, sharp sound, as if hitting something solid.

"The abyss is here," Gan Da pointed at the black hole. "We're about to fall into hell. Amen. We should run, now!" He turned to bolt toward the rear.

Lu Zong intercepted the retreating Gan Da with a strong hand. "Wait a minute. Let's run after the Ice Crystal Fetus falls into the abyss. Our speed will definitely keep up with the rate the floor is sinking."

Just as the black hole was about to swallow the Ice Crystal Fetus, it suddenly reacted and charged toward the four of them at full speed. Lu Zong didn't even see how it initiated the movement; he just felt a gust of wind whip past his ears. He slapped his chest, relieved. "Good thing it's running away and not attacking us. Now we can retreat. Heh, we've escaped one disaster after all. I told you, things usually work out in the end; it's working out now!"

Ma Xiong was thoroughly annoyed by Lu Zong's implication: "Damn it, it would have been better if things hadn't worked out! Now we’ve run into a much bigger problem. I'd rather go back and be eaten by that Ice Crystal Fetus."

Lu Zong replied, "That would save us a lot of suffering. I’ll just stay here and wait for the black hole to consume me and end this sinful life of mine."

Ma Xiong roared in frustration again, "Damn you, stay here and wait to die! I’m charging back; I don’t care about the Ice Crystal Fetus anymore!"

Lu Zong suddenly grew excited. "That’s great then! We’ll listen to Ma Xiong. Ma Xiong, since you suggested it, you take the lead and set an example!"

Ma Xiong froze for a moment, then slapped his own face and cursed viciously, "Damn my big mouth." But the words were out; he couldn't back down. He had to take the front position and charged wildly forward.

The other three followed closely behind, rushing like a sudden gale toward the Ice Crystal Fetus and the carnivorous plants. It was surprising that the last three had finally united on the same side. He mused that if those two entities—the Fetus and the plants—could communicate, he might have sent Ma Xiong to negotiate, and perhaps the four of them could have actually formed a united front alliance.