A long, lonely road stretched before them as they continued their descent, uncertain when they would reach the bottom or what dangers lay ahead. But none of that mattered; what mattered was that they had all chosen to strive, to fight on.

Ma Xiong, walking at the very bottom, sighed aloud. "When will this end? Look, the red dots below seem to be extinguishing one by one, as if they're getting farther away from us. What if those aren't the bottom, but the eyes of some monsters?"

The Fatty glanced down, his voice laced with sudden fear. "Oh dear God, we're still so far! Ma Xiong is right; those things below really do seem to be moving away. Now I also doubt if that's the true bottom."

Lu Zong, however, was unconcerned and spoke with forced encouragement. "For now, we just keep climbing. The main tomb chamber might not be at the very lowest point; we could easily find an entrance to an underground palace halfway down. Think about it—ancient people were still human. How grand could they build, and how deep could they actually dig? We should have more faith."

When they considered this, they realized it made sense. Yes, while monarchs throughout history had certainly exploited the peasantry, they couldn't have developed their brains to a hundred percent, especially with such primitive tools. How deep could they truly dig? If they kept pushing forward, they believed hope wouldn't be far off.

This injection of thought energized the three, and they began climbing down with renewed effort. Though they were already panting from exhaustion, a faint flicker of hope remained in their hearts. Hope provided motivation.

Seeing how hard everyone was struggling, Ganda called out, "Boys, you all look like you're having a tough time. Want to take a breather?"

Lu Zong looked at Ganda and was startled to see that Ganda seemed like a completely different person now. His stamina appeared undiminished; he wasn't even winded. His expression was utterly calm, devoid of any visible fear or emotion. When Ganda noticed Lu Zong staring, he quickly averted his gaze and said, "I was just feeling a bit tired. If everyone disagrees, we can keep climbing."

Unexpectedly, the Fatty let out a sharp cry and slumped onto the vine, wailing dramatically. "Ah, I can't do it anymore! I think we really should rest here for a bit, just in case we lose energy and fall off accidentally."

Ma Xiong looked at the Fatty, then at Lu Zong, and shook his head helplessly, clearly communicating: "I'm indifferent, I'm neutral, you decide."

Lu Zong kept staring at Ganda’s face, feeling something deeply unsettling. He tried to recall when Ganda had started acting so strangely. Suddenly, a bizarre thought seized his mind: Ganda was possessed by a spirit.

This thought wasn't entirely baseless. First, he reasoned that Ganda must have been pricked by the vines earlier, possibly allowing seeds or toxins to enter his system, sprout within him, or spread through his bloodstream, thereby controlling his mind.

If their opponent controlled Ganda's mind, then the group stopping here must signal some imminent danger. He looked around. They were surrounded by sheer cliffs, and black vines engulfed the entire chasm, making the already dark canyon even more sinister and chilling. Only isolated, protruding stones offered pinpricks of white against the deep black, looking like worms writhing in the darkness. The bottom was invisible below; the top, unreachable above. They seemed suspended here, abandoned by the world, waiting for hope to find them.

Lu Zong stammered, genuinely frightened. "I have a feeling something is very wrong here. Perhaps we should keep moving. Let's climb a little farther, find a better spot to rest, and then stop."

The Fatty, however, planted himself stubbornly on a rock and refused to budge, panting loudly. "No... no... I need... to rest... a little longer. I feel like my bones are falling apart. Let's rest now."

Lu Zong pleaded, "Fatty, this place is dangerous. How about we climb up another fifty meters? See that large rock jutting out below? We can rest there for a while, maybe even catch a quick nap."

The Fatty peered down and indeed saw a relatively large rock formation less than a hundred meters below. He could only sigh, stand up, and prepare to climb down.

Just as the Fatty was about to move, Ganda’s expression darkened. He pointed toward a spot not far from the Fatty and said, "Look quickly, there’s a big rock right there that’s perfect for the four of us to rest on. Why don't we just stop there? After all, we don't mind losing a hundred meters now."

Lu Zong felt as if Ganda was deliberately trying to keep them exactly where they were, which only solidified his suspicions. He looked at Ganda, but Ganda wasn't looking back; he was watching the Fatty with an anxious urgency. Lu Zong found this very strange and prepared to insist on his own suggestion, but to his shock, the Fatty, who had been profoundly exhausted moments before, suddenly moved with agility, weaving through obstacles and traversing the vines with swift, practiced movements—certainly not the movements of the Fatty he knew. Lu Zong felt confused. Then he noticed Ganda’s eyes were fixed entirely on the Fatty; the Fatty had passed safely under Ganda's direct surveillance.

"Does Ganda's gaze also hold some magical power?" he thought, shaking his head, unable to believe what he saw.

Seeing that the Fatty was reluctant to move further, Ma Xiong reluctantly nodded to Lu Zong and also moved agilely across the vines, collapsing next to the Fatty and gasping for air.

Finally, Ganda crossed over, but instead of resting, he stood on the rock, looking around as if searching for something.

He glanced at the unnervingly quiet Lu Zong and said, "Master, let's rest here for a moment, lest you can't climb later."

Lu Zong suddenly felt Ganda’s words were like an undeniable command, something he couldn't resist. His mind exploded with a resounding boom. If that were true, Ganda could command anyone in the world.

He moved to the rock mechanically, his head spinning, unable to form a single coherent thought. He lay down, intending to process everything and clear his head. The Fatty beside him was already asleep, and Ma Xiong seemed to be dozing, yet Lu Zong remained suspended in thought—but when he tried to focus on what he was thinking, he realized he wasn't thinking of anything at all.

This strange sensation persisted for a long time. Gradually, fatigue washed over him, and a wave of drowsiness hit. His head began to move against his will, and slowly, he fell asleep.

When he awoke, he had no idea how much time had passed. He woke the Fatty and Ma Xiong, ready to continue. But he was astonished to find Ganda was gone.

A wave of panic hit him as he recalled all the bizarre events. He shouted, "Ganda! Where are you? We’re about to leave."

Yet, he wasn't worried about Ganda's disappearance so much as he had a distinct premonition that something was about to happen. Where had Ganda gone while they slept? Who was he allied with now? Was the vine in his head the primary cause of his unnatural behavior? And why was he so insistent they stop precisely at this location?

This cascade of inexplicable events washed over Lu Zong. He looked around; it was utterly desolate, devoid of any spark of life, not even a small creature stirred. He called Ganda’s name loudly, but only an echo answered him. He was overcome with terror; Ganda had clearly been hiding something crucial from him.

He urged the others, "Fatty, Ma Xiong, Ganda might be waiting for us below. Maybe he went ahead to scout the path. We should continue moving."

The Fatty protested slightly. "No way. Ganda is so timid; how could he possibly scout ahead alone?"

Ma Xiong also noticed something odd about Lu Zong, finding it strange. The normally kind and loyal Ganda was acting so abnormally, even suggesting abandoning a comrade. He looked curiously at Lu Zong, who kept his gaze lowered, silent.

Sensing Lu Zong was troubled, Ma Xiong said, "I think we should look for him first. What if some creature ate Ganda? Even if it did, we should find the body. Don't you agree, Lu Zong?"

Lu Zong glanced fearfully at Ma Xiong's expression, a look of anxious urgency on his face, and quickly nodded agreement. "Yes, yes, let's find Ganda first." He dared not reveal the detail about the vine piercing Ganda’s head, fearing it would arouse their suspicion.

But as soon as Ma Xiong finished speaking, they heard a distinct "hissing" sound, like a snake flicking its tongue. The sound was so real that Lu Zong felt as if blood-red eyes were challenging them.

The Fatty immediately cried out in alarm. "What was that? It sounded like a snake!"

Ma Xiong replied, "I heard it too; it sounds like a snake hiding nearby. Lu Zong, actually, something has been strange lately. Whenever I predict something bad, it happens. My mouth is like a crow's! I just said Ganda might have been eaten, and now—could that big snake really have swallowed Ganda?"

Lu Zong's heart skipped a beat. Could Ganda really have been eaten by that snake?

However, at that moment, he couldn't be certain it was a snake; it could just be a natural sound, everything might be coincidence.

Just then, the sound repeated, this time seeming to come from right beside them, possessing an almost overwhelming force. If Lu Zong hadn't been gripping the vine tightly, he might have been thrown off.

The Fatty spoke up. "That's odd. It sounds like it’s coming from inside this rock we’re on. Is the snake trapped inside the stone?"

Lu Zong finally paid attention to the rock beneath his feet, the one where they had all been sleeping. Suddenly, he noticed something truly bizarre.

He shouted loudly to the others, "Ma Xiong, Fatty! Get off the rock! Move away from that stone, quickly!"

But the Fatty was still stretching, having not heard Lu Zong clearly. He asked, "What? What did you say?"