"Yeah, I definitely just heard a woman's voice," Ma Xiong replied. "It sounded like it was calling your name. Listen closely, is it calling you? It sounded exactly like, 'Lu Zong, your mom's calling you home for dinner.'"

Lu Zong stared at Ma Xiong in disbelief, not expecting the kid to still be joking around at a time like this. He sighed internally, recognizing that some people simply wouldn't believe something until they saw the coffin. He glanced around, then said, "I just heard that girl call both our names. It sounded like she was asking us to hurry and save her. I don't know what that means."

Ma Xiong listened intently, but the sound was gone now. He looked around, slightly puzzled, as the area returned to its eerie silence. This quiet sent goosebumps prickling all over his skin. He hesitated, wondering if they should investigate that narrow fissure—the 'Yixiantian'—to see what was causing trouble. Ultimately, fear won out. Lu Zong said, "Ma Xiong, I feel like staying alive is the priority right now. We shouldn't mess with whatever strange stuff is going on. What do you think, Ma Xiong?"

Ma Xiong was human, and his courage was finite. Hearing Lu Zong suggest retreat, he immediately agreed, nodding rapidly. "Right, right, let's get out of here quickly. This place feels dangerous. As the saying goes, the beginning is always the hardest part. I believe once we get through this stretch, everything will clear up, and we can declare victory." With that, he started leading Lu Zong away from the Yixiantian, heading in the opposite direction.

But as the two turned, they instantly heard that sound again, startling them both into a fresh wave of goosebumps. They looked around; the world felt infinitely terrifying. Ma Xiong looked back at the Yixiantian. It remained silent, devoid of any figure from moments before. He looked at Lu Zong, slightly bewildered, and asked, "Lu Zong, did you hear that sound again? It was horrifying. I heard that woman's mournful cry once more, and it really did sound like she was urging us to save her. What should we do now?"

Lu Zong gritted his teeth and growled, "A hallucination! It has to be a hallucination. Let's go, forget it. Damn it, it's just a trick, testing our mental fortitude. Ignore it, and let's keep moving." Even as he spoke, Lu Zong felt uneasy, knowing he was trying to deceive himself. How could it be an illusion? He was only trying to reassure himself and comfort Ma Xiong.

Ma Xiong thought that if even such a pessimistic person could sound so cheerful, what argument did he have? He stopped arguing about the sound and hurried to catch up with Lu Zong as they walked on.

Just as they were about to leave, a familiar voice suddenly called out from behind them. Their hearts leaped with joy—it was Fatty! They spun around instantly and saw Fatty peering out with half his body visible near the Yixiantian. Both exclaimed in surprise, "Fatty? Is that you, Fatty? What are you doing there?"

Fatty didn't answer. He just raised his hand toward them in a gesture of farewell and quickly slipped back into the fissure. The two exchanged a glance, unsure what Fatty’s brief appearance meant, before looking back at the Yixiantian.

Ma Xiong asked Lu Zong, sounding skeptical, "Lu Zong, did I see that wrong? I swear I saw Fatty waving at us over there by the Yixiantian. Did you see it?"

Lu Zong replied, "Yeah, yeah, I saw him too. But I looked closer. Did you notice? I swear, green corpse pus was leaking from his eyes and nose. He looked like he'd been dead for days. Did you see that?"

Ma Xiong turned back to Lu Zong, looking at him with astonishment. "What did you say, Lu Zong? You really saw him bleeding from his nose and mouth? Are you sure that was corpse pus? You can't be joking. How could someone who's been dead for days pop out to say hello? You must be pulling my leg."

Lu Zong considered this, perhaps not wanting to scare Ma Xiong further. He answered, "Oh, actually, I didn't look closely enough just now. Maybe I was overthinking things. How about we go check that spot? Since we saw Fatty anyway, even if it was an illusion, he’s our friend. It’s worth taking a quick look at the entrance, just in case we worry about it later. If we find him now, that’s a huge bonus. In a place like this, one more person means one more source of strength, don't you think, Ma Xiong?"

Ma Xiong nodded frantically. "Yes, yes, should we go take a look?"

Lu Zong nodded and started toward the Yixiantian. Ma Xiong followed behind, letting out a weary sigh as he looked back at the fissure. Now, the Yixiantian had returned to its former quiet state. He could see no one there and hear no sound. The world around them began to turn a dull gray. The only sounds in existence were Lu Zong's footsteps and his own sighs. He hurried to catch up with Lu Zong, driven by an intense curiosity that forced him to quicken his pace.

Soon, Lu Zong and Ma Xiong reached the Yixiantian. Lu Zong peered inside; it was pitch black. Perhaps their eyes hadn't adjusted to the darkness yet, as everything was unclear right when they entered. After a moment, the interior became somewhat discernible. They began to move forward cautiously, feeling their way, occasionally calling out for "Fatty."

They carefully examined the terrain on both sides. The ground here seemed flat and smooth. The stone walls on either side looked as if they had been deliberately carved, with convex and concave features arranged in a regular pattern, resembling intricate reliefs stretching for miles. Lu Zong’s voice was laced with dread. "Zhi Xiong, did you see Fatty or anything else? I feel cold all over, and I think I hear breathing. Listen carefully."

Ma Xiong answered, his voice trembling, "Yeah, I heard breathing too. I thought it was you. Now, Lu Zong, let’s both hold our breath and see if we can still hear it. Damn it, I refuse to believe I can’t track who’s breathing our air!"

Lu Zong called out for Fatty once more, but there was no echo. By now, both men had stopped breathing. They definitely still heard the sound of respiration—it was so strong, so powerful, and entirely unlike human breathing.

Ma Xiong grabbed Lu Zong, who was still moving forward, and asked, "Lu Zong, doesn't this breathing sound strange to you? Why is it so forceful? It feels like one of the beasts back home is breathing!"

Lu Zong flinched violently, turning back to Ma Xiong. "Ma Xiong, stop talking. I've found something. Don't move. Let me see what it is."

Ma Xiong watched as Lu Zong slowly lowered himself, his hands feeling around on the ground for a moment. Ma Xiong peered toward where Lu Zong was touching and could vaguely make out a dark shape. He quickly squatted down for a better look. It was too dim to see clearly. He leaned closer and was then able to see thick corpse pus oozing from the figure's face, suggesting it had been dead a long time.

But as he looked more closely, he recognized the features and his heart seized. He instantly recalled the name: "Lu Zong."

His heart hammered. Before he could cry out, he saw Lu Zong hurriedly feel himself, then swiftly flip the body over before continuing to grope forward. Ma Xiong shouted from behind, "Lu Zong! Lu Zong, where are you going? Stop! Don't go further in!" But Lu Zong acted as if he couldn't hear him, continuing his slow advance. Ma Xiong grew anxious. The kid must have seen his own corpse and panicked. He needed to comfort him. So he said, "Lu Zong, calm down, stay calm! Everything we see is an illusion. Ignore those things; they are just our hallucinations. Have you forgotten our special abilities?"

But Lu Zong still didn't respond, pressing deeper into the darkness. Ma Xiong heard a sound drifting around his ears, seeming to call his name. He watched Lu Zong disappear into the shadows, filled with urgency. The kid must have lost his mind, acting so irrationally. He had no idea how Lu Zong was faring inside. He felt utterly torn—should he press on to find Lu Zong, or retreat and wait for him? After a brief thought, he decided without hesitation to follow. Lu Zong was his only companion now; losing him would leave him completely alone, and he knew the path ahead would be impossible.

So he pushed forward, determined to see what Lu Zong was investigating. After a few steps, he spotted Lu Zong’s figure squatting on the ground again. He quickened his pace, reaching Lu Zong in moments. "Lu Zong, what did you find?"

Lu Zong whipped around suddenly. The terror Ma Xiong saw in Lu Zong's eyes was almost unbelievable. Ma Xiong was momentarily stunned, then continued to offer comfort. "Lu Zong, it’s fine. This is all in our heads."

Lu Zong abruptly stood up again and continued moving forward. Zhi Xiong bent down to look at the corpse Lu Zong had just examined. He flipped it over and looked closely at the face. He saw that the person, coated in thick corpse pus, was actually himself. His heart lurched in shock.