At first, Ma Xiong thought the insect was about to flee, but unexpectedly, it retreated a few steps and began beating its wings—wings that seemingly could never achieve flight—and instantly, the God-Slaying Gale erupted! A sound like continuous wooden fish striking echoed from the rapidly flapping wings, so intense it made Ma Xiong’s eardrums throb deafeningly!

Lu Zong was the first to cover his ears in fright, shouting, "Damn it, so this noise was its trick!"

As the insect’s wings beat faster, the frequency of the sound gradually increased. In no time, a pressure began to build upon Ma Xiong’s chest. Seeing this couldn't continue—since the source of the God-Slaying Gale was this bug, and we were so close—Ma Xiong realized that if the insect was allowed to persist, none of them would survive.

With that thought, Ma Xiong discarded the idea of covering his ears, grabbed the flagpole, and charged toward the insect. The God-Slaying Gale hammered against Ma Xiong’s head, inducing dizziness. Ignoring his staggering steps, swaying left and right, Ma Xiong reached the bug and swung the flagpole down toward its wings, thinking that injuring them would surely break the God-Slaying Gale.

However, the insect was agile; it sprang backward several meters. Ma Xiong’s flagpole slammed heavily onto the floor, the force almost splitting the web between his thumb and forefinger.

Ma Xiong felt a numbness spread through his arm and silently cursed the cunning of the old fiend. Just as he prepared to swing the pole again, he found his legs wouldn't move. The God-Slaying Gale was formidable; less than half a minute after it started, Ma Xiong was already struggling to breathe. He couldn't fathom how this insect had evolved such an ability. Thankfully, there was only one; if there were many, no one would ever breach this tomb!

Ge Mei no longer bothered holding the flashlight; it dropped to the floor, plunging the insect’s body into shadow, leaving only its two forelegs exposed in the light cast by the fallen torch. The power of this God-Slaying Gale was significant, nothing like the previous two instances. When the bug unleashed the gale from the depths of the pit before, it was already hard to resist; now, with the insect mere meters away, the noise was immense, pounding Ma Xiong’s eardrums. Even with his hands clamped over his ears, Ma Xiong couldn't fully withstand it.

He had intended to subtly yield to the sound, but that method proved useless this time! No matter how hard Ma Xiong tried to relax, he found not an iota of ease.

Ma Xiong felt his heart racing faster and breathing growing more labored, as if something heavy were pressing down on his chest. His body showed signs of impending shock, and his head swam in a daze. Gritting his teeth, Ma Xiong struggled to rise, but a wave of dizziness sent him crashing back down onto one knee.

Lu Zong lay sprawled on the ground, tossing side to side while clutching his ears, muttering curses under his breath: "Damn it, you dead bug, you bastard, go to hell!"

Ma Xiong inwardly decided he had no choice but to risk everything. He immediately grabbed his dagger and hurled it toward the insect like a throwing dart.

The dagger hissed through the air toward the bug. Lost in the dark, Ma Xiong had no idea which part he’d aimed for. Then came the sound of the dagger piercing the insect’s tough hide. The bug shrieked, and the God-Slaying Gale instantly began to subside slowly.

As the gale ceased, the pressure on Ma Xiong’s chest dramatically eased. Just as he prepared to draw a full breath, the insect began to buzz wildly again, and the God-Slaying Gale roared back into existence!

Though startled again, Ma Xiong felt considerably lighter this time. If he didn't seize this opportunity to stop the monster, the chance would vanish. Thinking quickly, Ma Xiong used the flagpole to push himself up and charged toward the insect. Reaching its vicinity, he suddenly heard a whoosh of wind past his ear and instinctively dodged aside. Where Ma Xiong had stood moments before, there was a sudden thud—the sound of the insect stomping the ground. A bead of cold sweat traced a path down Ma Xiong’s spine; had that attack landed, he would have been skinned alive, if not killed outright.

As Ma Xiong raised the flagpole to stab it, the monstrous bug unexpectedly lashed out with its other leg. This time, Ma Xiong was completely unprepared and took the full force of the kick squarely on his thigh, sending him tumbling to the ground. Before Ma Xiong could even attempt to rise, the God-Slaying Gale intensified again. Ma Xiong felt his head sink, and he was pressed flat onto the floor once more. This time, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't muster any strength.

Just as Ma Xiong feared he was done for, a loud roar pierced the air. In the darkness, a figure flashed forward accompanied by a beam of light from a flashlight. There was a sharp crack, followed by the insect’s frantic screeching. The God-Slaying Gale faltered, then weakened considerably.

Before he could fully process what happened, a hand grabbed him, pulling Ma Xiong to his feet and dragging him away.

After a few steps, Ma Xiong clearly saw that the person was Liu Quansheng.

Liu Quansheng raised his flashlight to illuminate the bug, keeping a wary eye on its movements, while asking Ma Xiong, “Brother Ouyang, are you alright?”

At that moment, the bug chirped a few times, and the God-Slaying Gale began to slowly rise again.

Ma Xiong shook his head at Liu Quansheng, then said, “This bug can generate the God-Slaying Gale. We need a plan, or none of us will escape.”

Liu Quansheng frowned, saying, “Ma Xiong thinks that since this is one of the Four Great Forbidden Zones, there must be a solution to everything; we just don't know what object will break the God-Slaying Gale.”

Ma Xiong nodded. “You’re right. The key to shattering the God-Slaying Gale must be here! Let’s think about what it could be.”

As he spoke, the God-Slaying Gale intensified significantly. Ma Xiong’s mind raced, and a sudden idea flashed. Without pausing to think, Ma Xiong pulled Liu Quansheng along. “Let’s go to the center of the Flag Formation.”

Without further explanation for Liu Quansheng, he dragged him along, running toward the formation's core while shouting back to Lu Zong and Ge Mei, “Hold on! I’m going to break this sound formation!”

With that, Ma Xiong and Liu Quansheng sprinted toward the center of the formation. The massive bug’s rampage earlier had already shattered the Flag Formation almost completely, rendering it useless. Thus, guided by the flashlight, Ma Xiong and Liu Quansheng quickly reached the central point.

Ma Xiong took several deep breaths to suppress the effects of the God-Slaying Gale and said to Liu Quansheng, “Look at this bell. If we strike it, what do you think will happen?”

Liu Quansheng blinked, then slapped his forehead. “Right! This huge bronze bell is hanging here, and it hasn't seemed useful until now. It might very well be the artifact to break this sound formation!”

A thick rope was connected to the bronze bell, leading down. Swinging the rope would cause the clapper inside to strike the great bell. However, directly beneath the bronze bell was the lair of that giant insect, leading down into a pit of unknown depth. Falling in would likely mean the end.

Normally, striking the bell wouldn't be an issue; one would simply jump across the edge of the pit, grab the rope connected to the bell, and swing. But now, suffering from the sonic assault of the God-Slaying Gale, their physical movements were severely restricted. Therefore, attempting to ring the bell meant risking everything. If he missed the rope on the jump, or if the gale’s vibrations caused him to lose his grip, the end result would be a plummet into the bottomless abyss, forever accompanied by darkness!

Liu Quansheng also recognized the inherent danger of this move. He looked down at the gaping hole in the floor, then up at the massive bronze bell, gritted his teeth, and said, “I’ll do it.”

Ma Xiong shook his head. “No need. I’ll go. But I can barely muster any strength right now. I’ll need the ‘Great Roc Spreads Its Wings’ maneuver to have a chance of grabbing the rope. Help me make a springboard.”

Liu Quansheng was not one to hesitate; he nodded at Ma Xiong. “Alright, be careful!”

Saying this, Liu Quansheng walked to the edge of the hole, squatted down, and told Ma Xiong, “Come on, step on my shoulder!”

The God-Slaying Gale persisted. Even though the large bug was badly injured by Liu Quansheng’s previous blow, the gale’s power still affected Ma Xiong. Not only was his mind unsettled, but he could barely summon any strength. Seeing Liu Quansheng ready, Ma Xiong inwardly resolved: success or failure hinges on this single attempt!

The current situation meant that every passing second brought greater suffering to everyone. Ma Xiong hesitated no longer. He shouted to Liu Quansheng, “Here I come!” Then, steadying himself, he charged toward Liu Quansheng. As he reached him, Ma Xiong suddenly gathered his inner energy and leaped, planting his foot on his shoulder.

Ma Xiong felt Liu Quansheng’s shoulder momentarily yield under the strain, but Liu Quansheng exerted all his remaining power, bellowing as he pushed upward with his legs, hoisting Ma Xiong higher. Ma Xiong intended to use that maximum upward thrust to propel himself higher still, but unexpectedly, the God-Slaying Gale made his head swim, causing him to miss the precise moment. Nevertheless, the arrow was already loosed from the bow; there was no turning back. Ma Xiong pressed forward with all his might and jumped!

In an instant, Ma Xiong soared forward. Liu Quansheng kept his flashlight beam fixed on the rope, and Ma Xiong flew straight toward it. However, the result was less than ideal; Ma Xiong realized he was still a short distance from the rope. Below him gaped the dark, cavernous hole. Ma Xiong knew the depth well; if it wasn't a pool of water below, falling would certainly mean splattering into a pancake with no chance of survival.

Ma Xiong dared not lose focus for a second. He fiercely drew on his remaining energy, stretching his hand as far forward as possible. Calculating the distance, just as his palm passed over the rope, Ma Xiong swung both hands down forcefully to grip! Simultaneously, his upward momentum vanished, and his body began to plummet.

Ma Xiong gripped the thick rope with both hands, his body falling. He dared not loosen his hold for an instant. Soon, he felt a heavy tug on his hands as the full force of gravity settled upon him. Though Ma Xiong clamped down on the rope with all his might, gravity dragged him down.

Suddenly, his body slid straight down nearly two feet before screeching to a halt. At this point, Ma Xiong’s hands were firmly gripping the very end of the rope. Sweat poured down him, every cell in his body contracted intensely, and a slight warmth spread in his lower abdomen. Ma Xiong’s hands trembled as he strained to pull himself upward. With great effort, he managed to climb a short distance until he could wrap his legs around the rope. Only then did he wipe the sweat from his brow and look down. The pit below was pitch black, exhaling waves of chilling air. Cold sweat broke out on Ma Xiong’s skin. He silently acknowledged how narrow the escape had been; had he slipped just a bit further, or had the rope snapped midway, he would surely be paying respects to the ancestors of the Ouyang clan.

Liu Quansheng, who had apparently held his breath watching Ma Xiong’s terrifying sequence of movements, finally let out a deep gasp. Ma Xiong followed suit, taking a massive breath, and without further delay, began to swing the rope. Because he had grabbed the rope just as he started falling, the downward force meant the rope barely swung, and the bronze bell remained silent. This time, however, Ma Xiong exerted all his strength, using his body to violently sway the rope. Instantly, he felt a vibration in the rope, followed by the resounding clang of the bell!

Suddenly, the sound of “Dong… dong…” echoed out. This massive bronze bell, silent for many years, had finally restored its majesty!

Moments later, the sound of the God-Slaying Gale was instantly drowned out by the bell’s tolling. The bell’s sound came in waves, long and melodious, imbued with a deep, potent authority. The ringing reverberated throughout the entire space, seeming to carry a vast, righteous energy, cleansing all impurities and unrighteousness from the area.