In an instant, everyone froze, their eyes fixed forward, their breathing growing shallow. Ahead of them lay countless snakes, of every imaginable kind, all lethally venomous, easily numbering in the tens of thousands.

At this moment, Charlotte’s face was pale; she could fear many things, but these writhing creatures struck a primal terror deep within her. Even the usually unflappable Keni showed a slight tremor of emotion—not fear, but sheer disgust!

How could there be so many snakes here? It wasn't just the ladies who were frightened; the mercenaries, upon suddenly seeing such a multitude of vipers, also turned ashen-faced, their lips trembling!

A constant "hissing" emanated from the mass of snakes, their posture hostile and vigilant toward Zhong Shenxiu and his group! In contrast to the widespread terror, Zhong Shenxiu’s face was alight with excitement.

These snakes held so many uses: firstly, they could be used in medicine; secondly, they could be eaten; and thirdly, they could be used to intimidate disobedient individuals. Furthermore,” Zhong Shenxiu recalled that shortly after arriving in this world, he had sold a snake and made a tidy profit, so far from feeling repulsed by them, he felt a unique affinity.

", ten thousand" “Captain, what should we do?” Rith, seeing Zhong Shenxiu standing motionless, couldn't help but ask. He clearly sensed that Angelia beside him was terrified of the snakes, and this question was partly for her sake.

“Rest where we are!” Zhong Shenxiu replied without turning his head. The group exchanged glances but none dared to sit down, terrified that the snakes might silently slither closer.

Robin, much like Zhong Shenxiu, was unafraid of the snakes, a fact she had demonstrated upon entering the Magic Beast Forest. She had even thoroughly enjoyed eating "roasted snake meat" at the time!

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Zhong Shenxiu and Robin began to walk toward the coil of serpents. This time, no one followed; all eyes were fixed warily on the writhing mass on the ground!

Zhong Shenxiu stopped about five meters from the snakes, sweeping his gaze across every serpent with unconcealed greed. These snakes clearly held no fear of humans, continuing to entwine themselves as if nothing were amiss; some even writhed and crawled in Zhong Shenxiu’s direction.

Zhong Shenxiu smiled faintly and, with a casual beckoning gesture, a jade-green snake landed in his hand. This snake was exquisitely beautiful, appearing at first glance like a flawless piece of jade, entirely unblemished.

Yet, the more beautiful such a creature, often the deadlier its poison. What was truly puzzling, however, was that the snake lay docilely, as if tamed by Zhong Shenxiu, offering no resistance whatsoever.

Zhong Shenxiu smiled slightly, then formed a hand seal with his other hand, causing a ball of violet light to flare up and condense into a sphere the size of a fingernail. He then flicked this light sphere, and it instantly sank into the little snake's forehead.

Immediately, something bizarre occurred: emanating from the snake’s forehead, numerous purple runes materialized out of thin air, instantly enveloping the small serpent from head to tail. The snake struggled briefly but soon settled down completely.

What Zhong Shenxiu performed was his improved and upgraded ‘Control Charm’! This enhanced ‘Control Charm’ offered several distinct advantages: firstly, control became faster and simpler, requiring only a single thought; secondly, the effective range for remote control was significantly increased, with clearer image transmission; moreover, this new ‘Control Charm’ allowed the small snake to cast some Level One or Level Two magic, irrespective of attribute; finally, the snake’s body underwent a super-evolution, boosting its defense and speed several times over!

There were other benefits as well, which would not be detailed here! The view returned to the small snake.

The purple runes covering its body began to fade gradually, vanishing completely within moments. Although the snake’s body color remained that vivid jade-green, its eyes had changed, becoming a pale violet—extremely eerie, yet strikingly beautiful!

If this little snake remained still, it could undoubtedly pass for a magnificent work of art! Having completed his task, the snake stirred once more, first raising its head to look around.

When its gaze fell upon Zhong Shenxiu, it flicked its tiny, scarlet tongue—a truly captivating sight! Zhong Shenxiu chuckled again.

He decided this would be his pet; it could serve for defense, was convenient to carry, and its smooth, cool sensation was quite pleasant! "Yes, I shall call you Little Qing from now on!" As he thought this, Zhong Shenxiu guided the snake to coil around his wrist.

Anyone not knowing better would surely mistake it for a jade bracelet! The others watched this entire sequence in stunned silence, their minds seemingly blank, their expressions eerily identical.

What exactly had he just done? And what was the deal with that little snake?

Such questions raced through the mercenaries' minds. This was the first time they had witnessed Zhong Shenxiu act, and they never expected such an uncanny display!

Following Zhong Shenxiu’s silent instruction, Robin once again activated the capacity of the ‘Repel-Attract’ Bracer, drawing every single snake present into her storage bracelet without exception, her face radiating excitement. However, this sight sent shivers down the spines of the onlookers.

The sight of those snakes flying towards Robin like a sudden tempest lingered in their minds long after. These two children must be transformed spirits!

The mercenaries now held this thought, believing it implicitly! Already hesitant to cause trouble, they became even more subdued, fearing Robin might use the same technique on them, preferring death to being imprisoned with those snakes or monsters!

“Have you rested enough?” Zhong Shenxiu turned to ask the group. Although none of them had actually rested, they could only nod now.

As they proceeded, however, they consciously maintained a distance from Robin, lest the snakes suddenly reappear. After walking for another quarter of an hour, the group halted again, confronted by a new obstacle: a pool of water!

The water in this pool was pitch-black. No one knew what resided within it, nor how deep it was; they only knew it felt intensely sinister, as if monsters could erupt from it at any moment!

How were they to cross? This question demanded serious consideration.

Wading across was guaranteed to be perilous; ignoring the water’s depth, who knew if traps were hidden beneath, or if monsters lurked submerged? “We rest here for the day!” He was different from the others; he saw more than just the surface, noticing details everyone else overlooked.

While everyone worried about what was in the water, they ignored why the water was so dark! Although the water emitted no strange odor, it could not escape Zhong Shenxiu’s Fiery Golden Eyes.

He instantly knew this water was not benign; it contained potent poison, not lethal immediately, but enough to seep into the marrow, lying dormant before erupting suddenly! Charlotte and the others had no need to worry about this "Black Water," as they had taken preventative pills beforehand, granting them strong resistance to toxins.

But the mercenaries were different; if they touched this "Black Water," their lives would likely soon be forfeit! Since he had accepted payment from them, Zhong Shenxiu felt responsible for their safety.

Yet, this wasn't his primary concern; what truly furrowed his brow was the sight of numerous creatures swimming beneath the surface. Though well-hidden, they could not escape the probing of his mental waves!

", ten thousand" Zhong Shenxiu recognized most of the submerged creatures vaguely, but one in particular seemed familiar, and this was the source of his frown! Robin was an acutely perceptive girl.

She noticed the change in Zhong Shenxiu’s expression, sensing that something here deeply preoccupied her master, so she remained silent beside him. As for the mercenaries, upon hearing they could rest, they quickly found spots to sit, though their eyes remained fixed on Zhong Shenxiu and Robin, as if anticipating another miracle.

Franklin was among them. He considered himself seasoned by numerous trials, but being with these two children revealed how truly green he was.

He endured several moments of profound shock daily, and the more he interacted with them, the more he perceived their mysterious power. He couldn't comprehend how children could possess such strength; it was unheard of across all continents, yet here he was, encountering it in such a hostile environment!

At the beginning, he thought the respect Charlotte and the others showed these two children was feigned, but now he no longer believed that; even he had begun to revere the youngsters. Franklin was certain: without these two children by their side, they would have died thousands of times over!

He glanced at Charlotte and the others resting nearby, feeling a pang of envy. If his former mercenary unit had possessed individuals this formidable, they wouldn't have suffered annihilation.

Now, alone, what path lay ahead? Meanwhile, Harriman P approached Gandalf and the other two quietly.

The trio, who had been deep in discussion about the secrets of the ancient tomb, fell silent abruptly, observing Harriman P with curiosity. Although they had been together for some time, their rapport hadn't reached the point of absolute openness.

Gandalf and the other two did not wish to reveal certain matters to anyone outside the ‘Ethereal Mercenary Group’! “Pardon the interruption!” Harriman P managed an awkward smile.

He was forced to maintain intense mental concentration constantly; this rare break for rest made him crave conversation. Since the mercenaries were much younger, he shared no common ground with them, so he turned to the three elder scholars.

“Is something the matter?” Faraday inquired from the side. “Nothing specific, I just wanted to talk with you,” Harriman P replied with another slight smile, making sure to appear friendly.

Faraday nodded slightly, saying no more. Seeing the three fall silent again, Harriman P broke the stifling atmosphere: “Did you know, I have been here nearly half a year?

I knew the dangers were immense, but the thought of witnessing artifacts that shaped history kept me going! Only now do I realize the peril here is far greater than I imagined!” Though he spoke this way, no trace of regret crossed his face.

He was the type willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of research, driven by an almost unimaginable passion for history! “You’ve been here six months?” Gandalf was surprised.

He had nearly perished after just two weeks here. This older gentleman clearly possessed less innate strength than himself; how could he have remained unharmed for so long?

Seeing the three take an interest, Harriman P opened up: “Actually, I am a historical artifact researcher. I’ve explored many ancient tombs and have gained some experience in protecting myself.” “Then why are you with those mercenaries?” Gandalf asked.

He had intended to ask why he was fleeing with them, but realizing the poor phrasing, he changed the question. Harriman P understood the unspoken meaning and sighed, saying something that immediately piqued all three’s interest: “Originally, I was researching within a passage I had scouted out.

If not for that incident, I wouldn't be in this state now!” As he said this, an expression of lingering terror flashed across Harriman P’s face. “What happened?” the three elders asked in unison.

Their curiosity was fully piqued; they sensed a major event had unfolded! “Tomb Mutation!” Harriman P stated in a low voice.

“Tomb Mutation?” The three elders froze, then looked at Harriman P with even greater confusion. Harriman P glanced around furtively, as if worried about being overheard, and lowered his voice: “This...

this tomb isn’t dead; it moves on its own.” Pausing briefly, Harriman P continued, “I can’t explain the specifics precisely. At the time, after finishing my study of one passage, I intended to return, only to find with uncanny strangeness that the path ahead was not the one I had taken in!” What?

Gandalf and the other two started, instinctively looking behind them, yet they saw no phenomenon matching Harriman P's description! “It doesn't change constantly; there seems to be a time limit.

So far, I’ve only experienced it twice,” Harriman P quickly clarified. He hadn't yet grasped the mechanism behind it!

Just as the three elders were about to press for more details, a sudden shout rang out, startling the four of them! “Look!

What is that?” a mercenary yelled, his voice laced with sheer horror. Everyone’s attention was drawn by his cry, and they looked where he pointed, immediately freezing in place.

Following the direction of their gaze, Zhong Shenxiu was holding something—a creature of profound strangeness! ECH is in the closed state.

[Ti: Dear readers, the current chapter has reached the last page of this book]