I thought to myself how fortunate we were to have someone capable of swapping positions with others; otherwise, we would truly have been trapped here today!

If Yang Zhifeng were here, it probably would have been even easier.

“Quick! Swap us all out!” I urged him anxiously.

But at that moment, Number 12, who had been smiling, suddenly had his expression darken, his gaze becoming vacant.

Number 2 remarked, “Not good… It seems the entity that was previously possessing him and controlling his mind isn't as simple as we thought; it might have burrowed into his body.”

As Number 2 spoke, Number 12 slowly turned around and began walking toward the edge of the woods.

No matter how loudly I called out to him from inside the barrier, he gave no reaction whatsoever.

It was then we saw it: clinging to his back was a black, crab-like creature.

However, this creature had no pincers, only four slender legs, each one piercing Number 12’s skin and sinking deep into the flesh.

Just as I was growing frantic, Number 2 suddenly asked Big Pillar beside him, “Does this barrier only block living things?”

Big Pillar nodded. “That’s right. What are you planning?”

Number 2 again ordered us to step back. “Then there is a way. It seems we’ll have to use our ultimate move today!”

I expected him to use some other magical technique, but instead, he pulled a handgun from the case he carried.

Big Pillar clearly recognized the firearm and quickly said, “No! If you shoot, you might kill the young man!”

Number 2 smiled slightly. “Who do you think we are? We have Number 10!”

I immediately understood Number 2’s meaning and smiled back. “Go ahead and shoot!”

Number 2 cautioned, “That thing is very tricky. If we sever even one of its legs, it might become enraged and harm Number 12’s life.”

I gave him a thumbs-up. “That’s why I told you to fire four shots in quick succession.”

Number 2 asked, surprised, “Can that really work?”

I replied, “If we dawdle any longer, the person will vanish!”

Hearing this, Number 2 hesitated no longer and decisively fired four shots consecutively.

Because my eyesight was slightly sharper than that of an ordinary person, I could clearly track the trajectory of the four bullets.

The trajectories of these bullets were all aimed directly at Number 12’s vital spots on his back; a direct hit would undoubtedly kill him.

In truth, under these circumstances, it was better to miss than to hit them all.

The current situation was that if I made even one mistake and missed deflecting a bullet, Number 12 would die instantly!

Fortunately, I was quite practiced at this sort of thing. With just a slight twitch of my fingers, the four bullets veered off in different directions.

Zero point zero one seconds later, there was a sharp snap, and the monster’s four limbs attached to Number 12’s back broke off, falling away from him.

Number 12, who had been moving forward rapidly, stopped abruptly. His body went limp, and he began to fall toward the ground.

However, at that moment, we suddenly saw a flock of birds erupt from the surrounding woods, as if something major was about to happen.

Before we could react, a massive serpent tail descended from above Number 12’s head, crashing down with a loud swoosh, like a mountain collapsing.

I stared, too stunned even to utter the word “Careful,” and then heard a world-shaking THUD.

Dust rose four or five meters high, obscuring Number 12’s figure.

I thought, This is it. Number 12 must have been crushed into a pulp. Even though he shook off the monster on his back, he was clearly disoriented and couldn't dodge such a swift attack.

But just as I had that thought, I realized the situation seemed less dire than I imagined.

As the dust gradually dispersed, I saw Number 12 holding his hands high, actually supporting the gigantic serpent tail!

I had never imagined Number 12 possessed such immense strength; I was momentarily speechless with astonishment.

Just then, someone tapped my shoulder. I turned my head and realized Number 12 was standing right next to me.

This meant the person outside holding up the serpent tail was…

When the dust finally settled, I indeed saw Number 2’s bald head.

It seemed that at the very last moment, Number 12 had regained his senses and swapped positions with Number 2.

But reflecting on it, that didn't seem right, because even Number 2 might not have been able to withstand such a powerful blow. For Number 12 to have made that swap was incredibly risky.

Still, when people are fighting for their lives, some actions are hard to explain, and one couldn't really blame Number 12.

As I pondered this, Number 12 was breathing heavily beside me, saying, “It wasn’t me who swapped Number 2 out; he swapped me back in.”

I asked in astonishment, “What? Impossible! Isn’t the power to swap positions unique to you?”

As I spoke, I looked at Number 2; something about his entire being seemed off.

Looking closer, I finally noticed that the small wicker basket, which we had almost overlooked, had its lid open, emitting wisps of green smoke.

These green wisps weren't drifting randomly; they were coiling like snakes, looping around his shoulders, and then winding around his arms.

The smoke continued to move along his arms until it completely encircled the giant snake’s tail.

At this point, Number 2 turned back to look at us. He said nothing, merely giving a slight flick of his finger. My vision blurred, and I instantly flashed from inside the barrier to the outside.

Simultaneously flashing out with me were Number 12, Big Pillar, and the unconscious Old Man Li.

I didn't have time to wonder why we, who couldn't use flash teleportation, had suddenly materialized outside the barrier, because something else was far more captivating.

I hadn’t paid attention to Number 2’s face before, but now that I saw it, while the contours and features hadn't changed, his eyebrows had turned green, shifting from sharp, upright blades to slightly downturned, drooping arcs. His eyelids looked as if they were heavily adorned with dark green smoky makeup.

Seeing me staring at his face, Number 2 sighed. “I didn't expect to have to use Master’s power. This trip really is…”

Mentioning Number 2’s Master suddenly reminded me: that mysterious wicker basket was now open!

I quickly peered into the basket but was immediately choked back by a cloud of green smoke, unable to see anything clearly.

Then Number 2 recited a Buddhist phrase: “Amitabha. If you wish to offend the venerable Master, there will be no good consequences. This is merely a slight lesson.”

I thought the lesson was just me choking on the smoke, but to my surprise, Number 12, who was still extremely weak, pointed at my face and burst out laughing. “Haha! Grass is growing on your face!”

I was shocked and immediately touched my eyebrows. Sure enough, they had somehow turned into blades of grass.

Pulling out my phone, I saw that my eyebrows and hair had all transformed into grass blades; my entire head looked like a giant pineapple.

I couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. I gently tugged at the grass on my head, only to feel a searing pain.

Finally, I started to panic slightly and asked Number 2, “Am I going to be like this forever?”

Number 2 snorted. “It’ll go away on its own after a while. This is immortal magic; it won’t harm you. In the future, your hair will be softer and even shinier than before.”

I thought to myself, Is this an advertisement for shampoo!

I wanted to say something else but swallowed the words.

I then looked around and asked Big Pillar, “There are no more walls here, right? We can leave the village!”

Big Pillar nodded. “I’ll take you to the old house. Once you find the Toad King, you must stop him and then revive my father.”

I nodded. “No problem.” Then the group quickly walked outward.

Soon we passed through the woods and climbed to a higher slope outside the village, looking back toward the interior.

It was then we discovered the village was utterly peaceful: villagers were chatting and laughing, children were playing, and adults were busy—it looked exactly like an ordinary village.

The bloody conflict we had engaged in within the woods seemed to have absolutely no effect on the village’s normal life.

It didn't seem strange, upon reflection. Didn't they open their restaurant as usual today after we killed Boss Bai last night? It was as if nothing had ever happened.

This scene looked as if this settlement had its routines programmed, repeating the same actions daily.

Or, more aptly, this village looked like a natural phenomenon overlooked by time and space.

It was like when someone once visited a Tibetan Devil City and found the houses and furniture pristine, unchanged after millennia, with mutton still simmering fragrantly in pots after a thousand years, yet all the people had vanished.

The explanation given later was that the place had been left behind by time, existing in a state deviated from reality.

Perhaps this small village before us was also such a place.

At this moment, Big Pillar looked at his father and, seeing that he was out of mortal danger, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He said, “Our village is called Toad Village, built entirely by the Toad King.”

“The Toad King is a great immortal who has lived for thousands of years, a true cultivator possessing spiritual power. But he is not a benevolent immortal. The reason he established the village was not so people could live well, but because the Toad King must mate with the Black Snake once every sixty years. The dozens of eggs he produces require adult human bodies as incubators. He lays the eggs inside people, and these individuals undergo bizarre mutations: growing black fur all over, becoming incredibly strong, and causing havoc everywhere. The incubation period takes thirty years, eventually yielding monsters like the Six-Armed Bodhisattva.”

“However, the villagers know nothing of this. The groups of people who disappear every sixty years are concealed by the Village Chief, who deceives everyone by saying they have gone out to seek fortunes. But those people never return, and their tragic fates remain largely unknown.”

“Those Six-Armed Bodhisattvas sired by the Toad King are steeped in wicked energy, entities cursed with a terrible destiny.”