If we go by standard dimensions, even the main burial chamber of a tomb, even one belonging to an emperor on the scale of Qin Shi Huang, would rarely exceed five hundred square meters in area.

From the perspective of architectural structural mechanics, excavating the earth to construct a burial vault is inherently an unstable building configuration.

Because of the need to prevent tomb raiding, the chamber could never be situated too close to the surface; they are usually constructed deep underground.

This meant the overlying pressure was immense. Compounded by natural disasters and geological shifts over time, a chamber built too large would certainly fail the test of the ages and collapse quickly. Even with the addition of beams and pillars to reinforce the support structure, the maximum size for such a vault would still be limited.

Crucially, the tomb chamber I was currently observing contained absolutely no evidence of such reinforcing beams or pillars.

By this logic, even calculating the space at five hundred square meters, I could cross to a corner wall in under a minute.

However, the situation was deviating from my calculations. I was being pursued by four Terror Birds, running in a straight line toward one direction, yet the wall that should have appeared never materialized.

Just as I was puzzling over what was happening, I saw a figure ahead of me, sprinting frantically in the opposite direction.

The moment I saw that bald head and green eyebrows, I knew it was Number Two.

In just one brief glance, as soon as he spotted me, he began frantically making hand signals.

I interpreted his gestures as telling me to turn around and run back. Confused, but noting the grave look on his face, I realized danger must be imminent and immediately pivoted, running back alongside him.

At that moment, the four Terror Birds that had been relentlessly chasing me seemed momentarily stunned. They clearly hadn't anticipated this foolish human turning back toward them.

The distance between us was already short, and in the next instant, we were right in front of the Terror Birds.

I prepared to summon my psychic energy to blast them away, but they suddenly reacted as if they had seen a ghost, turning tail and fleeing back the way we came.

Then, a sound like hundreds of drums beating in unison erupted from behind us, accompanied by a faint trembling of the ground.

I whipped my head around, and the sight instantly stole the breath from my lungs, nearly making me collapse.

Behind us surged a herd of Woolly Mammoths, towering seven or eight meters tall, charging toward us as if driven mad.

Each mammoth carried a heavy mantle of accumulated blood on its back, making them look like a procession of moving miniature snow-capped mountains! The sight was enough to utterly shatter one’s courage.

Both Number Two and I possessed highly developed stamina; we could outrun even the swift Terror Birds, but the sight of this stampeding herd of mammoths unsettled us. Our footwork faltered, and we were rapidly closing in on the mass of dark, giant beasts.

Amidst the chaos, I managed to gasp out, "Where did these elephants come from?!"

Gasping for air, Number Two choked out, "They burst out of the wall!"

"The wall?" I paused, asking, "You mean there's a wall in that direction?"

Number Two confirmed, "Yes! Of course, there is—a massive wall, full of fissures. The blizzard is howling through the cracks, but those animals act like they have wall-phasing abilities, running out of it like crazy."

"Did you see why they are running with such desperation?" I asked.

Number Two replied, "The... the Progenitor Beast! The Progenitor Beast is chasing them..."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You're saying a group of mice is chasing a herd of elephants? You’ve been watching too many cartoons."

Number Two looked furious, about to retort, when a long lash whipped down directly above us.

Focusing, I saw that a Woolly Mammoth had closed the distance behind us and was attempting to snatch us with its trunk. Thankfully, it lacked agility during its charge; otherwise, one of us would have already been captured.

Witnessing this, we stopped talking altogether and focused solely on our desperate flight.

However, this frantic pace was not sustainable. I scanned my surroundings, searching for shelter.

Just then, the massive serpentine skull structure nearby came into view. A wave of relief washed over me, and I told Number Two, "Let's take cover inside the snake's head!"

Number Two clearly agreed this was a good idea. Without a word, he followed my turn.

We threaded our path almost brushing the mammoths' forelegs to change direction, exerting immense effort to escape the direct impact zone of the herd.

As we turned toward the opening of the skull, we saw Number Twelve standing inside, his face covered in cuts, waving us in.

Seeing he was alive brought a slight easing of tension, but then my attention was snagged by a creature perched atop the skull—something that looked partially human but wasn't, possessing a long, slender tail.

It seemed to be lurking cautiously, poised to strike Number Twelve. This thing didn't just have a long tail; its tongue was as mobile as a small snake, slowly creeping from the skull's eye socket along the inner bone wall toward Number Twelve’s back.

I was startled and immediately tried to summon my psychic power to seize the black monstrosity.

Unexpectedly, the creature seemed to sense both our presences and suddenly snapped its head up to fix its gaze upon us.

Our eyes locked, and I felt an unprecedented coldness—a deathly aura that did not belong to an intelligent being, yet was saturated with inhuman killing intent.

I shivered under its stare, but beyond those eyes, I still could not discern its outline or face.

At that precise moment, the black creature abruptly raised a hand, and a surge of powerful psychic energy rushed toward me like an oncoming express train.

The blast nearly choked me with terror. An unprecedented monster capable of wielding psychic power—this had to be a dream. Moreover, the intensity of this psychic force subtly hinted at being stronger than my own capabilities.

Since only I could perceive psychic energy through my Heavenly Eye, Number Two remained completely oblivious to the danger.

With no viable escape route, I had no choice but to channel every ounce of my strength to meet its psychic assault head-on.

The two massive forces collided in the air with a dull thud, like cold air meeting hot air, instantly unleashing a shockwave that blew grit, debris, and bone fragments off the ground.

The impact threw both Number Two and me backward, landing hard on our backs, leaving us dazed.

The black monster also seemed affected by the collision, falling directly from the skull structure and hitting the ground. Before we could recover and press our attack, the creature flipped up and vanished with incredible speed.

By the time we scrambled up to pursue, the monster was gone without a trace.

But we couldn't spare the time to hunt for it, because although we had escaped the mammoths, another massive procession of animals was thundering toward us, even larger in scale than the first group.

We had no alternative but to scramble inside the hollow of the skull.

The first wave of impact hit the moment we entered the cranium. Countless animals—saber-toothed tigers, Terror Birds, giant lizards—flew overhead and sprinted below, all rushing toward us in a desperate, frenzied stampede.

. By the time we caught up, the monster was nowhere to be seen. By the time we caught up, the monster was nowhere to be seen. By the time we caught up, the monster was nowhere to be seen.

The common trait among these creatures was their massive size and incredible speed; they ran without restraint.

They seemed remarkably wary of the serpent skull. Even though some could have easily vaulted over it or stepped across, they instead skirted widely around it. Such caution, even while fleeing for their lives, made me re-evaluate whether the snake bones possessed some inherent mystical power.

As this vast torrent of creatures swept past on the flanks, the majority of the serpent's skeleton was crushed into fine powder underfoot, yet the skull remained defiantly intact.

It was then that we finally saw the true quarry that was driving these beasts: the Progenitor Beasts themselves.

The sheer number of Progenitor Beasts could no longer be described using terms like "mountain" or "sea"—it was an unstoppable, consuming flood.

I finally understood why the other animals ran so frantically: hesitate for even a moment, and they would be swallowed by the ocean of Progenitor Beasts, instantly reduced to skeletons.

Seeing such an overwhelming display made the hair stand up on our necks. We wondered if these Progenitor Beasts would turn their charge on us.

Number Twelve demanded, "Ten, you lied to us! Didn't you say the Progenitor Beasts were at the very bottom of the food chain? Is this what that looks like?"

I had no ready explanation and stammered, "I—I’m shocked too! What exactly is going on here?"

At that moment, Number Two spoke up, "I think I might know why. For one fleeting moment, I felt like I was outside the wall. I saw things that defy explanation. When we are safe later, I'll take you to see."

As he spoke, the creatures resembling mice—the Progenitor Beasts—began surging toward our position.

Number Twelve broke out in a cold sweat. "Why aren't they avoiding the serpent skull? That's so strange! Why?"

I said slowly, "Now is not the time to discuss that. Quick! Find a way to block up every opening in the serpent’s head!"

The instant my words fell, countless green vines suddenly erupted within the cramped space where we stood.

I turned to see Number Two standing there, eyes tightly shut, silently chanting an arcane spell. The vines seemed alive, weaving themselves through the eye sockets, nostrils, and fractured opening leading to the spinal column, sealing every gap shut. The defensive layer reinforced itself layer upon layer until our surroundings were completely enveloped in green.

Then, the faint rustling sounds of chewing emanated from outside—the sound of the mice gnawing at the vines.

With the sheer number of Progenitor Beasts, even consuming such dense plant matter should take mere moments.

Yet, strangely, the Progenitor Beasts chewed for only a short while before seemingly giving up. The gnawing sounds abruptly ceased, and we could even hear the squeaking noises they made communicating with each other.