The Fatty jabbed the colossal worm’s body a few times with his rifle muzzle: “A moment ago it was hard as steel, impervious to bullets, and now it’s soft as a cutworm. It doesn't seem completely dead yet. I say we forget about right and wrong, ram more explosives down its maw, and send this thing to hell to vent our fury.”

Shirley Yang murmured, “It might not be that simple. With our current gear, killing it outright is impossible right now. Thankfully, it poses no further threat. This is a Yulang long worm, possessing a rare rotifer-like nervous structure, similar to the Sun Goddess Snail. Besides altering the ambient oxygen levels, finding a way to kill it will be difficult.”

The ancestor of this Yulang long worm can be traced back hundreds of millions of years to the Cambrian period, the dawn of invertebrates. Back then, all fauna aside from insects were still in a primitive stage of evolution. The Yulang long worm’s ancestral form, sustained by its tenacious life force, survived countless world-altering mass extinctions, persisting until the Triassic period, tens of millions of years ago, by which time it had evolved into the largest known forms of insect life.

Unlike common organisms based on a centralized, tree-like nervous system, only two types of creatures possessing a ring-like neural organization and composite cellular structure have ever appeared on Earth. The first was the mysterious creature from hundreds of millions of years ago, the Sun Goddess Snail. Its existence predates us so profoundly that humanity only possesses fragmented knowledge of it. The ring-like neural organization lacks a central nerve hub; this means the animal's flesh and nerves are separate entities. Even if the somatic tissue necroses, the ring-like nerves will continue to persist. Furthermore, the Sun Goddess Snail is hermaphroditic. Without the need for mating, new life arises to replace the externally dying body. Although this trait limits its population, as long as the environment is permissive, its ring-like nerves and reticulate cell structure will multiply ceaselessly within the shell.

The Yulang long worm’s official name is Huo’s Immortal Worm, named in memory of the British biologist who discovered its fossil. This peculiar creature with a net-like nervous system exists between invertebrate and hemichordate, possessing a protective shell similar to the Sun Goddess Snail. Its hardened carapace is formed by secretions from within its body. In the natural world, it has no predator—unless it is entirely consumed and fully digested by stomach acid. As long as a portion of the neural net remains, it can still survive. Its ultimate extinction, much like those giant insects of its era, was due to the catastrophic drop in atmospheric oxygen content.

Shirley Yang pointed out, “One thing is very strange—a convergence and conflict between archaeology and biology. Scholars studying Ancient Egyptian civilization believe the scarab beetle depicted in the Pharaoh’s insignia, the ‘Insect of the Gods,’ was derived from the Yulang long worm. Thus, they dispute the view held by biologists that this giant, hard-shelled worm went extinct by the late Triassic. They insist that, at least during the era of Egyptian civilization, this colossal insect still survived. This remains a perpetual debate.”

In that era, all animals on the planet were enormous. This was related to the flora and geological structure of the time. The overly high oxygen content led to the unrestricted growth of insects. Fossilized mosquitoes from the Triassic, discovered recently, are estimated to have had a wingspan exceeding one hundred centimeters.

Insects utilize tracheae for respiration, but the speed at which oxygen enters the tissues slows as the organism’s volume increases. Once an insect’s body exceeds a certain length, the atmospheric oxygen concentration cannot meet the body’s demands. This objective constraint is the primary factor limiting insect size and causing the extinction of mega-insects.

The rock strata in the ‘Gourd Cave’ where we currently stand are highly unique—an Archean overlap stratum, riddled with translucent red crystals and abundant fossilized remnants of primeval forests. These are all products of the Triassic. From the fossils, formed in a singular instant during that ancient time, we can deduce that volcanic lava and devastating mudslides, capable of swallowing everything, must have engulfed this forest almost simultaneously, cooling rapidly after intense heat.

The expansion of ground gases formed the unique topography of the ‘Gourd Cave.’ A portion of this Yulang long worm was submerged by the lava and mudslide. Before the magma could fully melt its hard, thick shell, the subsequent mudflow extinguished it. Consequently, part of the worm’s body fused with the cave wall, becoming inseparable. It is plausible that the ancient Yi people living near ‘Zhelong Mountain’ worshipped this terrifying Huo’s Immortal Worm as a mountain deity.

I wonder which generation this Yulang long worm is, having spawned within this shell. Its respiratory system has somehow adapted to the current atmospheric oxygen levels. Perhaps this is related to the unique structure of the ‘Gourd Cave,’ or maybe there is some specific flora or sustenance here.

The thought of sustenance suddenly reminded us of the countless ‘dead floats’ in the water. We intended to leave immediately, but now it seems necessary to investigate further, as this giant worm appears to be deeply connected to the ‘Tomb of King Xian.’

Why is this Yulang long worm adorned with a golden mask styled after King Xian’s priests and artificially clad in a layer of Dragon Scale Demon Armor? Is it the source of the poisonous mist near the tomb in ‘Worm Valley’?

I relayed every surmise I could formulate to Shirley Yang, yet our understanding of Xian Shu (Necromancy/Puppetry Magic) remains extremely limited. We only know that Xian Shu, one of the three great sinister arts of the South Seas, converts the lingering resentment of the deceased’s soul into an invisible poison. The more tragic the death, the fiercer the toxicity.

The outer shell of this monstrous worm was originally red, constantly spewing red mist from its interior. We initially mistook this for poison, but later discovered that as the worm’s body was continually struck, the color of this crimson gas gradually faded. When its head was finally blown apart by explosives, all the red gaseous mist dispersed, and the creature completely lost its ability to resist. The toxic fog generated within its body must be linked to its long-term consumption of the ‘dead floats’ in the water.

By this deduction, some part of this giant worm’s body must connect to a location above ‘Worm Valley.’ Given its characteristics—nearly a hundred meters long—this isn't strange, especially considering the extremely low topography of the valley, which allows even plant roots to penetrate deeply. It’s possible the worm consumes the floating corpses in the water, and the resentment of thousands of female corpses is converted through its body into the pervasive white ‘Xian Mist’ that seals the only path into the ‘Tomb of King Xian’ from the outside world.

The ‘Human Skin Map’ notes that the ‘Xian Mist’ surrounding the ‘Tomb of King Xian’ is annular. This suggests the cartographer of the map did not know the specifics. Based on our field reconnaissance outside, this valley topography could not support a ring of toxic mountain miasma. The flanks and rear are sheer cliffs thousands of feet high; looking up reveals only a sliver of sky. As long as the toxic mist blocks the path in the stream valley, there will be no other way into the ‘Tomb of King Xian.’

At this moment, Shirley Yang discovered that many inscriptions were carved on the surface of the Dragon Scale Bronze Armor plating outside the worm’s body. They were severely worn. Only a small portion was still visible, but the symbols were grotesque and unrecognizable. We suddenly recalled seeing similar symbols at ‘Stone Tablet Shop’—on that large vat that was sunk into the pool with a corpse inside, secured by chains. That vat was covered in these symbols. Professor Sun had said at the time they were a type of spell from the long-lost Xian Shu, called the ‘Soul-Piercing Talisman’—a malicious sorcery used to seal the malevolent spirits of the dead. This indicates that this layer of bronze demonic armor serves a purpose similar to the copper sheeting wrapped around that water vat.

It seems our conjecture is correct: this specially made Dragon Scale Demon Armor, along with the golden mask that combines features of King Xian’s six monstrous beasts, were affixed to this giant worm through some Xian Shu ritual. Those people were truly resourceful, utilizing every available asset based on their location. It’s just that all this effort was directed toward evil; it’s a pity King Xian sought immortal enlightenment while engaging in such harmful sorcery.

Perhaps before constructing the ‘Tomb of King Xian,’ this local deity only fed on large toads and bullfrogs from the water. Since those food sources contained toxic glands, it rendered this giant worm poisonous as well. Only when this location was discovered by King Xian did he utilize methods passed down by the ancient Yi people to drain its toxicity, then manipulate it as he pleased, leaving the worm half-dead. He turned it into the perpetual source generating the poisonous mist guarding the royal tomb—the endless hatred of the deceased being repeatedly converted through its body. No wonder it cried so miserably; in a way, it is quite pathetic, just like those human pupae—all sacrifices to the ‘Tomb of King Xian.’

If this hypothesis holds, the large number of female corpses in the water were deliberately placed to create the ‘Xian Mist.’ However, over these two millennia, judging by the worm’s consumption rate, even the entire population of the Han Dynasty would not be enough to fill the valley to this extent today. It seems necessary to retrieve one of the ‘dead floats’ from the water for analysis. We must devise a way to breach this barrier in the valley, which might prove useful when we leave.

The Fatty, fearing Shirley Yang and I would suggest leaving immediately, intended to collect every scattered piece of gold debris and the gold from the worm’s head—the amount was substantial, and one shouldn’t refuse a free windfall. Seeing us examining the body, he frantically grabbed his entrenching tool and began digging into the shattered worm head for the gold.

I was preoccupied with Shirley Yang, using our climbing axes to dredge the ‘dead floats’ near the water’s edge, not noticing what the Fatty was doing. Suddenly, we heard him let out a sharp cry from behind us. We rushed back to see the giant worm, whose head had been blown apart, suddenly lift its head. Its external mouthparts were completely shattered, but the mouth within had inexplicably expanded several times larger than before, emitting continuous gurgling sounds.

I thought this creature was incredibly resilient; how could it move so much after being blown apart like that? Is it truly immortal? I quickly grabbed the ‘Chicago Typewriter,’ ready to send another full burst, but realized it wasn’t preparing to attack us… it looked as if it was about to vomit.

Just as I had this thought, before I could warn the Fatty to move, the colossal mouth opened, and with a great wah-lah-wah-lah, it spewed out a heap of female corpses—the very ‘dead floats’ it had swallowed from the water. They were all turning dark brown and had lost the cold, eerie luster on their surfaces. The corpses were coated in viscous fluid of red, green, and yellow. The entire disgusting mass sprayed onto the Fatty. I was about seven or eight meters away, and the stench nearly made me pass out.

I immediately used my climbing axe to hook the Fatty’s pack straps and, together with Shirley Yang, desperately dragged him out of the pile of corpses. Fortunately, the toxic ‘Xian Mist’ had been expelled into the valley. This bodily fluid must be something like stomach acid. While it might be somewhat acidic, washing it off immediately would prevent harm even if some splashed onto the skin.

The enormous Huo’s Immortal Worm seemed to have been badly battered; its vomiting couldn't stop. After expelling over a hundred blackened female corpses, it let out another violent series of gulu sounds. This time it sounded genuinely distressed. It then expelled a massive, perfectly square object that landed heavily on the ground. The object was dripping with fluid and covered in numerous protruding, large copper rivet heads. It looked like a bronze chest, or perhaps a massive bronze sarcophagus.

I was utterly astonished, never imagining such a large item was inside its belly. It was fortunate I pulled the Fatty back in time; otherwise, he would have been crushed flat. Shirley Yang and I exchanged looks; he was equally bewildered: “This looks exactly like Pandora’s Box, the one said to be hidden in the belly of an ancient dragon in Western legends.”

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