Tomb raiding: Carrying a coffin during a funeral procession, rewarded with the Dragon Elephant Prajn

Layer upon layer of female corpses converged from all directions toward the center of the gourd cave.

The water was widest here, and more than a meter deep. Wu Xie and his companions dared not risk wading any further and could only move to a higher point near the cave wall. The cave wall was surrounded by shallow, rocky banks, about ten steps from the water.

The horde of corpses had now completely gathered together, numbering in the thousands or tens of thousands. Countless eerie blue lights converged, illuminating the entire gourd cave.

Just then, a cloud of red mist suddenly appeared in the center of the water.

The red mist gradually expanded, spreading across the water's surface. Within the mist, a gigantic figure seemed to slowly rise from the water. The instant this figure appeared, countless female corpses, floating on the surface, frantically rushed into the red mist.

Seeing this, Wu Xie felt a chill run down his spine.

"Brother, is that the mountain god inside the red mist? Doesn't it eat toads? Why is it eating dead fish now?"

This mountain god has lived in the gourd cave for countless years, and has consumed countless dead creatures.

What surprised Wu Xie even more was where all these dead bodies came from in this gourd cave.

Li Changsheng remained calm and casually said, "Perhaps they're just looking for a change of pace since they can't get toads."

Upon hearing this, Wu Xie's expression instantly turned sour.

However, this red mist was clearly not to be trifled with; in nature, the more vibrant the color of something, the more potent its toxicity.

For example, African poison dart frogs, sea snakes, and various highly venomous jellyfish are usually brightly colored.

The red mist on the water was even more vibrant than blood, bordering on black, suggesting its extreme toxicity.

Thinking of this, Wu Xie glanced at Professor Sun and his daughter not far away, and whispered, "Big brother, do you still have any of those poison-avoiding talismans? Could you give me another one?"

"Didn't you already have one?"

"Hey, I just want to take more, so I can feel more at ease."

Li Changsheng saw through Wu Xie's little scheme, but considering that Wu Xie had helped him complete a task, he didn't refuse.

really!

After receiving the antidote talisman from Li Changsheng, Wu Xie pretended to put it in his pocket, but actually ran to Sun Xiaomei's side and casually put it into her pocket.

Li Changsheng smiled inwardly, thinking that Wu Xie was quite hypocritical. Just now at the mountain god temple, he kept saying that if Professor Sun and his daughter dared to touch Ma Liang, he would haunt them even after he died.

But seeing that Sun Xiaomei wasn't carrying any equipment and might be poisoned, he softened his heart.

Don't be fooled by the common criticism that kind-hearted people with principles are too saintly. When something really happens, you absolutely hope that your teammates are good people with principles, not cold-blooded people who would ruthlessly choose to abandon their teammates.

Just as Wu Xie was secretly putting the talisman into Sun Xiaomei's pocket, Sun Xiaomei suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

"Look, the red mist is moving!"

Everyone turned to look and discovered that the red mist on the water's surface was actually moving.

Countless female corpses, as if guarding a monarch, surrounded the red mist and slowly gathered towards the shallows.

Seeing this, Sun Xiaomei's heart jumped into her throat.

At this point, the team only had two homemade pistols. Let alone dealing with thousands of water dumplings and a "mountain god" whose true identity was unknown, they would be in trouble even for hunting!

But at this moment, everyone was forced into a desperate situation. Behind them were hard rocky cave walls, and in front of them were hordes of corpses and mountain gods. There was no way to retreat.

As the red fog drew ever closer, with a small portion already touching the shallows and only a dozen steps away from the group, Professor Sun could no longer contain himself and pulled the trigger, firing into the red fog.

Bang bang bang!

Several gunshots rang out inside the gourd cave.

But when the bullet entered the red mist, it was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, without any reaction whatsoever.

The only change was that both the horde of corpses and the red mist stopped.

For a moment, the entire Gourd Cave was eerily quiet!

Wu Xie and Sun Xiaomei could even hear their own heartbeats.

Professor Sun's face was terribly gloomy!

He emptied one magazine and was just about to load another.

But then, the red mist on the water surface suddenly contracted rapidly.

In just a few breaths, all the red mist was sucked into a strange face wearing a golden mask!

This golden mask is shaped like the mouth of a dragon-horned beast, and is about the size of a large iron pot.

It is currently suspended in the air, more than one meter above the water surface.

The golden mask slowly turned its head, aimed at Professor Sun who was still anxiously loading the bullet, and then directly spat out a mouthful of red mist!

"Dad, watch out!"

In the critical moment, Sun Xiaomei's eyes turned red, and she rushed over to try to push Professor Sun away.

But she was still a step too late. By the time the other person arrived, half of Professor Sun's face was already covered in red mist, and he screamed in agony.

At this point, Sun Xiaomei could no longer worry about anything else; only her instincts were driving her.

She used all her strength to shove Professor Sun aside, while she herself took the direct hit of the red mist.

An endless red mist instantly enveloped Sun Xiaomei.

In the red mist, Sun Xiaomei felt that her life was about to end, and a bitter smile appeared on her lips.

She didn't oppose her father's decision; her only disagreement was that she didn't want to involve innocent people's lives.

That's why he repeatedly contradicted his father and saved Ma Liang and Wu Xie.

But now everything has returned to dust.

but……

After waiting for several seconds, the expected pain of the poison entering the body did not occur.

Sun Xiaomei stared wide-eyed in disbelief, only to find herself unharmed in the red mist.

Although she didn't understand what was going on, Sun Xiaomei didn't have time to think too much. She quickly left the area shrouded in red mist, ran over to help her father up, and hid behind a large rock near the shallows.

She then realized that her father's eyes had been burned by the red mist and he had gone completely blind, and the upper half of his face was covered with festering blisters.

Clearly, this red mist is indeed highly poisonous! It's just that she has undergone some kind of change that allows her to ignore this poison.

On the other side, Wu Xie saw that the red mist was extremely toxic, no weaker than the poisonous miasma outside Zhelong Mountain, and even more so. He was so frightened that he hurriedly checked the antidote talismans on his body.

He was relieved to find the talisman firmly affixed to his chest.

He glanced at Professor Sun, who was still wailing, and couldn't help but ask, "Brother, what the hell is that thing behind that golden mask?!"

This time, Li Changsheng didn't tease Wu Xie and casually gave the answer.

"The Huo Clan's Immortal Worm!"

"The Huo Clan's Immortal Worm?"

Upon suddenly hearing this unfamiliar term, Wu Xie was taken aback.

Meanwhile, Sun Xiaomei suddenly realized what was going on and started explaining the Huo family's immortal worm to Wu Xie.

"I heard about the Hodgsonian worm in an American geography magazine. It is said to be a creature that lived during the Late Ice Age. It was a fossil discovered in the Arctic permafrost by a British professor named Howard in the 1930s."

"The Hochschild's Immortal Worm is different from ordinary organisms; it is a complex cell with a ring-shaped neural network. This means that every part of its body is a brain, and it can survive even if most of its body is cut off. Unless all its body tissues are completely crushed, it is immortal."