Volume One: The Soul-Guiding Gourd and the Soul-Burning Lamp Chapter 123: Escaping the Cage
Deep within the desert, the blood moon hung high, the yellow sands stretching endlessly, and a biting wind howled through the barren expanse.
Looking down, it was a bizarre sight: a roaring bonfire blazing fiercely in such a strange place, around which an absurd scene was unfolding.
Closer inspection revealed two small wreaths standing upright beside the fire, their paper flowers fluttering in the wind. Directly before the flames were offerings of incense and candles.
There was even an incense burner, ingots, and paper money—everything was meticulously arranged. Most remarkable of all was the presence of not only potato chips among the offerings but also a box of premium milk!
Judging by this, it was clear these arrangements were the handiwork of Xiao Yulou.
At that moment, Li Hetang knelt unwillingly on the ground, dressed in pure white and wearing a white hat folded from newspaper, glaring fiercely at Xiao Yulou with bloodshot eyes.
In contrast, Xiao Yulou, exuding an ethereal and otherworldly aura, was clad in a black Taoist robe. He held a uniquely shaped bone sword and swayed as he chanted rhythmically, his bright teeth articulating with conviction.
“May this sacred ceremony bring fruition and blessings. The devout host offers incense and bows. All beings beneath the altar raise the holy name!
The sea of suffering endlessly calls for sin, yet the lost remain unmoved, the world ignores Amitabha’s name, living in vain upon this earth!
In mid-autumn, wild geese fly south, their cries echo sorrowfully. The geese return one day, but the souls of the dead do not come back!
Jilibulu~ Jilibulu~ Do Minjun~”
(Emmm... Isn’t this the eulogy from Teacher Guo’s “Funeral Society”? Is Xiao Yulou also a fanatic?)
With a solemn expression, Xiao Yulou finished the recitation, then coldly fixed his gaze on the kneeling Li Hetang and spoke in a deep voice.
“Brother Hetang, cry!”
Upon hearing this, Li Hetang’s anger surged uncontrollably, his face twisting as he shouted in fury.
“Cry my foot! At most, I was a close friend of Mr. Gu, not his son. It’s not my place to cry!”
Hearing this, the ethereal Xiao Yulou flicked the sleeve of his robe impatiently and began to reason.
“Brother Hetang, how can you be so heartless? After all, we shared life and death with Brother Gu. Now that he has perished in the sands, why can you not make a small sacrifice?”
Li Hetang was stunned momentarily but shot back.
“Cut it out! Mr. Gu’s fate is still uncertain. I think you just want to make a fool of me!”
At that moment, Min Wenhua, seated nearby, sighed deeply.
“Brother Hetang, if you won’t cry, then let me do it! I still have to save those children later…”
Hearing this strange remark, Li Hetang could only laugh bitterly and look helplessly at Min Wenhua.
“Brother Mao, why are you joining the madness too?”
No sooner had he spoken than a chorus of sobbing arose nearby.
“Waa… Mr. Gu, it’s all my fault. If not for me, you wouldn’t have perished in the sands, your body lost without trace… Waa…”
Looking over, Yu Kongcheng, now back in human form, wore a white straitjacket and crouched on the ground, tears streaming down his face.
This young killing machine wept loudly while seriously throwing paper money into the fire.
Li Hetang frowned deeply at the ridiculous scene before him, suddenly convinced there was not a single sane person around.
“Damn it! Can you all just act normal for once?”
No sooner had he spoken than a strange green light suddenly emerged from beneath the distant sands.
The ethereal Xiao Yulou’s eyes darted swiftly, and he pointed at Li Hetang, reproaching him aloud.
“Brother Hetang, look… Brother Gu knows of your despicable behavior from beyond the grave and is unhappy! You’d better cry quickly!”
Li Hetang sprang to his feet, tore off his pure white clothes, and threw them onto the yellow sands.
“Damn it! I’m done playing your game!”
At that critical moment, with lightning speed, a deafening roar erupted from beneath the distant sands.
Bang!
With a tremendous explosion, a blood-red deathworm burst from the sand, letting out a heart-wrenching, furious roar at the group.
Roar~
Sand and dust swirled violently in the air!
(The chapter is not yet finished, please turn the page.)
That thunderous, ear-splitting scream shattered the pitch-black night.
Seeing this, the four present grabbed their weapons, preparing to avenge Gu Mo’s death.
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Suddenly, the deathworm, with its abyssal crimson maw wide open, lunged toward them.
In the blink of an eye, the blood-red deathworm appeared frantic, utterly unsettled.
At the same time, the four unleashed a barrage of attacks with their various weapons.
Thud thud thud~
Countless bullets and spells rained down fiercely on the deathworm.
With crisp cracking sounds, the entire deathworm rapidly solidified into a colossal ice sculpture more than sixty meters long. The thick icy shell measured over three feet!
As the old saying goes: “Three feet of ice in Iceland is not formed in a day.”
Yet from the moment the deathworm appeared, it had taken less than a minute to freeze into this grotesque form.
The group was stunned, utterly bewildered by what had just transpired.
“Damn! Isn’t this the heart of the desert? Even with drastic temperature swings, how could a deathworm freeze solid?”
At these words, the others turned to Li Hetang, who wore a base combat suit.
Suddenly, the bloodthirsty lone wolf Yu Kongcheng twitched his nose and looked excitedly at everyone.
“Everyone, Mr. Gu is not dead yet!”
His words shocked them all.
“What?”
Yu Kongcheng scanned the group, then nodded resolutely.
The ethereal Xiao Yulou flicked his robe and said,
“Stop standing there, let’s move!”
He then turned to Min Wenhua, who carried a heavy sniper rifle.
“Brother Mao, you’ll provide support from outside. The three of us have ways to survive.”
Min Wenhua nodded heavily.
Exchanging determined glances, Xiao Yulou, Li Hetang, and Yu Kongcheng, armed and ready, proceeded into the deathworm’s abyssal throat...
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