Volume One: The Soul-Guiding Gourd and the Soul-Burning Lamp Chapter 117: Death Worm (Part Two)

Deep in the desert, danger lurked in every corner. Thick smoke billowed, and the fires of battle raged! A tense atmosphere gripped everyone present. Xiao Yulou, Li Hetang, Min Wenhua, and even Yu Kongcheng—who had been playing dead moments ago—were locked in a desperate struggle against the Death Worm.

Yet, in the shade of a small sand dune, the scene was entirely different.

If you looked closely, you would see Gu Mo lying in the shade, arms behind his head, legs crossed, his foot tapping rhythmically as he hummed a little tune.

Was he really this relaxed? What exactly was he here for?

Indeed, at this very moment, Gu Mo looked as if he were on a seaside vacation. The only things missing were a pair of beach shorts, sunglasses, and—most importantly—a cold beer. Truly, if you have the sand in your heart, anywhere can be the Maldives!

As a series of deafening explosions rang out, Gu Mo, resting in the shadows, remained utterly indifferent, scoffing at the chaos. "Forget it! Let whoever wants to go to hell go! I’ve had enough of this fighting. Every day it’s giant spiders or terrifying anacondas—not a single creature in this Well of Gods and Demons is normal!"

...

As the smoke began to clear, Li Hetang, still in his stealth state, crept back. But apart from the vast expanse of flames, all that remained was a collapsed, deep crater in the desert. The greedy, bloodthirsty Death Worm had vanished mysteriously into the thick black smoke.

Seeing this, Li Hetang’s heart jumped into his throat. A veteran of combat, he pressed his ear to the yellow sand, listening intently. Meanwhile, Yu Kongcheng, transformed into a bloodthirsty werewolf, caught the scent of the worm’s new trajectory with a single sniff.

In an instant, the werewolf realized something was wrong and shouted at the top of his lungs toward Gu Mo.

"Mr. Gu, the Death Worm is heading your way!"

Hearing this, the leisurely Gu Mo felt his muscles tighten and his body jolt in terror.

"Damn you to hell!"

With a curse, Gu Mo scrambled to his feet, only to feel the ground beneath him begin to collapse.

*Rumble!*

Suddenly, the fine sand erupted into a mound the size of a football field. The massive, horrifying Death Worm surged toward the sky, grazing Gu Mo’s face! Seeing a beast of that size at such close range was truly mind-numbing; compared to this, the creatures in the Microscopic Forest felt insignificant.

A powerful updraft hit him, the fierce current instantly blowing his long hair upward. Stunned and wide-eyed, Gu Mo saw his vision entirely blocked by a massive, pulsing red pillar, its surface texture clearly visible. It was thick at the top and tapered toward the bottom, resembling a bovine intestine—no wonder they called it the "Intestine Worm." Its body was stacked in layers, much like Michelin tires, and was covered in the numerous wounds inflicted by Xiao Yulang and the others.

Yellow sand sprayed everywhere, and a chilling, terrifying aura spread instantly. The pungent scent of decay mixed with the stench of blood washed over him, making Gu Mo gag. Seeing the horrifying array of wounds, he was scared out of his wits.

Gu Mo, drenched in cold sweat, could no longer remain so relaxed. After all, if he kept playing around, he’d surely end up a goner.

...

Without time for further thought, he heard a gurgling sound. The Furry Glutton, having quickly stowed away its snacks, opened its blood-red maw and swallowed the petrified Gu Mo whole.

At the critical moment, the Furry Glutton’s jet-black, oily, thick fur wrapped completely around Gu Mo. Two stray tufts of hair from the Glutton’s head appeared on Gu Mo’s back, and a strange energy flooded every cell in his body.

In this moment, Gu Mo looked like something out of *Venom*. His burly frame was covered in fine, oily fuzz. As for his face—it was enough to chill one's blood for a lifetime!

*BOOM!*

Blood-red, inverted triangular eyes ignited on Gu Mo’s face, glowing with murderous light. As he opened his mouth, four rows of needle-like, terrifying fangs were revealed. A restless tongue flicked out, licking across the fangs, while a biting, bone-chilling cold whistled through the gaps in his teeth.

He no longer looked like a mortal, but like a demon from the underworld!

Who would have thought the Furry Glutton could perform a fusion? Wrapped in the creature, Gu Mo felt like he was wearing a symbiote suit, his physical and magical defenses elevated to a whole new level.

A millisecond later, Gu Mo, now resembling a demon, burst into eerie ghostly flames. That bone-deep chill surged like electricity. In the distance, Xiao Yulou pulled his Tortoise Shell artifact from his robes and threw it toward Gu Mo with all his might.

"Brother Gu, catch!"

*Clap!* The artifact landed in Gu Mo’s hand. As he gripped it, a *hum* resonated, and a golden tortoise shell shield materialized around him.

Looking at him now, Gu Mo—the weakest of the five—appeared like a god descending to earth! This was what they called "adding wings to a tiger." With his mortal flesh wrapped in the Glutton’s fur, surrounded by green ghostly flames, and shielded by the golden tortoise shell, anything wanting to harm him would have to go through several layers of formidable defense first.

Suddenly, the Death Worm tilted its head and opened its abyss-like maw, as if charging up a massive attack. Gu Mo realized the danger and scrambled away, but after only a few steps, a *whoosh* echoed through the air!

A wave of thick, transparent green slime surged toward him like a tsunami.

Seeing this, Xiao Yulou shook his head slightly, pursed his lips, and remarked, "Sigh, Brother Gu, oh Brother Gu! How can you be so foolish? The Death Worm is immense. By running, you’ve made yourself a living target. It would have been safer to shrink down beneath its body!"

Unable to dodge in time, Gu Mo was doused in the green, transparent slime. At such close range, it would have been a miracle to escape.

In an instant, a "green oasis" of glowing, toxic sludge appeared on the desert floor, with thick, acrid smoke spreading wildly. The eerie fog rose seven or eight meters high, making it nearly impossible for any light to pierce through. *Sizzle, sizzle*—a sharp, corrosive sound emerged from the mist.

The others watched in dread, fearing Gu Mo might not survive. But Xiao Yulou simply smiled, beckoned the others over, and pulled out cigarettes, drinks, and sunflower seeds to share.

"Get your melon seeds, drinks, and mineral water here!"

Min Wenhua, the rugged warrior, asked skeptically, "Daoist Xiao, aren't you worried about Mr. Gu? How can you still be in the mood to smoke?"

The sleazy-looking Xiao Yulou lit his cigarette with a lighter, took a deep drag, and let the tar and nicotine surge through his lungs. Only after exhaling a thin trail of blue smoke did he smile and say:

"If I don't knock Brother Gu down a peg or two, how will he ever improve?"

Xiao Yulou, squatting on the ground, looked at the others and continued, "Brother Gu has become too lazy. Not only does he slack off in his cultivation, but his desire for combat has been dulled."

The others nodded in agreement. Among the five, Gu Mo had the least practical experience—nearly to the point of being negligible.

Just as they were watching with bated breath, a dark shadow suddenly darted out from the massive, corrosive fog.

Seeing this, the group breathed a sigh of relief. Gu Mo stood on the yellow sand, covered in fine, oily fuzz. The golden tortoise shell shield and the eerie ghostly aura had vanished, replaced by wisps of white, corrosive smoke swirling around him.

Gu Mo, still in the symbiote suit, checked his body to ensure no corrosive liquid had touched him. Then, a cold, gravelly curse erupted.

"Damn it! This stuff is concentrated acid! If it weren't for these artifacts, I’d be toast!"

Seething with rage, Gu Mo glanced sideways and saw the others squatting together, smoking and lounging.

The symbiote-clad Gu Mo was completely dumbfounded.

*What the hell?* These guys were too shameless! Smoking and slacking off? Were they just waiting for him to die so they could eat at his funeral?

But a moment later, he fell into deep self-reproach. When the others were fighting earlier, hadn't he been just as relaxed? It seemed a bit hypocritical to blame them for not helping now!

"Sigh!" Gu Mo let out a heavy sigh, and as he heard a gurgle, the Glutton used its long tongue to retrieve the Measuring Ruler.

Wrapped in the Glutton, Gu Mo gripped the ruler tightly. The Glutton’s voice echoed in his mind—since master and servant were now fused, the Glutton’s ability to probe memories made communication easier than a radio.

"Master, the first fusion only lasts five minutes! Watch out for the death ray and the acid!"

Gu Mo took a deep breath. Success or failure, he could not let the Glutton be harmed!

The majestic Death Worm roared at him again. *ROAR!*

At the top of the worm’s head, two razor-sharp horns emerged. As it bellowed, green corrosive liquid dripped from its abyss-like mouth. The sheer volume of the sound, accompanied by a blast of foul, compressed air, blew Gu Mo back over ten meters.

*Clang!* Gu Mo drove the Measuring Ruler deep into the yellow sand to steady himself.

Enraged, he cursed at the worm, "You dim-witted freak! Did I even hit you earlier? If you want revenge, you've got the wrong guy!"

Suddenly!

With a high-pitched *screech*, a death ray as thick as a well-bore slashed rapidly toward him...