Volume One: The Soul-Guiding Gourd and the Soul-Burning Lamp Chapter 118: Death Worm (Part II)

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a massive sound of air being inhaled echoed through the air. A vast quantity of oxygen was instantly sucked into the Death Worm’s maw. In a trance-like moment, the very air of this desert blessed land seemed to grow thin.

At the summit of the cloud-piercing Death Worm, a strange, eerie green light emerged. From a distance, it looked like a grotesque, blood-red lighthouse. Seeing this, Gu Mo was struck with a sudden realization: the Death Worm was preparing to gather its troublesome Death Ray once more. (It seemed this thing did more than just cause headaches; being struck by the ray meant losing one's life entirely.)

Gu Mo immediately cried out in alarm, grabbing his Heaven-Measuring Ruler and fleeing in a panic. He had no desire to be reduced to dust by that ray!

Sure enough, after running only a few paces, the well-bore-sized Death Ray was charged and ready.

*Sss—*

A sharp, piercing sound ripped through the air, enough to make one’s scalp tingle, chill one to the bone, and make one question reality itself. The pitch-black night sky was instantly slashed open by the thick, green Death Ray. It looked as if the very fabric of space was about to be torn asunder!

The speed, reach, and power of the Death Ray released by the Death Worm this time were several times greater than before. (A moment of sympathy for Gu Mo here.) Under that horrifying sonic boom, a green trench several meters deep immediately appeared across the desert floor. Large amounts of yellow sand sprayed everywhere, and the scorching temperature spiked instantly; the sand at the edges of the trench even began to melt into a translucent state.

The blistering Death Ray pursued Gu Mo relentlessly, as if it cost nothing to fire. In the nick of time, Gu Mo glanced back from the corner of his eye, his spine freezing, his teeth chattering in sheer terror. Behind him, the green ray followed closely, leaving behind a trail of ghastly trenches.

*Run faster! Otherwise, those trenches will be my graveyard!*

In the heat of the crisis, Gu Mo furrowed his brows, running like a madman while calculating in his mind: *Damn it! What kind of physiology does this wretched Death Worm have? Why can this monster unleash such a powerful beam? The Death Ray combined with its acid is truly too much to handle. Did this creature trade its looks for this bizarre ability?*

The answer was a resounding yes! The giant Death Worm looked like a massive bovine intestine, fold upon fold. Not only was it blood-red all over, but its head was also hideously indistinct. Indeed, the uglier the monster, the more formidable it was! Worst of all, nearly thirty meters of the creature’s body were exposed above the desert surface. Heaven knows how much more lay beneath the sand!

Thinking of this, Gu Mo gulped hard. A sense of bone-chilling, hair-raising terror took hold. *Just a moment ago, Yu Kongcheng was grazed by this beam and lost half his body. My fragile frame would surely die if I were even nicked!*

After some deep reflection, Gu Mo felt he had no chance of winning, but the path of his flight seemed endless. Still, constant avoidance was not a solution. As he fled in a panic, Gu Mo suddenly noticed his footsteps becoming lighter; he felt no sense of fatigue. Even running now felt much more effortless than before. It seemed the "Furry Glutton" was truly the ultimate support cheat!

To be honest, during this time, every time Gu Mo encountered a powerful opponent, his first thought was to run. And each time, it wasn't his companions who saved him, but either the "Furry Glutton" or that strange, demonic state he entered. Now that running had become easier, Gu Mo felt a surge of inner joy and began to think rationally: Regardless, his life was temporarily saved. But how was he to deal with this damned thing?

What did I have right now? The Furry Glutton’s symbiotic armor, the Heaven-Measuring Ruler, the Soul-Summoning Gourd, and the Soul-Burning Lamp—these three artifacts of the Underworld.

Thinking of this, a wave of stormy resentment surged in Gu Mo’s heart. *Damn it! This wretched thing doesn't even have a brain! Why doesn't it go chase the others?* The moment he thought of the scruffy Taoist Xiao Yulou, Gu Mo nearly ground his teeth to dust!

*Since there’s no strategy, let’s just put some distance between us first!* With that thought, Gu Mo stretched his legs and sprinted forward in long, galloping strides, not daring to stop. The whistling wind in his ears served as a constant reminder of how vital it was to keep his life.

When Xiao Yulou and the others saw Gu Mo’s disheveled, panic-stricken flight, they actually seemed to take a measure of malicious pleasure in it...

Suddenly, the green Death Ray released by the Death Worm came to an abrupt halt! Almost simultaneously, Gu Mo stopped, turned his head, and glared up at the giant worm, analyzing it with fury.

"Thirty seconds? It seems this giant intestine isn't without its flaws!"

No sooner had the words left his lips than the giant, column-like, scarlet Death Worm began to vibrate. A piercing wind howled through the dark sky. It appeared the damned thing was preparing to burrow back beneath the sands. (One must admit, the Death Worm’s movements were like mountains collapsing and seas churning; even the simple act of wiggling its body produced such a terrifying presence!)

*Rumble!*

Indeed, the moment the massive red body dipped, the entire desert floor trembled with thunderous roars—the ensuing vibration was cataclysmic, earth-shattering, and truly shocking. For a moment, the entire desert floor quivered, and vast amounts of light sand were flung into the air. With sand spraying everywhere and dust billowing, visibility dropped to near zero. Under the veil of dust, it was impossible to see what the giant worm was planning!

Seeing this, Gu Mo gripped his Heaven-Measuring Ruler tightly, crouched down, and thrust his left hand deep into the sand. The others in the distance looked on with eyes of approval.

Suddenly, a terrifying tremor erupted from beneath the desert floor. Sensing the movement beneath the sand, Gu Mo’s face turned deathly pale, and beads of sweat the size of peas sprouted like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. The Furry Glutton, which completely encased Gu Mo’s body, didn't seem to mind the stench of his sweat at all.

Suddenly, the Furry Glutton’s voice echoed in Gu Mo’s mind: "Gulu gulu gulu—Master, run!"

Hardly had the words finished when a loud explosion rang out. A massive area of sand beneath Gu Mo’s feet shuddered violently, and an abyss-like maw, large enough to contain an entire basketball court, burst open. Beneath the sky-blocking shadow, fangs the size of chimneys lunged toward him.

Seeing this, Gu Mo grit his teeth and, sinking his weight, channeled all the ghost energy within his body. With a deafening boom, eerie green ghost fire ignited around him, illuminating the dark night like a beacon! The resulting chill felt as if he had been plunged into a thousand-year-old ice cave.

With another dull thud, the scene was filled with swirling sand. Gu Mo, with his ghost energy fully unleashed, took a single, lightning-fast stride and escaped the abyss of the Death Worm’s jaws. Seeing this, the others watching from afar broke into a cold sweat, showering Gu Mo with praise. Little did they know that in the next few seconds, Gu Mo would drag these relaxed onlookers back into the battlefield...

Sand sprayed, dust billowed! The giant Death Worm, having failed to swallow Gu Mo, was consumed by rage. The murderous instinct carved into its genes drove it to return for another attempt. Hearing the overwhelming, thunderous crashing sound, the Death Worm, buried deep beneath the sand, began to crawl, its massive body pursuing Gu Mo relentlessly.

Gu Mo, sprinting at full speed, gritted his teeth and glared coldly at the others nearby. *Damn it, you guys started this by being unprincipled! I’m an ant on a hot pan now, so don't blame me for doing something extreme!*

Thinking this, Gu Mo shouted at the top of his lungs toward Xiao Yulou and the others: "Sacrifice the teammates, gain infinite power!"

With that roar, Gu Mo changed his direction and sprinted straight toward them. The group, who had been crouching on the ground, stood up instantly, gripping their various weapons, not daring to waste a single second.

In an instant, the enraged Death Worm erupted from the surface of the sand. At a glance, the sixty-meter-tall monster looked like several high-speed trains spliced together, whistling toward them. Around its boundless, blood-red flesh, the sand churned in a horrifying, bone-chilling display! (If anyone asks why the Death Worm is so big? Let the person who asks go and measure it themselves!)

The scene shifted rapidly. In a flurry of gasping breaths, the sprinting Gu Mo reached the group, and a remark as arrogant and punch-worthy as could be followed: "Damn it, if I’m having a rough time, none of you are going to have peace!"

The five people in the desert were instantly fired up, veins bulging, not even daring to shed a drop of cold sweat. They all clenched their teeth, their hearts pounding against their ribs. Looking closely, the five of them had lined up and started fleeing in the same direction.

A sense of "cat and mouse" ensued. In the blink of an eye, Li Hetang pulled on an orange mask to activate his stealth mode. A trail of footprints suddenly appeared on the surface of the billowing sand. Xiao Yulou, who was fleeing for his life, let out a hysterical cry: "Infinite Heavenly Venerate... Brother Soup, you are too despicable!"

The latter, hearing this, pointed the finger straight at Gu Mo: "Boss Gu, why did you lead this monster over here!"

Gu Mo, clad in the Furry Glutton’s symbiotic armor, shrugged quite comfortably and said with a lewd smirk: "Heh heh, who told you to stand by and watch me die!"

Xiao Yulou’s nose was almost crooked with anger. "Brother Gu, what you’re doing is truly despicable! Are you sacrificing your fellow Taoists to save your own skin?"

Min Wenhua, clutching his heavy sniper rifle and running, remained solemn, observing the escape route without intending to speak. As for Yu Kongcheng, the hairy, bloodthirsty lone wolf, he was running on all fours like a wolf... Bah! Currently, Yu Kongcheng *was* a living wolf, so of course he ran on all fours, his thick, fluffy tail swaying wildly with every stride. Within a few steps, Yu Kongcheng had already pulled several lengths ahead of the pack. (Sure enough, two legs can’t outrun four!)

Suddenly, the quick-witted Yu Kongcheng didn't look back and asked in confusion: "Hey, why aren't we all running in different directions? I’ll bet a bag of spicy strips that the Death Worm won't chase me!"

Hearing this, everyone was stunned. After exchanging blank stares, they cried out in unison: "That’s right—why didn't we run in different directions!"

(Damn, I can't stop laughing! These four are all masters of strange arts, brave and formidable. Yet at the critical moment, their brains were like mush; they didn't even think to split up while running for their lives.)

*ROAR!*

The terrifying Death Worm followed right behind, roaring with its blood-red maw wide open. It continued to shift its massive body, pursuing the group relentlessly...