Chapter 1 The Corpse

"Well... based on my many years of experience, I'd say this corpse, with its head separated from its body, is probably dead."

After a calm observation, Song Jie looked at the insect corpse, its entire body melted away leaving only the head, and offered his analysis.

No kidding? As if we needed you to tell us.

The White Lotus Sect members were speechless. After observing the insect corpse for a while, they all shook their heads, saying they didn't recognize the face.

"Wait,"

The White-Browed Elder frowned, as if he had thought of something. He turned around and looked at Yi Ye Qing at the back. "You, yes, you. Come here."

Yi Ye Qing was standing with Song Jie and the others. When the elder pointed at her, she walked forward with a surprised expression. "Senior, what's the matter?"

The White-Browed Elder didn't speak. His gaze shifted silently between Yi Ye Qing and the insect corpse.

Soon, the other White Lotus Sect members also noticed something was wrong – this woman's face, and the young face on the insect corpse, vaguely resembled each other?

"Hmm?"

Yi Ye Qing glanced at the insect body, frowned slightly, and looked at Xiao Fu Mang. "Husband, come and take a look. Doesn't this face look a bit like our son?"

Son?

The White Lotus Sect members were shocked, but then they saw Xiao Fu Mang stride forward. After observing for a while, he nodded and said, "It does look a bit like him.

You adopted this child because he resembled you a bit.

But our child is well-behaved and sensible. He's still in the mountain stronghold,

Occasionally going down the mountain with the Third and Fourth Leaders to burn, kill, and loot, honing his bandit skills. He's very safe and sound, so he wouldn't be here.

It's just a coincidence that the insect corpse looks like him.

After all, this kind of oval face, about three to two in length, with a round upper face, a pointed chin, and smooth jawlines is very common.

Even with Xiaoshan eyebrows, peach blossom eyes, and a high nose bridge, there are plenty of people who look like that."

Xiao Fu Mang spoke with great certainty and earnestness, gesticulating as he spoke, like a plastic surgeon from the Jiangnan district, carefully explaining to everyone why an oval face, or rather a heart-shaped face, looks so pleasing.

After this explanation, the White Lotus Sect members tentatively shifted their gaze away from Yi Ye Qing.

"Cough, cough, cough."

Gongyang Han coughed lightly. He shook his head in the White-Browed Elder's concerned gaze. "I'm fine.

By the way, how many people did the Wu De Guard send down?"

The White Lotus Sect member who had been sent out to scout earlier replied, "I'm not sure, but there should still be soldiers stationed at the tunnel we came down from.

The Wu De Guard and the Western Secret Service Factory sent more people down into the tunnel to pursue Bai Yongyan, who hijacked the auspicious creature."

"Damn it."

Gongyang Han cursed in a low voice, taking a deep breath to pull himself out of the exhausted feeling of depleted magical power. "Now we don't need to worry about whether Bai Yongyan has betrayed the sect.

Since there are Wu De Guard troops stationed at the tunnel entrance, we can only continue on and find a way out first."

"Mm."

The White-Browed Elder nodded. "Young Master, you rest here for a while. I'll take a few brothers to scout ahead and see if there are the second and third levels of tunnels that Yu Qingqiu mentioned."

"Alright."

Gongyang Han nodded. He had already used the life-saving measure Guangmu Protector had given him, so he naturally cherished his life even more.

"Glug, glug—"

A faint sound of liquid boiling rang out.

Everyone turned their heads and saw the yellow-green pool of blood where the insect corpse was lying, constantly bubbling like a simmering soup.

Clusters of slender bacterial filaments emerged from the pool of blood, growing rapidly and quickly dyeing the entire pool of blood white,

Like thick snow, covering the insect corpse.

Not only that, but the hyphae also followed the edge of the tunnel, seeping into the soil,

Constantly spreading, slowly turning the entire tunnel white at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The White Lotus Sect members, crowded in the tunnel, shouted and retreated in panic.

Whatever was happening to this insect corpse, it was best not to approach and observe it.

In this world full of bizarre events, the greater the curiosity, the faster you die – both the White Lotus Sect members and the Wu De Guard understood this.

However, a gust of wind blew from the depths of the tunnel.

Those light, soft, and pure white hyphae, like dandelion fluff, easily peeled off the insect corpse,

Rising like clouds and spreading toward the White Lotus Sect members.

The mutation happened so quickly that the White Lotus Sect members retreated in panic,

But two of them were still blocked, and the skin exposed outside their clothes came into contact with the thin hyphae.

One man's right hand was touched by the hyphae, and he released his grip on the sword hilt as if electrocuted.

He reached out with his left hand and desperately rubbed the back of his right hand through his sleeve, trying to rub the hyphae off.

But it was too late.

The hyphae melted into liquid the moment they touched his skin. His rubbing motion not only failed to remove the white fluff, but also allowed the hyphae to spread more quickly on his skin.