The two still wanted to fight for another three hundred rounds, but suddenly heard Zhang Qiling hiss.
The space they were currently in was of unknown size, its inner walls coated with the same pigment as in the tunnel, making them feel as if they had entered a black hole.
After signaling them to be quiet, Zhang Qiling silently walked to the inner wall and touched it. He discovered that the stone walls of this space were covered with countless holes of various sizes, leading to unknown places. These stone holes were arranged like a honeycomb, causing discomfort.
He carefully measured the curvature of the inner wall and pondered.
"A sphere."
This space was actually a spherical space, but due to the special properties of the pigment, the stone walls appeared uniformly black, completely concealing their original curvature.
"My god..." Wu Tianzhen shone his light-brain lamp around. Besides the black walls, nothing else could be seen. In this space, distance and shape were indistinguishable; everything was in a state of the unknown.
[Good heavens, it feels like they are suspended in an endless, pitch-black space...]
[Speaking of which, I think I know this characteristic. It's that carbon nanotube array coating that recently won an award!]
[I know every word you said, but when put together, why don't I understand?]
[Good grief, ancient people developed this thousands of years ago? What are we doing now?]
Wu Tianzhen and Fatty didn't understand why Zhang Qiling had suddenly told them to be quiet. Fearing they might cause trouble by asking rashly, they remained silent.
Curious about this space, Wu Tianzhen took his light-brain intending to walk a few more steps, but was suddenly stopped by Zhang Qiling.
"Water."
At the bottom of this space was a pool of water of unknown depth!
Zhang Qiling squatted down and tentatively dipped his hand into the water. Under the light, his hand did not change color, indicating that the water was at least normal.
It was likely that the bottom of this pool was coated with black pigment, obscuring their vision. This made them realize they were not standing at the lowest point of this sphere, but rather on its side at an unknown height.
Zhang Qiling had suddenly told them to be quiet because his keen hearing had detected the subtle sound of flowing water.
However, there was no wind in this space.
Water moving without wind meant there must be something capable of movement in the pool.
Furthermore, that thing must also be coated with pigment, making it blend seamlessly with the pool bottom and difficult to distinguish.
Facing this unknown threat, a good strategy was to remain still when the enemy was not attacking. However, they needed to find an exit, and the situation fell into a stalemate.
Just then, Zhang Qiling suddenly noticed a flash of white to his side. Looking over, he saw that Fatty, feeling hot, had taken off his dark jacket, revealing his thick white sweater.
In the pitch-black space, Fatty's white sweater was stretched to its limit by his physique, appearing ostentatious and almost like a provocation at first glance.
Instantly, the sound of water surged, and the whistling of air from rapid movement filled their ears. Zhang Qiling suddenly realized what was happening and kicked Fatty back towards the tunnel they had come from, then waved Wu Tianzhen to follow him into it.
Heavy objects impacted the platform where they had just stood, sending flying debris and causing the mountain wall to rumble. This sound seemed like a signal. A continuous hissing filled the air, and in the blink of an eye, countless strange snakes, each biting a white female corpse, rushed out from the numerous holes in the inner wall. They flew through the air, attempting to pounce on Zhang Qiling.
Unable to deal with these endless minor threats, Zhang Qiling roughly tore off the cloth strips on his hands, clenched his fist, and reopened the wound that had just begun to heal. Blood gushed out, scattering around him with his leaping motion, instantly repelling the strange snakes.
His blood-stained hand swept across the blade of the Black Gold Ancient Sword. The sword's hum indicated that its power to suppress evil had been awakened. Using the force of gravity from his descent, Zhang Qiling swung the sword down with all his might!
"Ssssh—!!!"
The seemingly empty space suddenly emitted a piercing sound of grinding steel. Zhang Qiling pressed the sword downwards, and with a "plop," blood splattered. The creature let out a shrill cry. Its gaping maw revealed long, sharp, white fangs. This was a giant snake beyond human imagination!
Wounded, the giant snake retreated and disappeared. Coated with pigment, it was virtually invisible in this space.
But it overlooked one thing.
The overlapping small snakes, biting the white female corpses, surged like a tide around them, occupying a large portion of the space. The giant snake hid within this mass, and the movement of the white female corpses exposed it completely!
It was invisible, but not entirely.
Fatty and Wu Tianzhen had just crawled out of the tunnel and found their footing on the broken platform. Seeing the situation, they immediately aimed their guns and fired at the giant snake's location.
The crackling sounds of gunfire mingled with the giant snake's roars, and scales flew off under the continuous impact of bullets, revealing bloody, mangled flesh!
The blood soaked the white female corpse beneath its body, completely nullifying its advantage of invisibility.
Zhang Qiling had just landed in the water, which was extremely deep with no footing. He felt along the holes on the stone wall beside him, the very places the small snakes had emerged from. Now, they became his points of leverage.
He chose a hole, gathered his strength, and his tensed leg muscles propelled him forward like an arrow!
Gripping the sword with both hands, his body arched backward like a crescent moon. Before the giant snake could react, the Black Gold Ancient Sword was deeply plunged into its wounded area, which was unprotected by scales!
"Beautiful!"
Seeing the giant snake severely wounded, Fatty couldn't help but cheer with a clenched fist.
They weren't idle either. Although their previous shots had nullified the giant snake's invisibility, they had also attracted a large number of corpse-carrying snake monsters.
Surrounded by the snake swarm, they struggled to cope. However, due to Fatty's bulk, they couldn't retreat through the tunnel to the other side for safety.
But then again, even if they could have, they wouldn't have abandoned Zhang Qiling.
They knew this well, but Wu Tianzhen still couldn't resist teasing Fatty.
"Hey!" he said, swatting away a snake with his shovel and speaking in a high-pitched voice, "Poor me, today I've ended up in this predicament because of some people's fat."
"Hey, you can't blame Fatty for this, can you?" Fatty retorted, kicking away a snake, "That opening is right there! Fatty didn't fart and blow it open for you!"
"What the hell, can you speak more civilly?"
"Hiss—No, what am I not understanding? Who was it that was cursing me just now?"
...
They bickered back and forth, seemingly enjoying themselves, but the strange snakes were not to be trifled with. Seeing this, their anger surged. They spat out the female corpses in their mouths, which then disintegrated into snake staffs that shot towards the two.
Fatty was caught off guard and was bitten on the shoulder by a snake that veered off course.
"Holy crap!"
He immediately yanked the snake off and threw it to the ground, then stomped on its head, crushing it.
But looking at the snake's vibrant patterns and its fangs gleaming with a green light, he couldn't convince himself that it was a non-venomous snake.
"It's over, it's over, it's over. Fatty has hit rock bottom."
He mumbled nervously, but his hands didn't stop helping Wu Tianzhen fend off the snake staffs.
Wu Tianzhen was also very panicked seeing this, but only Zhang Qiling had the antidote. The situation was so dangerous, how could they disturb Zhang Qiling and distract him now?
Even Fatty himself, who was poisoned, hadn't had such a thought. With a determined heart, he directly pushed Wu Tianzhen into the tunnel and stood in the opening himself, his massive physique completely blocking the entrance.
Several more snakes bit him. He ignored them. Since his fate was sealed, he might as well do something meaningful before he died!
"Fatty, Fatty, what are you doing? Let me out!"
Wu Tianzhen realized what was happening and roared from inside the tunnel, his voice laced with tears.
Fatty smiled.
"I can't leave anymore. Little Brother is so capable, he'll definitely be fine. You run first!"
"Don't worry, I won't take a single step back before I die!"
"Honestly, Fatty has traveled far and wide and met all sorts of people, but for some reason, I really like you guys."
"Little Brother bled to save me, and just now on the cliff, you grabbed me despite the danger. At that moment, I thought, these two brothers, Wang Fatty has sworn to befriend!"
As Fatty spoke, his emotions got the better of him, and his voice choked up.
Wu Tianzhen cried even harder, gasping for breath, and repeatedly responded, "Yes! We are brothers, we will always be the best of buddies!"
[Wuwuwuwu, don't do this, Fatty!]
[Fatty, truly a valiant man... Rest in peace!]
[Rest in peace!!!!!!!]
[Yes, you are good brothers, you are the best iron triangle!!]
The comments, along with the two, dissolved into tears. The small tunnel entrance was particularly heroic at that moment.
And Zhang Qiling, far away: ...
...Did I forget to tell them that the antidote lasts for a month?
Looking at the scene unfolding into a dramatic farewell, he was momentarily unsure whether he should go over now.
The giant snake beneath his feet was half-dead, only able to blow bubbles as he held it in the water.
Compared to the other side, his situation exuded a sense of desolate loneliness.