Tomb raiding: Today is another day I don't want to go home.

Chapter 24 Distress

Upon hearing the sound, the people running ahead turned into the underground palace passage on the left without hesitation. Fatty Wang supported Da Pan, while Wu Xie helped the injured A Ning and lagged behind a little.

"Brother, are you alright?" Seeing that Zhang Qiling's face was as white as paper, Wu Xie reached out to help him up.

Zhang Qiling shook his head slightly, said nothing, and continued to walk a short distance on his own, stopping every now and then to sprinkle a little blood behind him, buying time for everyone.

Wu Xie's brows furrowed deeply, his heart pounding with fear at Zhang Qiling's reckless actions. If this continued, he feared his blood would be drained dry...

Ah Ning, who had been unusually calm throughout, said thoughtfully, "Run north."

"Why?" Wu Xie asked, but his feet honestly followed the path that A Ning pointed out.

"The north should be safer."

Ah Ning didn't go into details, but everyone could tell she was hiding something. However, she was trying to escape, and she was in dire need of her own life, so she probably wouldn't lead everyone to their deaths.

So, all they could do was hide from the corpse beetles in this complicated underground palace, tears streaming down their faces, while trying to find their way north of the ancient tomb.

However, after running for a short while, everyone realized that this road was probably impassable...

Because they were surrounded, and in front of them was the blood corpse that Yan Huai had temporarily suppressed before, the blood corpse that had been chasing them, and the blood corpse that had destroyed Xiao Ge's clothes!

"later!"

Zhang Qiling frowned as he watched the blood corpse rushing towards him. He patted Wu Xie on the shoulder, signaling him to go behind and hold off the approaching corpse beetles, while he himself decisively went to confront the persistent blood corpse.

"I've really screwed up with my own fart today—I'm incredibly unlucky! Not only do I have to run a marathon in this tomb, but I also have to deal with all these little bastards that follow me around here!"

Wang Pangzi held a Luoyang shovel in one hand and a pistol handed to him by Da Pan in the other. He spontaneously formed a circle with Wu Xie and the others. With a stern face, after sweeping a group of corpse beetles at the top of his lungs, he took advantage of the moment when Zhang Qiling kicked away the blood corpse and fired two shots at it.

Ah Ning was more skilled than Da Pan, so she was responsible for using her dagger to cut down the corpse beetles that jumped up.

However, Da Pan, who was the most seriously injured, could only kneel on the left side of Wu Xie with difficulty. He was skilled with double daggers, so he gritted his teeth and tried his best to deal with the corpse beetles that crawled in through the gaps, while also taking care of his little third master.

As for Wu Xie, whose skills were the most pitiful, he could only be responsible for finishing off the enemies. His clever mind was of little use in this situation.

In such a life-or-death situation, everyone's goal is to save their own life, and every extra person means a greater chance of survival. No one would be foolish enough to let someone else become their scapegoat.

Since we'll all end up in the underworld sooner or later, we might as well leave the hope of living on each other and increase our chances of survival.

However, two fists can't fight four hands, not to mention that there are more than just hands here. If they can't think of a way to escape, it's only a matter of time before they are trapped and die here.

Although Zhang Qiling always felt that there was an energy circulating within his body repairing him, the consumption along the way had far exceeded the rate of recovery, and he could no longer restrain the blood corpse for as long as before.

What you fear most is what happens. Just as Zhang Qiling was about to leap up and kick the blood corpse away, everything suddenly went black before his eyes. Before he could react, he was pinned to the ground by the blood corpse.

Fortunately, the corpse beetles selectively bypassed Zhang Qiling, but it wasn't a good thing; they rushed towards Wu Xie and the others not far away.

"Keep up!" Zhang Qiling shouted upon seeing this, his voice already hoarse.

When everyone looked over at the sound, Zhang Qiling had already placed his black gold ancient sword against the blood corpse's lips and teeth. His left hand swiftly retracted, wrapping around the back of the blood corpse's neck, and just like that, the corpse and the person rolled away, creating a path...

"Brother!!" The few people still trapped in the swarm of corpse beetles were shocked and surprised, while Wu Xie and Fatty rushed forward with bloodshot eyes.

Roar--

Meanwhile, deep within the Dragon Palace, Yan Huai suddenly felt a sudden, inexplicable panic. Having already transformed into a dragon, he agitatedly pulled away the dragon in front of him and instinctively roared.

The roar of the dragon pierced through the layers of underground palace barriers and echoed throughout this ancient underground tomb that had existed for thousands of years.

Rewinding to half an hour earlier, after entering the deep pit from the Dragon-Slaying Stone, Yan Huai used his increasingly strong scale senses to decipher the rock mechanism and the rain of arrows in the passageway. It wasn't until he arrived at a dark green jade door that his vision and hearing went from blurry to clear.

The jade gate in front of them was carved with a beast that resembled a dragon but was not a snake. It soared through the clouds and entered the water, spanning the entire jade gate. It had only one horn on its head, but it seemed to be surrounded by lightning. The system said that it was a jiaolong (a type of dragon).

"Host, the dragon inside is intelligent, can speak human language, and has the ability to fly with the scales you have. The horn on its head can burn you, so please be careful."

Yan Huai sheathed the Branding Blade and placed it in his spatial storage. As he approached, the jade door automatically opened to both sides, and what greeted him inside was a blue dragon that had already awakened from the pool and raised its upper body...

"Yanhuai, I have been waiting here for ten thousand years."

"System, didn't you say I'm only 23 years old?" Yan Huai asked in his mind without showing any emotion.

"Host, your age is indeed 23 years old in human terms."

"Then what about the concept of the dragon?"

"He is 63,889 years old in the traditional Chinese age reckoning."

"O_o"

Yan Huai's face stiffened, and he almost lost his composure. He looked at the dragon in front of him and managed to regain his composure and return to the present situation.

Whether you waited for me or how long you waited for me is not what I asked of you. I'm just here to collect a debt.

"I am still missing a physical body. Once I kill you, this matter will be accomplished."

For the first time, Yan Huai revealed a cold smile. He straightened up, his eyes and body instantly changing: "You want human skin, it's as ridiculous as you want to become a real dragon."

Dark green scales grew wildly, and Yan Huai's body suddenly became enormous. Underneath his torn clothes, the outlines of his tough and robust joints and bones were gradually revealed.

The Azure Dragon has a body resembling a long snake, a unicorn's head, a carp's tail, long whiskers on its face, antlers like a deer, and five claws. Yan Huai's dragon body, enhanced by his bloodline, is a full 210 feet (70 meters long).

However, what is strange is that on Yan Huai's dragon body, the waist and abdomen, which should be the most beautiful part of the scales, is now a dark depression, so large that it affects the original senses.

In comparison, the blue dragon that leaped out of the pool appeared to be more slender and agile.

When Yan Huai saw the patch of dark green scales on the belly of the dragon in front of him, his golden vertical pupils were filled with murderous intent.

The dragon's underground palace was enormous, with pools of clear blue water rippling like silver waves. However, the massive dragon body smashed this beautiful scene to pieces. Yan Huai was truly unleashing his true nature, doing whatever made him comfortable!

However, it would be even better if that dragon couldn't fly and didn't have that disgusting, clawing horn...

Just as Yan Huai finished the fifth task and the flying tiger claw rewarded by the system hooked onto the dragon, a sudden sense of panic welled up in his heart, which led to the dragon roar that contained a hidden pressure.

"System, what just happened?"

"Host, Zhang Qiling and the others are in danger. Because you killed the Corpse Beetle King in the passage, the Corpse Beetles in the ancient tomb have started a riot."

The system's words stunned Yan Huai instantly, while the dragon that was fighting with him seized the opportunity. It leaped up and bit Yan Huai's waist and abdomen, which was missing scales, adding another ferocious gash to his already blood-stained dark blue dragon body.

Stimulated by the blood and excruciating pain, Yan Huai raised his dragon claw and slammed it down on the dragon's head: "And now?"

"Host, the system suggests you focus on killing the dragon..."

"I'm asking you how they are now!" Yan Huai couldn't suppress the sudden surge of guilt and fear in his heart. He had to finish what he was holding immediately and rush over.

"Your dragon roar has taken effect, deterring the corpse beetles and blood corpses, and they are temporarily out of danger."

"What about Zhang Qiling?"

"Zhang Qiling lost too much blood and his strength was depleted too quickly, but Black Glasses and Wu Sansheng arrived in time to help him."

A bloodthirsty glint flashed in Yan Huai's eyes. Ignoring the chunk of flesh torn from his abdomen, he bit straight at the dragon's heart without flinching.

Although the space was large, it couldn't withstand Yan Huai's relentless pursuit. It's true that the fierce are afraid of the stubborn, and the stubborn are afraid of the reckless. The dragon couldn't dodge in time, and the scales on its chest were cut open from the side.

Yan Huai raised his dragon claw, pressing down on the dragon's tail with one hand and reaching for its horns with the other...

System: "!!" Host! You will be burned! Let go of my claws!

Yan Huai: Holy crap! That hurts!

Wu Xie: Xiao Huai learned that "Holy crap" from me! *^O^*