Deep within the hundred-thousand mountains of the southwest, dense forests stretched endlessly, and river valleys crisscrossed the land.
Towering peaks pierced into the sea of clouds.
A winding mountain road, like a dirt-yellow serpent, coiled across the lush green mountains.
On this narrow and twisting road, a battered minibus—at least a decade old—rumbled forward, belching black smoke from its rear.
The road was uneven, littered with loose stones. The vehicle jolted violently as it advanced.
The bus was packed with passengers, most of them local mountain villagers.
Only a few stood out from the crowd.
One was a sturdy man in his early thirties, his back straight as a spear—clearly with a military background.
Another was a woman with a ponytail, a well-toned figure, and delicate features. Her demeanor and attire set her apart from everyone else.
There was also a burly, dark-skinned fat man.
And finally, a refined and handsome young man, about eighteen or nineteen years old.
At this moment, the fat man nudged the sturdy man beside him.
"Old Hu, your cousin is a bit strange."
The man turned his head and glanced at the young man. "Seems fine to me. What's strange about him?"
"No, Old Hu, didn't you notice? Not a single mosquito has bitten your cousin this whole trip. And this is Yunnan—mosquitoes here are vicious!" The fat man rolled up his sleeve, revealing clusters of swollen bites.
Then he glanced again at the young man—and froze.
A butterfly was resting on the young man's fingertip.
It must have flown in through the window.
Now, the butterfly was fluttering its wings desperately, yet no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't escape from the tip of his finger.
"Look, look! Even that butterfly can't fly away from his finger. I'm telling you, he's probably some kind of monster."
At that moment, the woman—who had been quietly watching the scenery outside—spoke.
"Fatty, stop talking nonsense. Xiao Xu is a biology student from the Agricultural University. We'll need him for this trip to the Worm Valley."
The fat man clicked his tongue. "Shirley Yang, why are you siding with him too?"
He was about to say more when the handsome young man flicked his finger lightly.
The butterfly instantly flew away.
Then the young man smiled, revealing a set of white teeth, and said to the fat man:
"Brother Fatty, take a look outside."
The fat man instinctively glanced out the window.
On one side was a steep mountain wall. On the other, a canyon as deep as an abyss.
At the bottom of the gorge, a turbulent river roared violently, its muddy waves crashing endlessly.
The fat man's face instantly turned pale. He sat back down obediently, no longer daring to speak.
These people were none other than the famous tomb-raiding trio—Hu Ba Yi, Wang Pangzi, and Shirley Yang.
The handsome young man was named Xu Lang.
He was a transmigrator.
Just a few days ago, Xu Lang had crossed into this tomb-raiding world, only to find himself as Hu Ba Yi's cousin.
His identity: a student at the Agricultural University in the capital.
After a brief exchange with Hu Ba Yi, Wang Pangzi, and Shirley Yang, Xu Lang quickly realized their current situation.
They had just obtained the human-skin map from Chen Xiazi and were preparing to head to Worm Valley in search of the tomb of the King Xian.
Xu Lang made his decision immediately.
He would go to Yunnan Worm Valley with them.
Since he had transmigrated into a tomb-raiding world, if he didn't explore its great tombs, it would all be for nothing.
More importantly—
As part of his transmigration benefit, Xu Lang had awakened a system the moment he arrived.
An Infinite Fusion System.
According to the system's description, Xu Lang could fuse with various Exotic Beasts and malevolent spirits, thereby gaining their abilities.
At the same time, he could seize the Qi Luck contained within ancient tombs and burial artifacts to upgrade the system.
When the Infinite Fusion System was first activated, it could only fuse with a single Exotic Beast or spirit.
To unlock more fusion slots, Xu Lang would need to explore great tombs and seize their Qi Luck.
As for the first fusion target—
The system had already prepared it in the beginner's gift pack.
A worm.
About three inches long, plump, with a pale golden body. Its eyes were as small as mung beans, and it even had a pair of translucent wings.
It was none other than the legendary—
Golden Silkworm Gu.
The Golden Silkworm Gu was known as the king of all Gu.
Extremely venomous, immune to water and fire, and capable of suppressing all poisons under heaven.
Naturally, Xu Lang chose to fuse with the Golden Silkworm Gu.
After the fusion, Xu Lang discovered a tattoo of a golden silkworm had appeared on his arm.
At the same time, his physical strength increased. His five senses—hearing, sight, smell, and more—were significantly enhanced.
And he had gained a new ability:
Immunity to all poisons.
All biological toxins in the world were now completely ineffective against him.
Moreover, as the king of all insects, the Golden Silkworm Gu naturally possessed a deterrent effect against all kinds of bugs.
It could repel and suppress them.
That was why Xu Lang hadn't been bitten by a single mosquito during the journey.
And why the butterfly earlier couldn't escape his fingertip.
However, the Golden Silkworm Gu he had just fused with was not yet powerful.
As long as Xu Lang killed Exotic Beasts or malevolent entities in the future, he could absorb their power, allowing the Golden Silkworm Gu to grow stronger.
After reading the system's description, Xu Lang became even more eager to venture into Worm Valley.
Inside Worm Valley—and within the tomb of the King Xian—Exotic Beasts and malevolent entities were everywhere.
Corpse beetles, parasitic worms, worm infants, azure-scaled giant pythons…
All of them could be used to strengthen the Golden Silkworm Gu.
And more importantly—
The Huo Clan Immortal Worm.
Hidden beneath the Dragon-Scale Demon Armor, the Huo Clan Immortal Worm was undoubtedly one of the most sinister and powerful Exotic Beasts in this tomb-raiding world.
As long as Xu Lang could unlock a second fusion slot, the Huo Clan Immortal Worm would be a perfect fusion target.
At first, Hu Ba Yi, Wang Pangzi, and Shirley Yang had all opposed Xu Lang joining them.
But Xu Lang asked a simple question:
Once they reached Yunnan, what identity would they use to operate?
At the time, unrest still lingered in the southern frontier, and Worm Valley was not far from the border.
Unlike modern times, although travel no longer required official introduction letters, a reasonable and legal cover identity was still necessary.
If they acted suspiciously near Worm Valley without a proper identity, they might be arrested outright.
Xu Lang proposed a solution.
As a student of the Agricultural University, they could pose as teachers and students conducting field research.
Young faculty and students from an agricultural university studying insects in the Yunnan rainforest—
It made perfect sense.
Not only could Xu Lang provide professional knowledge, but he also had a student ID.
As for work credentials, they could simply ask Da Jinya to forge some.
With Xu Lang as a specialist, they could also reduce many risks posed by the poisonous insects and wild beasts of the southern rainforest.
Hu Ba Yi and Shirley Yang were convinced.
Though Wang Pangzi still had his doubts, he had no choice but to go along with the majority.
And so, Xu Lang joined Hu Ba Yi, Wang Pangzi, and Shirley Yang on their journey.
Judging by Wang Pangzi's earlier reaction, his guard against Xu Lang hadn't fully disappeared.
Xu Lang didn't mind.
He simply closed his eyes to rest.
Because ahead—
A great gift was waiting for him.
The other passengers on the bus were noisy. Combined with the sounds and smells of chickens, ducks, and geese, the cramped vehicle was bursting with chaotic life.
The driver, accustomed to mountain roads, paid no attention to the sheer cliffs and dark red river valley below, driving at high speed.
Wang Pangzi, who had a fear of heights, grew paler by the minute.
Finally—
With a dull thud, the vehicle jolted violently, as if it had run over something.
The driver slammed on the brakes, throwing everyone inside into disarray.
Amid the chaos of squawking poultry and shouting passengers, someone yelled at the top of their lungs—
"Someone's been run over! Someone's been run over!"
Xu Lang finally opened his eyes.
A trace of excitement flashed within them.
Something good had arrived.