"Wang Kaixuan, what do you mean by 'Monkey Brother'?" Cao Yi chuckled at the nickname.
The purple gold red gourd could change size freely and fit in his ear, leading to the playful comparison. "What if I placed it on my head like a headband? Would I be mistaken for a gourd boy?" he mused, referencing the 1986 animation "Gourd Brothers."
"Are you not the Monkey Brother?" Wang Kaixuan asked, confusion etched on his face.
Cao Yi shook his head with a smile. "Not at all."
Feeling embarrassed, Wang Kaixuan turned to see Hu Bayi and Shirley Yang frozen in shock, momentarily alleviating his discomfort.
Suddenly, Cao Yi's expression shifted. "Uh-oh!"
He remembered that the Goddess Tomb was supposed to self-destruct. While his presence had altered the plot, it didn't prevent the collapse.
"What do you mean, 'uh-oh'?" Wang Kaixuan felt a sinking dread, realizing that if even the powerful Daoist Priest was worried, it was serious.
Hu Bayi and Shirley Yang looked on, puzzled.
"We need to get out of here—it's about to collapse!" Cao Yi turned and rushed away.
According to the system, the purple gold red gourd couldn't absorb living beings actively. If the tomb collapsed, he'd be trapped despite his enhancements.
Just three steps later, the collapse began. Stones rained down, massive pillars toppled, and the long bridge shattered with a thunderous crash.
"Daoist Priest!" Hu Bayi and Shirley Yang plummeted.
"Old Jin!" Wang Kaixuan attempted to save Big Gold Tooth but fell too.
"Daoist Priest, save Old Jin!" he called from below.
Cao Yi summoned the gourd to shield against falling stones, quickly reaching the pile of bodies to rescue the unconscious Big Gold Tooth.
"Big dumpling!" he shouted as Big Gold Tooth suddenly awoke, thrashing and shouting.
Without hesitation, Cao Yi punched him in the face, knocking him out again with a nosebleed.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
"Did I kill him?" Cao Yi briefly worried.
Suddenly, a massive stone crashed down, striking the gourd and sinking it half a foot, emitting a mournful sound as cracks spider-webbed across the platform.
Cao Yi tightened his grip on Big Gold Tooth, jumping toward the bridge.
The fall from such a height was intense. Boulders fell constantly, and without the gourd's protection, he'd have been seriously injured.
He dove into the rushing water with Big Gold Tooth. Nearby, Hu Bayi and the others remained unharmed, their protagonist aura shining.
"This is a disaster!" Cao Yi thought. "With the tomb collapsing, the lake's water will flood us. We'll drown or be crushed!"
"Don't freeze up; think!" someone yelled. "The coffin has buoyancy; we can hide inside!"
They swam quickly toward the coffin, remembering Cao Yi and Big Gold Tooth only afterward.
"Where are the Daoist Priest and Old Jin?" they called.
Moments later, Cao Yi and Big Gold Tooth surfaced on a large gourd.
"Daoist Priest, Old Jin!" Wang Kaixuan cheered, then exclaimed, "What a big gourd!"
Cao Yi frowned, noticing the rapidly rising water. "We don't have much time. How do you plan to avoid the pressure and power of the water?"
"We'll hide in the coffin!" Wang Kaixuan replied.
Cao Yi raised an eyebrow. "You think this is a movie? Coffins aren't sealed boxes; the lid could easily fall off."
"Do you have a solution?" Wang Kaixuan asked.
Cao Yi glanced at the gourd. "Can't you grow larger to hold everyone?"
The gourd quivered.
"What does that mean?" he wondered.
A message entered his mind: it had reached its limit and needed energy to grow larger.
"I have energy; how do I give it to you?" Cao Yi inquired.
Another message appeared: through blood.
Without hesitation, he bit his finger and pressed it against the gourd, feeling a small mouth greedily suck at his blood.
"Easy there; if I die, you're finished too," he warned.
The gourd slowed its absorption.
Meanwhile, it elongated several times, barely big enough for a person to enter.
"Everyone, come over and get in the gourd!" he instructed, pushing Big Gold Tooth inside easily.
"Old Hu, Yang, listen to the Daoist Priest!" Wang Kaixuan called, swimming over.
Cao Yi stepped into the gourd first, finding it dark but spacious enough for a room.
Big Gold Tooth lay on the floor.
Yelü Zhigu stood against the wall.
Nearby were three Qingling bells, a peach wood sword, and the giant axe.
"Ow, it's too cramped; I can't fit!" Wang Kaixuan's voice echoed.
Cao Yi communicated with the gourd, which claimed it had reached its limit.
"We're out of time; Yang, go in first!" Wang Kaixuan urged.
A slender figure swiftly slipped inside.
"Old Hu, get in!" Wang Kaixuan insisted.
"No way; you go first!" Hu Bayi protested.
"Just get in!" Wang Kaixuan insisted.
Reluctantly, Hu Bayi crawled inside.
"Daoist Priest, can the gourd get bigger?" Hu Bayi asked.
Cao Yi moved to the gourd's opening. "Wang, stick your head in."
Wang Kaixuan did as told.
Cao Yi gripped his head and yanked him inside.
"Ouch! That hurts! Let go, Daoist Priest!" Wang Kaixuan screamed as he was pulled in.
The lid closed automatically. Within seconds, the rushing water surged in, completely submerging the area.
Cao Yi felt the gourd rocking from the pressure and energy outside, yet inside, it remained still.
"Is the inside of the gourd in another space?" he pondered.