Chapter 517: Underground Passage

While speaking, Zu An took out the alligator he had previously caught by the river from his storage space within the glazed pearl and threw it into the nearby bronze cauldron.

Mi Li uttered a sound of surprise. "Oh? I didn't expect you to have these materials in your storage space. However, alligators aren't rare materials; they probably won't be sufficient as a sacrifice."

Seeing her still gaze longingly at Pei Mianman's back, Zu An's scalp tingled. He genuinely feared she might not be able to resist killing Big Manman, so he quickly took out the corpse of the Taotie he had retrieved from the giant pit earlier. "I have this too."

"A Taotie? Although it looks a bit disgusting, the Shang people apparently often used it for war sacrifices. That should be acceptable then." Mi Li finally nodded.

Zu An breathed a sigh of relief. He thought to himself that if this still wasn't enough, surely using the dragon corpses as sacrifices would work. His only concern was how to fit such massive dragon corpses into the bronze cauldron.

At this moment, Pei Mianman was startled. "What are you doing?"

She had just asked him a question, but he remained silent. Then he threw the alligator and the Taotie corpse into the large cauldron nearby.

Since the Taotie's body was larger than the cauldron, he took out the Tai'a sword and dismembered its head, limbs, tail, and other parts before putting them in.

Fluids flowed from the Taotie, but for some reason, its corrosive liquid had no effect at all when it fell on the ground or even the bronze cauldron.

However, the sight of the dismemberment was quite unsettling. If she hadn't seen the clarity in Zu An's eyes, she might have thought he was possessed.

"I'm trying to find a way out," Zu An explained, instructing her. "Use your black flames to heat it from below, and try to cook the contents thoroughly."

"Huh?" Pei Mianman looked bewildered. "My black flames are barely enough to protect us both as it is. How can I spare any to cook something?"

She truly couldn't understand his thought process at the moment.

Zu An quickly explained, describing the connection between the high platform and sacrifices.

Pei Mianman listened, half-believing, half-doubting. However, remembering that he always planned carefully before acting, she decided to trust him this time.

So, while using her black flames to protect them both, she directed a wisp of black flame to heat the bronze cauldron from below.

Originally, her black flames could last for roughly the burning time of three incense sticks. Now, they might not even last for one.

She glanced at Zu An. She gritted her teeth, but in the end, she said nothing.

Zu An pulled her to the side of the bronze cauldron. This way, the flames beneath the cauldron could also help defend one direction, alleviating some of her pressure.

The bronze cauldron was incredibly heavy and thick. Ordinary flames would find it very difficult to heat its contents, let alone cook anything inside.

Fortunately, Pei Mianman's black flames were extraordinary. They quickly raised the temperature considerably. Before long, a meaty aroma began to waft from the bronze cauldron, mixed with many nauseating odors.

Presumably, these were produced by the heating of the Taotie's mucus and various corrosive fluids.

Zu An looked at the pot of "dark cuisine" with an extremely peculiar expression. If they offered this as a sacrifice, would the gods get stomach aches and then send down divine punishment?

Unfortunately, there was no turning back now. He could only grit his teeth and cook it.

Pei Mianman also frowned deeply. She couldn't help but say, "This smell is truly... like... like..."

Seeing her blush and struggle to say it, Zu An chuckled, "Like a pot of cooked shit, right?"

"Stop talking..." Pei Mianman felt her stomach churn and couldn't help but gag. "Are you sure this can be used as a sacrifice?"

"It should be fine," Zu An said, though he wasn't sure. "After all, it's cooked from ingredients, even if it smells a bit bad. At most, it's shit-flavored chocolate, but it's still chocolate. It's much better than chocolate-flavored shit. If you were a god, which one would you choose?"

Although she hadn't heard the word "chocolate," Pei Mianman generally understood what he meant. She covered her nose, a mix of shame and indignation on her face. "I wouldn't choose either!"

It was this momentary distraction that caused a gap in her defenses. Countless evil spirits swarmed in.

Pei Mianman's face turned pale with fright. Zu An quickly pulled her into his arms to protect her. He had already taken out the magical flashlight from before, an item that should be very effective against these undead creatures.

However, it only had one last use, and he didn't want to waste it unless absolutely necessary.

But now there was no other choice. Just as he was about to turn on the flashlight, the evil spirits suddenly seemed drawn by some delicious scent. They all turned and flew towards the bronze cauldron.

The large pot of indescribable contents had become a delicious feast in the eyes of the many evil spirits. They swarmed forward, one after another. The strange meat in the cauldron was consumed at a visible rate.

Originally, the alligator and Taotie corpses had filled the cauldron, but before long, the evil spirits had eaten them all, leaving the bottom visible.

The evil spirits didn't emerge from the cauldron again. The eerie, terrifying mist around them gradually dispersed. The greenish glow in the torches along the stairs completely faded, returning to normal. Not a single evil spirit could be seen anywhere.

"It really... it really worked." Pei Mianman's face was pale. Just a moment ago, she had thought she was doomed, and she hadn't expected to escape with her life.

Mi Li snorted disdainfully. "Big breasts, no brains. Only good for flaunting yourself and seducing men."

Zu An: "..."

What was wrong with Empress Sister today? She seemed quite jealous.

Of course, he dared not say this aloud, lest he add fuel to the fire.

At this moment, a rumbling sound echoed. The ground behind the bronze cauldron suddenly split into several sections, which then rotated to reveal a circular opening.

A long staircase also wound downwards from the opening. However, the torchlight from the bronze cauldron only reached a few meters inside. The entire opening was pitch black, making it impossible to see what lay within.

"Empress Sister, what's going on?" Since Mi Li had appeared, Zu An naturally wouldn't miss such a good opportunity, not wanting her to fall back into slumber.

Mi Li said in a deep voice, "I once read an ancient text that described a peculiar architectural custom of the Yin-Shang dynasty. The royal palace was above ground, while the imperial mausoleum was below. Since this is an altar, it's naturally a place for communicating with spirits and gods. The Shang people not only sacrificed to gods but also to spirits. Gods represented Heaven, while spirits were their ancestors through generations. If I'm not mistaken, this path leads to the imperial mausoleum of the Shang Dynasty."

Zu An swallowed hard. "We've already encountered so many dangers in the palace above ground—skeleton warriors with explosive combat power and countless flesh-eating evil spirits. What will it be like in their underground imperial mausoleum?"

Mi Li snorted coldly. "You have no other choice now. Have you forgotten how we met in the last secret realm? Every secret realm has its core formation. If you don't break it, you'll be trapped here forever. Currently, it seems the core formation isn't in the surface palace area. It can only be down here."

"I know you still have two dragon corpses that can serve as food, and you also routinely prepare supplies in your storage space. But those might sustain you for a year or two, what about ten or a hundred years? Furthermore, this place is full of threats; staying in this surface palace area isn't necessarily safe either."

"And if I'm not mistaken, this secret realm should also contain a divine cultivation technique no less potent than the Primordial Chaos Scripture. Your entry into this secret realm is a monumental opportunity; how could you possibly hesitate?"

Seeing her act like a strict teacher, Zu An grumbled, "I was just saying, I didn't say I wouldn't go."

"That's good," Mi Li's expression softened slightly. She looked at the bewildered Pei Mianman. "Now that I think about it, it might be fate that this woman came in with you. As far as I know, the status of women in the Yin-Shang Dynasty was much higher than in other feudal dynasties. Empresses of the Yin-Shang were either High Priestesses or Great Generals, or they served in roles similar to prime ministers, assisting the Shang King in state affairs. So, having this woman by your side might have an unexpected effect."