Chapter 528: Unexpected Trial Begins

While the two were meditating and recuperating, Pei Mianman sent a spiritual message: "Ah Zu, be careful later. We shouldn't trust this guy named Ya Chang too much."

"Indeed," Zu An nodded. "We need to be cautious later, in case there are any traps or mechanisms near the Owl Totem. But let's wait until we've recovered."

"Alright!" Pei Mianman had no objection and began to focus intently on recovering the vital energy she had expended earlier.

While recuperating, Zu An asked Mi Li, "Empress Sister, do you think there's anything wrong with that Owl Totem over there?"

Mi Li materialized. Of course, only Zu An, who was connected to her soul, could see her current form. "I just checked," she said. "There are no mechanisms. If what Ya Chang said is true, that no one has ever passed this trial, then there's no need for traps or mechanisms anyway; you'd die entering the trial regardless."

"Since it's so dangerous, why didn't you stop me from participating in the trial?" Zu An asked curiously, observing her expression.

"Why would I stop you?" Mi Li gave him a strange look. "The greater the danger, the greater the reward. It's clear that passing this trial will grant a huge opportunity. I'd be crazy to stop you."

Zu An fell silent, and after a long moment, he said, "But Ya Chang said that several pairs of men and women with cultivation far superior to ours failed to pass the trial."

Cultivation was only one aspect; often, it also represented a person's ability, aptitude, and luck. Those individuals had higher cultivation, and putting aside age and opportunities, it proved their intelligence was at least on par with theirs. If so many geniuses failed, what made them so confident they could succeed?

Hearing his words, Mi Li frowned. "Nonsense! Even ants should aspire to be swans; a life as thin as paper should possess an indomitable spirit. We cultivators must have a resolute, forward-moving determination. If we're constantly looking back, afraid of this and that, what's the point of cultivating?!"

Zu An said in a deep voice, "I'm not afraid of dying myself; I'm afraid of dragging you down. You're soul-bound to me now. If I die, you die too. There are countless fifth-rank cultivators like me in the world; if one dies, another appears. But you're a super grandmaster. It would be a true pity if you died because of me."

Hearing him say this, Mi Li was momentarily stunned, then her expression softened considerably. "So you were worried about me. Don't worry, I trust you. The stronger you become, the greater my hope of reshaping my physical body in the future."

Zu An gave a wry smile. Such a statement of trust didn't truly comfort him, knowing he didn't even have confidence in himself.

As if sensing his unease, Mi Li continued, "Do you think I'm just saying comforting words? I truly believe in you because I've seen your methods firsthand. You possess an endless array of miraculous skills, and you yourself are incredibly cunning. No matter how formidable this Shang King's trial is, I refuse to believe it can surpass the Heaven, Earth, and Human formations set up by Ying Zheng. You even managed to pass through those, so why worry about this trial?"

Zu An was startled. Indeed, she was right. Who was Ying Zheng? He was one of the top three, if not the greatest, emperors in Chinese history. He was the first to unify China, laying the foundation for thousands of years of tradition. In a sense, he was truly a transcendent figure among all emperors.

Although the Shang Dynasty was powerful, it still paled in comparison to the Qin. The grand strategies and talents of Shang emperors couldn't be compared to the First Emperor. If he had even faced Qin Shihuang, what was there to fear now?

At this moment, Mi Li's voice softened even further. "Even if we take ten thousand steps back and say you truly don't pass the trial, at worst, I'll die with you. If I don't see anything wrong with it, why are you worrying?"

Zu An finally reverted to his usual cheeky grin. "You make it sound like you're going to die for love with me. I didn't realize Empress Sister cared so much about me."

Mi Li rolled her eyes. "Save your glib tongue for that big-breasted girl of yours. It won't work on me."

Zu An looked dejected. "Manman has a name. Why do you call her that?"

Mi Li glanced sideways at Pei Mianman, her gaze lingering on her chest for a moment, and she mumbled, "Who told her to have breasts like a cow?"

Zu An was speechless.

By this time, the two had recuperated considerably. Although not fully recovered, they had regained ninety percent of their energy. There was no point in continuing, as they could feel their vital energy subtly draining faster. Any more delay, and they might be consumed by the surrounding environment before the trial even began.

Zu An asked Ya Chang, "Does this trial involve entering with our souls or our physical bodies?"

"Originally, I didn't know much about the specifics of this trial," Ya Chang replied gruffly. "However, I can answer that: it's a soul entry. That's because the physical bodies of previous couples remained by the Owl Totem after they began the trial."

Zu An's expression changed. "Doesn't that mean we'll be at your mercy once we begin the trial?"

Ya Chang's current friendly demeanor towards them was based on the premise that Zu An's Primordial Qi could purify him. Zu An remembered very clearly that when Ya Chang first appeared, he intended to kill them.

Ya Chang replied, "You needn't worry about that. Once the trial begins, a magic formation will activate to protect your physical bodies, and the Owl Totem left by the Queen will also guard you. External forces will be completely unable to harm you until the trial concludes, at which point the surrounding protective formation will disappear."

"Furthermore, once you start the trial, my task will be complete, and I'll go back to sleep in my coffin. After all, these trials often take a very long time, and I'm too lazy to wait."

Zu An considered this and realized it made sense. The Shang King wouldn't have established this trial solely to kill people; he would have surely considered such issues.

However, he still couldn't completely trust Ya Chang. Just as he was in a dilemma, Mi Li's voice sounded in his ear: "Don't worry, I'll watch over things here for you. Even if that protective formation doesn't exist, this mummified general can't harm you."

Zu An was overjoyed. If Mi Li said that, it meant she indeed had the capability. "I'm relieved then. Oh, and please help protect Manman too."

He recalled Mi Li's unkind tone towards Pei Mianman throughout their journey and worried that she might stand by idly, leaving him utterly helpless.

Mi Li was speechless.

Mi Li's Rage +22, +22, +22...

"Do you really see me as such a vicious woman?" Mi Li looked at him coldly.

Zu An replied, "That's not viciousness; that's decisiveness and ruthlessness. You high-ranking individuals might actually do something like that."

Mi Li snorted. "Decisiveness doesn't equate to stupidity. This trial clearly requires both of you to pass it together. If I were to stand by and watch the big-breasted girl get killed, wouldn't that also harm you, and by extension, harm myself?"

Zu An realized she was right, and only then did he feel completely relieved. "Empress Sister, please forgive me. I judged a noble person with my petty thoughts."

Mi Li turned her face away, too lazy to bother with him.

"Then I'll leave everything to you, Empress Sister," Zu An chuckled awkwardly, then joined Pei Mianman by the sides of the Owl Totem.

Pei Mianman was not foolish; she also conveyed similar concerns through spiritual message, clearly worried about potential issues with Ya Chang.

Zu An reassured her, "Don't worry, I've arranged everything."

Pei Mianman was initially puzzled, but then she remembered that ever since she had met him, he had been quite reliable when it came to important matters. Since he said so, it must be fine.

She also didn't understand why she trusted a man this much. If it were her old self, she would have surely thought all of this was insane.

Zu An and she held hands to prevent any accidents later, then, following Ya Chang's instructions, they placed their palms on the feathers on either side of the Owl Totem and extended their vital energy and spiritual power into it.

A golden light suddenly emanated from the Owl Totem, and all its patterns lit up, becoming incredibly brilliant in that instant.

Before they could examine it closely, they felt as if they were being pulled into a massive vortex, and then they lost consciousness.

It was unclear how much time had passed, but Zu An slowly regained consciousness. He found himself lying on a magnificent ivory bed, surrounded by a layer of light, smoky, mist-like gauze.

He instinctively sat up. The covers slid off, and he was startled to find himself naked.

His mind hadn't fully processed the situation when he suddenly heard a soft groan beside him—a woman's alluring, seductive moan.