Chapter 520: Underground Passage

While speaking, he took out the crocodile he had caught earlier by the river from the space of the Glazed Pearl and threw it into the nearby bronze cauldron.

Mi Li let out a sound of surprise. "I didn't expect you to have these materials in your storage space," she said. "However, crocodiles aren't valuable materials. They probably aren't substantial enough as offerings."

Seeing her still reluctantly gaze at Pei Mianman's back, Zu An's scalp tingled. He was genuinely worried she wouldn't 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," he said.

"*Taotie*?" Mi Li said. "Although it looks a bit disgusting, the Shang people seemed to often use it for war sacrifices. It should be acceptable." Only then did Mi Li nod.

Zu An breathed a sigh of relief. He thought to himself, if that's still not enough, he could definitely use the dragon corpses he had collected earlier as offerings. His only concern was how to fit the enormous dragon corpses into the bronze cauldron.

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

She had just asked him a question, but he remained silent. Immediately afterward, he threw the crocodile and the *Taotie* corpse into the nearby cauldron.

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

Juices flowed from the *Taotie*. But for some unknown reason, its highly corrosive fluids showed no reaction at all when they fell on the ground or even the bronze cauldron.

However, the scene of the dismemberment was quite unsettling. If she hadn't seen the clarity in Zu An's eyes, she would 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. Try to cook everything inside thoroughly."

"Huh?" Pei Mianman looked bewildered. "My black flames are barely enough to protect us both right now," she said. "And you want me to use them to cook something?"

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

Zu An quickly explained, detailing the connection between the high platform and the sacrifice.

Pei Mianman was half-convinced, half-skeptical. However, remembering that he always acted after careful consideration, she decided to trust him this once.

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

Originally, her black flames could last for about three incense sticks' worth of time, but now they might not even last for one.

She glanced at Zu An, gritted her teeth, and ultimately said nothing.

Zu An pulled her close to the bronze cauldron. This way, the flames beneath the cauldron could also help defend one direction, easing her pressure slightly.

The bronze cauldron was incredibly heavy; it would be difficult for ordinary flames to heat its contents, let alone cook them thoroughly.

Fortunately, Pei Mianman's black flames were extraordinary. They quickly raised the temperature to a high level. Soon, a faint meaty aroma began to emanate from the bronze cauldron, accompanied by many nauseating smells.

It was probably due to the heating of the *Taotie*'s slime and corrosive fluids.

Zu An looked at this pot of "dark cuisine," his expression immediately becoming extremely strange. He wondered, if they offered something like this as a sacrifice, would the gods get an upset stomach and then send down divine punishment?

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

Pei Mianman's delicate brows were also tightly furrowed. She couldn't help but say, "This smell is truly... like... like..."

Seeing her blush and struggle to say it for a long time, Zu An chuckled. "Like a pot of stewed feces, right?"

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

"It should be fine," Zu An said, though he wasn't sure. "After all, it's made from ingredients. Even if it smells a bit bad, at most it's like chocolate that tastes like feces. It's still chocolate, after all—much better than feces that taste like chocolate. If you were a god, which would you choose?"

Although she hadn't heard the word "chocolate," Pei Mianman still roughly understood what he meant. She covered her nose in embarrassment and annoyance. "I wouldn't choose either," she declared.

Just in that moment of distraction, a tiny gap appeared in her defenses, and 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 had only one last use, and he didn't want to waste it unless absolutely necessary.

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

The large pot of indescribable contents inside became a delicacy in the eyes of the numerous evil spirits. They surged forward, one after another, and the strange meat in the cauldron was consumed at a visible rate.

Originally, the corpses of the crocodile and the *Taotie* filled the cauldron, but it wasn't long before the evil spirits ate it all, clearing it to the bottom.

The evil spirits did not emerge from the cauldron again. The surrounding eerie and terrifying mist gradually dispersed, and the greenish glow in the torches on both sides of the steps completely faded, returning to normal. Not a single evil spirit could be seen anywhere.

"It really... really worked," Pei Mianman said, her face pale. A moment ago, she thought she was doomed, but she hadn't expected to escape with her life.

Mi Li let out a disdainful snort. "Big-breasted and brainless," she muttered, "only good for flaunting herself and seducing men."

Zu An was speechless.

"What's wrong with Queen Sister today?" Zu An wondered. "She seems quite jealous."

Of course, he dared not say that 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, winding staircase also appeared within the opening, leading downwards. However, the light from the bronze cauldron only illuminated a few meters into the tunnel. The entire opening was pitch-black, making it impossible to see what lay inside.

"Queen Sister, what's going on?" Zu An asked. Since Mi Li had emerged, he naturally wouldn't miss such a good opportunity to prevent her from falling back into slumber.

Mi Li said in a deep voice, "Years ago, I 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 naturally serves as a place to communicate with ghosts and gods. The Shang people not only sacrificed to gods but also to ghosts; gods represented heaven, while ghosts were their ancestral spirits. If I'm not mistaken, this path below should lead to the Shang Dynasty's imperial mausoleum."

Zu An swallowed hard. "We've already encountered so many dangers in the palace above ground," he said, "with those incredibly powerful skeleton warriors and countless flesh-eating evil spirits. What will it be like in their underground imperial mausoleum?"

Mi Li snorted coldly. "You have no other option now," she said. "Have you forgotten how you encountered me in the last secret realm? Every secret realm has a core. If you don't break its core, you'll be trapped here forever. Currently, the core doesn't seem to be in the palace area above ground, so it must be down here."

"I know you still have two dragon corpses that can be used as food, and you also have some supplies regularly stored in your spatial storage," she continued. "But those might only sustain you for a year or two. What about ten or a hundred years? Moreover, this place is full of threats; you might not even be safe staying in the palace area above ground."

"And if I'm not mistaken," she added, "this secret realm should also conceal a divine cultivation technique no less profound than the 'Primordial Chaos Scripture.' Your entry into this secret realm is a heaven-sent opportunity. How can you hesitate to proceed?"

Seeing her seemingly transform into a strict teacher, Zu An muttered, "I was just saying, I didn't say I wouldn't go."

"That's good," Mi Li said, her expression softening slightly as she looked at Pei Mianman, who was full of confusion. "Now that I think about it, it must be fate that this woman entered with you. From what I know, the status of women in the Yin Shang dynasty was much higher than in other feudal dynasties. The queens of the Yin Shang were either great priestesses or great generals, or figures similar to prime ministers, assisting the Shang King with state affairs. So, having this woman by your side might have an unexpected effect."