Chapter 79
Chapter 79
The pit in front of the jade wall depicting Wei Imprisoned in Shu Shu dropped straight down.
There were clear signs of artificial carving, and standing at the edge, one could feel waves of heat hitting their face.
Aman watched helplessly as Han Lie, with a temporary pack containing water skins and other supplies hanging from his lower back, began to climb down alone.
Anxious, Aman braved the heat and leaned over to call out, “Squad Leader Han, be careful.”
Stepping onto a soft rope ladder made of Sand Lizard skin, Han Lie paused.
With his blade clenched between his teeth, he looked up and grinned at Aman.
Perhaps his smile was a bit too hearty and bright, for Aman felt his heart steady slightly. “I will guard your path back.”
The cloth strips on Aman’s face had loosened, revealing a shriveled, dried-up face that looked somewhat terrifying.
Han Lie nodded and continued his descent.
Orange-red, semi-solidified magma flowed slowly hundreds of feet below his feet, with bursts of flame flickering every now and then.
The pit was exceptionally quiet, save for the sound of Han Lie’s slightly heavy breathing.
Qin Ying, outside the box, heard it clearly and couldn’t help but feel tense along with him.
To avoid losing his footing and falling-which would leave him black and blue-Han Lie took every step with great care.
He kept his body as close to the rock wall as possible, just in case the Sand Lizard rope ladder suddenly snapped.
After descending a certain distance, Han Lie discovered an abrupt platform.
It was about the size of a Coffin, a temporary resting point built by hand using wooden planks.
The wood was incredibly brittle and rotten, and a partial mummified corpse lay upon it.
This corpse had been dead here for an unknown number of years. Under the baking heat of the magma below, it had turned into something resembling the texture of cured meat, covered in a thick layer of ash.
Han Lie tentatively stepped onto the platform, only to hear a constant crackling sound as the brittle, heat-baked wood began to crumble and fall away.
The corpse lying flat on top began to slide off with it.
Seeing things take a turn for the worse, Han Lie reached out to catch it.
Tall with a long reach, he managed to grab the Wax Corpse, which had been lying there for ages, around its waist and pull it into his arms.
The body had been dried out for years and was covered in volcanic ash, so it didn’t have much of a foul odor.
However, the Wax Corpse’s face, with its shrunken skin and bared teeth, was almost pressed against Han Lie’s chest. He moved back to create some distance.
Looping one arm through the Sand Lizard rope ladder to secure himself, he reached back and sheathed the long blade he had been holding in his mouth for emergencies.
Once stable, he was about to examine the Wax Corpse’s clothing to see if he could find any clues.
Suddenly, a raspy, wheezing sound came from right in front of him.
Han Lie’s skin crawled. He immediately seized the Wax Corpse’s neck and held it further away.
The Wax Corpse’s limbs trembled, and in the blink of an eye, its mouth began to open and close, mimicking the breathing of a living person.
Its eyelids, with their long, thick lashes, were like two moistureless sunflower seed shells, slowly attempting to open.
With a Hanba Corpse lurking in the area, it was perfectly normal for a dried corpse to reanimate; Han Lie did not panic.
While holding onto the rope ladder with one hand, he gave the hand gripping the Wax Corpse a few shakes, rattling off the volcanic ash covering the body.
The clothing on this moaning, groaning Wax Corpse-which sounded like a centenarian coughing up phlegm-was now fully revealed.
Garments baked by heat for many years were as brittle as potato chips, their vibrant colors long since faded.
However, the thick gold chain around the Wax Corpse’s neck emitted a faint shimmer after the dust was shaken off.
On the gold chain was a golden plaque of the ancient Guifang Bird, its inlaid obsidian cracked and falling away.
It was someone from the Guifang Tribe. Judging by the grade of the jewelry, it was likely a personal guard of the chieftain.
As he was thinking this, the Wax Corpse in Han Lie’s hand finally managed to open its eyes with great effort.
Its head lolled forward, attempting to bite the webbing of Han Lie’s thumb.
Han Lie’s expression remained unchanged as he casually slammed it against the rock wall.
With a sharp crack, the Wax Corpse’s head was flattened by his press.
Han Lie snatched the gold chain from the corpse’s neck, then let go, allowing the flat-headed Wax Corpse to enter a free fall. It finally landed with a thud on the magma, slowly turning to charred black in the flames.
Han Lie tucked the gold chain away and wiped his hands against the searing rock wall.
Hearing his breathing steady, Qin Ying, who had been watching from outside the box, finally asked, “Han Lie, are you alright?”
Her perspective had been hovering above the Divine Shrine the entire time. She hadn’t dared to speak earlier, fearing she might distract him.
Han Lie replied, “Thank you for your concern, Supreme Deity. I am fine.”
Despite his words, his situation was far from ideal.
It was getting hotter the further down he went.
Beads of sweat rolled down Han Lie’s bulging muscles, disappearing into his waistband. He felt as though his lungs were being scorched by the heat.
However, he was used to enduring in silence without complaint. He adjusted his breathing and didn’t let out a raspy sigh of relief until his feet finally touched the white Stone Path at the bottom of the pit.
“Supreme Deity, I’ve reached the bottom.”
As he spoke, he scanned his surroundings.
Man-made stone paths were suspended over flowing magma, and every surface was covered in a thick layer of ash.
Han Lie’s boots crunched as he stepped over fragments of white jade walls.
In the sweltering air, he caught a whiff of… a dog-like stench.
Crouching down among the white jade ruins, he discovered several tangled clumps of red fur.
“The Hou are born of fire and feed upon it. This must be their kitchen.”
As Han Lie finished speaking, Qin Ying’s gaze instinctively shifted toward the Shamate Hou she had plucked from the box earlier.
She saw that the Shamate Hou had woken up at some point and was huddled silently in a corner of the Preservation Box.
The jailbreak she had worried about earlier hadn’t happened. The Shamate Hou was being remarkably sensible, burying its head between its paws.
Beside it, Fuzhu was chewing on some snacks Qin Ying had provided. Whether intentional or not, the deer seemed to be watching the Hou as if it were a side show.
Qin Ying glanced sideways at Fuzhu. Seeing that the Shamate Hou didn’t seem particularly wild or untamable, she had an idea.
She picked up the Preservation Box containing the Hou and, with a flick of her wrist, dumped the flailing creature into Fuzhu’s Fish Tank.
She commanded Fuzhu, “Can you make it submit?”
Reluctance was written all over Fuzhu’s deer face.
It was a Disaster Beast of water; it didn’t get along with these fire-eating creatures that smelled like wet dogs. However, it was bound to carry out the Supreme Deity’s orders to the letter.
Fuzhu held its head high with dignity and walked toward the Red-furred Hou.
Its size completely dwarfed the Hou, and combined with the strange, terrifying aura permeating the room, the Hou was already scared out of its wits.
Before Fuzhu could even lower its head to display its antlers, the Hou let out a whimper and bolted toward Qin Ying.
A glowing red phantom of a canine tooth emerged from the center of its forehead.
It was its mark of submission.
Following the principle that if one was going to bow to a master, one should bow to the highest power available, the Hou whimpered and rolled over to show its belly to Qin Ying.
Its fawning behavior made Fuzhu want to step on it.
Having experienced Fuzhu’s submission before, Qin Ying already knew what the phantom mark meant.
After a brief hesitation, she reached out and accepted the mark.
The mark transformed into a string of characters and vanished into Qin Ying’s palm.
Compared to when Fuzhu had submitted, the commotion was much smaller, likely due to the difference in their status. However, Qin Ying felt a greater sense of control over this Hou than she did over Fuzhu.
A subtle sense of communication formed, making her look at the Hou as if it were a pet dog she had raised for a long time.
Qin Ying extended her hand. The Hou, still rolling around at the bottom of the Fish Tank, cautiously approached.
Under the gaze of Fuzhu’s steel-blue eyes, which were suddenly filled with jealousy, the peanut-sized Hou rubbed its warm forehead against the tip of Qin Ying’s finger.