I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

Whether out of competitiveness or a desire to intimidate Lu Ban, Wumian said something.

"I am deeply grateful."

Lu Ban was quick to express his gratitude, but since there was food to eat, he didn't mind.

He picked up the bowl and took a sip of soup first.

The rich meaty flavor and oil flowed down his throat along with the warm broth. The salty and savory taste was far superior to those insect delicacies. Lu Ban ate two more bites of meat. Although he didn't know what kind of meat it was, the tender texture was completely different from the jumping insect meat. Instead, it had a delicious taste.

"It tastes great!"

Lu Ban felt that this exotic cuisine had a unique charm.

Beside her, Xia also picked up her bowl, cautiously performed some kind of magic spell, and then drank it with peace of mind.

"It tastes great."

She gulped down the entire bowl of soup and meat in just three seconds.

So her sense of taste is normal after all?

Lu Ban was suspicious.

While the two were drinking soup, the guy in white was appearing and disappearing around them, sometimes appearing behind Iron Fist, sometimes imitating a wilderness hunter carrying things, and now he sat down next to Sia, pretending to drink soup.

"What kind of meat is used in these soups?"

Lu Ban asked a question.

"What else could it be? Of course, it's insects."

Wumian answered decisively.

"puff--"

Lu Ban almost spat out what he had just drunk.

Picking up the white meat in the bowl, Lu Ban found it hard to connect it with the insects he had eaten last night.

Looking at it this way, maybe insects really are the main food in this world.

Humanity has degenerated to this extent!

He condemned the complete loss of moral boundaries in this apocalyptic world while finishing everything in his bowl.

As long as it tastes good, it doesn't matter if it's an insect.

Moreover, according to some wilderness survival streamers, insects contain three times the protein of chicken and are more nutritious!

Having convinced himself, Lu Ban even wanted another bowl.

Just then, an explosion was heard from the cave.

"The gate has been opened."

The scouts below reported back.

"door?"

Lu Ban was puzzled.

He followed Iron Fist into the passage, a narrow path carved out with an unknown tool, wide enough for three people to walk side by side.

Ahead of the passage was a more spacious underground hall, where many supplies had been placed. On one side of the hall was a large door that had been blown up.

"I wonder what was used to blow open that gate?"

Lu Ban thought to himself, there were also explosions in the city ruins earlier, but obviously these people didn't have gunpowder or anything like that. So this must be an extraordinary ability.

Curious about whose superpower it was, he casually glanced inside the door.

Inside was another passageway, still unlit, pitch black, and exuding a rotten smell.

Iron Fist pulled out a piece of paper made of animal leather, on which was an intricate map of the terrain, seemingly the route to a maze or underground city.

"Is this a map of this place?"

Lu Ban asked curiously.

Iron Fist didn't answer him, but looked at the others.

"You must not touch anything here. The mechanism used to trap that guy is very ingenious. Any deviation could cause the seal to loosen."

That's how he started.

"A seal? Is it from the remains of a saint?"

Lu Ban glanced at Xi Ya, the armored female mage who snapped her fingers and spoke a moment later.

"The complexity down there is beyond my imagination; I haven't even explored a third of the terrain."

The enormous underground labyrinth, possibly exceeding 300 meters in length, reminded Lu Ban of the imperial tombs he had raided.

He saw the man in white curiously wander around the food and weapons supplies for a moment, then walk through the gate and disappear into the darkness.

"It went inside."

Lu Ban pointed to the gate.

Chapter 185 Underground Labyrinth

The cold, dry underground passage was already oppressive, and Lu Ban's words added an extra layer of urgency to the atmosphere.

The one who is most anxious is probably Iron Fist.

He knew very well that if what Lu Ban saw was indeed the remains of a saint, then it meant that the secrets here might have exceeded his original expectations. Something that could be guarded with the remains of a saint... was truly unimaginable.

"The remains of the saint here are those of Achilles, who disappeared from people's sight 132 years ago. That is to say, he was active for at least 130 years after his death."

Iron Fist made a point that wasn't just directed at Lu Ban and his group, but also at his own subordinates.

"Achilles possessed immense power, which even the strongest hunters of the wastelands could not confront head-on. He was proficient in all known weapons, and during his lifetime, his city-state waged hundreds of wars in just a few decades without ever suffering a defeat."

"And what about his city-state now?"

Lu Ban asked out of curiosity.

"After his death, his remains left the city-state, which was subsequently attacked by countless enemies and eventually disappeared from the map."

Iron Fist said awkwardly.

"I see. When they were alive, they made too many enemies. After they died, everyone settled their scores and grievances."

Lu Ban nodded repeatedly.

A nation that sustains itself through war will become the common enemy of the nations it once conquered when its fighting power weakens.

"It can be said that Achilles is almost invincible in close combat, and we should try to avoid fighting him... However, the condition of the saint's remains may have changed, so we need to be more cautious."

Iron Fist glanced at Lu Ban.

"Flash, you go first, Echo, you bring up the rear, I'll be second, you two follow me."

He gave the order.

Flash was a young man whose eyes were crystallized, and his jewel-like eyes could emit a bright light that illuminated the passageway.

Echoes seem to emit some kind of sound, and can be used to probe.

"ultrasound?"

Lu Ban secretly conjured up the [Last Words] in his hand to enhance his hearing, and heard the voice coming from the young man's crystallized mouth and throat.

The broken door bore only illegible characters. Lu Ban glanced at it, but the Silent Land seemed to have no intention of translating it for him, so he had no choice but to give up.

The passageway narrowed, allowing only two people to walk side by side. There seemed to have been paintings on the walls, but they had long since peeled and faded with time.

Holding a crowbar, Lu Ban looked over the shoulder of the person in front of him. He could see the dark road illuminated by flames. Perhaps, hundreds of years ago, the priests of that lost civilization walked on this road, heading towards the deepest part of the altar, where they performed rituals and offered their lives to the gods.

"Wait, this is an altar."

Lu Ban suddenly spoke.

"You don't need to remind me."

The faceless figure behind him replied.

“No, what I mean is, this is an altar, it's used in rituals. These paths are clearly for people to walk on, and it requires blood to activate, which means this sacrificial ritual should require offerings…”

Lu Ban organized his thoughts.

"Is it possible that these complex tunnels were actually used for sacrificial offerings? These paths weren't decorations or cumbersome features, but rather there to trap something beneath?"

After he finished speaking, Iron Fist paused in surprise.

"That is indeed a possibility."

Iron Fist had some guesses, but he didn't say them aloud.

"So, does activating this tunnel with blood just now signify the start of the ritual?"

Lu Ban spoke out what Iron Fist was thinking.

"You mean, we're all sacrifices?"

When Xia realized what was happening, the entire tunnel began to shake violently.

"Turn around."

Lu Ban called out, but the path behind them had changed. The original passage back was blocked by a wall, as if the maze had its own will.

Even the rope they used to find their way broke, leaving only a small section on the ground.

"We're trapped."

The echo from the rear produced a muffled, deep voice.

"Don't be nervous."

Lu Ban said something and then extinguished the torch.

"Put out all the fires, don't waste the air."

He wasn't panicked for two reasons: first, he wasn't actually facing any additional danger, and it was far from the worst-case scenario; second, he had seen similar situations in many adventure movies, where some clumsy teammate would trigger a mechanism, causing changes in the tomb or secret realm and sealing off the escape route.

This usually means that if they keep going, they will most likely reach the core of this underground labyrinth.