The Fatty also glanced around, finding nothing, and remarked, "Perhaps it fell off a long time ago due to the age."

But no sooner had he spoken than Ma Xiong called out from the side, "Lu Zong, Fatty, come look over here! What in the world is happening..."

Lu Zong realized something was amiss where Ma Xiong was and hurried over. Seeing the two of them sitting safely on the ground, he finally let out a heavy sigh, though his heart remained suspended with worry. He asked, "What is it, Ma Xiong? What did you find?"

Ma Xiong stared ahead, his eyes glazed over, his voice trembling with fear: "Look, what are those white things flying up ahead?"

Lu Zong and the Fatty grew even more curious upon hearing Ma Xiong's words. They followed the direction of his gaze and indeed saw a multitude of white, spherical objects slowly ascending, and they were coming toward them in a large mass—at least a thousand of them.

Lu Zong asked the Fatty, his voice cautious, "Fatty, you have more experience, tell us, what are those things we're seeing?"

The Fatty also spoke with a tremor, "It seems my guess was correct. This place is a sacrificial site. Even if not for sacrifice, it must be a place of slaughter. Those things flying up are exactly white skulls."

"Skulls?" Ma Xiong and Lu Zong exclaimed simultaneously. "How can they be skulls? And why are the skulls flying?"

The Fatty, however, seemed unsurprised and calmly explained, "Look closely, are those things flying up only skulls?"

The two peered intently and discovered that accompanying the skulls were the iron chains. The skulls were rising because they were suspended from these chains.

Lu Zong stated, "It seems Fatty's guess wasn't wrong. Those corpses were indeed hanging from the chains."

Regardless of why they were flying up now, if they were rising, they would inevitably sweep towards this location. They would reach them in no time and envelop the four of them within the network of chains. However, there was no need to worry, as the gaps between the chains were astonishingly wide, large enough for two people to move through.

But things were not to be that simple. Just as they were preparing to continue scouting for an exit, they suddenly heard a pat-pat sound from overhead, causing a jolt of alarm. They immediately wondered if that carnivorous plant had followed them again. Hurrying to look up, they almost collapsed in shock. The carnivorous plant, like a persistent shadow, had tracked them, even crossing mountains and valleys to follow.

The Fatty sank onto the ground, his tone mournful: "Damn it, I'm going to fight that thing today! We have no choice but to fight head-on now. I can't run anymore, and besides, there's nowhere to run."

Lu Zong also felt utterly drained, especially since he had to look after Gandar, who was half-crippled; the pressure was immense. Ma Xiong was also sweating profusely from his forehead, unsure what to do.

The carnivorous plant moved incredibly fast. In the instant the four stood stunned, it reached their feet. They scrambled backward. This time, contrary to their expectations, the carnivorous plant did not attack them. Instead, it passed beneath their feet, then moved on in a grand procession behind them. Lu Zong realized the plant intended to entangle the iron chains.

He could not fathom the meaning behind the plant's actions, but since it seemed to show them no hostility, he relaxed his guard and observed this group of high-level carnivorous plants with confusion.

The Fatty and Ma Xiong watched this spectacular sight just as dumbly, unsure of the carnivorous plant's ultimate purpose.

Vast stretches of lush green quickly spread to the very end, then wrapped around every segment of the iron chains. The ascending chains were immediately covered in thick tendrils of the carnivorous plant.

Then, the vine-like plants began to grow with frenzied speed. They had never witnessed such rapid replication; within minutes, one plant could split off an identical copy, which would immediately take root and sprout nearby. After a maturation period of an hour or half an hour, it would begin splitting again. And what was being generated were thick, massive vines, filling the gaps in the chain mesh. This rapidly choked the openings until the view of the outside world was completely obscured.

Only when the carnivorous plant stopped growing, and the crackling sounds ceased, did they realize they were in danger, for they felt themselves sealed inside a cage. The vines had completely blocked every gap.

Now, space only existed above them. Their only escape route was upward.

But this thought was quickly shattered. They saw the iron chains, which had been swirling up from all directions, gathering together directly above their heads. The white skulls hung from the chains at the apex, like countless dangling bells. The chain walls themselves, curving all around them, were also festooned with skulls, some so close they could almost reach out and touch them, swaying menacingly. Three dark, hollow sockets seemed like open mouths mocking the four's ignorance and naivety.

Lu Zong asked, "It seems we underestimated the power of the carnivorous plant; they had this move in reserve."

However, the Fatty was more optimistic, saying, "I don't see it that way. Look, everything from the traps to the mechanisms we’ve encountered since we entered has been connected. This indicates the tomb is a massive, integrated system, and the buried master must have been royalty. In my view, our initial speculation was correct: this is the joint tomb of Bingjing Yutai and Zhang Qian. If we can get out, we'll make a huge haul."

Ma Xiong was energized by the Fatty's optimism and burst out laughing, "Yeah! Then I'll definitely be late for work every day and not worry about getting docked pay."

Lu Zong sighed, "This is fate. The ambition of meat, the fate of cabbage—doomed to a lifetime of bad luck."

As they finished speaking, they heard the sound of iron clashing from above, followed by an eerie stillness. They looked up. The iron chains had closed into a complete ring; the ceiling was sealed too. Everywhere they looked was a mesh of chains hanging with skulls. There was no exit.

Ma Xiong grew anxious and pounded the vines on the ground with his fist, but it had no effect. The vines were as hard as tempered steel, completely impervious.

He pulled aside the leaves on the vines and saw that the gaps were so tight that even an ant would struggle to pass. They were squeezed tightly together. A headache began to throb behind his scalp.

Lu Zong also looked down, sighed, and said, "It looks like we're in trouble again."

The Fatty felt a pang of regret hearing Lu Zong's words. He looked down and complained mournfully, "If I'd known, I would have jumped down earlier. Now I regret it."

Ma Xiong shouted again from the side, "Hey! You two, come look! What is on the skulls?"

The Fatty and Lu Zong rushed over to see what had caught Ma Xiong's attention.