"Be careful, there is a strange aura within this pool of wine." The Birdman hung suspended in mid-air, his arms crossed over his chest, assuming the posture of a seasoned master. "Wine itself is inherently yin and evil; that is why they say the older the wine, the more fragrant it is. That fragrance isn't the scent of fermented grain; it is the scent of corpses, a symbol of death."

"Nonsense. What wine isn't better with age?" Old Liu, surprisingly a connoisseur, took another gulp without noticing anything sinister.

Ye Xiu glanced boredly at the Birdman, finding the situation odd, yet his interest was captured by two massive bronze pillars on the other side of the wine pool. He pointed towards them and asked, "Birdman, do you know what those two huge bronze pillars are for?"

The Birdman stared intently, his expression darkening. He murmured, "These pillars pierce the sky, yet they bear scorch marks. Could they have been used for heating?"

It was then that Ye Xiu also noticed the char marks between the pillars. As he walked closer, an image of an execution method from Yin-Shang dramas flashed through his mind—a torture supposedly devised by Daji. Seeing iron chains affixed to the pillars solidified his suspicion. Ye Xiu roared to the others, "These pillars must be instruments of torture! You should all know of the execution method called 'Roasting on Bronze' (Pao Luo)."

"What is this 'Roasting on Bronze'?" Hong Ling, having little exposure to the outside world, stood by the lotus, looking utterly confused.

Old Liu grumbled, taking another swig before rising to explain, "The Pao Luo method involves heating these two bronze pillars with charcoal until they glow red-hot, forcing the condemned to crawl across them. Most victims would be burned alive or fall into the flames to die. In short, it’s incredibly cruel; you girls couldn't possibly handle hearing about it."

"But... this place is connected to Meishu, and Meishu lived during the Xia Dynasty. Didn't this execution method only originate in the Yin-Shang period?" Ye Xiu bit his lip. This was a historical query, yet it spoke volumes. Ye Xiu wondered: if Meishu succeeded in resurrecting Xia Jie, and both achieved the Longevity Realm, they too could have lived into the Yin-Shang era, and then…

"What are you thinking? Do you believe this Pao Luo execution already existed in the Xia Dynasty, and Meishu passed it down to the Yin-Shang, into Daji's hands?" The Birdman was far more familiar with history than Old Liu, and his apprehension was justified. "This suggests a connection between Meishu and Daji, or perhaps some other historical root."

At this moment, Ye Xiu had reached the bronze pillars. Their surfaces gleamed, appearing exquisitely crafted. He deliberately tapped one and found it hollow. It seemed the flames of the Pao Luo execution were ignited within the columns, implying there was an entrance below or a spot to feed kindling material.

"Ah! That lotus leaf is moving..." Hong Ling’s sharp cry shattered the silence. She pointed toward the lotus leaf in the center of the wine pool. It was immense, large enough to hold ten people. Its green edges slowly contracted within the wine, like a colossal mouth opening.

"What’s happening? Why is the water level in this wine pool rising so fast? It's already reached my calves!" Old Liu began to panic, constantly lifting his feet, trying to escape the rising surface. But no matter what, the water was ascending steadily, threatening to drown the entire world.

Ye Xiu managed to lift his foot from the water, which now lapped past his knees. He found it almost impossible to move. He looked up at the Birdman floating in the air. "Hey! Aren't you going to rescue Hong Ling? The water in this wine pool is overflowing!"

"Overflowing?" The Birdman, suspended high above, hadn't paid attention to the water level. But hearing Ye Xiu’s words, he looked utterly bewildered, spreading his hands. "What water level? It looks exactly the same as before."

"Damn it, can't you see the water up to my knees?" Old Liu snapped angrily, pointing at the Birdman. "Just because you have wings, you get arrogant enough to lie with your eyes wide open!"

The Birdman stared intently at Old Liu, his brow deeply furrowed. "No, what's wrong with the three of you? As far as I can see, the scene hasn't changed at all from before. What is happening to you?"

"Xiao Sha!" Hong Ling yelled, summoning the massive body of Xiao Sha onto the lake surface. Xiao Sha swam slowly for a moment before dragging Ye Xiu and Old Liu onto its back. It began to move like a small boat upon the water.

"The three of you drank the wine from the pool earlier..." The Birdman concentrated deeply in the air, his expression grim. "Death... If I'm not mistaken, the three of you are experiencing hallucinations. That wine must be poisoned."

"Wuaaaah..." As the Birdman finished speaking, the giant lotus leaf on the water surged forward like a dumpling wrapping a zongzi, moving to envelop Xiao Sha. Accompanied by a sinister, otherworldly sound, it seemed intent on devouring them whole.

"Xiao Sha, move fast!" Hong Ling commanded. Xiao Sha thrashed side to side, trying to break free from the giant leaf’s entanglement, but within this wine pool, it had little power against the leaf. This was because all the lotus leaves in the pool were interconnected; in an instant, they all surfaced within the wine.

"Use fire!" In desperation, Hong Ling realized these plants must fear flames. Upon her command, Xiao Sha proudly raised its head.

"No! This is wine!" Ye Xiu tried to stop him, but it was too late. Xiao Sha's massive jaws opened, and a tongue of fire shot out. The flames, aimed at the leaves, instead ignited the wine in the pool. In a flash, the entire pool erupted into a sea of fire.

"Go! Go!" Old Liu grasped the gravity of the danger. He grabbed Hong Ling, flipped out his Thin Face Blade, and shot the blade onto one of the bronze pillars. Without waiting for Hong Ling's consent, he scooped her up and leaped across, landing firmly on the pillar.

Seeing Xiao Sha engulfed entirely in flames, the three of them were helpless to save it. In the emergency, Ye Xiu could only use his Purple Flame to propel himself onto the other bronze pillar. However, his Purple Flame only intensified the blaze in the wine pool. Xiao Sha practically dissolved into blood and water within it.

"Xiao Sha!" Hong Ling shrieked in despair, yet remained powerless. She looked up at the Birdman hovering overhead. "Damn you, why aren't you helping us?"

"Birdman!" Ye Xiu roared fiercely at him too. The figure remained frozen in place, eyes glazed over, showing no intention of rescuing them.

"I told you this guy wasn't good news! He just wants to watch us die!" Old Liu bit down on the Thin Face Blade, his face contorted with resentment. He wished he could pluck every feather from the Birdman’s body.