Netherworld Retrograde

Chapter 459: Chapter 217: The Silhouette in the Cave..._2

”What should we do?” A Withered tried to launch an attack, but its spiritual energy was instantly frozen, so it had no choice but to ask, ”Just let him go?”

The middle-aged man spoke, ”It’s alright, just a Four Awakenings. Even if he has some tricks up his sleeve, he can’t reach a higher level, just like that person six years ago. Even if he escaped to Snow Mountain with severe injuries, could he really have come down again?”

”That time, we also lost quite a bit... None of those who pursued him ever returned.”

”After all, if he came with us, he wouldn’t die, but climbing up Snow Mountain is certain death. Truly foolish!”

”It’s a pity, such a human with abundant life force... If converted successfully, the efficiency would have been higher than that of ordinary villagers. The maintenance time would also have been longer!”

”I just regret his equipment. It seems he had several pieces of Spiritual Ability Equipment, especially that long spear! Top-notch quality.” A Withered sighed, ”And such good stuff will be buried within Snow Mountain, never to be recovered again. What a selfish fellow; even in death, he wouldn’t leave his belongings behind.”

”His strength really was impressive. To have held on until now with one arm broken, if he was in his prime... We might not have really been a match for him.”

”He might still be a famous genius outside, but here, he is still chased down by us.” A Withered chuckled, and his severed arm quickly regenerated.

Indeed, even the most potent geniuses, faced with these immortal beings, could only flee in disarray.

They could make countless mistakes, but their opponent only needed to make one, and it was game over.

This had allowed them to defeat many powerful enemies, including Angel Teams and teams of human Spiritual Ability Users...

The middle-aged man raised his hand to calm the storm, ”Alright, leave two people here to watch, and the rest return to the village. Let’s avoid having any more villagers escape.”

”Understood.”

...

Meanwhile, Li Yelai, surrounded and protected by black fierce fire, charged out a great distance and only stopped when he reached a gentle slope on the mid-mountain of Snow Mountain.

He slowly let out a long breath.

Frustrating!

Li Yelai had never felt this frustrated even when he was chased by the Angel Army in the Forbidden Zone!

Now, with his left arm disabled, unable to use Face, and many other abilities unutilized, he was chased by a group of Undead...

”Once I get back, I’ll bring people to eradicate you all! What beasts!” Li Yelai cursed softly, then looked around.

The altitude was already terrifying; about seven hundred meters from the ground, far exceeding the limit of the Fierce Fire Oil Lamp.

If not for the Black Prison Flame Cage isolating the low temperatures, Li Yelai would have frozen to death instantly, forcing him to make a compulsory trade with Mr. Shadow.

But now, Li Yelai had managed to barely evade his pursuers.

Li Yelai checked his backpack and found lots of supplies lost during the fight, including food and medicine. Of the many bottles of rock marrow fuel, only two remained. Even the Jing Family’s Spiritual Medicine had fallen there.

Fortunately, the Taboo Items and Spiritual Ability Equipment was still with him.

”Damn it,” Li Yelai sighed, not expecting to encounter such a situation.

Then, he glanced at the compass, finding the pointer still directed ahead.

”At this altitude?” Li Yelai raised his eyebrows. If not for the surprise attack, he might not have triggered the ability of the Supreme Hand Bone.

He wouldn’t have reached this altitude otherwise, and now it seemed like a blessing in disguise.

Li Yelai continued following the compass deeper into Snow Mountain.

If possible, he now intended to take that Life Material away.

As for what might be at the summit of Snow Mountain, although Li Yelai was curious, he had no intention of investigating.

The spiritual energy drawn by the Supreme Hand Bone was substantial, and Li Yelai could still barely maintain it, but if he went higher, where the temperature was even lower, he probably couldn’t withstand it.

Moreover, despite it being the power of the Supreme Vast, it was only a piece of hand bone; he probably couldn’t reach the summit...

Thus, Li Yelai moved forward, continuing up the gentle slope, and after a while, noticed a significant shift in the compass needle.

Realizing he was approaching the target, he quickened his pace and saw a cliff, with the pointer indicating a specific spot within it.

Not at a higher position, nice!

Li Yelai was relieved and continued towards the cliff, and the altitude decreased accordingly.

Suddenly, he heard a residual sound within the cliff.

This time, Li Yelai truly heard what the residual sound conveyed.

Although hoarse and unpleasant, as if the throat was torn, barely emitting a sound.

”I’m sorry...”

”I’m sorry? Does this residual sound have something to do with the Life Material too?” Li Yelai pondered in his mind as he continued forward.

He saw the bloodstains left on the steep mountain path by the cliff, instantly frozen, but because they were not covered by white snow, they remained forever in a corner of the cliff.

Li Yelai looked at the blood traces and couldn’t help but ponder.

Had humans been here before? At this height?

Li Yelai felt for a moment that although the cliff was lower than the slope, it was still over six hundred meters high. Did someone holding a Fierce Fire Oil Lamp even manage to come here?

Li Yelai looked at the compass needle again and discovered that its direction was close to the direction in which the bloodstains spread.

”Did some human bring Life Material here?” Li Yelai thought to himself as he continued further into the cliff.

Then, Li Yelai saw more bloodstains and a body.

It was not a human, but... a Withered!

He lay on the steep rocks of the cliff, his body severed by some sharp weapon, but his wounds had not healed; he had truly died.

It seemed that even the self-proclaimed Immortals, the Withered, could die at such altitudes.

However, a Withered had ventured here? Was it to pursue and kill a human?

After pondering, Li Yelai continued forward. He saw more bodies, all of Withered.

Including the first, there were four Withered who had pursued someone here. But all were slain.

Then, Li Yelai saw a broken knife, the blade split in the middle with the upper half still embedded in a Withered’s head. The handle was missing.

From the upper part of the blade, it seemed to be a ring-headed knife or a Tang Heng Blade kind of straight-edge knife.

”Very strong.” Li Yelai appraised after examining the bodies of those Withered, who all died by the blade.

That human powerhouse had killed all these Withered alone. Naturally, he was formidable!

Then, Li Yelai saw the blood trail extending deeper and saw a cave.

And the needle on the compass also pointed to the cave.

Li Yelai hesitated for a moment before entering the cave. He lit the oil lamp, illuminating the pitch-black cave.

After walking about ten steps into the cave, he saw a Withered lying face-up on the ground, also wearing some kind of black cloak, but a broken ring-headed knife had directly pierced his chest.

From the bloodstains on his body, it appeared that the human powerhouse had pounced on him to finish him off.

Li Yelai walked deeper into the cave, hearing the residual sound once again.

This time the residual sound was very clear.

”I’m sorry.”

”I can’t go back...”

”Xiao Lian...”

At the same time, Li Yelai also saw a figure leaning against the cave wall.

He was wearing a bloodstained black Charge outfit, sitting back-to-back with Li Yelai against the wall, his right hand hanging powerlessly, his left seemed to be protecting something in the corner. His right leg was severed... the blood had frozen like rubies.

He had become an ice sculpture.

For some reason, Li Yelai suddenly felt a wave of fear deep inside, blocking him from continuing forward.

Li Yelai checked the compass again; it definitely pointed towards that figure.

But for some reason, his arms trembled.

He was so brave, having slain countless human enemies.

Yet now, he suddenly felt afraid.

He silently moved step by step closer to the figure.

When he approached the figure’s front, as the light from the Fierce Fire Oil Lamp illuminated the man’s features,

Li Yelai felt as if all his strength had been drained in an instant; he saw a face bathed in tears.

The man was quite handsome, but at the final moment of his life, his expression was frozen in pain and despair.

He clutched tightly onto a miraculous fruit in his left hand, snow-white like jade, bursting with powerful Life Force. Even as death closed in, he refused to let go.

But Li Yelai ignored the Spirit Fruit and just stared blankly at the man’s face.

His lips trembled. He recognized the man in front of him, the man he once adored and later detested immensely.

”Li Qiong...”