Chapter 2668 - 2730: Necro-beast
The Fire Sect indeed had a secret vault, but this vault wasn’t used to store treasures because they didn’t need treasures. They might cultivate some worm objects or fierce beasts to study death. Yet, having an extra secret vault and even finding the key, Bunong couldn’t help but sigh. Upon waking up and learning the truth of what happened, he was very shocked himself. He couldn’t accept Aliza doing such a thing, yet he also lamented Aliza’s final choice.
He himself was more resistant to this Fire Sect, not wanting to have too much connection with it, so there was no point in discussing any succession.
Li Yifei understood Bunong’s thoughts and agreed. Aliza just used this method to keep Bunong alive, which had nothing to do with the Fire Sect. But now upon seeing the key to the secret vault, Li Yifei still had to wait for Bunong to make a decision.
"Forget it, this secret vault has no connection with us. We don’t need to look at it; let it remain sealed," Bunong sighed and said.
Li Yifei nodded and said: "Alright, then let’s head back."
"Yes, this matter has concluded. Aliza is already dead; what he did, whether right or wrong, no longer matters!" Bunong advised.
Li Yifei naturally had no objections, and the two of them turned to leave the massive stone coffin, with its corpses that wouldn’t turn to ashes for unknown years, but presumably, no one would come again.
But as the two walked out, they suddenly heard a sharp cry, a sound no human could make. In fact, neither of them could discern what creature was howling. They halted in their tracks, looking toward one of several branching paths, as the scream seemed to originate from there. In this underground space, there should only be Li Yifei and Bunong because until now, only they knew of this place. But now there was a scream; does it mean someone else entered this space or some other creature from outside?
Just as the two stopped, another scream sounded from within, this time clearer as their attention shifted to it. Although the scream was not loud, it was particularly mournful, even making one’s skin crawl.
So, the two had to go and check. The Miao Village was so close; if there were anything strange inside, it might endanger the Miao Village. It was better to take a look.
The two turned around and walked into another passage, one of five. They had entered the gigantic coffin through the middle path before, and now they were entering the one slightly left of center. It was pitch black here, with only some phosphorescent light, but Li Yifei casually summoned two True Qi Blades, handing one to Bunong. The True Qi Blades emitted white light, not strong but enough to illuminate their path. But precisely because of the phosphorescent light, it appeared even more eerie. As they walked about thirty meters inside, another mournful cry came, and Bunong instinctively tensed, halting, while Li Yifei transmitted telepathically: "Dad, stay slightly behind. If anything happens, I’ll block it."
"I am... sigh!" Bunong sighed. In reality, he could now use some of the Fire Sect’s techniques, though it would take time to fully adapt. He was already not weak, but he didn’t want to use that part of his power, always feeling it didn’t come rightly, and it always reminded him of Aliza.
Li Yifei walked in front, vigilant. His vision was much better, and his perception stronger than Bunong’s. But as they walked, they heard only the cries and saw nothing unusual, which was strange. Li Yifei frowned; they had already gone about a hundred meters deep. The path wasn’t straight but slightly winding, so Li Yifei estimated they were about a hundred meters in, with no markers along the way, and it was very clean.
"Otherwise... forget it!" Bunong suggested after a long walk without finding anything unusual.
Li Yifei’s expression was cautious, shaking his head at the suggestion: "There really is something strange inside. I actually can’t sense what’s going on in there."
"What do you mean?" Bunong quickly asked.
"Usually, I can sense things within one to two hundred meters, even with interference. But now I can’t feel anything, which is very unusual."
"You can sense that far... oh, now you can’t. Then we’d better go deeper inside. This place is too close to the village. If there’s anything strange, it may endanger the villagers." Bunong emphasized again.
Li Yifei nodded and said: "If anything happens later, Dad, don’t worry about me; protect yourself. This Fire Sect is very bizarre and might have some of those sinister things."
"Alright, you be careful too." Bunong said.
The two continued deeper in; Li Yifei at the front. After some distance, it suddenly became very dark here, a thick kind of darkness. Li Yifei suddenly stopped, and Bunong behind him almost bumped into him, not knowing why he stopped.
Li Yifei looked down. This was a deep chasm, ten meters wide, bottomless. An eerie wind blew up from below, chilling his face and sending a shiver of cold through him. He grew cautious and was about to speak when a dreadful scream came from below. That scream wasn’t human; the pitch was so high it seemed to reach dolphin levels. At this close distance, just a scream made their scalps tingle and brought an inexplicable fear from deep within.
Li Yifei was startled, and Bunong behind him took two steps back, almost sitting down. They located the source of the sound, deep in that pitch-black ravine, not knowing what was below. Li Yifei truly sensed a great danger. He gritted his teeth and said to Bunong: "Dad, that thing is down there, but I still can’t perceive its presence; I only know it’s down there."
Bunong steadied his mind, and just then, a few more sharp cries came from below, confirming to them that something alive was down there, or it wouldn’t make such sounds. But what exactly was it...
And what’s on the other side? Li Yifei wanted to know. With his vision, he couldn’t see clearly. So he thought for a moment and conjured several True Qi Balls, throwing them far away. These True Qi Balls only lasted a few dozen seconds, enough to illuminate an area, though he didn’t know how far the other side was.
A few balls went out and carved bright trails in the thick darkness, leaving some afterimages, but soon disappeared.
They vaguely saw something across—it was a wall. This meant that the path ended here. Of course, there seemed to be a way down, but Li Yifei first needed to find the way down.
Bunong seemed a little dazed, and Li Yifei turned and said: "Dad, what’s wrong with you?"
"I think I know where this place is." Bunong frowned, trying hard to remember. He had seen the ruins just now and also inherited some things from the Fire Sect through the mysterious methods Aliza used. At this moment, his memories pieced together, and his face changed dramatically.
Li Yifei didn’t know the inside story, so he quickly asked: "Dad, what is this place for?" Just after asking, another chilling roar came from below, quite terrifying. Bunong flinched, his eyes filled with panic, and he was about to pull Li Yifei away but couldn’t move him.
Li Yifei was even more confused and quickly asked: "What’s wrong?"
"This place is too terrifying; we can’t stay here!"
"Is there something really powerful below?" Li Yifei was even more curious.
"Yes, it’s terrifying. The Fire Sect succeeded. The people of the Fire Sect created real necro-beasts; they succeeded." Bunong’s eyes remained fearful, and his speech was urgent.
"Necro-beasts?" Li Yifei repeated the term, naturally confused.
"Yes, necro-beasts. That’s the thing making the dreadful cries. Maybe Aliza didn’t know, or maybe he deceived us!"
Li Yifei became even more vigilant. Bunong wouldn’t lie. If he said it, there should be a reason, as he knew more. Li Yifei immediately asked: "What exactly are necro-beasts?"
"My memory is fragmented. I only know this thing; the Fire Sect from several generations ago studied it. You know, the sect contemplated life and death, always wanting to uncover the secrets of death, to break through this boundary." Bunong said, adding, "We should move back some distance. Really, that thing is really terrifying. If I’ve guessed correctly, that’s the legendary necro-beast. They succeeded."
"Sure!" Li Yifei walked back a few steps, and Bunong continued: "Based on my memory, those ’necro-beasts’ are an eerie creature that the Fire Sect spent countless years researching. They wanted to observe death through necro-beasts to achieve immortality."
Li Yifei kept nodding. Bunong swallowed and said, "Once that creature is researched successfully, it represents power, evil, and death. Now thinking about it, perhaps everyone in the Fire Sect, from the sect master to the lowest disciple, died collectively due to this thing, maybe even becoming part of the necro-beast..."
So terrifying? Li Yifei was already quite brave, unfazed by so many corpses. But hearing this, he too felt a chill grow within. Although it wasn’t confirmed if that was definitely the ’necro-beast,’ just such a description was enough to feel eerie.
People naturally fear the unknown, and Li Yifei even felt a chill behind him, instinctively turning to look back, but there was nothing there.
Bunong continued: "If that’s the case, we can’t stay here. We mustn’t take the risk. If necro-beasts appear, it will likely cause a disaster."