Chapter 221: Falling into the Abyss

Chapter 221: Chapter 221: Falling into the Abyss

Yan Lie pulled Bai Wanwan behind him and quickly turned his head. Below the cliff was a seemingly bottomless canyon, and the opposing cliff face was at least twenty meters away.

A turbulent river roared at the bottom of the valley, winding through the darkness like a silver snake.

His heart sank.

It was a distance he could only hope to leap across in his prime, but right now, they were all exhausted.

But... there was no other choice.

The Mutant Ape Beast was getting closer and closer.

After scanning the surroundings, Jin Yi had also clearly noticed the other side of the cliff...

It was possibly their only way out.

He looked at Yan Lie. "There’s no other choice. We have to try."

"Alright."

After exchanging a look, the two males quickly backed up, cleared their minds, and leaped toward the cliff in unison.

But at that exact moment, the Mutant Ape Beast suddenly dove, pouncing toward Jin Yi and Bai Wanwan.

"Wanwan!"

Yan Lie’s roar tore through the air.

Bai Wanwan’s hair stood on end. She looked up to see a gaping, bloody maw inches away, with blood-streaked strands of rotting flesh hanging from its fangs.

Time seemed to freeze. She could even see the pale reflection of her own face in the Ape Beast’s pupils.

A white shadow shot across like a bolt of lightning, smashing into the Ape Beast less than two meters away from her.

The immense force of the impact knocked the Ape Beast off course, but the recoil sent the white figure plummeting downward.

"Yan Lie!!!"

Bai Wanwan’s scream was heart-wrenching.

The falling Snow Leopard gazed up at her. The terror in his amber eyes had not yet faded, but it melted into tenderness upon seeing that she was unharmed.

His lips moved, as if he were trying to say something, but his final farewell was swallowed by the whistling wind.

Jin Yi couldn’t stop his momentum, and she was carried further and further away from Yan Lie.

Her outstretched hand grasped futilely at the air as she watched, helpless, his figure plummet into the abyss...

Holding his breath, Jin Yi managed to land on the cliff face, but he slid down some distance. Digging his claws into the rock, he leaped again and finally found a firm footing on the edge.

He had heard the commotion just moments before, but he couldn’t afford to be distracted while ensuring the female’s safety.

Only then did he turn to look down at the two figures plummeting into the chasm.

SPLASH... SPLASH...

Bai Wanwan’s blood ran cold. She watched helplessly as Yan Lie plummeted into the abyss, his snow-white form swallowed by a massive splash.

She strained her eyes, trying to see clearly what was happening below.

"Yan Lie..." She called out his name, but her voice was so hoarse it was barely a whisper.

Her nails dug deep into her palms.

Half a minute... a minute...

An unknown amount of time passed, but the surface of the water remained still.

She slowly turned her gaze to Jin Yi, her eyes holding one last glimmer of hope.

"Jin Yi, Yan Lie is a Yellow Rank Male. He’ll be fine after a fall from this height, right?"

Jin Yi’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He wanted to tell her the truth, but he swallowed his words and simply grunted in affirmation.

But he knew the truth. ’Yan Lie was already exhausted and injured, and he had just collided violently with the Mutant Beast. He would have been severely wounded even without the fall, let alone after it...’

Yan Lie’s chances of survival were infinitesimal.

"Let me down. I want to get a closer look."

Jin Yi said nothing, silently setting her down.

The last rays of the setting sun spilled over the cliff. It was deathly quiet; no one spoke.

Jin Yi stood silently behind Bai Wanwan. He didn’t see her cry or scream, but he could still feel a heavy aura of sorrow emanating from her.

After a long while, Jin Yi looked up at the sky, his expression turning grave.

"If Yan Lie is alive, he’ll find a way to get to us. It’s getting dark, so we need to find a safe place to spend the night."

’It hadn’t been safe even when it was the two of them protecting Bai Wanwan, let alone now that he was the only male left.’

Bai Wanwan’s gaze remained fixed on the water below, as if she hadn’t heard him.

"Bai Wanwan," Jin Yi said, his tone hardening. "Yan Lie gambled his life to keep you safe. If you stay here any longer and run into danger, his sacrifice will have been for nothing."

Bai Wanwan snapped back to reality. This time, his words registered.

To Jin Yi’s surprise, she quickly turned back to him, the grief on her face brought under control.

She nodded emphatically, and it was unclear if she was reassuring herself or responding to him. "Yes, I can’t let anything happen to me. I have to wait for Yan Lie to return."

She quickly got to her feet. "Let’s go."

Jin Yi was already used to carrying her, so after she spoke, he bent down for her to climb onto his back.

When he realized what he had just done, Jin Yi’s expression turned a little strange.

Soon enough, the female climbed onto his back. "I’m on."

They traveled through the dense forest in silence.

Jin Yi’s ears remained pricked, alert for any suspicious sound.

By the time darkness fell completely, Jin Yi had found a hidden cave.

The entrance was concealed by thick vines, and the interior was narrow and cramped.

But it was more than enough to accommodate the two of them.

After carefully inspecting the inside and confirming it was safe, Jin Yi finally relaxed.

"We’re good. You rest for a bit. I’m going to step out for a moment—I’ll be nearby, so don’t be scared."

Seeing Bai Wanwan’s pale face, he offered a rare bit of extra explanation.

"Are you going to hunt?"

"Mhm. We’ve been on the move all day, so you must be hungry. We’ll need our strength to deal with what comes next."

"You’re right!"

Bai Wanwan nodded, her thoughts turning to how he had risked his life to find her, how he hadn’t abandoned her in their life-or-death struggle, and how he had even been injured covering their retreat.

Because of this, she found that she already trusted him completely.

"There’s no need. I have enough food."

Jin Yi’s gaze swept over her. The female didn’t even have a leather pouch on her. ’Where would she be keeping food?’

Bai Wanwan saw his confusion. She tapped open her system panel and, right before his eyes, pulled out the prey she had stockpiled in her System Space.

THUD!

The carcass hit the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

Jin Yi’s eyes filled with astonishment, but he didn’t press for an explanation.

Bai Wanwan leaned against the rock wall and slowly slid to the ground. "It’s too dangerous outside. Let’s hide here for the next few days and wait for the beast tide to recede before we head back to the tribe."

’If they had enough food, this was the best option. In the forest’s current state, there was no way he could get a female back to the tribe safely.’

"Alright."

Jin Yi took two steps forward, crouched before the carcass, and quickly skinned and deboned it. He sliced off a tender piece of meat and offered it to her.

Bai Wanwan shook her head. "I don’t eat raw meat. You can have it."

With that, she took some jerky out of her System Space.

Even though she had no appetite, she took a large bite.

The jerky tasted like ash in her mouth, but she didn’t stop chewing.

She chewed one mouthful after another, forcing herself to swallow.

’I have to conserve my strength and stay alive. Yan Lie will be fine. I’ll wait for him to come back alive!’