Wilderness: I Tame Beasts to Survive

Chapter 331: Chapter 241: Hall of Inheritance

It had been almost a week since he arrived in Night Nether City.

Not only had Yin Yi successfully evolved, but he had also discovered the Residual Soul of the Beast Master, Akatos.

The plan he’d made before setting out was, for all intents and purposes, a complete success.

Speaking of which, aside from the fact that Night Nether City’s high-radiation environment was unsuitable for ordinary humans, it was truly a great place to grow stronger.

The omnipresent, radioactive Starlight helped Starlight-type Soul Beasts grow faster.

There was also the Cosmic Light Tower, abundant with every type of Spiritual Energy, which helped Soul Beasts master the art of compressing it.

Han Ning had even heard from Hom that there was a place in Night Nether City that housed a vast collection of ancient texts. However, years of slumber had weakened her memory, and she’d forgotten where this "library" was.

’It’s a shame. Night Nether City is only habitable for Tier One Beast Masters and above. If an ordinary person lived here for more than three days, their body would likely develop abnormalities from the intense radiation.’

Han Ning sat on the stone steps at the entrance to the Cosmic Light Tower, mentally plotting his next move.

He wanted to spend more time inside Night Nether City, searching for information related to the Insect Continent.

Peaceful coexistence between humanity, the Queen, and the Five Ancestor Families was essentially impossible.

The ravenous Queen constantly needed to feed on beings rich in sapience and Spiritual Energy. If the Five Great Ancestors discovered humans—intelligent life even more advanced than themselves—they would undoubtedly launch a full-scale invasion, capture all of humanity, and offer them to the Queen.

Therefore... the best solution was to follow the example of the Burning Fire Race: try to leave this continent and find a new land suitable for human survival.

Han Ning had asked Hom about the Insect Continent before, and the information she provided essentially matched the Scorching Sun Bishop’s description.

The Insect Continent was one of the continents under the control of the Alataku People. For some unknown reason, they had suddenly withdrawn, leaving a host of secrets behind.

"If I remember correctly, the Insect Continent is actually situated around a Subspace rift. It’s surrounded by storms that can cause a creature’s spirit to become lost, and it’s encircled by a raging sea. That omnipresent Gray Mist is also a method the Alataku People used to anchor their coordinates."

"That’s all I know... Many years ago, my people, the Witch Spirit Race, were at war with the Alatake Clan. My husband died on the battlefield. The Alataku People breached our city and slaughtered all the civilians inside. That was when I was captured."

As time wore on, when Hom recounted her past, her Spiritual Fluctuations were even calmer than when Han Ning had a Soul Beast inherit a Talent.

Her "steady" tone made it seem as if she were telling someone else’s story.

The Witch Spirit Race was a powerful race, comparable in strength to the Alatake Clan—and perhaps even slightly superior in overall power.

In life, Hom and her yet-unborn daughter, Fei Lin, had been members of the Witch Spirit Race.

Han Ning had caught a glimpse of Fei Lin’s story within the mother and daughter’s Spiritual Marks. But considering it involved Hom’s painful memories, he had never pressed for details.

According to Hom, the Witch Spirit Race had frail bodies but possessed extraordinary control over Spiritual Energy. They were masters at inscribing Spiritual Runes, and the Soul Beasts they raised were primarily Elemental types.

In contrast to the Alataku People’s reverence for death, the Witch Spirit Race’s philosophy leaned toward a closeness with nature.

These differing beliefs meant the Beast Masters of the two races had vastly different methods and combat styles.

"So... would you say the Insect Continent was a place the Alataku People used for exiling prisoners of war and conducting special experiments?" Han Ning asked.

"Most likely. Only the Alataku People knew how to leave this place. The Subspace storms interfere with a creature’s spatial awareness. Without a precise navigational chart, even if we managed to leave the Insect Continent, we’d never make it past the raging sea that surrounds it."

’In that case... figuring out the relationship between the Alataku People and the Insect-men, as well as finding a way to leave this place, are of the utmost importance.’

Han Ning stood up, gathered his nearby Soul Beasts and the silent Ah Yu, and headed toward the nearest tower that was still standing.

During the battle with the Blade of Despair, most of the ordinary towers had been destroyed by its terrifying slashes. However, some buildings, protected by special Spiritual Energy Shields, remained unscathed.

Any building that had been protected most likely contained something important—either treasures, knowledge, or it was a place of some special significance...

The ground was a rugged, uneven wasteland of pitted ruins. Wisps of gray-black mist seeped upward from the cracks, merging into the burning Wall of Nether Fire far above.

"Is it true that there’s a legendary entrance to the Netherworld beneath Night Nether City?"

Han Ning asked Hom casually as they flew toward one of the intact towers on Egg Pancake.

"The so-called Netherworld is simply a place filled with negative Energy Particles. It exists in close parallel to the real world—it’s everywhere. If you had the power, you could open a rift to the Netherworld right on the surface of the Insect Continent. The term ’entrance’ is all a matter of interpretation."

"People fear the Netherworld primarily because they fear death. Secondarily, they worry about what kinds of monsters might escape from it."

"In truth, the Netherworld does contain many living things—special Soul Beasts, as well as races of superior intelligence. However... they have no interest in our world. Just as a fish cannot leave water, our world lacks the ’soil’ they need to survive. So... you don’t need to worry about creatures from the Netherworld just wandering into the real world for no reason."