Above the Galaxy
Chapter 387 - 249: Tang Fei, you really are an ugly thing!

Chapter 387: Chapter 249: Tang Fei, you really are an ugly thing!

Tang Fei and Shen Xinglan rushed to the source of the noise and, upon seeing the gruesome scene before them, both involuntarily gasped in shock.

On the dark, muddied ground stood half a corpse.

Yes, the person was already dead, with only half a body remaining.

The legs were stuck in the mud, and due to the strong suction of the earth, they were still standing upright, yet to fall.

The head and the lower half of the body had vanished, severed from the middle of the abdomen.

The wound was piled with fresh blood and rotting flesh, and the jagged cut looked to be the work of some savage beast’s sharp teeth.

Tang Fei and Shen Xinglan exchanged a glance, once again sensing the terrifying nature of this mysterious place.

"Wearing a red garment, donning red shoes, this must be from the Fire God Academy..."

Shen Xinglan examined the dead person’s clothes and shoe colors, his eyebrows slightly furrowed: "The Fire God Academy is one of the Four Great Imperial Academies. The students are quite powerful, and those chosen to participate in this exploration are the best of the best... How could they end up in the jaws of a wild beast?"

Tang Fei bent down to study the terrain and the mud on the ground, then said aloud: "Moreover, this patch of soft mud, apart from the footprints left by humans, shows no signs of any beast tracks..."

"What’s more terrifying is that the ground is flat, the human footprints are clear and orderly, indicating they did not go through intense combat, or even that he had any chance to fight back..."

From the clues observed, Tang Fei reached a frightening conclusion: "Perhaps, the moment he encountered the monster, he was immediately bitten in half by the beast..."

Shen Xinglan nodded in agreement, knowing Tang Fei was an expert in wilderness survival, far surpassing himself in this regard.

Truly outstanding individuals are willing to recognize others’ excellence.

"We heard the sound and ran this way, covering a distance of over five hundred meters in a flash... Yet the animal has already vanished without a trace..."

Tang Fei pointed towards the depths of the mist and said: "The blood is dripping in that direction... It must have fled that way..."

Shen Xinglan’s gaze also followed in that direction, his eyes deep as he spoke solemnly: "It’s really a mystery what sort of creature lurks in this Burial Land..."

"Why not go in and see for yourself?" Tang Fei said with a smile.

"Since we’re here..."

Shen Xinglan took the lead with long strides towards the heart of the dense fog, saying: "We must get to the bottom of this."

Tang Fei followed closely behind Shen Xinglan and asked: "Senior Brother, do you think there could be any treasures inside? Master said this is an Ancient Ruin... Could there be Divine Artifacts or secret books of cultivation left by immortals? Even if not those, a furnace of Elixirs would be great..."

Tang Fei thought about the Evil God Cave Mansion, with its Skull Hammer, Magic Cloak, Netherworld Scroll, and a bottle of little red elixir pills...

His good brother had left him a rich legacy which could be considered extremely loyal.

Since this place was an Ancient Ruin, then surely there must be even more fallen deities, with countless treasures left behind?

"I don’t know," Shen Xinglan said aloud.

"Do you desire anything in particular, Senior Brother?"

"Nothing."

"..."

Then why are you here?

Tang Fei just wanted a good sword, one that could rival the Skull Hammer.

He could feel he wasn’t yet able to unleash the true power of the "Netherworld Scroll."

Once he found a good sword, his power would rise again...

"Such matters rely on fate and luck. You can’t force them," Shen Xinglan said, as he observed his surroundings and listened intently, extending his spiritual awareness to note every movement around him.

"To travel ten thousand miles is better than to read ten thousand books. As long as you set out, you will surely gain something."

To Shen Xinglan, he lacked neither secret manuals of cultivation nor famous swords and blades.

After the catastrophe in Blue Star, Ancient Martial practices flourished.

Numerous governments and great families sent countless exploration teams to the Old Land to collect ancient texts and excavate Great Tombs.

It could be said that the majority of the treasures had fallen into their hands, becoming private collections of the nations and clans.

The ones not yet in their possession were those still undiscovered and unexcavated.

A person’s time and energy are limited; how many types of cultivation techniques could one practice or how many swords wield?

What Shen Xinglan valued more was ’opportunity’, the process of tempering oneself.

He was also searching for his own path.

He was already close to the Grandmaster Realm—if he indeed attained the Way, entering the Grandmaster Realm would be just around the corner.

Tang Fei grinned and said cheerfully, "Still, I hope to find something substantial..."

As said in those motivational texts, life offers scenery at every turn and new gains every day. However, for Tang Fei, failing to catch game on a hunt could mean going hungry that night...

Without a chicken to catch, what soup would there be to drink?

Just as Xuanyuan Mingjing had said, there were many massive animal bones on the ground, resembling dragons and tigers, and others of bizarre shapes which even Tang Fei, well-versed as he was, had never seen or heard of before.

Human skulls were there too, disintegrating into dust at the slightest touch.

By comparison, the Evil God was more formidable.

Dead for a thousand years, his flesh not decayed, his bones not rotten, his body still seated there with facial features animated as if he were deep in meditation.

The only drawback was that it marred the solemn viewing, as he didn’t like to wear clothes...

Of course, the Evil God resided within his cave mansion, isolated from the outside air.

Whether he would still be there upon a next visit was anyone’s guess.