221: Chapter 221 Falling into the Abyss

Yan Lie shielded Bai Wanwan behind him, quickly turning his head. Below the Cliff was a bottomless gorge, and the opposite Cliff face was at least twenty meters away.

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

His heart sank.

This distance could only be crossed in a single leap when they were at their peak. Now, both of them were completely exhausted.

But... there was no other choice but this path.

That Mutated Beast was getting closer and closer to them.

After Jin Yi surveyed their surroundings, he clearly noticed the other side of the Broken Cliff...

That might be their only way out.

He looked at Yan Lie, "There is no other choice. We have to try."

"Good."

The two Males exchanged a look, quickly retreated, cast aside all distracting thoughts, and leaped toward the Cliff together.

But just then, the Mutated Ape Beast suddenly leaped down, pouncing toward Jin Yi and Bai Wanwan below.

"Wan Wan!"

Yan Lie's roar tore through the sky.

Bai Wanwan's hair stood on end. Looking up, she saw a gaping maw right in front of her, its fangs still dripping with bloody shreds of rotting meat.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment; she could even see her own pale reflection in the Ape Beast's pupils.

A white shadow shot across like lightning, colliding violently with the Ape Beast less than two meters away from her.

The immense impact forced the Ape Beast off course, but the figure, due to the recoil, plummeted rapidly downward.

"Yan Lie!!!"

Bai Wanwan's scream was heart-wrenching.

The falling Snow Leopard looked up at her. His amber eyes still held lingering terror, but upon meeting her unharmed figure, they transformed into tenderness.

His lips moved, as if saying something to her, but the final farewell was crushed by the whistling wind.

Jin Yi's form could not stop; she was carried further and further away from him.

She stretched out her hand, grasping at the air in vain, watching helplessly as his figure plunged into the abyss...

Jin Yi held her breath and successfully landed on a rock outcropping on the Cliff face. However, because he had slid down quite a distance, he dug his claws into the Cliff, leaped once more, and finally managed to stand steadily on the edge.

He had heard the commotion just moments ago, but he had to ensure the Female's safety and could not be distracted.

Only then did he turn to look at the two rapidly falling figures below the Cliff.

Thump... Thump...

Bai Wanwan's blood nearly froze. She watched Yan Lie fall into the abyss, his snow-white figure swallowed by the huge splash of water.

She forced her eyes wide open, trying to see everything below.

"Yan Lie..." She called out Yan Lie's name, but her voice was hoarse, almost inaudible.

Her fingertips dug deeply into her palm.

Half a minute... one minute...

She didn't know how long it had been, but there was still no movement from the water surface.

She slowly turned her eyes to Jin Yi, the last glimmer of hope in them.

"Jin Yi, Yan Lie is a Yellow-Tier Male. He won't be harmed falling from here, right?"

Jin Yi's Adam's apple bobbed. He wanted to tell the truth, but ultimately swallowed all his words, only letting out a soft "Mm."

But in his heart, he knew clearly: Yan Lie was already physically depleted, injured, and had violently collided with a Mutated Beast. Even if he hadn't fallen off the Cliff, he would have been severely wounded, let alone... Yan Lie's chances of survival were minuscule.

"Put me down. I want to look closely."

Jin Yi made no sound and silently set her down.

The last rays of the setting sun spilled over. The Cliff was silent; no one spoke.

Jin Yi stood silently behind Bai Wanwan. Without seeing her crying or shouting, he could still sense a deep sorrow emanating from her.

After a long while, Jin Yi looked up at the sky, his expression becoming solemn.

"If Yan Lie is alive, he will find a way to look for us. It's getting dark now; we need to find a safe place to spend the night."

It was unsafe for the two Males to take Bai Wanwan together, let alone now that only one Male remained.

Bai Wanwan's gaze remained fixed above the stretch of water, as if she hadn't heard Jin Yi's voice.

"Bai Wanwan," Jin Yi had to raise his voice, "Yan Lie gambled his life for your safety. If you stay here and encounter danger, Yan Lie's sacrifice will be meaningless."

Bai Wanwan snapped back to attention. This time, she clearly heard Jin Yi's words.

To Jin Yi's surprise, she quickly turned around, the sadness on her face suppressed.

She nodded forcefully, unsure if she was comforting herself or responding to him, "Yes, I must be safe. I still have to wait for Yan Lie to come back."

She quickly stood up. "Let's go."

Jin Yi was accustomed to carrying her on his back, so after she spoke, he bent his knees, waiting for her to climb onto his back.

Realizing what he had done, Jin Yi's expression became slightly strange.

Soon, the Female climbed onto his spine. "I'm settled."

They traveled silently through the Dense Forest.

Jin Yi's ears remained alertly pricked, catching any suspicious sounds.

When the sky completely darkened, Jin Yi found a hidden Cave.

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

However, it was more than spacious enough for the two of them.

After Jin Yi carefully inspected the interior and confirmed it was safe, he relaxed.

"It's fine. You rest for a while. I'm going out briefly, just nearby. Don't be scared."

Seeing Bai Wanwan's pale face, he explained a little more than usual.

"Are you going hunting?"

"Mm. We've been rushing all day. You must be hungry too. Eating well will give you the strength to handle the situation ahead."

"You're right!"

Bai Wanwan nodded. The other Male had risked danger to find her, hadn't abandoned her to flee during a life-or-death moment, and had even sustained injuries covering their retreat the whole time.

Bai Wanwan had already accumulated enough trust in him.

"No need to go. I have enough food."

Jin Yi glanced at her. The Female wasn't even carrying a piece of beast skin bag. Where would she get food?

Bai Wanwan noticed his confusion. She tapped open the system panel and, right before his eyes, retrieved the prey she had stocked up in the system space.

Bang!

The prey slammed onto the ground, kicking up dust.

Jin Yi was full of surprise, but he didn't ask further questions.

Bai Wanwan slowly slid down to sit against the rock wall. "It's too dangerous outside. For the next few days, we'll hide here and wait for the beast tide to recede before returning to the Tribe."

If they had enough food, this was the best option.

In the current forest, there was no way he could safely lead a Female back to the Tribe.

"Good."

Jin Yi took two steps forward, squatted in front of the prey, quickly skinned and deboned it, cutting soft chunks of meat and handing them to her.

Bai Wanwan shook her head. "I don't eat raw meat. You eat it yourself."

Saying that, she retrieved Dried meat from the system space.

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

The Dried meat tasted like chewing wax in her mouth, but she didn't stop.

Bite after bite, she chewed, forcing herself to swallow.

She absolutely had to conserve her strength and live well. Yan Lie would be fine; she would wait for Yan Lie to return alive!