C2 Bottom of the Abyss

Lee Fei's expression was murderous as he suddenly appeared right in front of Ning Gao.

Ning Gao tried to evade, but he was completely unable to move.

Lee Fei, at the peak of the Four-star Apprentice level, was significantly stronger than Ning Gao, who was merely a lower-tier Two-star Apprentice.

He seized Ning Gao's shirt and pressed a point on his chest.

A pulse of energy spread through his body, leaving Ning Gao numb all over.

"You... you've poisoned me!"

Ning Gao glared at Lee Fei, but his body was so rigid that he was powerless to resist.

"Remember the Superficial Grass? Recall the palm strike that severely injured you in the ring? That's when I secretly mixed the powder into your wound. Now that it's been activated, the effect is quite impressive," Lee Fei said with a smirk, tossing Ning Gao to the ground and rummaging through his belongings without restraint.

"What do you want from me?" Ning Gao could do nothing but submit to the search, though it seemed Lee Fei was after something specific.

After a few minutes, Lee Fei found nothing and cursed in frustration. "Damn, your own father doesn't trust you, huh? He didn't leave it with you."

Angered, Lee Fei delivered a vicious kick to Ning Gao's abdomen. "If it's not on you, it might be hidden somewhere in the Ning Family estate. Hmph, the Lee family will eventually raze your Ning Family to the ground. Your insignificant clan doesn't deserve such treasures!"

Lee Fei grabbed Ning Gao's arm and dragged him to the summit of the Redmire Mountains.

As a disciple of the Ning Family, which was situated at the foot of the Redmire Mountains, Ning Gao was well aware of the deep abyss at the mountain's peak. Anyone who fell in never returned—it was the perfect place to vanish without a trace.

"Young Master Ning, if you're looking for someone to blame, blame your absent father!" Lee Fei cackled, his face twisted with malice. Releasing his hold, he let Ning Gao plummet from the mountaintop.

Overwhelmed by the sensation of freefall, Ning Gao gazed blankly at his surroundings, his heart filled with bitter irony.

Could this be the end for me?

Time seemed to stretch on endlessly as Ning Gao found himself plunged into a world devoid of light. As the moments passed, sensation began to return to his limbs, signaling the waning potency of the Grass of Grand Plainness's toxin.

Yet what did that matter now?

He had plummeted into an abyss.

In the distance, a faint white light flickered. Its glow was not intense, but in the encompassing darkness, it stood out starkly.

Ning Gao reached out desperately toward the light.

The light appeared to notice Ning Gao, resonating with him and drawing nearer.

Enveloped in the white light, Ning Gao felt a soothing power that left him dazed and bewildered.

Around him in the darkness, massive corpses coalesced. These beings, adrift for untold years, now formed streams of Spiritual Qi that entwined around Ning Gao, transforming into a nourishing force that mended his shattered form.

...

Ning Gao gradually came to, the harsh sunlight assaulting his eyes and coaxing him back to consciousness. He sat up from the ground, squinting.

"Is this... the Misty Forest?"

Surveying his surroundings, he realized he was seated in a stream, the trees around him strikingly familiar.

The Misty Forest, an ancient woodland on the outskirts of Vuiburgh, was a place where Ning Gao often honed his skills.

Looking downstream, he could see it merging into a vast river that flowed toward the Redmire Mountains. Perhaps the subterranean currents from the Redmire Mountains had swept him away, allowing him to escape.