The Strongest Gene
chapter-289

Nether Capital. This was a mysterious place. With Shen Wei's protection, they were able to easily enter the Nether Capital. The air filled with corrosive energy was kept away from them by Shen Wei's aura.

The smog seemed to cover everything. Chen Feng cautiously traveled forth in accordance to his map. This was the map sketched by the Genetic Union when they had first come here. Only 5% of this area was shown on the map. They pressed forth cautiously as their progress increased.

One percent...

Two percent...

Finally, they stopped when they had explored 4.8% of the area.

Chen Feng's heart leaped furiously. "Something doesn't seem right."

That was because, up till now, they had yet to see a single mutated beast. This was the most terrifying aspect of their current exploration. Where were the mutated beasts he had encountered when he'd first come here several days before? Where were the two B-class mutated beasts from before? Where were the promised death lions?

No mutated beasts could be found even when they were reaching the limit of the 5% explored area.

Shua!

They continued traveling until, finally, all the 5% area had been explored by them. Here, they finally found out the reason the Genetic Union had stopped their exploration at this point in the past.

That was because the dividing line for the region outside the explored 5% was a city. Before their eyes, amidst the boundless smog, was a genuine city.

Nether Capital…

Chen Feng sunk into a solemn mood.

Indeed…

Although where they were currently at was also called the Nether Capital, they were actually at the outer layer of the actual city called the Nether Capital. Only now had they reached the actual city.

Nether Capital, the ghost town in the legends.

Hum—

A sinister aura started spreading.

This city in front of them started giving them a terrifying feeling that caused their backs to chill.

Chen Feng decided without hesitation. "Retreat!"

He was extremely clear on his target and risk appetite. He had initially believed that hunting for death lions would be a low-risk endeavor. That was the only reason he had decided to come with some of his friends. But now that the degree of danger here had far surpassed his imagination, there was no need for him to take extra risks. The most proper way for him to go about accomplishing his goal was to return and hire some formidable A-class experts. As far as he was concerned, the danger of being betrayed by any unknown A-class experts he hired was already surpassed by the danger this Nether Capital could potentially pose them.

Shua!

They retreated rapidly. However, right at this moment, a terrifying explosion resounded.

Bang!

Distantly, a loud explosion could be heard. Due to the thick smog, they could not see what was happening. However, a certain dim radiance that they could see amidst the thick smog had seemingly been stepped on and killed. Everyone could clearly see a huge footprint with a size of 100 square meters left on the ground. A certain terrifying and gigantic life form seemed to have stepped there.

Bang!

Bang!

Accompanied by thundering sounds, footprints started appearing on the ground, seemingly traveling in their direction.

They could not see anything. However, the huge footprints left on the ground with a dim glow could still be seen…

Enemy attack! Toward their direction!

They gulped. "Damn it."

They had obviously explored all of the 5% area indicated in their map and no mutated beasts had been found. What was this thing that had suddenly appeared here?

Wang Chun looked at the beautiful young lady beside him. "Shen Yi."

Hum—

Shen Yi's eyes started glowing.

Shua!

The smog covering everything seemed to vanish at this instant. At this moment, everyone could clearly see that the life form leaving the gigantic footprints on the ground was a huge skeleton with a height of several tens of meters.

Everyone inhaled a mouthful of cold air. "Hiss—"

It was actually a gigantic skeleton beast.

Wang Chun saw a familiar-looking thing. "Look at his body!"

Death lion!

Chen Feng's heart leaped.

That huge skeleton seemed to be something formed of countless sets of bones. On its body were countless corpses with no flesh remaining.

No wonder they hadn't seen any mutated beasts… All of them had been killed by this damnable skeleton here!

Shua!

Shen Yi's body swayed, and the smog surged forth, covering everything once again.

Shen Yi felt somewhat regretful. "That's the most we can see."

Bang!

Bang!

The loud sound of footsteps could still be heard. Amidst the smog that covered everything, those footprints with a faint glow could be clearly seen. The footprints were nearing them. Despite the huge distance between them and the gigantic skeleton, they were still able to guess the strength of that beast.

A class! To be accurate, its strength was at least A class!

A huge skeleton beast formed through countless corpses of B-class mutated beasts was not something they could contend against.

Bang!

The huge footprints continued nearing them.

They exchanged glances and decided that the only thing they could do was turn around and travel in a different direction, stepping into the city enveloped by smog. However, they did not travel too far into the city. Rather, they lingered around the entrance.

Bang!

Bang!

They watched on as that huge mutated beast neared them. However, right as the beast neared the city, it started hesitating. After a while, shocking all of them, it turned around and left.

"It left," Wang Chun muttered. No trace of joy could be heard from his voice, though.

Capable of scaring away such a beast, this place…

Chen Feng intended to leave here as fast as he could. "Let's go."

However.

Clang!

Accompanied by a loud sound, the entrance closed, sealing the Nether Capital.

Wang Chun's eyes gleamed coldly. "We can't leave anymore."

Seems like somebody wants us to be in here… Chen Feng thought knowingly.

The death of the death lions, the appearance of the gigantic skeleton beast, the closure of the city's entrance… all of this seemed to signify that there were indeed some life forms in this city. Somewhere here was definitely an intelligent life form. However, they had no idea what the intention of this life form was.

"Be extra careful," Chen Feng said.

Wang Chun and Xu Fei nodded. "Understood."

The Shen Wei siblings were highly vigilant as well. Only Lady Ming Yue was behaving differently, as if she was taking a casual stroll here.

Chen Feng scanned past the structures inside the city. "These constructions…"

An ancient gate built with a simple architecture. The streets, the tavern, everything in this city seemed ancient.

The destruction of this city should have taken place several hundred years ago. Only that could explain the architecture here in this city that still preserved the style of ancient times, free of any traces of the genetic era.

At the entrance were numerous carts lacking the horses that were supposed to be pulling them. Chen Feng stepped forth and rubbed one of them. His expected scene of these carts crumbling apart into ashes did not appear. This did not seem in line with what should have happened with the passage of time. Not only that, these carts were all still in good condition, retaining the simplicity of the ancient era's design. This did not only apply to these carts. Everything in this city that Chen Feng could see was still in good condition.

This was simply unlike a city that had been abandoned for several centuries. Everything in this city seemed to have been fixed in time since the incident where everyone here died.

"There's some death aura," Shen Yi said suddenly.

Chen Feng looked at her. "What?"

"Death aura, a unique aura that also exists in my world. I don't know what it is called here in this world. It's also something that is quite difficult to describe… It's a power capable of reviving the dead," Shen Yi said.

Could it be…

Chen Feng and Xu Fei exchanged glances. The necromancy mentioned in the legends? As the genetic era had descended, as the people's strength had increased, a lot of researches of eternal life had started cropping up. All sorts of gene fusions and peculiar genetic abilities had appeared due to that…

Among these abilities, necromancy was one of them, also the one rumored to be most likely to help one achieve immortality.

This was an ability formed from the combination of several powerful genetic abilities that had zero combat power. The people that chose this path were destined to have no combat power. Only when they reached the peak of their chosen path would they be able to fuse all their chosen genetic abilities to create a superpowerful secret art known as necromancy!

This was an ability capable of preserving everything in its original appearance, such as a human's appearance, their bodily functions, and even the appearance of matter itself.

For unknown reasons, the research on necromancy had suddenly been announced as a failure one day. Everyone in the research laboratory had been killed and their research materials had vanished. From then on, necromancy had become something that only existed in legends.

Here, as Chen Feng looked at everything in this city that still had its original appearance, shock flickered in his eyes. Could it be that the legendary power of necromancy had actually been successfully researched?

Shua!

They exchanged glances, disbelief apparent in their eyes.

If that was the case… something major was probably going to happen!

Just as they were in the midst of bewilderment, abruptly, faint footsteps could be heard. Their expressions changed greatly and they were immediately on full alert as their killing intent surged.

Creak—

The door of a building beside them opened suddenly.

A young man with the appearance of a 20-year-old walked out of the building and looked at Chen Feng's group with amazement. "Yo, dear customers, you are all quite early, ay? From how you all are dressed, you are all probably from the Western Regions?"

What?

Chen Feng blanked.

At this moment, accompanied by numerous footsteps, countless people appeared and flooded this city. They started going about their daily life.

Market… butcher… tavern… the whole city had seemingly come alive at this instant.

What they witnessed was a bustling city. The ghost town they had seen earlier felt like a dream. Here, as they stared at this city that had come alive, their bodies chilled. What on earth was happening in this city, this so-called Nether Capital?