Netherworld Retrograde

Amidst the altar, bones were piled up.

There were many extraordinary creatures that the two could not distinguish.

There were remains of giant beasts as large as hills, with twisted bones spiraling, blackened dried viscous substance still clinging to the jagged bone spurs.

There were also slender frames with multiple vertebrae and skulls riddled with holes, like insect specimens violently torn apart.

And there were remains covered with strange bone plates, with sharp bone blades extending from the joints.

However, what silenced the two was the large number of human skeletons mixed in.

They were not at rest, but eternally frozen in this altar of death, in the most twisted and profane postures.

Some were curled into the shape of despairing fetuses, their tiny bones deeply embedded into the cold ground, as if even in the last moment of death, trying to burrow into the nonexistent embrace of the earth.

Some were pierced through the clavicle or spine by thick, rust-stained metal chains, firmly nailed to the black stone pillar at the altar's center, with discarded snake skins remnants in their hollowed eye sockets.

More were brutally dismembered and scattered — broken limbs casually tossed, shattered skulls rolling into corners, twisted spines stacked like discarded trash.

This land of opportunity once held not only the Snake-man Civilization but also humans.

"Judging from the traces, some of these humans were buried alive," the Little Mad King spoke: "Some might have been prisoners of war. This place once had a human civilization..."

Li Yelai looked at the remains in the altar and nodded slightly, "This might be residue from a specific Disaster Fog that failed to become a Forbidden Zone's Disaster Fog."

During the Era of Calamity, various Disaster Fogs emerged, engulfing billions of humans.

And Disaster Fogs generally had three outcomes.

The first was that after devouring enough intelligent life forms and suppressing human resistance over a long period, the restricted area order developed robustly, transforming into a Forbidden Zone. The humans left behind would also be twisted by the restricted area order, turning into Forbidden Zone Humans.

The second was when Disaster Fogs collided and consumed each other, resulting in battles between alien races and humans from different civilizations. Without the emergence of a restricted area order, unique terrains like Ten Thousand Dragon Lake, Abyss Maze, and Destruction Volcano formed, featuring spatial folding without restricted area order.

The third was when humans won and extinguished the civilization within the Disaster Fog, breaking free from it, like the Old Mad King!

Now it seemed, this land of opportunity might just be the second situation.

Humans were defeated in resistance and were ultimately buried here...

Li Yelai's gaze returned to the deathly quiet altar of bones, the layers of alien and human remains tacitly asserting the fierce war buried by time.

"Damn aliens!" Li Yelai said, "After this, if we spot any Snake-men, eliminate them too!"

"Indeed. Rangers' extreme racial purity is worth emulating," the Little Mad King naturally agreed. As people of Giant City, they believed only dead alien races were good alien races.

"However, that's provided the Snake-man Civilization still exists," the Little Mad King reminded, "Judging from the corpses, the times appear ancient... perhaps several centuries or even older. And this place is clearly not a Forbidden Zone, lacking the effects of restricted area order."

Li Yelai nodded, considering if the Snake-man Civilization had won,

then restricted area order should have appeared, turning this space into a Forbidden Zone and having a King of Restricted Zone.

Perhaps, humans hadn't lost?

Or neither side had won?

If it could become like Ten Thousand Dragon Lake, where a powerful human civilization emerged, that would be ideal.

Li Yelai pondered, then noticed obscure characters inscribed on the edge of the altar.

It's unclear whether they were left by the buried humans or the Snake-man Civilization.

However, it was certain that the strong individual who left these words hadn't possessed divinity. No phenomenon of explaining language and logic without ignoring these aspects was present.

Therefore, the two of them couldn't comprehend it.

"Should I activate the Deceitful Face Mask?" Li Yelai contemplated.

The blessing brought by the Deceitful God's Chosen Mask could allow Li Yelai to understand any text, even directly seeing the spiritual energy paths of arrays and rituals, and modify or obscure them.

However, once the mask was activated, it would trigger encounters easily, pulling enemies towards them, making them prone to being besieged...

"Oh well, let's try it first. Surely, they're not all within my curse range? As long as few come, they can all be dealt with!"

"Yes, with me here, they won't even have the chance to communicate," the Little Mad King agreed with this approach.

Thus, Li Yelai activated the Deceitful God's Chosen Mask!

At the moment the mask was activated, Li Yelai saw the characters transform into understandable text.

It was a lengthy poem extolling a certain Snake-man King named 'Yong Zhe,' depicting its illustrious victories and glory in its words.

Conquering, capturing, colonizing alien races. Concentrating power, under its rule the Snake-man Civilization reached its so-called peak.

The entire text was full of utmost praise. The flattery had some skill to it.

However, at the end, it was a eulogy for 'Yong Zhe'...

"Ha! So after all that, it died," Li Yelai sneered, for he felt no goodwill towards alien heroes. In the records, among the "alien races" conquered and colonized by them, there were humans.

Yet, at the end, at the bottom of the altar, several human remains lay embraced together, leaving another kind of handwriting on the wall.

"It died, and it died miserably at the hands of a hero!"

"In the end, the Snake-men only found half of its body, not even a complete corpse! Serves them right!"

"We can't leave here; we are to be ushered into death as funeral companions. Poor children... couldn't send them to the State."

"But to the compatriots in the future, if you find this place, please burn us."

"Also, for our sake... desecrate their ancestors' graves!"

"Utterly destroy their last hopes too!"

This was a testament spanning countless ages, the buried human compatriots' final words.

So that's it, this is the Snake-men's ancestral grave.

No wonder there are so many traps, to prevent grave-robbing?

Good!

At Li Yelai's waist, the Swallowing Soldier Hound Head floated up. Using its ability on his compatriots' remains.

A clear female voice issued from it, [Immortal Talisman·Burning]

In the next moment, the entire altar was ablaze, the searing heat burning everything to ashes. Amidst the flickering flames, it seemed countless sighs were scattered by the wind.

But their regrets, Li Yelai would fulfill.

Kill my compatriots, desecrate your ancestors' graves!

As thick smoke rose, numerous teams were drawn to the scene.

Ear-finned Merfolk of various colors, nobles from land Forbidden Zones, and... two Rangers!

In the next moment, the entire altar was ablaze, the searing heat burning everything to ashes. Amidst the flickering flames, it seemed countless sighs were scattered by the wind.

But their regrets, Li Yelai would fulfill.

Kill my compatriots, desecrate your ancestors' graves!

As thick smoke rose, numerous teams were drawn to the scene.

Ear-finned Merfolk of various colors, nobles from land Forbidden Zones, and... two Rangers!

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