Chapter 425: The Legacy

Chapter 425: Legacy

Tonight, a gusty wind blew as dark clouds blotted out the moonlight.

The entire Dragonwood City was shrouded in darkness.

Zhen Xiaoxiao curled up on the floor, struggling to cover her head with a blanket.

Peeking through the gap in the blanket, she saw the wooden chest placed at the foot of the bed shivering faintly.

It seemed as though the Sick Prince inside was trying to escape.

"Is the Old Immortal in the chest about to show his magic?"

Zhen Xiaoxiao wondered how many pork hocks she could ask for once the Old Immortal manifested.

At the same time, she was a little worried—what if the old man inside the chest went on a rampage after coming out?

So, she tightened her grip on the bowing one-legged copper figurine.

If a kindly old man emerged from the chest, she wouldn’t hit him.

Otherwise, she’d knock him back in!

Just as she braced herself, she heard a creak.

Zhen Xiaoxiao went still, carefully examining the chest—but it hadn’t moved.

Could it be that the Old Immortal wasn’t coming out of the chest?

Was he entering through the door instead?

She quickly turned to look at the door, only to see Yang Xiaoyun walking in.

"Second Chief."

Zhen Xiaoxiao scrambled to her feet.

"Why are you here?"

Yang Xiaoyun didn’t answer. Instead, she glanced at the chest, thoughtful, before whispering,

"Come with me."

"Alright."

Zhen Xiaoxiao took up the one-legged copper man and followed Yang Xiaoyun.

Once they stepped outside, Zhen Xiaoxiao realized footsteps echoed all around.

The four cardinal ladies—East, West, South, and North—along with Wei Ziyi were all perched atop the wall, surveying the courtyards surrounding the City Lord’s residence.

In the darkness, disciples of Dragonwood Island could be seen swinging open courtyard gates and escorting the martial artists from the rivers and lakes residing inside out into the open.

They moved in single file through the city lord's manor.

Spotting Zhen Xiaoxiao and Yang Xiaoyun stepping out, they quickly landed.

"Old Su called it—tonight’s anything but quiet." Wei Ziyi remarked, glancing at Yang Xiaoyun.

"When did they set off?"

"About as long as an incense stick burns."

At this, Yang Xiaoyun looked toward the four cardinal ladies—East, West, South, and North.

"We’ll be counting on your skills soon."

The four girls nodded in unison.

"Don’t worry, Madam Su."

"Right... Then..."

Just as she spoke, she suddenly looked up—the door slammed open.

A few Longmu Island disciples strode in, freezing momentarily upon seeing Yang Xiaoyun and the others.

"You’ve noticed... Saves us the hassle.

"Everyone, out."

At these words, the other fighters lodging in the courtyard filed out from their rooms one after another.

The crate in Zhen Xiaoxiao’s room shook violently, as if fighting to comply—but failing.

That was the Bone Broth’s doing.

Even though Little Situ Taoist’s antidote had cured the Sick Prince inside the box...

They had to sell the act.

From Shi Cheng’s crew’s reactions, the nature of the Bone Broth was such that one sip hooks you.

Given this, who’d drink today and skip tomorrow?

Though Su Mo and the others had indeed refrained, the extra brew had naturally all been consumed by the Sick Prince.

Though the previous poisoning had been neutralized, today, he was back under its spell.

No wonder he was like this now.

The only pity was that, trapped in the crate, all he could manage was a weak rattle.

Su Mo saw this coming.

But he wondered—how could commands still work after long-term use?

There had to be a trick to it.

Yang Xiaoyun took mental note of this matter but showed no outward reaction.

Watching as everyone in the courtyard filed out of their rooms,

several Dragonwood Island disciples gave a nod of approval:

"This way."

He turned and left, while the martial artists behind him followed blankly.

Yang Xiaoyun and her group mingled with them, putting on the same vacant look and mimicking their steps.

Exiting the courtyard, they joined the stream of people, following these Dragonwood Island disciples as they made their rounds in this area.

There were also complications.

Some had their guard up against Dragonwood City all along and thus had resisted its influence.

But once discovered, the Dragonwood Island disciples quickly subdued them.

After some setbacks, the group finally left the city lord's residence.

After making their way through the winding streets, they arrived at the very center of Dragonwood City.

Here lay a huge plaza, usually empty, its purpose a mystery.

But now Yang Xiaoyun understood.

The open space was now teeming with people.

Some stood in groups of two or three, others alone, spread out across the grounds.

Before each group was a bed covered with a white cloth.

On nearby racks lay an array of instruments—knives, hammers, pliers, and the like.

Recalling the island's abominable rules and the rumors of limb replacements,

the purpose of these people became painfully clear.

Yet, unexpectedly, those waiting here to process these people were not all Dragonwood Island disciples.

Most were regular townsfolk of Dragonwood Island!

These usually docile residents now wore completely altered faces—faces twisted with malice, some sharpening blades, others appraising the martial artists like cattle at market.

The leading Dragonwood Island disciple clutched a ledger.

Now, he barked:

"Zhou Qing."

A burly man stepped forward from the crowd.

The Dragonwood Island disciple glanced at him:

"Grade C!"

"That one's mine."

A man holding a boning knife stepped forward:

"Come on, trash. Dying by my blade is more honor than you're worth."

Zhou Qing, still dazed and unaware, followed behind him.

Meanwhile, the disciple of Dragonwood Island continued calling names.

They were broadly classified into tiers: A, B, C, and D.

Different tiers meant different handlers.

Yang Xiaoyun watched coldly as Zhou Qing, the first to step out from the crowd, now lay on a bed draped in white.

His upper garments had been removed, revealing a muscular torso.

The man with the boning knife studied him silently.

His gaze seemed to be figuring where to make the first cut for the cleanest result.

At this point, Yang Xiaoyun couldn’t just stand by. She whispered covertly:

"Begin..."

As soon as she spoke, the four cardinal ladies—East, West, South, and North—moved without a trace.

Nothing around them seemed to change.

The Dragonwood Island disciple paused his name-calling and instead announced:

"Remember, stick to the registry. Don’t make unnecessary cuts.

"Be decisive—no hesitation, no fumbling.

"Severed limbs must be placed immediately into the frost-jade boxes, or they’ll be worthless.

"Anyone who lags gets that rotten meat shoved down their throat!

"Now, begin."

With his command, the eager crowd readied their blades.

The man with the boning knife, staring down at Zhou Qing, hesitated no longer. The glint of his knife flashed as he lined up the bone gap.

But just then, Zhou Qing suddenly reached out and grabbed the man’s wrist:

"...What are you doing to me?"

"Huh?"

The man with the knife stared dumbfounded:

"Did the Bone Broth fail?"

Before he could react, Zhou Qing lunged up and cracked the man’s skull with a backhand.

A sickening *crunch*—and the man dropped dead.

This sudden change cast a hush over the entire area.

The leader of the Dragonwood Island group, his face changed slightly:

"Seize them!"

His command was directed at the Southern Seas martial artists who had accompanied them.

Yet, as his voice faded, the surroundings remained completely still.

The crowd looked at each other in confusion.

"How did I end up here?"

"Just now, it felt like I was possessed..."

"Did the Dragonwood Island people do something to us?"

"Those bastards! Are they trying to slaughter us like livestock?"

The murmurs began softly but soon turned to angry shouts as they realized what happened.

Yesterday, Su Mo had retrieved an antidote from the pharmacy in the Labyrinth Cavern.

He then asked Little Situ to help replicate it.

For her, this was easy as pie.

Outside normal pharmacology, only the Other Shore Flower posed a challenge. As for countering the Soul Loss Powder, she didn't dare say she had hundreds of methods, but dozens of ways to do it.

Using the Other Shore Flower as a base, she soon created an antidote to the Bone Broth after a brief attempt.

She then re-employed a method to administer the antidote through inhalation.

Now, nearly all those who had come ashore were gathered in one place.

The four cardinal ladies—East, West, South, and North—used their abilities to deliver the antidote to each person.

The effects of the Bone Broth were thus completely cured.

Recalling the recent events, everyone present broke out in a cold sweat.

It had been a close call—they had nearly been slaughtered like animals!

Now, with their senses restored, they didn't hesitate.

They immediately attacked, trying to capture or kill all the Dragonwood Island disciples present.

These disciples were skilled in martial arts, but they were badly outnumbered.

After a short fight, they were either captured or killed.

The leader among them, seeing how bad things were, knew things were going badly.

He immediately pulled out a bone flute from beneath his robes.

Puffing up his cheeks, he blew into it with all his might.

The flute emitted no sound, making no sound at all.

However, from the shadows beyond the square, a rustling sound suddenly rose in waves.

Accompanied by ragged breathing, it reached the ears of everyone present.

"What is that?"

Some scanned the darkness, while others glared furiously at the *Dragonwood Island* disciple who had blown the bone flute.

The man only smirked.

"Though I don’t know... who exactly lifted the mind-fogging toxin of the *Bone Broth* from you,

"in my opinion, you’d have been better off lost in its delirium than opening your eyes... to face this Avīci Hell."

"*Bone Broth*... mind-fogging toxin?

"That explains it!"

"Who was the hero who cured us?"

"What does he mean by 'Avīci Hell'?"

"Something’s coming."

As they whispered, shadows rippled through the night within the darkness, and the sound of labored breathing grew clearer.

The next moment, when the creature stepped into the flickering firelight,

everyone present went deathly pale.

"What... is that?"

The approaching figure was large, seemingly stitched together from three bodies. Its lower half was a tangled thicket of legs, one after another, encircling it—some moving, some limp,

and some already rotted down to bone.

Above were three faces and six arms.

Unfortunately, two of the heads were already dead,

lolling grotesquely over the torso, emitting a stench of decay.

Yet each of the six arms held a weapon.

When it neared the crowd, whether startled by the firelight or not, it froze in place.

Even these battle-hardened fighters, who had seen their share of horrors, had never imagined facing such an abomination.

For a moment, their blood ran cold.

"What demon is this?"

"What kind of place... is this *Dragonwood Island* have we been brought to?"

Many were already scared before the battle even started.

Witnessing this unfathomable sight, many were frozen with terror.

Just then, an earth-shaking boom erupted.

The crowd felt as though some colossal beast was shaking the earth.

Following the sound, they saw a burly man, charging toward the "monster" with a single-legged bronze figure hoisted in his hands.

"Now that's a real man!"

"Such bravery!"

"Hero, be careful!!"

People cried out in amazement as the burly man reached the "monster."

He whirled the single-legged bronze figure overhead, smashing it directly at the abomination—the three-headed, six-armed creature resembling a "monster."

The abomination reacted instantly, crossing its six weapons in defense.

A sickening crunch resounded!

The moment the six weapons met the bronze figure, they splintered on impact.

The bronze figure crushed straight into the abomination's last remaining head, sending it flying with a devastating blow.

Limbs attached to its body went flying in all directions.

The head itself burst apart, splattering dark ichor, and lay motionless upon hitting the ground.

"He killed the monster?!"

"That was brutal!"

"Who could survive a blow like that?"

As the crowd looked at each other in shock, a voice spoke up:

"Everyone... what you're seeing is no monster.

"It is a tragedy... created by Dragonwood Isle!

"This is an Abomination, stitched together from living human limbs.

"The people of Dragonwood Isle tried to forge an unprecedented martial arts master through such means.

"Yet they failed repeatedly... ultimately birthing these abominations—neither man nor demon...

"Though hideous to look at, they remain mere flesh and blood.

"You are all martial arts masters—do not panic!

"Don't lose heart before you even fight!"

The woman's voice cut through the air.

As the crowd turned to look, they saw a fearless woman stepping forward from their midst, a gleaming silver spear in hand.

She was flanked by four women.

The crowd froze briefly before understanding hit them, and someone immediately asked,

"Was it you who cured us, ma'am?"

The woman holding the silver spear was none other than Yang Xiaoyun.

She gave an easy smile and said,

"My husband couldn't stand seeing y'all trapped here, so he risked his neck multiple times to find the antidote.

"It was only just now that we had the chance to use it.

"To snap y'all out of that daze.

"But now is not the time for this..."

Yang Xiaoyun tapped her Dragon Abyss Spear: "The Lord of Longmu Island lured us here under various pretexts, just to pull this kind of sick stunt.

"Don’t y'all wish to find the Lord of Longmu Island and get some answers?"

"She's got a point!"

"Indeed, let’s find the Lord of Longmu Island and ask him what he truly intends!"

"Abominations... incoming!!"

As the last words fell, the shadows finally spat out the figures hiding within.

All hell broke loose from that moment on!

……

……

When Shi Cheng blearily opened his eyes once more,

he found himself lying on a stone bed.

Someone stood with their back to him, messing with something on a table.

Shi Cheng held his breath, watching like a hawk, afraid the figure might notice he had awakened.

At the same time, he tried to channel his qi, only to find his body completely empty.

Years of hard-earned skills seemed to have gone up in smoke.

His stomach dropped endlessly—for a martial artist, nothing was more devastating than losing all their skills.

Even Shi Cheng, who was no stranger to danger, couldn't shake the creeping dread at this moment.

"Easy now, easy."

The figure with its back to him spoke softly:

"You just got poisoned. This stuff won't kill you.

"It only locks down your qi."

"The truth is... your internal energy is still there, you just can't sense it."

As he spoke, he turned around to look at Shi Cheng.

The Elder with the Lantern!

Shi Cheng managed a weak smile:

"You... you didn’t bring your lantern today."

"Let’s not worry about that now."

The Lanternbearing Elder chuckled. "Do you know what today is?"

"...Today, is the day I receive the Island Master’s legacy?"

Shi Cheng forced himself to answer.

The Lanternbearing Elder nodded. "Correct... But do you know what kind of inheritance the Dragonwood Island’s succession truly is?"

"Please enlighten me, Senior."

Shi Cheng was indeed very curious about this.

Since he couldn’t access his internal energy for now, it was better to keep the conversation going and engage with this old man, while trying to figure out a way to neutralize the poison.

"It’s really quite simple..."

The Lanternbearing Elder said softly:

"The inheritance first involves passing down the Island Master’s internal energy.

"That is the *Heaven-Mending Art*!

"This art was found on the Celestial Stele and has been passed down through generations of Island Masters.

"Each Island Master, on their deathbed, imparts their internal energy to the next."

"If that’s the case... then wouldn’t I be gaining an incredible windfall?"

Shi Cheng let out a hollow laugh.

"If we’re speaking of the original inheritance, then yes, it would indeed be a huge benefit."

The Lanternbearing Elder also smiled and nodded:

"However, after two or three generations of this tradition, one Island Master suddenly became reluctant to part with his lifelong cultivation.

"He wanted to keep all that power for himself, but his body was already rotting away...

"So what did he do?"

At this point, he looked at Shi Cheng. "Then he had an outrageous idea.

"What if he transferred his power to the next Island Master... and then took over his body instead?"