Chapter 426: The Celestial Stele Appears

Chapter 426: The Celestial Stele Appears

Inside the room, the Lantern-Bearing Elder's words struck like a thunderbolt.

Shi Cheng's expression darkened:

"A... head-replacement technique?"

"Young Island Master is quite knowledgeable, aren't you?"

The Lantern-Bearing Elder said with a smile:

"But heads too will rot in time—what then?"

"This..."

Shi Cheng was stunned for a moment: "Could it be..."

"Head-replacement is but a crude method."

The Lantern-Bearing Elder said softly:

"Brain transplantation is the true art!"

"That's impossible..."

Shi Cheng instinctively shook his head: "Head-replacement is already horrifying enough, but brain transplantation... that's beyond comprehension.

"And didn't you just say the head decays? Doesn't the brain decay as well?"

"The unenlightened naturally know nothing of the Island Master's transcendent power."

The Lantern-Bearing Elder smiled faintly:

"The Island Master's methods have long transcended the limits of mortal medicine.

"Extract the brain and preserve it in a vat, immersed in alchemical solution.

"After ten years, the brain shows no decay.

"Then transplant it into another's skull, connecting life and death with the *red spider lily*.

"And it lives again!

"In every movement, it moves and appears exactly as before."

"Senior, you can't be serious...

"Where did such madman's ravings come from?

"This is sheer fantasy, completely impossible."

Shi Cheng gave a slight shake of his head, his words laced with caution.

Yet the Lantern-Bearing Elder drew nearer to him and asked with a smile:

"Does the Young Island Master truly doubt what this elder says?"

"I..."

"You believe it now, don't you?"

The Old Man with the Lantern smiled.

"Moreover, whether you believe it or not, Young Island Master, from here on your head..."

His finger lightly touched Shi Cheng's hairline, tracing along that line halfway around his skull.

Just this motion made Shi Cheng break out in a cold sweat.

"All the way to here..."

The Old Man with the Lantern's voice continued: "They'll inevitably take a blade to you. They'll crack open your skull, your brain removed. Then they'll replace it with the Island Master's brain..."

"And when Young Island Master awakens again,"

"We'll be calling you..."

"Island Master."

Shi Cheng gritted his teeth, unable to suppress his fury:

"How dare you commit such atrocities?"

"Dragonwood Island is out of the way. Even if we break a few laws,"

"Who'd even notice?"

The Old Man with the Lantern gave a soft chuckle: "This time, once the Island Master takes over your body, he will rightfully leave Dragonwood Island."

"To officially rule the Southern Seas..."

"With Shi Shengtian's legacy, the Southern Seas Martial Sovereign,"

"Plus the title of Dragonwood Island's Island Master,"

"It will be enough to earn Dragonwood Island its rightful place in the martial world!"

Shi Cheng shot him a cold glare.

The old man just kept smiling.

Finally, Shi Cheng sighed and dropped a bombshell:

"Tell me, what do you want me to do?"

The Old Man with the Lantern showed no surprise:

"This old man wants... to save your life!"

"Save my life?"

Shi Cheng frowned slightly: "Give me one reason to trust you?"

"Do you even have a choice now?"

The old man's smile didn't waver.

"Damn right I do."

Shi Cheng laughed.

"......"

The Lanternbearing Elder sighed softly upon seeing this:

"Why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind?"

"If I really had no choice, why waste your breath on this crap?"

"Since you've said all this, you’ve got at least two goals."

"First, to push me to despair."

"A drowning man will clutch at straws."

"Second, to get me to follow your lead..."

"You claim to want to save my life, which means the terms would keep changing."

"One way if I play along, another if I don’t."

"For instance, how’re you planning to save me?"

"What do you need from me in this process?"

"If I didn't need to do anything, you wouldn't need to say so much."

"You could’ve just saved me without me knowing."

"With all this talk, you’re not just fishing for thanks, are you?"

"If that's the case, want me to say thanks right now?"

"......"

The Lanternbearing Elder looked Shi Cheng up and down carefully, then suddenly smiled:

"Got more to say?"

"Nothing... All you’re saying is you'll save me, make me trust you, then get me to go along with your scheme."

"Right now you're only doing two things."

"One is to lay your cards on the table—tell me why I should believe you."

"The other is... to spell out what you want me to do."

"Should I say this is indeed what I’d expect from the successor of the South Sea’s Martial King, Shi Shengtian?"

The Lanternbearing Elder raised an eyebrow, then said with a smile:

"This is nothing like the guy who first showed up on the island that night."

Shi Cheng snapped, "Cut the crap. You talking or what?"

By now, Shi Cheng's face had lost all trace of that naive, friendly act he'd worn when first arriving on the island.

Even paralyzed as he was, his eyes burned with unmistakable intensity.

The Lanternbearing Elder sighed:

"To be honest, I am not originally from Dragon-Timber Island..."

"Oh?"

Shi Cheng couldn't help but look at the Lanternbearing Elder.

"I originate from... the Shattered Star Sect."

The Lanternbearing Elder let out a long breath: "My true name... is Meng Feifan!"

"You're Meng Feifan?"

Shi Cheng's eyes widened sharply: "The son of current Shattered Star Sect Master Meng Tianyuan? But... Meng Tianyuan is just seventy years old now. If you're his son, how could you be... so old?"

The Lanternbearing Elder didn't respond, casually pulling aside the black cloth hanging from his hat brim.

Revealing the other half of his face.

It was the face of a middle-aged man. Though only half was visible, one could still vaguely discern the handsome youth he once was.

"So this is your true appearance?"

Shi Cheng was momentarily taken aback: "I heard that Meng Tianyuan's son Meng Feifan and his wife Qu Hanyan suddenly disappeared over a decade ago.

"Did you... truly become stranded on this island?"

"Over a decade ago..."

Meng Feifan looked up, half his face contorted and sinister, the other half profoundly weary.

His eyes filled with reminiscence, he finally heaved a heavy sigh:

"I trained in martial arts since childhood. By age twelve, I had already mastered every technique our sect possessed, with nothing left to practice.

"Later, through wedding into the Qu family, I obtained their Thirty-Six Yuanfu Yin Hands technique, mastering it in three years.

"At that point, no one among my peers in the sect could stand against me.

"So I pleaded with my father to let me study the Twelve Shattered Star Finger techniques.

"But my father flatly refused.

"He told me, without rules there can be no order.

"The Twelve Shattered Star Finger techniques could only be learned by the Sect Master, or those who performed exceptional deeds for the sect...

"Though I begged desperately, I ultimately had no choice but to give up.

"At eighteen, I married my wife and roamed the jianghu for several years.

"Though I earned significant renown, my martial arts could no longer progress.

"Continuing like this would only waste my years...

"After discussing with my wife, we decided to risk everything.

"If extraordinary service was required to learn the Twelve Shattered Star Finger techniques... then we would perform an earth-shattering deed.

"A deed so significant... that even my father would never dare say 'no' to it!!"

"..."

Shi Cheng was stunned for a moment: "You weren’t chasing glory—you were begging for death!"

"That’s right."

Meng Feifan nodded lightly:

"You’re right... but at the time, my wife and I knew almost nothing about Dragonwood Island.

"This matter was a secret known only to the sect leader within the Shattered Star Sect.

"Only the sect leader knew.

"Only by leveraging my status as the leader’s son did I manage to sneak a glimpse of the truth.

"Young and reckless...

"And so, we fell into the abyss.

"After landing on the island, we initially thought its inhabitants were no threat.

"Even when we saw the ordinary folks, we didn’t give them a second thought.

"By day, the island was a lively place of music and dancing, showing no signs of danger.

"But who could have guessed that come nightfall... the island would show its true colors.

"The martial arts my wife and I were so proud of meant nothing before these people.

"We were taken down without a fight.

"And during the struggle, we used our sect’s martial arts.

"Thus... our identities could no longer be hidden.

"The son of Meng Tianyuan was no nobody, after all.

"They didn’t harm me physically but instead turned us both over to the Grand Physician."

As he spoke, he grabbed an incense burner from a nearby table, placed it beside Shi Cheng, opened the lid, and lit it with a fire striker.

Wisps of scented smoke began to drift upward.

Shi Cheng winced but didn’t protest.

The Lanternbearing Elder continued:

"The Grand Physician was obsessed with cultivating medicine slaves...

"He worked tirelessly to study medicine, standing as the best physician on the island.

"He held more than a hundred medicine slaves, mostly to test drugs on.

"In my life, I had never been afraid of anyone.

"But now, I have to say... he became the nightmare that still haunts me."

"What he did to us...to my wife and me..."

"Even now, years after his death, when nightmares wake me at midnight, I still cannot help but... be utterly terrified."

At this point, he pointed to his ravaged half-face:

"This is one of his... touches.

"Defiance brings suffering, resistance is meaningless.

"If you want to live a little better, you must learn to bow your head and bend your back...

"And steel your heart!

"I only fully understood this truth after my wife died.

"Not all the yaonu were kept in the courtyard or cages.

"The Grand Physician would select a few yaonu to help him manage the others.

"A euphemism, really—'using slaves to control slaves.'

"And after that, I became the Grand Physician's lapdog.

"No longer the rising star of the Shattered Star Sect.

"I even forgot my identity as the Sect Master's son.

"I attended to the Grand Physician's every need with perfect obedience...

"Perhaps because I served well, within a short time, I became his favorite among all the yaonu.

"And so, I gained more.

"He would teach his yaonu medical theory and train them in yishu.

"This man envied and feared talent.

"Anyone on the island with exceptional medical aptitude would meet with 'accidents.'

"But not the yaonu—all of them were his to command absolutely.

"He was confident that the yaonu could never rise against him."

"...And yet, you still rebelled?" Shi Cheng said.

Meng Feifan shook his head:

"I didn't lead the rebellion.

"I just saw my chance.

"The rebel... was the Grand Physician himself!"

"The Grand Physician?" Shi Cheng gave a slow blink. "What is the origin of this incense?"

"My eyes feel so heavy I can barely keep them open."

Meng Feifan did not answer him but instead said:

"The Grand Physician is resentful of those more talented and uses shockingly cruel methods.

"The Island Master has always turned a blind eye to this.

"In the past, I didn’t understand, but now I do.

"Unfortunately, the Island Master’s indulgence has also spawned this catastrophe.

"After all, no one could have imagined that the Grand Physician—whose medical skills were so advanced and whose authority on the island was second only to the Island Master himself—would also betray...

"No one expected that those mind-altering drugs could also be countered.

"And what he coveted was what the Island Master had always possessed.

"But this, without question, touched the Island Master’s reverse scale.

"And then he died...

"He left chaos in his wake and created the current situation.

"Still, this is our one and only chance.

"The only chance to drag that lofty, domineering, and untouchable Island Master down from his divine pedestal."

"...What are you going to do to me now?"

Shi Cheng shook his head, feeling his mind growing foggy.

Yet his qi was gradually showing signs of recovery.

"I’ll give you a new face, a new identity."

Meng Feifan smiled and said, "We're almost out of time, and the people he can trust are fewer and fewer...

"Remember, each of the ThirtyTwo Laws is extraordinary.

"Though the First Law is the head of the ThirtyTwo Laws, it is only because the Island Master said so.

"If the First Law’s words conflict with the Island Master’s orders,

"the ThirtyTwo Laws will kill the First Law first...

"So, don’t take unnecessary risks.

"You only need to do two things!

"Get away from here.

"And then... intercept one person."

"Who..."

Shi Cheng struggled to speak.

Meng Feifan’s lips barely moved, whispered two words:

"Su Mo..."

Shi Cheng's eyes widened briefly in shock, but the next instant, he blacked out completely.

When he opened his eyes again, he realized he wasn’t lying down anywhere.

Half his sight was blocked—half of his face was covered by a black cloth.

The distant roar of tides filled his ears, and the surroundings were an extremely dim cave.

Testing his inner energy flow, he confirmed that his strength had fully recovered.

"Did they switch me with him?"

Shi Cheng frowned:

"No way…"

Just as he was about to turn around, he already heard footsteps.

Looking up, he saw a group of black-clad figures approaching.

Behind them, a palanquin was borne.

The palanquin was enclosed by curtains; inside loomed a hulking shadow.

Just seeing the shadow, crushing pressure washed over him.

True martial artists never flaunt their power.

The stronger you are, the more you hide it.

As the saying goes: "Real masters stay hidden, and those who show their hand are no true masters."

During the morning banquet that day, the Island Master hadn’t been this blatantly powerful.

Now, it seemed he was barely holding back his energy.

While Shi Cheng processed this, the group stopped.

"Where is he?"

The Island Master spoke, his voice hit Shi Cheng like a wave, nearly buckling his knees.

He fought to stay upright, bowing low, then noticed the lantern in his hand...

Blinking, he answered, only to find his voice identical to that of the Lanternbearing Elder:

"Inside."

"Hmm."

The Island Master gave a slight nod. "Do your duty well, and you might even earn the title of Grand Physician.

"Now go."

"Understood."

Shi Cheng responded and stepped aside, allowing the Island Master and his entourage to pass.

Sneaking glances, Shi Cheng noticed that the men and women around him all had glazed, empty stares—clearly under the influence of some drug.

The Island Master ran this island with an iron fist, and the closer one was to him, the more vigilant he remained.

In contrast, the so-called Lanternbearing Elder, Meng Feifan, clearly wasn’t fully trusted by the Island Master yet.

As Shi Cheng continued his furtive watching, his gaze suddenly caught a familiar figure in the crowd.

"Huh?"

Shi Cheng's eyes widened as he stared at 'Zhen Suren,' whose own eyes were blank, mechanically following the others, oblivious to Shi Cheng's scrutiny.

Coming back to his senses, Shi Cheng averted his gaze, though a sly grin tugged at his lips.

"Identity swap, role reversal?

"Meng Feifan... You didn’t just want to save my life—you’re aiming for something bigger.

"But despite all your plotting, you never anticipated...

"That the biggest X-factor on this island would be brought in by the Island Master personally to the heart of it all.

"Whether your plan succeeds remains to be seen.

"Though... you also told me to stop Su Mo...

"That man is truly mysterious. Would he even make it here?"

Once the last of the group had entered the cave, Shi Cheng didn’t bother following.

Apart from himself, impersonating the 'First Law,' the rest of the Thirty-Two Laws had already locked down every way in and out, leaving no gaps.

His best bet now was indeed to get out fast.

As for whether to stop Su Mo...

A quick stall wouldn’t hurt.

Not for Meng Feifan, but for 'Zhen Suren.'

Decision made, Shi Cheng turned on his heel and left.

Truthfully, he had no real interest in the affairs of this island.

If not for a friend asking, he would never have gotten mixed up in this mess at all.

Now, if he could just leave without a trace, how could he not be overjoyed?

But after walking along the cave for hours, not only was there no sign of Su Mo, but not even a soul could be seen...

To make matters worse, as he scanned his surroundings helplessly:

"Where am I?"

He had actually managed to get lost inside the cave.

......

......

Meanwhile, Shi Cheng, who had lost his way and had no idea where he was, inside the cave, a group of physicians stood in silence along the cave walls.

On the nearby shelves were various tools—medicine cauldrons, basins, sharp knives, suturing needles, saws, and jars of all sizes...

Several men and women from the ThirtyTwo Laws lowered the palanquin.

From within came the voice of the Island Master:

"Dismissed."

"Yes."

The members of the ThirtyTwo Laws all departed, leaving only the physicians behind.

The Island Master glanced at them but gave them no further thought. After taking a long, deep breath, with great effort, heaved himself upright, stepping out of the palanquin.

At this point, the Island Master's true form stood fully exposed before the eyes of the physicians.

The others were already spellbound, completely mesmerized.

Only Zhen Suren's eyes narrowed imperceptibly.

The Island Master, covered in bulbous, tumorous growths, was completely hairless—his appearance was utterly monstrous. The flesh and blood vessels beneath his skin seemed threatening to rupture his very skin.

Could... this thing still be called human?

Lurching unsteadily, he made a dismissive gesture, and the palanquin he had ridden in exploded into splinters.

Amid the flying splinters, a chipped stone monument came into view.

"The Celestial Stele!"

Zhen Suren let out a quiet breath, the ghost of a smile finally appearing at the corners of his lips.

After all this time... there it was!

The fabled relic itself!

But who could have imagined that the Celestial Stele, such a wondrous object, had been concealed this whole time in the Island Master's palanquin?