Poison God's Heritage

Chapter 901 Unexpected Trouble

Six months had passed outside since we began the meticulous work inside the Lord of Lords Pagoda. Through countless days and nights of experimentation and hypothesis, we were finally seeing the fruits of our labor—though the journey had been far from smooth.

"So, how is it going?" the Blue Sun asked, peering over my shoulder. She moved her hair aside, her curious gaze fixed on the vial in my hand. Despite what might look like an intimate gesture to others, our relationship was rooted firmly in mutual respect, a shared fascination with research, and an unspoken camaraderie that only true scholars of battle and knowledge understood.

Turning to meet her gaze, I couldn't help but flash a grin. "It's working," I replied, excitement bright in my eyes, "and impressively so, albeit with a few minor issues."

Her face lit up in response, her smile mirroring my own before concern crept into her expression. "This is great news," she said, "but I'm guessing those minor issues are what's holding us back."

I nodded and beckoned her closer to the microscope. "See for yourself," I said, handing her a vial with a viscous gray solution.

The Blue Sun adjusted the microscope, her eyes narrowing in concentration as I placed a sample of Broodmother tissue onto the slide. Carefully, I added a drop of the Soulsteel-infused poison. The solution spread across the tissue, immediately beginning to break down the cells, disintegrating them at an astonishing rate and transforming them into a dark, unrecognizable mush.

"Impressive," she murmured, though a frown formed on her lips as she watched the reaction further. The tissue began to recoil from the affected area, as though the Broodmother's cells instinctively recognized the poison and moved to isolate the infected part.

"I assume this is the minor issue you're talking about," she noted, leaning back.

"Exactly. The Soulsteel poison works in magnificent ways—it's self-replicating within the infected cells, which means it can spread and devastate any part of the Broodmother it touches. But the tissue of the Queen has an uncanny ability to segment itself. Every time a section gets poisoned, the surrounding cells isolate it, effectively blocking the spread before it can reach a critical mass."

Tao Yang, who had been observing from the side, chimed in. "Could we use ranged injections? Your bullets and rifles could reach different areas simultaneously, hitting several points at once and overwhelming her ability to contain the poison."

I nodded. "That's currently our most viable strategy. If we attack from multiple angles, the Broodmother's cells might not be able to separate themselves fast enough."

I frowned. Usually, he would simply open the gate without any announcement. "What is it?"

"There is a significant disturbance outside, Lord. I initially refrained from alerting you, considering you were on the brink of a breakthrough. However, the situation has escalated beyond my estimations."

"Open the gate," I ordered, a hint of irritation in my voice.

"As you wish lord, I will also open several portals to allow out the puppets, we'll need them," he said.

Tao Yang and the Blue Sun immediately drew their weapons, their expressions shifting from satisfaction to determination. The three Son brothers looked around nervously; though talented researchers, their cultivation was only at the Emperor stage—formidable for scholars, but inadequate against what could be a formidable threat outside.

As the gate opened, the ground beneath us trembled, and the distant sounds of chaos and clashing energy reverberated through the air. Even from within the secure confines of the pagoda, we could feel the very mountain shaking, punctuated by distant shouts and the dissonant, eerie laughter of the captive Rakshasa in the labs.

"What in the hell is going on?" I muttered, scanning the lab only to find it abandoned, with a few crazed Rakshasa captives screaming with unsettling glee as if they sensed something coming.

"Shen Bao," the Blue Sun said, her face deadly serious, "use your Divine Sense."

Releasing my Divine Sense, I stretched it across the mountain and was stunned by what I saw. The entire sect was in disarray. Hundreds of thousands of beings that once appeared human now moved with an eerie, unnatural gait, shambling through the sect with grotesque expressions and an otherworldly hunger in their eyes killing and slaughtering anyone that wasn't one of them, or worse, turning them into their shape and form. The sect grounds, which had been peaceful, had devolved into anarchy, with disciples scattering in every direction.

In the midst of the madness, two figures clashed with devastating intensity, tearing through buildings and stone as if they were paper. One of them was Tonfa, though his face bore the strain of desperation and he was missing an arm. Blood streaked down his side, and his robes were torn and bloodied. His opponent was a horrific sight, half-human, half-Rakshasa, his face twisted and contorted beyond recognition. But the distinct robes left no doubt—this monstrosity was Xuan Fei, or what was left of him.

"What in Heaven's name is going on here?" I whispered.