Poison God's Heritage

Chapter 870 Touchdown

From a distance, Solarous looked like a pristine, unspoiled world. The kind of place one might dream of settling on—a paradise. Rolling hills, endless forests, and oceans stretched out beneath us, glimmering like jewels in the soft light of distant stars. But the closer we got, the more everything felt wrong. The beauty was deceptive, a veneer barely covering the rot beneath.

The silence was the first sign. As our ship slowly descended toward the surface, the usual sounds of life—the calls of wild animals, the buzz of insects—were conspicuously absent. Nothing stirred. The only creatures visible were a few lonely birds, soaring high in the sky, their distant silhouettes like black dots against the endless horizon. No animals roamed the ground below.

No demonic beasts prowled in the forests. And certainly, no people. The planet felt unnaturally empty.

As we touched down, the ship's hull softly grinding against the soil, the sense of desolation only deepened. The earth was dry, cracked in places, with tufts of dying grass sprouting sporadically, a half-hearted attempt at life. There was no wind, no rustling of leaves, just the oppressive weight of stillness.

"This spot is relatively safe," Tao Yang said, breaking the eerie silence, her voice sounding far too loud in the dead air.

I stepped off the ship, my boots crunching against the brittle ground. The entire world seemed frozen in time, devoid of the chaotic energy that usually permeated places like this. It was unsettling, like walking through the ruins of a forgotten civilization where even the ghosts had given up haunting the place.

"You have any idea where the original Rakshasa might be hiding?" I asked, scanning the horizon. My voice, too, sounded unnaturally loud in the stillness.

Tao Yang's gaze was distant, her brow furrowed in thought. "I have no idea. The Rakshasa are masters of stealth and deception. We'll have to investigate carefully. But remember this—once they know we're here, they will not stop. They'll hunt us relentlessly until we're either dead or converted into one of them."

Her words hung in the air like a death sentence. We knew the stakes before we arrived, but hearing them spoken aloud sharpened the reality of our situation.

"Understood," I replied. Reaching into my pocket, I activated the ship's internal comms system. "Everyone, we've touched down on Solarous. This place is hostile, so once we step outside, maintain absolute silence and keep a low profile. I've left communication bracelets in your quarters—they're designed to hide your Qi signature when idle. Wear them at all times."

A series of acknowledgments crackled through the comms, and I turned to the others, giving a final nod. "Let's move out."

Everyone exited the ship under the shades of incredibly tall trees.

The ship, still in its translucent mode, blended seamlessly into the landscape, becoming one with the cracked earth and vegetation. From a distance, it would appear as nothing more than a shimmer in the air, invisible to any prying eyes. For now, at least, we were safe.

"What's the plan?" Master Rain asked, stepping up beside me, his gaze calm but his posture tense.

Before I could answer, the Blue Sun jumped in, her voice crisp with the efficiency of a leader used to giving orders. "We'll need to split up. It's the only way we'll cover enough ground quickly and quietly. We need to locate the Queen, and we can't afford to waste time sticking together."

Law, ever cautious, frowned deeply. His unease was palpable. "I don't like splitting up," he said, his voice low but firm. "It feels like we're walking into a trap."

I could understand his hesitation. Splitting up made us more vulnerable, especially in a place like this where the unknowns far outweighed what little we knew. But there wasn't much choice. We had to cover as much ground as possible, and there simply wasn't time to stick together.

"You'll come with me then," I told him, trying to inject a note of reassurance into my voice. "YuYu and Liang Yu will also join us. And we'll take the Slave." I glanced toward the Slave, still standing in the shadows, his chains clinking softly as he shifted uncomfortably.

The Blue Sun nodded, though her gaze lingered on the Slave for a moment. "Alright, I'll take Master Rain, Dao Shen, and Zhang Tian with me. We'll scout the northern region and keep our comms open."

"That leaves Tao Yang with the Fire King and Jade Dragon," I said, looking at Tao Yang for confirmation.

Her face was unreadable, but her eyes were sharp. "That'll work," she agreed. The combination of Tao Yang's Pseudo Sun stage, the Jade Dragon's raw power, and the Fire King' made them a decently good team. But even so, the weight of what we were facing was clear in her voice.

The Blue Sun tilted her head, her gaze narrowing as she studied me. "Are you sure about your team? You don't have a Sun stage with you, and this planet is crawling with Rakshasa. If you're caught, you won't have the firepower to hold them off."

I smirked, though inwardly I was well aware of the risk. "We'll manage. Law's luck is unmatched, and with the Slave by my side, we've got more than enough strength."

Just as the words left my mouth, the Slave stepped out from the shadows, his heavy chains clinking against the ground. He was a pitiful sight—bald, hunched, his mouth sewn shut by black threads. His skin was marred with burns and scars, each one marked with the word Slave, etched deep into his flesh.

His wrists and ankles were bound in iron cuffs, and a thick iron collar wrapped around his neck, dragging him down like a weight. He moved with a slow, shuffling gait, each step a reminder of the price he had paid for crossing me. Explore more stories at empire

"Bang Juyi?" Jade Dragon's voice was filled with confusion and disbelief. He stared at the Slave as if seeing a ghost. "This is the man you spoke of? Him?"

"Indeed," I said coldly, not bothering to hide my disdain. "Is there a problem?"

Jade Dragon hesitated, clearly disturbed by the sight before him. "What… what kind of abomination could he have committed to deserve this fate?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Tao Yang stepped forward, her eyes hard. "He barged into Shen Bao's domain, tried to force him to submit, and even attempted to force himself on his wife."

Her words hit like a hammer, the shock of them rippling through the group. YuYu and Liang Yu exchanged glances, confusion clear on their faces. They weren't present during the event, and their minds raced to piece together what had happened.

It wasn't either of them. In truth, it had been Tao Yang. She wasn't really my wife, but I had used that title to protect her when Bang Juyi tried to force her into submission. He had made the mistake of trying to have her serve him, and when he pushed too far... well it's obvious from how he looks.

I reached down, grabbed the Slave by the collar, and yanked him up roughly until his terrified eyes met mine. "Quite the interesting twist, don't you think?" I sneered, leaning close enough that he could feel my breath on his skin. "That's what happens when you cross Du Shen. You're lucky—you got off easier than most. Galaxies have been wiped from existence for far less.

I've destroyed entire sects for disrespecting those I've cared about."

His eyes were wide with fear, but he couldn't speak. The threads sewn into his lips prevented any words from escaping.

I leaned in closer, my voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "You should thank the Red Sun for his mercy. If it wasn't for him, your fate would have been far worse."

I shoved him backward, and he stumbled, his legs giving out beneath him as he collapsed into the dust, his chains clanking loudly as they dragged across the ground. He remained on his knees, his head bowed in submission.

Jade Dragon shook his head, his face pale. "I don't fully understand what happened, but those are the Slave marks of the Slaughter Sect. I won't question it."

Liang Yu, who had been silent throughout the exchange, finally spoke through Divine Sense. "What do you mean, 'former wife'?"

I smiled, amused by her curiosity. "It's an old story," I replied. "Older than you can imagine. Probably before even your master was born."

"I didn't think you were capable of such cruelty," she said, her voice carrying a note of surprise.

"Cruel?" I chuckled darkly. "Perhaps. But you must remember, I am not just Shen Bao. I am also Du Shen. And Du Shen rarely forgets and never forgives."