Poison God's Heritage

The Wisest Sun surged ahead, his form a blur of ancient power and speed, while I—well, I was being dragged along in his wake. We hurtled through the skies, leaving behind the remnants of the battle we'd just escaped. In mere seconds, we reached the teleportation gate within his sect, a flash of light engulfing us as we reappeared in the Red Sun's territory.

As soon as we materialized, the oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily upon us. Even the air seemed thicker, burdened with the tension of the ongoing war. The Wisest Sun tried to lighten the mood, though his grim expression betrayed his true feelings. "After all this is done," he said, his voice echoing with both weariness and resolve, "I'll ask the Blue Sun to set up a gate in your territory.

It's really far from any civilized region, and you could use the connection."

"I'd appreciate that," I replied, my gaze fixed on the sky, where the storm clouds seemed to swirl with malevolent intent.

The Wisest Sun's attempt at normal conversation was half-hearted at best, and we both knew it. How could either of us pretend that the world wasn't teetering on the edge of oblivion? His oldest friend, the Lord of Lords, was now a prisoner of a deranged madman. The very fabric of the Beyond was unraveling, and we were powerless to stop it—at least for now.

"Don't worry about the Darkest Sun," the Wisest Sun continued, his tone laced with a mixture of reassurance and uncertainty. "He'll handle the Rakshasa. You'll never see him ask for help. And if things get ugly, he'll call upon the Titans."

"The Titans… so that's what those giant spheres are?" I asked, my eyes narrowing as I examined the distant horizon, where faint glimmers of red light pulsed ominously.

The Wisest Sun frowned, his gaze following mine, though he saw nothing but the empty sky. "Your bracelet is linked to the probes in the sky. You can see what I'm talking about then."

He glanced down at my bracelet, and his frown deepened into a scowl. The massive spheres I had mentioned were the Red Titans, colossal beings enslaved by the Darkest Sun. Now, they had been unleashed upon the battlefield, uncoiling their monstrous forms to reveal the weapons they wielded—blades and hammers forged to carve mountains and crush entire armies.

Their mere presence sent shivers down my spine.

"Things are getting desperate on his side," the Wisest Sun muttered, more to himself than to me. "We really don't have much time…"

The urgency in his voice was palpable, a stark contrast to his earlier attempt at casual conversation. It was obvious now—the Darkest Sun was struggling. The lack of coordination and timely assistance from the other Suns had pushed him to his limits. He was holding the line, but for how long?

"Let's pick up the pace," the Wisest Sun said, and this time, he wasn't trying to lighten the mood. He shot forward with renewed speed, and I struggled to keep up. My main body would have been able to match his pace, but in this form, I was barely able to stay on his tail. We covered the distance to the central city of the Sea of Demons in less than ten minutes, though it felt like an eternity.

As soon as we arrived, I wasted no time. I dropped down and flew toward the barrier surrounding the city, flinging several of my cubes into the air. My main body awoke, the connection between us pulsing with shared purpose. I appeared beside the Red Sun, who was still simmering with barely contained rage, ready to tear apart anything in his path.

"I'm breaking the gate down," I said, my voice steady as I threw even more cubes into the air. These cubes began to mimic and learn from each other, rapidly deducing the structure of the formation and dismantling it piece by piece. It was a race against time, every second crucial. The cubes worked in unison, their faces rotating and shifting as they neutralized the inscriptions one by one.

The Red Sun, never one for patience, watched with growing frustration as the barrier began to crumble. Finally, when the structure was fragile enough, he could hold back no longer. With a roar of fury, he shattered the remains of the barrier and shot out like a bolt of crimson lightning, hell-bent on hunting down the Cryptic Sun.

"HALT!"

The command was more than just a word—it was a decree. The Wisest Sun's voice carried the weight of Law itself, freezing the Red Sun in mid-air. It was as if time itself had paused, the world holding its breath.

"Why stop me, Wisest One?!" the Red Sun snarled, his voice a low growl that promised violence. His eyes blazed with the fury of a caged beast. "It is unwise to stand between a lion and his prey!"

The Wisest Sun remained calm, his gaze steady. "That's precisely why I'm stopping you. You are a lion, and in your madness, you'll cause more damage than we can handle. Not to mention, the Darkest Sun needs you."

The Red Sun's rage simmered, but the wisdom in the elder Sun's words couldn't be ignored. He clenched his fists, his muscles quivering with the effort it took to restrain himself. "Promise me one thing," he said through gritted teeth, his voice barely a whisper. "When you capture the Cryptic Sun, you'll hand him over to me."

"I promise," the Wisest Sun replied, his tone solemn. There was no hesitation in his voice, only the certainty of a vow made between warriors. The Red Sun gave a curt nod, then shot into the heavens like a meteor, leaving a trail of fiery light in his wake.

"Blue Sun, you'll come with me," the Wisest Sun commanded, his voice brooking no argument.

"I'm tagging along," Tao Yang interjected, her voice firm.

The Wisest Sun turned to her, his expression stern. "This isn't a place you should be in. The entire area is designed to sap one's Qi, and you're not fully at the Sun Stage yet. Remember, they want to capture you for a reason. I cannot allow you to walk into the enemy's den."

Tao Yang opened her mouth to protest, but the Wisest Sun's glare silenced her. He wasn't merely speaking as a leader—he was speaking as someone who had seen the horrors that awaited beyond the barrier.

"Flamboyant, I'll need you to assist the Red Sun," the Wisest Sun continued.

The Flamboyant Sun nodded, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "My pleasure. But I also want a few words with the Death Sun, if he still lives, that is," he said, his tone carrying a dangerous edge. With that, he too soared into the sky, following the Red Sun's path of destruction.

"I'm coming too," I said, stepping forward.

"No!" The word came in unison, a chorus of voices from the Wisest Sun, the Blue Sun, Tao Yang, Liang Yu, and YuYu. The force of their collective refusal was almost enough to knock me back.

"Damn, easy on me," I muttered, raising my hands in surrender. "I know you all think I'm weak, but I'm not stupid. I'll be taking the Lord of Lords' pagoda with me. If things get ugly, I can just dip. Besides, you need me."

The Wisest Sun arched an eyebrow. "And why would we need you?" he asked, skepticism dripping from his words.

"I know the Cryptic Sun's methods," I replied confidently. "I can solve his formations faster than anyone else. Unless you think you can protect me while I do that? Also, I've been to the Dark Garden—I know my way around, and I'm not affected by the Qi-sealing law there."

The Blue Sun crossed her arms, her expression thoughtful. "Shen Bao brings up a good point… If he's with us, we can be more certain that we won't end up trapped in one of the Cryptic Sun's tricks. I'll guard him with my life if I have to."

"Hopefully it won't come to that," I said, trying to sound optimistic. "But we don't have much time left. The Dusking Sun is mortally wounded, but I think he can hold on long enough for us to reach him."

Liang Yu and YuYu stepped forward, their faces etched with worry. "Shen Bao! You just came back! Now you're leaving again? Do you even care about us?" Liang Yu's voice cracked with emotion, and YuYu's eyes were brimming with unshed tears.

I sighed, my heart heavy, "You two know me better than anyone here. I owe the Lord of Lords a debt heavier than the heavens. Without him, his grace, his pagoda, none of us would be alive today. And now, when he's in trouble, you want me to stay here? Is that fair to him? To us?"

They had no response, their shoulders slumping in defeat. They knew I was right, but it didn't make it any easier to accept.

"I promise, I won't do anything reckless. I'll come back to you—soon," I said, my voice gentle as I pulled them into a comforting embrace.

The Blue Sun broke the silence, her voice firm. "Let's head out then."

"I'll need to scan the entire Dark Garden to find them," the Wisest Sun said, his voice filled

with urgency.

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"No need," I said, as I stowed Shen Mo's body inside the pagoda. I shot into the northern skies, the others following close behind. "I know where they are. Follow me."

The Wisest Sun's eyes narrowed in curiosity. "How?"

"I left a tracking device on all the bracelets," I explained. "They all have a way for me to locate them, depending on how long it takes for the signal to arrive. I know exactly where they're hiding. Just trust me and follow my lead."