Poison God's Heritage

The woman, upon hearing Tao Yang's words, was instantly consumed by a frenzy of rage. Her nails grew tougher and thicker, transforming into deadly weapons as she launched a relentless flurry of swings and slashes at Tao Yang. But Tao Yang, with her unmatched agility and grace, parried each blow with a fluidity that seemed almost effortless.

Not only did she deflect the attacks, but she also managed to counterstrike with precision, her movements a dance of lethal efficiency.

In this brutal exchange, it became clear that the two were mismatched in terms of close-quarter combat. Tao Yang had a significant advantage, her skill and speed far surpassing that of the Death Widow. Blow after blow, Tao Yang struck, breaking several of the Death Widow's hardened nails and delivering devastating impacts across her opponent's body.

The Death Widow, feeling completely overwhelmed and outmatched, began to panic. Her mind, once clouded with rage, cleared just enough for her to realize she was in grave danger. Desperate, she leaped back, trying to put some distance between herself and Tao Yang, but the Queen of the Solaris, the last warrior of her race, wasn't about to let her advantage slip away.

Tao Yang pursued her relentlessly, closing the gap with speed that defied logic. The puppets aiding in the battle intensified their assault, unleashing a hail of bullets and attacks that harried the Death Widow from all sides. Feeling like a trapped animal, the Death Widow frantically attempted to break apart the protective formation hovering above the city, hoping to escape.

But her efforts were in vain; the formation was too strong, rebuffing her attempts and forcing her back toward Tao Yang.

Seizing the opportunity, Tao Yang closed in and drove her sword deep into the Death Widow's chest. The impact was catastrophic. The Death Widow's body began to wither, shriveling up and turning to dust in an instant. All that remained was a soul-shuddering wail that echoed through the city, sending chills down the spine of everyone who heard it.

Tao Yang stood still for a moment, surprise overtaking her features. She hadn't expected to win this easily, and a part of her remained on high alert, her senses heightened, scanning for any signs of danger. Then, through Divine Sense, a strained and weak voice reached her.

"She isn't dead, but she isn't here anymore…" The voice belonged to the General of the Spear. Tao Yang turned her gaze toward him, her heart sinking as she saw his condition.

The General of the Spear was in a dire state. His arm had been completely torn away from his body, and he was barely conscious, teetering on the edge of collapse. Tao Yang quickly descended to his side, her hand reaching out to help him.

"Throw that away," the General rasped, referring to his severed arm, "it's nothing but poison now." He gritted his teeth as he forced the bleeding stub to close, using what little energy he had left to stem the flow of blood.

"It's carrying the Death Sun's Death Curse," he continued, his voice laced with pain. "If I were to reattach it, my entire body would succumb to necrosis, and I'd become one of his slaves," he explained, gasping for breath as he struggled to stay upright.

"You know them?" Tao Yang asked, her voice soft yet urgent.

"There are three of them," the General of the Spear replied, his words slow and deliberate as he fought against the encroaching darkness. "They escaped the hunt of the Suns and came to hide here in the Sea of Demons. I have no idea why they risked exposing themselves to Shen Bao and the other Suns, but it can't be anything good," he added, his voice growing weaker.

At that moment, Y arrived on the scene, but it was too late. He had already received all the information from X and immediately began expressing his apologies. "I have failed to arrive in time. My deepest apologies to everyone who was harmed," Y said, his voice filled with regret.

"It's fine," the Spear General replied, though his exhaustion was evident as he sat down to calm his Qi. "Shen Bao needs to know about this, but we can't wake him from his cultivation," he added, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on him.

Liang Yu sighed deeply, rubbing her temples as if trying to soothe a growing headache. "My head is hurting—I really have no idea what's going on here. The last time I saw Shen Bao, he was an Emperor Stage cultivator. I know he's a genius, but what is this? How is he able to command an entire country? Is he as strong as all of you now?

Even X and Y are stronger than me! And that's… depressing," she admitted, a hint of frustration creeping into her voice as she gestured toward the puppets.

"None taken, my lady," X replied, his tone polite and understanding. "For now, the threat of that woman is no longer present, but we cannot fully disregard it. I will revert the city's structure to normal while increasing the scrutiny and inspection of all who enter the cities," he said, already initiating the process.

As X had promised, the poison in the air began to dissipate, slowly being sucked out of the dome that covered the city. The platforms and buildings reverted to their original shapes, and the city returned to its normal state. The puppets immediately got to work, moving through the city to ensure that everyone had their tokens and verifying that they were the same people who had entered.

This search would continue through the rest of what was considered a 'day' in the Sea of Demons.

"Let's head back to the palace," Tao Yang suggested, addressing the Ant Queen with a nod.

X followed behind them as they made their way to the palace, finally arriving at its grand entrance. Once inside, they were greeted by a small automaton, who approached them with a welcoming smile. "Mistress YuYu, Mistress Liang Yu, it has been a while," the automaton said, his voice filled with a warmth that belied his mechanical nature.

Liang Yu's face lit up with a bright smile as she hugged the small, child-sized automaton. "It has been! How have you been? And where's my Shen? Is he cultivating in the pagoda?" she asked, her voice brimming with excitement and anticipation.

Tao Yang, watching Liang Yu's bold behavior, was taken aback but chose not to comment on it. Instead, she observed quietly, her expression a mix of curiosity and amusement.

"The main avatar is cultivating at the Blue Sun's territory," the automaton explained. "She has allowed him access to the best cultivation spot so he can grow stronger."

"She?" YuYu muttered, a slight frown creasing her brow.

"Oh, yes," the automaton replied innocently. "The Blue Sun is indeed a 'she.' Why do you ask?" His tone was pure curiosity, devoid of any understanding of the implications of his words. "She has been treating him well too—she might even have an interest in Shen—"

Before the automaton could finish his sentence, the General of the Spear, despite his grievous injuries, immediately clamped his hand over the young automaton's mouth. "Let's get inside first," he suggested hastily. "How about we leave those matters for another day?

I'm also feeling a bit dizzy—I think it's the effects of the curse!" he added, desperately trying to change the subject, silently cursing Shen Bao for the situation he now found himself in.

YuYu's frown deepened, her thoughts a whirlwind of emotions as she followed the group forward.

The automaton led them through the palace, but as they neared the throne room, YuYu spoke up. "Take me to the pagoda," she said, her voice firm. "This place feels too fake. I doubt even Shen Bao stays here."

"You do know Shen Bao well," Tao Yang remarked, a hint of admiration in her voice as she removed her helmet, revealing her appearance.

Both Liang Yu and YuYu were momentarily stunned. "It's only been a hundred years! No, for him, it should be less than ten. How did he manage to get even more women?!" Liang Yu exclaimed, her voice filled with exasperation.

"Oh, we're not like that," Tao Yang quickly clarified, feeling slightly embarrassed. "We're just companions."

"Believe me," Liang Yu retorted, her tone dripping with skepticism, "it always starts with being companions. I'll pull his ear out once I meet him!"

Sensing the tension rising, the automaton, although not fully understanding the situation, quickly activated a portal to diffuse the atmosphere. "Please, follow me," he urged, leading them through.

As they stepped through the portal, Liang Yu and YuYu were completely taken aback by what they saw inside the pagoda. It was no longer the vast open plains filled with natural beauty that they remembered. Instead, they were met with the sight of a sprawling megalopolis, teeming with life and industry.

Massive buildings rose to unimaginable heights, piercing the sky like giants of steel and stone. The mountains had been carved into intricate networks of tunnels and structures, while the seas had been challenged by enormous docks and shipyards. Even the ground had been excavated, revealing deep mines where puppets tirelessly extracted resources.

Hundreds of thousands of puppets moved about, their movements synchronized like a well-choreographed dance, all working to produce more materials and even more puppets. The air was thick with smoke and steam, the sounds of industry echoing all around.

"Oh, yeah," the automaton said nonchalantly, "the pagoda's under renovation."

"I did not expect

this…" Liang Yu whispered, her voice filled with awe and disbelief.

Suddenly, a massive figure came thundering toward them, stopping right in front of the group with a powerful presence. It nudged YuYu gently, its immense size and strength carefully restrained.

YuYu smiled warmly as she recognized the creature. "You've grown a lot," she said, addressing the giant purple-armored lion.

The lion, now towering at ten meters in height, was an imposing sight. Its mane crackled with purple lightning, and its armored body had transformed, becoming more metallic and knightly in appearance. Perched atop the lion's head was a small creature that quickly jumped into YuYu's arms, its size shrinking to that of a cat.

The little furball mewled softly, demanding attention and pets, its power unmistakable even in its diminutive form.

"We'll be moving to another level," the automaton informed them. "This isn't a place we can rest in," he added, opening the library for them and leading them to a small, serene garden inside it.

The garden was a stark contrast to the bustling city outside. It was a peaceful sanctuary, filled with lush greenery and the soothing sound of a trickling stream. The group was offered seats around a table, where a warm pot of tea awaited them.

As for the General of the Spear, a couple of puppets escorted him to a nearby facility where he could receive proper care.

"So," Liang Yu began, breaking the silence as she looked around at the group, "fill me in on what the hell is happening?" Her voice was filled with a mix of confusion and frustration, desperate for answers in this increasingly bewildering situation.