171: Chapter 170 Blackstone Island

The flying boat sailed for a day and a night.

At dusk on the second day, the silhouette of an island gradually became clear on the sea ahead.

Black Stone Island.

The island was not large, spanning no more than ten miles in circumference, and was entirely dark black, the color of volcanic rock.

On the sea surface around the island, dark red bubbles could be vaguely seen churning, drifting with the waves and emitting a faint, fishy stench.

The flying boat slowly descended three miles from the island, finally hovering above the sea.

"We cannot go any further," Huo Qingfeng said in a deep voice. "That Demon Martial Artist has keen senses; getting any closer will alert him."

The six of them disembarked from the flying boat and stood upon the waves.

Huo Qingfeng stored the flying boat into his Magical Artifact and cast his gaze toward the dark black island.

"Once we are on the island, follow my commands," he said. "Do not act alone, and do not strike rashly. Although that demon is only at the Initial Stage of Yuanxiang, he has been cultivating evil arts for many years and has strange methods, so we must not be careless."

Everyone nodded.

The six of them walked across the waves, speeding toward Black Stone Island.

The moment they stepped onto the island, a pungent, fishy stench rushed toward them.

The smell was so thick it was nauseating, as if it were the stench of countless corpses that had been soaked in seawater for weeks and then scorched by the blazing sun.

Jiang Hanzhou frowned slightly, and the Lihuo True Flame automatically formed a thin protective barrier over his body, isolating him from the stench.

On the shore, dark red liquid seeped from the crevices of the reefs. The liquid was as thick as blood, flowing slowly along the rocks and eventually merging into the sea, dyeing the water dark red.

Dark red bubbles churned in the waves, emitting "pop, pop" sounds as they burst. Each time one burst, a more intense fishy stench was released.

The six of them walked along the coast toward the inland.

After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, a fishing village appeared ahead.

The village was not large, with about twenty or thirty households. The houses were all built from stacked reef rocks, low and crude.

But at this moment, those houses had become ruins.

Some roofs had collapsed, some walls had toppled, and some were left with only broken walls and ruins.

Jiang Hanzhou's gaze swept over the ruins, and his pupils contracted slightly.

On the walls, large patches of dark red stains remained.

That was blood.

Dried blood.

Some of the blood had turned black, deeply soaked into the crevices of the rocks, like an indelible brand.

On the ground, countless tiny bone fragments were scattered.

Some were as large as a palm, some as small as a fingernail; some could vaguely be identified as human bone shapes, while others were broken beyond recognition.

Bone fragments were scattered among the ruins, beside the bloodstains, and on every inch of land, as if this were not a fishing village, but a mass grave.

"Damn it…" the Burly Man whispered, gripping the iron hammer in his hand, his eyes burning with rage.

The Heroic Woman's face was pale, her lips pressed tightly together, and she did not speak.

Teng Yuzhi still maintained a cold expression, but deep in her eyes, a trace of chill had emerged.

Zhao Yuanjing took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying hard to keep himself calm.

Huo Qingfeng's expression was grim; he swept his gaze over the bloodstains and bone fragments, then said in a deep voice, "Be careful. That demon might still be on the island. Let us continue deeper."

The six of them passed through the fishing village and continued walking toward the interior.

After walking about two miles out of the fishing village, a dense forest appeared ahead.

The forest was not large but was extremely dense. The trees were all of a dark black variety, their branches and leaves twisted like ghost claws, swaying gently in the wind and making a "rustling" sound.

The forest was filled with a faint blood mist; it was so faint it was almost invisible, yet it was everywhere.

The moment the six of them stepped into the dense forest—

A sudden change occurred!

From all directions, countless figures swarmed out from the depths of the forest, from the treetops, and from beneath the ground!

Those figures included men and women, old and young; some were wearing tattered fisherman's tunics, some were draped in broken quilts, and some were even stark naked.

But their faces—

Their faces could no longer be called "faces."

In their eye sockets, the eyeballs had disappeared, leaving only two empty, bloody holes, with faint crimson light flickering deep within them.

Their mouths were wide open, revealing mouths full of sharp fangs, the fangs stained with dark red blood.

Their skin was grayish-white, covered with crisscrossing black veins, with dark red liquid vaguely flowing within them.

Their limbs were completely deformed.

Some arms were thicker than thighs, some legs were twisted like dough twists, some fingers were as long as steel claws, and some feet were bent backward—

Those deformities were not natural; they were the result of being forcibly twisted and modified by some evil art.

"Blood Puppets!" Huo Qingfeng shouted sharply. "It is those villagers who were abducted! That demon used evil arts to refine them into Blood Puppets!"

Before his voice had even faded, those Blood Puppets surged over like a tide!

They roared and howled, emitting shrill screams that did not sound human, waving their deformed arms, their giant mouths full of fangs agape, as they crazily lunged at the six!

The number—no less than a hundred!

"Form a formation!" Huo Qingfeng shouted sharply, drawing his long sword. The sword light was like a rainbow as he slashed out with one strike!

The sword light swept past, and the three Blood Puppets rushing in the front were cut in two!

But—

The moment those three Blood Puppets were severed, no blood flowed from the cut; instead, countless dark red threads surged out frantically, twisting and struggling like living creatures!

Those threads intertwined and connected with each other, actually stitching the severed bodies back together!

Three breaths later, those three Blood Puppets stood up again!

"Damn it!" the Burly Man roared, and the iron hammer in his hand smashed down with a boom!

Lightning exploded!

One Blood Puppet was smashed into pulp, and dark red liquid splattered everywhere!

But as soon as the splattered liquid hit the ground, it twisted like a living creature, surging toward the nearest Blood Puppets and merging into their bodies, making them even more crazed!

"Decapitate them!" Huo Qingfeng shouted sharply. "Cut off their heads! Or smash them completely! Do not let their body fluids touch the other Blood Puppets!"

Upon hearing this, everyone attacked.