Poison God's Heritage

Tao Yang pushed the ship forward slowly, her hands steady on the controls as the vessel approached the swirling vortex ahead. The atmosphere in the ship was thick with anticipation, a mixture of tension and quiet determination. Every eye in the control room was focused on the vortex, and though no one said it aloud, there was a collective undercurrent of anxiety that rippled through the air.

The Jade Dragon General's words still echoed in my mind: It took nothing but a Noble-level Rakshasa to pass through the vortex. That alone was enough to remind us all of the danger we were about to face. This wasn't just a journey through space; this was a venture into a realm where even the most powerful cultivators had fallen.

As the tip of the ship pierced the edge of the vortex, we felt it immediately. It was as if the entire ship had been caught in the grip of some immense, unseen force. The hull trembled violently, and the floor beneath our feet shook with such intensity that it felt like the ship was being torn apart from the inside.

The sensation was akin to thousands of earthquakes happening all at once. Vibrations coursed through every surface, growing stronger with each passing second. The metal framework groaned in protest, and sparks flew from exposed circuits as the ship fought to maintain its integrity. Chunks of debris clattered to the floor, and for a moment, it seemed like the very fabric of the ship was unraveling.

The tension in the room reached its peak. Despite the chaos, no one panicked. The eyes of everyone on board were locked forward, focused, resolute. There was confidence in their expressions—a faith in the ship and in my craftsmanship, that it would hold together, that it would carry us through. Seeing that trust brought a small smile to my face, even amidst the violent shaking. They believed in me.

They believed in this vessel.

Bit by bit, the ship moved deeper into the vortex, and the trembling intensified, the air around us feeling thick with pressure. I gripped the armrests of my seat, bracing myself as the entire ship began to groan louder, the vibrations growing more violent. But then, as suddenly as the turbulence had begun, it stopped.

We had made it through.

The chaotic trembling gave way to a strange, almost surreal calm. Beyond the vortex lay an enormous tunnel of distorted space, stretching out into infinity before us. It was like flying through a cosmic river, the currents of space and time flowing in strange, ethereal waves. The tunnel seemed to pulse and shift, its edges warping and bending as the ship glided smoothly forward.

"Good," Tao Yang said, breaking the silence. "It seems the entrance was the hardest part."

I exhaled slowly, the tension easing from my shoulders. "Report on the damage," I muttered, my voice steady as I leaned back in my chair.

A voice crackled through the ship's internal communication system. "Minimal damage, sir. The ship's structural integrity remains intact. No significant issues with any of the primary systems."

I nodded in satisfaction. "Good enough," I replied, turning my attention back to Tao Yang. "There's a button under the steering console," I pointed out. "Press it."

Tao Yang's fingers deftly pressed the concealed button, and immediately the ship's engines roared to life with renewed power. The acceleration was immediate and intense. Thanks to the upgraded engines I had installed, the ship surged forward with incredible speed, far faster than it had ever moved before.

The tunnel, which had once seemed endless, now appeared to shrink as we zoomed through it, crossing vast distances in mere moments.

For a brief time, the journey was peaceful, almost deceptively so. The ship glided through the distorted space with ease, the soft hum of the engines providing a steady rhythm. But deep down, I knew better than to trust this tranquility. Experience had taught me that in moments like these, when things seemed the calmest, disaster was usually just around the corner.

And sure enough, a sudden, deafening crash echoed through the ship, followed by a second impact that rattled the hull.

"I knew it," I muttered under my breath, standing up from my seat.

"What's going on?" Master Rain asked, his tone more curious than alarmed.

I glanced over at the Jade Dragon, who had already risen to his feet, his hand instinctively reaching for the jade spear on his back. "Well, Master Rain," I began, my voice calm but serious, "this pathway leads to the Solarous. That means anyone who went through before us is traveling the same route, and now they've decided to intercept us."

Another crash rocked the ship, harder this time, and I could feel the familiar malicious presence of the Rakshasa clawing at the hull.

"Is there a way to get on top of the ship?" the Jade Dragon asked, his gaze sharp as he prepared for battle.

"Of course," I said, gesturing to a nearby door. "That will take you to the top of the ship."

I moved toward another door, leading to the underside of the vessel. The ship's layout was designed with flexibility in mind; each room could shift its connections to lead to different parts of the ship, making it easy to access any location. As we stepped through the doors, we emerged outside the ship, now facing the enemies that had latched onto the hull.

Direction was meaningless in the vastness of space, but we still oriented ourselves quickly. Hovering just beyond the edge of the ship, a Silver Noble Rakshasa had its claws embedded in the Soulsteel armor, desperately trying to tear through the protective layer.

"Such annoying pests," I muttered under my breath, taking a step forward against the momentum of the speeding ship. The Silver Noble turned its glowing eyes toward me, its grotesque mouth twisted into a snarl.

Without hesitation, the Rakshasa leapt at me, claws outstretched.

"Dumbass," I muttered, sidestepping its attack with ease. As the creature sailed past me, I delivered a powerful kick to its side, sending it flying into the void, spiraling away from the ship and into the darkness beyond.

On the opposite side of the ship, the Jade Dragon General was already engaged in battle. His jade spear flashed through the void, and the ethereal form of a massive jade dragon materialized around him. The dragon's coiled body surged forward, striking the Rakshasa that had swarmed the ship's exterior, tossing them aside with ease. Each strike from the general was precise, calculated, and devastating.

His prowess in battle was as formidable as the stories had claimed.

Though we were handling the situation for the moment, the number of Rakshasa was growing. I could see them in the distance, flying along the spatial tunnel walls, preparing to launch themselves at the ship.

"Law," I said, speaking through the ship's communication channel. "Get to the artillery. We're going to need some firepower."

Though Law couldn't respond verbally, I knew he had received the message. Moments later, a small half-sphere extruded itself from the side of the ship, revealing a spherical gunner's room. Inside, I could see Law seated at the controls, his hands already moving over the twin machine guns mounted in front of him.

"Have fun," I called out, stepping to the side as Law opened fire. The bullets sprayed across the void, the rapid bursts pushing back the Rakshasa as they swarmed toward us. The weapons weren't enough to kill the creatures outright, but that wasn't the point. The bullets forced them to retreat, giving us the space we needed to continue through the tunnel.

I dispatched another Rakshasa with a quick strike, then glanced over at the Jade Dragon General. His jade dragon construct continued to wreak havoc on the fiends, tearing through their ranks with terrifying efficiency. The man hadn't even broken a sweat.

"You need any help?" I called out, though I already knew the answer.

"Not at the moment," he replied, his voice calm and composed. "Everything's proceeding smoothly."

I smiled at his words. If the general considered this situation smooth, then we were in good hands. With him and Law keeping the Rakshasa at bay, I allowed myself a moment of respite, sitting down on the hull of the ship while they continued to fend off the attackers.

The battle dragged on for what felt like hours—maybe even days. Time lost its meaning as we pushed forward through the tunnel. The number of Rakshasa dwindled, and eventually, they disappeared entirely. We had outpaced even the earliest of the Rakshasa who had fled, and the tunnel ahead was now clear.

"I can see the exit," the Jade Dragon said, his voice breaking the silence.

Far in the distance, the swirling form of another vortex appeared, much like the one we had entered through. It shimmered ominously, a gateway to whatever lay beyond.

As the ship passed through the vortex, there was a sudden and violent lurch. The ship came to an abrupt halt, our momentum completely drained in an instant. Though the ship's systems had protected us from the physical recoil, the disorientation was enough to make me feel nauseous. I clutched the side of the ship, struggling to regain my balance.

"What just happened?" I muttered, my vision swimming.

"Good heavens… what is that?" The Jade Dragon's voice, usually steady and confident, was now trembling with fear.

The sight that greeted us on the other side of the vortex was something that defied reason. My eyes followed the general's gaze, and when I saw what he was looking at, my blood ran cold.

There, in the distance, two First Borns floated ominously in the void, their massive forms casting long shadows over the battlefield. Their size alone was enough to dwarf even the largest of starships, and their power was palpable, radiating like waves of heat. But it wasn't just the First Borns that made the scene so terrifying.

All around them, billions of dead Rakshasa floated through the void, their bodies twisted and broken, littering the space like debris from a long-forgotten war. And beyond them, looming in the background, was a planet—no, something more than a planet. It was a colossus, a celestial body so vast that it seemed to defy the very laws of space.

Its surface was covered in jagged, obsidian-like spires, and in its grasp was something even more terrifying.

its hand was wrapped around the planet itself, unwilling to let go.

The sight of it was beyond comprehension. It was as if the planet was being held by a being so powerful, so unfathomable, that it made even the First Borns look insignificant by comparison.

And then, I understood.

We were not prepared for what lay ahead.