Chapter 1237: The Truth

After listening to the old woman's story, Ling Feng and Lin Mu exchanged glances and took a deep breath.

They had never imagined that a battle from five hundred years ago could create such a terrifying environment.

Yet, the Venerable of the Desolate Sea had opened a route into the Sea of Miracles several years ago and entered that place almost every year.

Could he have truly never encountered those monsters within the Sea of Miracles?

And who exactly was the powerful enemy who had appeared ten years ago?

The mention of ten years stirred a memory in Ling Feng's mind. He thought of the Heaven-Patrolling Angels. According to that mysterious black-robed figure, it was ten years ago that he had injured an angel, forcing him to flee into the Sea of Miracles.

As he pieced everything together, a vague suspicion began to form in Ling Feng's mind, though he could not yet confirm it.

"I've been hiding here ever since I escaped from Heavenly Pool Island," Ma Chunhua said, "From time to time, some man-eating cultivators come searching this island. I don't know how much longer I can keep hiding."

She closed her eyes, defeated. "Perhaps I cannot escape being eaten in the end."

"Don't worry, Granny Ma. Once we find a way out, we'll take you with us and leave this place. You'll see the outside world again," Lin Mu promised, thumping his chest.

Ling Feng narrowed his eyes. From her account, he had learned something critical. In this cursed place, martial practitioners could not draw upon the spirit energy of the world to restore their elemental force. Once their force ran dry, they became no different from ordinary mortals.

For now, he still carried a few medicinal pills that could restore elemental qi, but they would not last long.

Once he found a way to kill that Heaven-Patrolling Angel, he had to leave this place as quickly as possible.

Since the Venerable of the Desolate Sea could escape, he could too.

"By the way," Ling Feng said, looking at the old woman, "Granny Ma, do you still remember the route to Heavenly Pool Island? There's something I must confirm there!"

If the powerful enemy who appeared on Heavenly Pool Island ten years ago was indeed the Heaven-Patrolling Angel, then based on Ma Chunhua's account, those man-eating cultivators had not been killed. It seemed they had reached some kind of deal with that angel.

If he could find Heavenly Pool Island, he would find the Heaven-Patrolling Angel.

"

Uh...

" Ma Chunhua frowned. "Young master, I advise you not to go there. That place is utter hell."

"I have my reasons," Ling Feng replied calmly.

The old woman sighed. "Very well. When I escaped that day, I was in a great panic. I sailed south and eventually reached this island. Head north from this coast, it should take you to Heavenly Pool Island."

"Got it. Thank you, Granny Ma."

Ling Feng nodded and glanced at Lin Mu. "Brother Lin, shall we—"

Before he could finish, Ling Feng's body suddenly swayed. His vision blurred as his knees buckled. Frowning, he turned sharply toward Ma Chunhua. "You... poisoned the tea?"

Lin Mu collapsed against the table, his face pale. "Why... why would you do this?"

"Why?" Ma Chunhua let out a cold laugh. Her tongue slid across a row of razor-sharp teeth. "Because I'm hungry!"

"You... you eat people too?" Ling Feng's voice was filled with shock!

"I'm hungry. So hungry!"

With a sudden burst of strength, Ma Chunhua seized Ling Feng by the neck and lunged her teeth toward his throat.

Yet before she could taste blood, a sharp pain exploded in her abdomen. The youth she thought had been felled by poison had kicked her with brutal force.

"You... you weren't poisoned?"

Ma Chunhua stared in disbelief. Gone was the frail, helpless appearance. Ling Feng's eyes were cold and alert. Lin Mu, still leaning on the table, lifted his head and sighed heavily. "To think you've become a monster."

Ling Feng stood up and looked down at Ma Chunhua, his longsword pointed at her neck. "A poison this weak was never going to drop a cultivator," he said coldly. "I knew the tea was off long ago. Or rather, I knew

you

were off."

...

...

"

Hahaha...

"

Ma Chunhua burst into a harsh, broken laugh. "Humanity? I stopped being human long ago. Since you already knew, why didn't you just kill me?"

"Because I didn't want to believe it," Ling Feng said quietly. "I didn't want to believe that a gentle old woman could be a man-eating fiend. I wanted to believe there was still some humanity left in you. If you hadn't tried to eat us, I might even have found a way to save you."

"But from the very beginning, you planned to devour us. You're no longer human."

A flare of flame coursed along Ling Feng's blade. The fiery edge slowly traced across the old woman's neck.

"No! Spare me! I don't want to die! Please, I don't want to die!"

Her cries echoed through the room, but Ling Feng only sighed. A flash of resolve passed through his eyes. The blade cut cleanly across her throat. Flames engulfed her body, quickly reducing her to ashes.

Amid the roaring fire, a twisted, shriveled face writhed in agony before vanishing into the blaze.

Perhaps those flames could cleanse the sins Ma Chunhua had accumulated in life.