Heroes' Prison

Chapter 198 - 196 - Secret Manual

The most unique feature of this corpse of the Demonic Beast Ape was the presence of three eyes on its head. Huang Yi guessed that the third eye might possess some special ability, and once he finished refining the body, he would be able to use the power of the third eye. However, at that moment, the eyeball was dim and lifeless, devoid of any vitality.

In terms of physical strength, the Demonic Beast Ape was far inferior to Lucifer’s legs and the Heart of the Sand Thief King. Huang Yi planned to combine components, replacing its heart with the Heart of the Sand Thief King and its legs with those of Lucifer, then infusing it with Lucifer’s blood. This would grant the ape the powers of both the Sand Thief King and Lucifer.

Huang Yi placed his palm on the corpse, and according to the Spell recorded in ’Necronomicon. Corpse Refining Technique,’ he began to chant in a low voice—

"Death is not the end; O soulless shell, have you ever yearned for that beautiful world? Now I shall brand my will upon you, control this corpse of death, and compose the poem of life..."

Huang Yi’s incantations were not bloody; on the contrary, they resembled a priest’s care for all beings. In the dark and cold chamber of corpses, his words spread in all directions, sending shivers down the spine.

After finishing the incantation, Huang Yi performed the Corpse Refining Technique. Immediately, a surge of energy specific to corpse refining emitted from his palm and entered the corpse. This energy would slowly imprint Huang Yi’s will into the body of the Demonic Beast Ape. After this step was completed, he could move on to the next.

However, the duration of the refining process depended on the strength of the corpse. The stronger the corpse, the longer it took to refine. The Demonic Beast Ape was twice as powerful as Huang Yi, so it wouldn’t be completed in a short time.

Next, Huang Yi left the oppressive morgue, the Heroes’ Prison, to return later and check on the refining progress.

Back in the forest, Huang Yi took a deep breath of fresh air, as if coming into a beautiful new world.

"Meow~" At that moment, a timid meow suddenly sounded.

Huang Yi turned and saw a snow-white Spirit Cat in the bushes nearby, longingly looking at the remnants of roasted meat on the bonfire. She seemed tempted, but was too afraid to come closer. Her belly was swollen, as if she was pregnant, making her movements slightly inconvenient.

"Are you pregnant? Come and eat, don’t be afraid of me, I’ll be leaving now," Huang Yi said, feeling an affinity towards the pregnant cat. Memories of a mother cat raising him in the forest flashed through his mind. He hadn’t been able to protect her then, leading to her departure to the Heaven Realm. Now, he had fully grown and needed to go to Dragon City to protect another person.

Huang Yi extinguished the bonfire, took the roasted meat down, placed it on the ground, and continued heading south.

The pregnant cat, however, glanced at Huang Yi’s retreating figure and cautiously approached, beginning to enjoy her meal. Her belly undulated rhythmically, as a new life was being nurtured inside.

...

Meanwhile, within the walls of Dragon Capital City, in a room with the lights off, two tall silhouettes stood quietly at a window in the dark, gazing at the Skeleton Army outside the city.

"Feng Zhi, of the million people in Dragon City, 200,000 are our Half-Beastmen. If Dragon City falls, our Race will suffer the greatest loss. You must find a way to lead them out!" said a middle-aged man, about forty years old. Dressed in a black robe with a hood that concealed most of his face, he exuded an aura of mystery. His exposed skin was golden, and his sleeves were embroidered with two crossed golden axes.

"Blackmane Elder, I am well aware of the situation. I also didn’t expect that while leading 200,000 kinsmen on a campaign to Despair Plains, we would be trapped en route in the Desolate Sands. Now, relying solely on our 200,000 Half-Beastmen, we definitely cannot break through the Skeleton Army of the Sand Thief King. We need to unite with everyone in Dragon City to stand a chance. However, Qin Shiyu refuses to cede command, and without the authority to command, we can’t truly mobilize everyone in Dragon City," replied a tall and robust man. He stood straight in front of the window, dressed in heavy black Armor and draped in a blood-red cloak.

This man, named Feng Zhi, was the second in command of the million people of Dragon City and also the leader of the 200,000 Half-Beastmen within the city. He had originally led the 200,000 Half-Beastmen to the Despair Plains but encountered the Skeleton Army of the Sand Thief King at the Desolate Sands and had been forced to take refuge in the free city of Dragon City, where they had been trapped ever since.

"Given Dragon City’s current situation, Qin Shiyu’s defensive strategy is indeed not wrong. It’s just that it conflicts with our interests. We 200,000 Half-Beastmen can’t afford to delay. Even if Qin Shiyu’s strategy is correct, for us, she can only be deemed mistaken," the Blackmane Elder’s brow furrowed deeply, his expression appearing somewhat grim beneath the shadow of his hat.

"In their eyes, am I not just another person hungry for recognition and achievement? Don’t even mention whether our current strategy is wrong, even if it were right, it would still seem wrong to them. In this world, there is no clear right or wrong, only differing interests. Leading 200,000 Half-Beastmen on an expedition to the Despair Plains is the same, in the eyes of those people, we are an invading force."

"If Qin Shiyu truly refuses to relinquish power, then we have no choice but to... hmph!" The Blackmane Elder said, coldly snorting with ill intent.

"I will act according to the situation! If she continues to be stubborn in the next few days, then we’ll have no choice but to resort to that plan. It’s a pity for such a voluptuous woman, if we could conquer her, tear away her mask, and gaze upon her beauty, what a delightful thing that would be!" Feng Zhi said, while licking his lips with his tongue.

"Feng Zhi, these past two years, you have made many merits for our tribe. When we return victorious from the expedition, I will recommend you to our tribe’s chieftain, and have him send you to the Central Continent. That Central Continent is the holy land, where a hundred races of this world converge, including the holy land of our Half-Beast Race. There, in the sacred land of the races, you will meet the strong from all continents and from all Half-Beast Tribes, exchange with them, and even receive cultivation from the strongest of the Half-Beast Race. If you can advance even further and take the seat of the Chieftain of the entire Half-Beast Race, then you would directly command the Half-Beast Tribes from all continents. At that time, our tribe will become the most revered Royal Clan."

"Thank you for your high regard, Blackmane Elder, I will definitely do my utmost to contribute to our tribe," Feng Zhi said, his body trembling slightly with excitement.

"However, becoming the chieftain of a whole race is extremely difficult. Among you Heaven-Sent, only that Yang Yuheng has managed it, and no one knows what method he used to become the chieftain of the Draenei Race." The Blackmane Elder said, turning his head to look at Feng Zhi, he continued, "Also, I have been researching the Soul Prelude recently. Once I uncover the mystery of the Soul Prelude, it will greatly bolster the war intent of our 200,000 Half-Beastmen. At that point, the Despair Plains will face true despair. And the Skeleton Army outside the city will not be feared; we can easily break open a breach and charge out."

"Is the Soul Prelude really that miraculous?" Feng Zhi asked curiously.

"It is our race’s treasure, obtained by our ancestors by chance, and it is said to have unfathomable effects once completely understood. Sadly, it has been passed down generation after generation, with no one able to fully uncover it. However, recently, there have been some promising developments with the Soul Prelude, and it won’t be long before I unlock its mysteries!" The Blackmane Elder said confidently, a strange smile spreading across his lips as he turned and strode away.

...

Huang Yi saw more and more drought-tolerant plants along the way, with fewer and fewer trees; eventually, the forest gradually turned into grassland. Lions and cheetahs roamed and hunted, but they kept their distance from Huang Yi.

Sometime later, animals became rare sights while skeletons started to appear in greater numbers along the ground. There was an increase in the bone fragments scattered about, similar to the scenes he had witnessed in the Desolate Sands while searching for Slark’s homeland. This must have been the aftermath of the Skeleton Army’s ravaging.

At dawn, Huang Yi finally saw the first skeleton, lying dead on the ground with no apparent cause. As the putrid smell in the air grew stronger, Huang Yi slowed down, proceeding at a normal pace.

After a while, the skeletons on the ground grew denser, until finally at the end of Huang Yi’s view there appeared a dense, dark line, like the horizon of the world. At that moment, a huge red sun rose above the black horizon, and the first light of day illuminated the desert grassland.

It was then that Huang Yi realized that the dark horizon was actually a vast ocean of skeletons, endless and countless. The red sun seemed to be lifted by the ocean of skeletons, an incredibly staggering sight!

The number of skeletons in this army was beyond calculation, countless billions, likely turning any land they crossed into a barren wasteland, not even a blade of grass spared.

However, Huang Yi could not see any cityscape in his view, it seemed that Dragon City was like an isolated island, in the middle of this ocean of skeletons, and could only be seen after venturing deeper into the Skeleton Ocean.

Huang Yi did not rashly proceed; he decided to wait here for a while to see what the situation was like in Dragon City. If the Skeleton Army withdrew, that would naturally be the best outcome. If Dragon City was in danger, he would, at all costs, hurry to find No. 9 Qin Shiyu.

Huang Yi logged off for a bit of breakfast and did some basic training, then came online and went to the forum.

Now, with less than a month to the annual festival of The Second World, the host city was taking it very seriously, much like hosting the Olympics, beginning preparations for the city early, implementing traffic controls, organizing the city’s dining and tourism industries, and increasing patrol forces.