I Have the Martial Arts Heavenly Eye in the Storm Riders

Tie Kuangtu casually tossed the two sword boxes aside, his eyes fixed on the Heavenly Tribulation Armor in the blood pool.

"The Heavenly Tribulation is almost complete, but the blood essence is still far from sufficient." His voice was low and cold, completely different from how he had spoken to Huai Kong earlier.

"From today onwards, the five of you will go 'hunting' on the island every night."

"Kill people, take their blood, pour it into the blood pool, and nourish the heavenly calamity."

He paused, a cruel glint flashing in his eyes.

"Make it clean, so Huai Kong and Huai Mie don't find out."

"Yes, sir!"

The five men responded in unison, their voices hoarse and shrill, like the hooting of an owl.

Tie Kuangtu stopped looking at them and slowly walked to the edge of the blood pool, squatted down, and stared at the Heavenly Tribulation Armor floating in the blood pool.

The dark red light reflected on his face, revealing a face filled with greed and madness.

"It'll be soon..." He reached out and stroked the outline of the armor through the pool of blood, as if caressing a child about to be born.

"Drink a little more... Grow a little bigger..."

The blood pool bubbled and gurgled, as if responding to his murmurs.

For several days in a row, dark clouds shrouded Tiexin Island.

Bai Ling was the first to notice something was wrong.

"Someone else has gone missing." She sat in Huai Mie's room, holding a bowl of tea that had gone cold, her brow furrowed.

"Yesterday it was Old Chen at the dock, today it's Liu Dazhuang at the sword-casting pool. Living people, gone just like that, without a trace."

Huai Mie leaned against the window, arms crossed, his face grim.

"How many are there?"

"Including today's, that makes twelve." Bai Ling put down her teacup.

"They all disappeared in the middle of the night, leaving no trace, neither alive nor dead."

"People on the island have started spreading rumors that it's haunted."

"Bullshit." Huai Mie sneered.

"What ghosts and ghosts? It's obvious someone's up to no good."

"Twelve living people cannot simply disappear into thin air."

"That's what I think too." Bai Ling looked at Huai Mie.

"Senior Brother, do you think... it's possible that someone from outside has infiltrated?"

Huai Mie didn't answer, but frowned and thought for a while, then suddenly asked:

"Where is Huai Kong?"

"He went out to investigate early this morning. He hasn't slept much these past few days, running around the island every day." Bai Ling sighed.

"He's the kind of person who cares more about other people's business than his own."

Huai Mie was silent for a moment, then stood up: "Let's go find him."

"You want to help him investigate?" Bai Ling was somewhat surprised.

"I was beaten half to death in Tianwaitian and I never backed down, but back on my own turf, someone just disappeared right under my nose?" A flash of anger crossed Huai Mie's eyes.

"This is even more shameful than losing the game."

Bai Ling smiled, stood up, and followed him.

After the three met, they went their separate ways.

Huai Kong went to check the missing persons' residences, Huai Mie went to interrogate the disciples on night patrol, and Bai Ling went to appease the island's residents.

I've been busy all day, but I haven't found anything.

There were no signs of a struggle in the missing persons' residence, and the disciples on night patrol saw nothing, as if those people had been swallowed by the air.

The more Huai Kong investigated, the more alarmed he became.

The ability to move freely on Ironheart Island and kill without leaving a trace is something no ordinary person could do.

He decided to go find his master.

The gate to the master's secluded residence was tightly closed, with an iron sign hanging on it that read "Secluded in healing, do not disturb".

Huai Kong stood at the door for a long time.

My master is currently in seclusion; disturbing him prematurely might interfere with his healing.

But the people on the island are disappearing day by day, and who knows what might happen if this continues.

Huai Mie and Bai Ling stood behind him.

"Go in." Huai Mie's tone was decisive.

"Master's life is important, but the lives of these people on the island are also important."

"If Master finds out, he definitely won't blame you."

Bai Ling nodded as well:

"The eldest brother is right."

"Master has always kept the safety of the islanders in mind; it would be wrong to keep this from him."

Huai Kong gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and knocked on the door.

"Master! Your disciple Huaikong has important news to report!"

There was a long silence inside.

So long that Huai Kong thought his master hadn't heard him, and was just about to kowtow again—

With a creak, the door slowly opened from the inside.

Iron Madman appeared at the door.

His complexion was even worse than last time—

His face was ashen, his lips were pale, his body was hunched over even more, and he swayed as he walked.

With one hand gripping the door frame and the other clutching his chest, he looked as if he had been forcibly dragged out of seclusion, each step fraught with difficulty.

"Master!" Huai Kong exclaimed in alarm and quickly stepped forward to help him up.

"Why do you look so pale? Is your seclusion for healing not going well?"

Bai Ling grew anxious: "Master, please sit down!"

Tie Kuangtu waved his hand, and with Huai Kong's help, slowly sat back on the edge of the bed. He took several breaths before speaking, his voice so weak it seemed to be squeezed out from between his throats:

"It's alright... It's just that my injuries are more serious than I thought... My healing isn't progressing very well..."

He coughed twice, then raised his cloudy old eyes to look at Huai Kong:

"You said you had something important to discuss?"

"What could possibly be so important as to interrupt my seclusion?"

His tone carried a hint of reproach, but more than that, it was filled with worry—worry that his apprentice had encountered something serious.

The servant arrived at some unknown time and stood aside to serve.

Seeing his master in this state, Huai Kong felt both guilty and anxious, and knelt on one knee:

"Master, I dare not disturb your seclusion, but I truly have no other choice!"

"Twelve islanders have gone missing in the past few days! I've been searching for days but haven't found any clues."

"This matter is too strange; I implore Master to make a decision!"

Upon hearing this, Tie Kuangtu slammed his hand on the armrest, causing the teacup on the table to jump with a loud bang.

"Such a thing?!" His expression instantly shifted from "weakness" to "rage," a flawless performance.

"Who dares to harm the innocent on my Ironheart Island!"

He stood up abruptly, so abruptly that he deliberately swayed his body—as if anger had aggravated his "illness."

The envoy quickly stepped forward to support him.

"Take care of yourself, Island Master!"

"My body is fine!" Tie Kuangtu pushed away the clerk's hand, his voice righteous and powerful.

"Mind Commander! Issue my order: immediately dispatch elite disciples to patrol the island continuously for twelve hours!"

"Especially at night, keep a close watch on every road and every corner! We must find that elusive culprit!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" The envoy's face was solemn as he bowed and left to receive the order.

Seeing how much his master valued this, Huai Kong felt his anxiety ease somewhat.

"Thank you, Master!"

Tie Kuangtu walked to Huai Kong's side, patted his shoulder with his withered hand, and said earnestly:

"Kong'er, you are kind-hearted, that's a good thing."

"But you also need to be careful about your safety and don't overwork yourself."

"Disciple has remembered." Huai Kong lowered his head.

Tie Kuangtu looked at Huai Kong's lowered head, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

If Huai Kong had looked up and seen that twitch, he would probably have thought that his master was feeling sorry for him.

But actually, he was holding back laughter.

A few days later, the night was as dark as ink.

Huai Kong led a group of disciples on patrol on the island.

For several days in a row, it's been like this every night—

Carrying a lantern, I walked along a fixed route, passing one intersection after another and looking at one house after another.

The disciples were so tired that their eyelids were drooping, but Huai Kong's spirit remained high.

There were dark circles under his eyes. Bai Ling said he had lost weight in the past few days and told him to go home and get some sleep. He agreed verbally, then turned and went out the door again.

"Young Master, let me keep watch for a while. You haven't slept for three days."

A disciple behind him whispered.

"No need." Huai Kong shook his head.

"You continue your patrol, I'll go take another look around the north dock."

The disciple wanted to say something more, but was stopped by Huai Kong's gaze.

Huai Kong walked north alone.

The night breeze carried the smell of the sea, and the sword-forging furnace in the distance was still burning simmering, its flames casting a dark red glow over half the sky.

The nights on Ironheart Island are never completely dark—

There was always a furnace fire, always the smell of rust, and always the clanging and banging of metal.

But these past few days, the island has become much quieter.

After news of his disappearance spread, almost no one dared to go out at night.

suddenly--

"ah--!"

A piercing scream tore through the night sky!

Huai Kong's expression changed drastically, and he moved like lightning, instantly rushing towards the source of the sound.

The screams came from the residential area to the east.

When Huai Kong arrived, the alley was deserted.

There was only a pool of still-steaming blood on the ground and a trail of blood that stretched all the way to the end of the alley.

Someone has just been killed, and the body has been dragged away.

The bloodstains were still fresh.

Huai Kong gritted his teeth and followed the trail of blood.

By the faint moonlight, he saw—

About ten feet ahead, a strange figure was carrying a lifeless islander and flying swiftly into the depths of the island.

The moonlight was too dim to see the person's appearance clearly; only a black outline could be seen. The person moved extremely fast, like a black shadow flying close to the ground.

Huai Kong didn't have time to think much.

"stop!!"

He roared and gave chase.

The mysterious man's movements were much faster than he had imagined. In just a few leaps, he left Huai Kong far behind and rushed into a lush garden.

Huai Kong chased after them to the entrance of the garden, then suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Tianxiangyuan.

The forbidden area of ​​Ironheart Island.

Huai Kong stood at the door, his heart pounding like a drum.

Tianxiang Garden is a forbidden area on the island. Master has given a strict order that no one is allowed to set foot there.

But that mysterious person entered from here—there's a murderer in the forbidden area, and this must be investigated thoroughly.

Without further hesitation, he gritted his teeth and rushed in.

The garden was eerily quiet. Moonlight spilled onto the artificial hills and flowerbeds, casting dappled shadows.

The mysterious figure had vanished, leaving only the fragrance of flowers in the air—and a faint, almost imperceptible smell of blood.

Huai Kong held her breath and walked in step by step.

He noticed a few drops of blood on the ground—left by the mysterious man dragging the corpse.

The bloodstains extended all the way behind a rockery.

Huai Kong walked around the artificial hill and saw a deep cave entrance.

The entrance to the cave was open.

The mechanism next to the artificial hill seemed to have been activated; a huge rock had been moved aside, revealing stone steps leading underground.

A strong, pungent smell of blood wafted up from the cave entrance.

It was so thick it looked like your face had been buried in a basin of blood.

Huai Kong's stomach churned violently, and he almost vomited.

He had never known that such a place existed beneath Tianxiang Garden.

The master never mentioned it.

But that bloody smell—that concentration—couldn't have accumulated in just a day or two.

Huai Kong's mind flashed through the names of the people who had gone missing in the past few days.

My heart clenched suddenly.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the churning stomach acid, and walked down the stone steps one by one.

The further down you go, the more humid and cold the air becomes, and the stronger the smell of blood becomes.

Water seeped from the stone wall, and the stone steps underfoot were so wet and slippery that they looked as if they had been soaked in something.

Huai Kong looked down and saw dark red marks remaining in the cracks of the stone steps.

That was dried blood.

After walking about a hundred feet, the view suddenly opened up before us.

Huai Kong looked closely—

He was struck dumb, frozen in place.