Since the sky was covered, the heavens began to show their holiness

"What are you dawdling for! If you don't hurry up, I'll make you burst into pieces!"

The hoarse roar tore through the damp night of Shadow Island. The dark green sea water was surging with a fishy smell, and the salty sea breeze swept over the jagged reefs on the shore. Before the voice fell, the black whip had already torn through the air, and it made a crisp sound like thunder in the air.

The whip tip was like a poisonous snake, entwining the man's shoulder blades fiercely. The crackling sound of leather tearing through fabric mixed with muffled groans exploded in the humid air. Dark red blood oozed out along the whip marks, leaving hideous patterns on the coarse linen prison uniform. But even after being whipped hard in the back, the man still stood there like a root, with suppressed trembling mixed with the sobs that came out of his throat.

The Shadow Island before us was shrouded in thick, inky fog. The jagged rocks glowed with an eerie, blue light. The sound of waves hitting the cliffs was like the wailing of countless resentful souls.

Even though this group of people had been covered in blood after fighting in the arena, the hairs on the back of their necks still stood up when they faced the darkness that swallowed up the light.

"Listen to me! Anyone who dares to stand here will have his limbs broken on the spot! Drag him to the island." The leading soldier wrapped the bloody whip back around his waist and slammed the metal gauntlet heavily on the sword at his waist, making a cold and hard impact sound.

He narrowed his bloodshot eyes and scanned the crowd. When his gaze swept across those pale faces, the corners of his mouth curled up in a sarcastic arc, "Standing there waiting to die? Then don't blame me for being rude."

Before he finished speaking, several burly soldiers had drawn their weapons and were approaching the trembling gladiator with a grin on their faces.

Instantly, shrill howls tore through the dead silence of Shadow Island. Several gladiators collapsed on the sticky black sand, twisting and twitching, with broken limbs bent at strange angles, and red blood lines meandering along the cracks in the sand, interweaving with the phosphorescent seawater to form weird patterns.

The salty and fishy waves swept over the broken limbs, and the biting cold wrapped in gravel rolled over the exposed bones. Every time the waves receded, they cried out more hoarsely, as if countless sharp claws were digging their souls out of their flesh and blood.

Those who were lucky enough to escape the attack stumbled back, their backs slamming heavily against the cold rocks. The sobs of fear that escaped from their throats mixed with the sea breeze and were completely swallowed up by the thick, inky night of Shadow Isle.

"What are you waiting for! Keep moving forward." The leading soldier's boots rolled over the sand that was still oozing blood, splashing a few dark red fragments. He spat at the gladiator lying on the ground, turned around and threw his cloak at his men: "Get ready! If one of you is missing, you won't be able to return alive."

Several soldiers pounced forward like wolves and tigers, roughly picked up the people with broken limbs and carried them on their shoulders. The crisp sound of dislocated bones mixed with the cries of pain pierced people's eardrums.

The iron chains rattled, and the gladiators, still in shock, hunched their backs. The shackles around their necks glowed coldly under the dark blue phosphorescent fire.

Some people secretly glanced at the center of the island where the fog was rolling. The vines wrapped around the reefs were oozing dark red juice, like countless drooping arms dripping blood. But when they saw the soldiers in front of them draw out their cold and gleaming long swords, they could only grit their teeth and move their feet. The sound of dragging footsteps and heavy chains intertwined, like a death knell for everyone, and they slowly moved towards the deeper darkness.

The salty sea breeze swept through the crowd. The leading sergeant instantly put away the violence in his eyes, took off his bloodstained helmet, and slammed one knee heavily on the wet beach:
"Lady Iris, please forgive me! These ungrateful bastards have delayed your auspicious time." Veins bulged on his neck as he lowered his head, but he still bent his back into a humble arc. He caught a glimpse of the woman's graceful figure out of the corner of his eye, and his Adam's apple rolled unconsciously.

The woman nodded, the diamonds on the corners of her eyes trembling slightly with her steps, and every step seemed to step on everyone's throat. Her slender feet gracefully avoided the bloodstains on the beach, and the black pearl tassels in her hair swayed with her steps, dimming the dim light of the Shadow Island by three points.

When she passed the gladiator lying on the ground, the spider's legs on her back accidentally swept across the man's broken knee, bringing a chill. Before everyone could see her face clearly, her graceful figure had already disappeared into the surging fog at the entrance of the island, leaving only the tail of her voice: "Don't let the bloody smell dirty the road." The sea breeze suddenly stagnated, and the hair on the back of the soldiers' necks instantly stood up. This light command was like a poisoned silk thread, tightening everyone's breathing.

The shackles were colliding more quickly and frantically than before. Someone stumbled and tripped over the chains, gritting their teeth as they climbed up without making any sound. When the last figure disappeared in the mist, the leading sergeant dared to raise his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. The scar under his palm was throbbing from excessive tension - that was the mark left by Iris herself when she was angry last time.

"Iris? The Black Rose? Interesting." Zhou Xian narrowed his eyes slightly, looking thoughtfully at the group of people who gradually disappeared in the black fog.

"Zhou Xian, do you know them?"

Gwen asked curiously.

Zhou Xian nodded slightly, a faint arc appeared at the corner of his lips, but his eyes were full of unfathomable depth. "The Black Rose is a huge and complex force in the Noxian underground world, and Iris is a ruthless character among them." His voice was low and a little careless, but it also revealed his familiarity with this force.

Gwen tilted her head slightly, her blue eyes full of confusion and curiosity, her dense eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. "It sounds so mysterious, what on earth do they want to do in this Shadow Island?" She subconsciously tightened her skirt, a hint of curiosity appeared on her delicate face.

Zhou Xian was silent for a moment, his eyes passed Gwen and looked into the depths of the island shrouded in darkness, as if he could penetrate the thick fog and see the secrets hidden therein.

"Follow me and you'll find out."

Zhou Xian's footsteps were silent, and his steps were as light as a ghost, as if he had reached some kind of tacit understanding with the surrounding black fog, which perfectly concealed his figure. He was like a wandering black shadow, quickly shuttling between the rugged rocks and twisted vines, quietly approaching the direction where Iris and her group left.

Although Iris and the others were very close, their attention was completely distracted by the eerie atmosphere of the Shadow Island. They were tense and alert to the unknown threats around them, and they didn't realize that there were eyes staring at them from behind.

After a long time, under the leadership of Elise, the Noxian people arrived safely in a canyon. The mist was lingering in the canyon, like a layer of gauze covering everything. Elise took an elegant but oppressive step, and the Noxian soldiers behind her followed carefully, holding their weapons slightly tight.

Gwen followed Zhou Xian, her eyes roaming around, and when her eyes swept across the huge spider web debris in the canyon, she couldn't help but exclaimed. "Hey, isn't this the territory of the big spider?" Her voice was very low, but it was full of confidence.

At this moment, Iris suddenly stopped and raised her hand to signal everyone to be quiet. She raised her head slightly, sniffing the decaying smell in the air, and a faint sneer appeared on the corner of her mouth. That smile was like a poisoned rose, dangerous and tempting. The air around them seemed to solidify instantly, and the soldiers' breathing became cautious. No one knew what kind of crisis was hidden in this gloomy canyon.

(End of this chapter)