Above the vast expanse of the sea, a massive shadow soared through the air, streaking across the sky like a meteor. It passed in the blink of an eye, vanishing into the distance before its form could even be clearly discerned.
Only upon closer inspection could one see it was an Ink-Plume Thunder Roc, with wings spanning over a hundred feet… A Grade Five demon beast!!
A Grade Five demon beast, equivalent in power to a Soul Transformation realm cultivator, was an extremely rare sight in these inner waters of the Starry Sea. Yet, even more astonishingly, standing calmly on the back of this Ink-Plume Thunder Roc was the figure of a person!!
This Grade Five demon beast was merely a mount!
The figure atop the roc was an old man clad in gray robes. He had the white hair of an elder but the youthful complexion of a child. Simply standing with his hands clasped behind his back, he naturally exuded an indescribable aura of authority. Wherever he passed, it seemed as if the very spiritual energy of heaven and earth was stirred, leaving a trail of transparent ripples in his wake.
Riding a Grade Five demon beast meant this old man was likely at least a Soul Transformation realm cultivator himself, and probably mid-stage Soul Transformation or higher. Cultivators of such strength were exceedingly uncommon in the circles frequented by the lower-level cultivators of the Starry Sea. They generally secluded themselves within mystical paradises or blessed lands, sometimes not venturing out for decades. For instance, in Zhenhai City, the old, perpetually reclusive City Lord—also the previous leader of the Zhenhai Alliance—was a late-stage Soul Transformation powerhouse. He was like a dragon whose head was seen but tail remained hidden; every time he appeared, the ordinary cultivators of the city would inevitably bow in reverence.
And yet now, this old man possessing at least mid-stage Soul Transformation cultivation, standing on the Ink-Plume Thunder Roc's back, looked somewhat anxious. He seemed to be in a hurry, repeatedly urging the roc beneath him to fly faster.
Before long, a small island appeared ahead. Upon reaching it, he tapped his foot lightly, leaving the roc's back. With a wave of his hand, he recalled the massive bird into a spirit beast sack. He then flew forward through the air alone, appearing cautious, as if continuing on the roc would be a grave disrespect to someone.
Soon, he landed on the island. And this island was none other than the very one where Lin Feng had once found the Seven-Colored Immortal Lotus!!
The gray-robed old man flew silently to the summit of the island's tallest mountain at its center. There, two figures stood quietly, one slightly behind the other. The one in front was an old man dressed in immaculate white robes, his long, flowing white hair giving him an ethereal, immortal-like appearance. He seemed to be gazing down at the sprawling island below, lost in thought. The figure behind him was shrouded entirely within a black cloak, his face completely obscured, standing motionless like a loyal guard.
The moment the gray-robed old man saw the white-robed elder, his eyelid twitched involuntarily, betraying a flicker of apprehension. He took a subtle breath to compose himself, then walked slowly to stand respectfully behind the white-robed elder. He bowed deeply, his voice filled with reverence and awe: "This junior Sui Lu pays his respects to Elder Yin…"
The white-robed elder's demeanor remained unchanged. He didn't even turn his head, asking only with detached indifference: "Where is the person responsible for this region?"
The gray-robed old man, Sui Lu, visibly trembled at the question; fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He answered with palpable anxiety: "Elder Yin, please forgive this transgression… The person responsible for this region is Wu Pang. I… I have yet to make contact with him…"
Seeing Elder Yin showed no reaction, Sui Lu could only steel himself and continue: "He has not contacted me for several months. Upon receiving your command, I immediately attempted to reach him, but there has been no response. However, I have managed to uncover some traces. Before his disappearance, he traveled to the sea area near Zhenhai City. A significant event occurred at the Demon Dragon Island a month ago; I suspect it may be related to Wu Pang…"
He then recounted, not daring to omit a single detail, the events surrounding the incident at the Demon Dragon Island as they were rumored among outsiders outside the island. He concluded carefully: "If I haven't misjudged, that 'evil cultivator' mentioned in the rumors, the one who was with Wu Luosen from the Zhenhai Alliance, was none other than Wu Pang. The rumors say he escaped afterward, yet he never contacted me. I fear there might be something more complicated at play. I was just about to investigate at the Demon Dragon Island myself…"
The white-robed elder frowned slightly, seeming impatient. He slowly turned around and addressed Sui Lu: "Where is this Demon Dragon Island?"
Sui Lu answered promptly: "It's not far. We can reach it within three days at most…"
"Take me there." "Yes…"
......
...
"We're here!! Lin Feng, that's Darkpine Island!"
On the deck of a large ocean vessel, Wang Chen pointed towards the outline of an island emerging on the sea's horizon ahead, speaking to Lin Feng beside him.
"So that's it… Looks almost as large as the Demon Dragon Island…" Lin Feng murmured softly, gazing into the distance at the landmass. "A place this big… Probably impossible to cover completely in five days. I wonder if we'll even manage to find the other contenders."
Wang Chen laughed heartily: "Hah! No need to worry about that! It's not hide-and-seek! Chances are, even if you don't go looking for others, they'll come looking for you. Besides, based on the unspoken understanding from previous competitions, almost all participants gather towards the island's center eventually. Finding opponents won't be an issue."
"That makes sense…" Lin Feng nodded, then asked, "Are you sure you want to split up? Didn't someone mention needing my care?"
Wang Chen curled his lip: "Give it a rest! If I stick with you, what chance will I have?"
Lin Feng chuckled: "Alright then. Be careful yourself."
"Mm. You too. I know with your strength, you probably won't have any rivals in this competition, but don't get complacent. After all, sometimes you might face more than just one or two opponents at once. Plus, the island has quite a few Grade Four demon beasts; running into one could be a major headache. Also…" Wang Chen's voice dropped to a near whisper as he glanced subtly towards the cabins on the left side of the ship. "…be wary even of 'allies'. A few of them are definitely not good news."
Lin Feng gave a knowing smile, replying casually: "Don't worry. I'm aware."
Besides himself and Wang Chen, there were eight other Golden Core cultivators representing the Zhenhai Alliance in this competition. Lin Feng had seen them all when boarding the ship but hadn't engaged in any deeper conversation. Indeed, he had sensed distinct hostility from several. They were the so-called 'geniuses', the young elites renowned throughout the city, mostly characterized by extreme arrogance or sheer conceit. They seemed rather unimpressed with Lin Feng, this suddenly emerged 'celebrity'.
This wasn't truly surprising. While they were all representing the Zhenhai Alliance, they were also competitors amongst themselves. In past competitions, incidents of cultivators from the same city turning on each other to seize more jade tokens were not unheard of.
...
Not long after, the ship had approached the shore of the vast Darkpine Island. As it docked, a group of people emerged from the cabins.
Leading them were two elders. One was Yu Ping, familiar to Lin Feng. The other was a sallow-faced man with a slightly yellowish complexion, dressed in luxurious purple brocade robes. Though he appeared younger than Yu Ping, his actual age probably wasn't much less. Moreover, his cultivation surpassed Yu Ping's – he was Great Perfection Nascent Soul.
This man was none other than Liu Yangzheng, the Deputy Alliance Leader of the Zhenhai Alliance!