Chapter 301 : The Secret of Elysium Island
Chapter 301: The Secret of Elysium Island
Chen Ming spoke leisurely, “In the end, this world still bows to strength. The day I reach the Divine Repository Realm, who would dare trouble me? If that realm isn’t enough, then I’ll go even higher.”
“As expected of a once-in-a-century peerless genius—truly confident.”
Deng Ziyang’s tone carried a hint of emotion. “But, I heard Pan Zhiyuan has already successfully opened his Divine Repository. It won’t be long before he exits seclusion. When that happens, Madam-in-law might face trouble and be unable to protect your family any longer. You’d best make preparations early.”
“Of course.”
Chen Ming nodded. “Actually, I came to find you today to ask a favor.”
“Go ahead.”
“How much do you know about the current Blood Demon Sect?”
Deng Ziyang’s expression turned a bit solemn. “The Blood Demon Sect is expanding rapidly. Their strength now might rival even the Nine Great Sects.”
Chen Ming was taken aback. “How could that be?”
He knew Deng Ziyang wasn’t the type to exaggerate.
“Actually, the Blood Demon Sect was never completely eradicated. It’s said that hundreds of years ago, a legacy was passed down to several island nations in the South Sea. Now, it’s grown into a massive entity—transformed into the state religion of several countries…”
“You mean the Moon God Cult that’s been spreading rapidly in the South Sea for the past two hundred years?”
“Exactly.”
Chen Ming couldn’t help but suck in a breath. He’d heard a bit about the Moon God Cult—sailors often counted themselves among its believers.
Because the Moon God Cult was so widespread in the South Sea nations, anyone wanting to do business there had to understand their faith. So many naturally came to believe in the cult.
The Moon God Cult was now the largest religious sect across the South Sea nations, with tens of millions of believers.
If what Deng Ziyang said was true—that the Moon God Cult was actually the Blood Demon Sect in disguise—then the power of this demonic sect was truly formidable.
Then wouldn’t the cult leader of the Moon God Cult be at least a Divine Repository Realm expert?
Chen Ming asked about the details, “That Divine Repository expert from the Blood Demon Sect—is he also from the Moon God Cult?”
“That’s right. He’s a missionary sent by the Moon God Cult to spread their faith in the Great Jin. But he didn’t use the cult’s name—instead, he went under the banner of the Blood Demon Sect. There are thirty-six such envoys.”
In other words, the Moon God Cult had at least thirty-six Divine Repository Realm cultivators.
That level of power was indeed staggering.
Even with the cultivation of the Blood Demon Grand Art, reaching the Divine Repository Realm wasn’t something easily done—it required devouring countless martial artists.
Deng Ziyang continued, “It’s said that above the envoys, there are two Elders who oversee all affairs in the Great Jin. But I’ve never seen them myself—only heard rumors.”
Chen Ming asked again, “Now that that envoy is dead, will the Moon God Cult send another? Or will they promote from within?”
Deng Ziyang replied, “Most likely, a new envoy will be dispatched. You fought against one—you should’ve noticed that their Blood Demon Grand Art was different from the one I inherited from the Blood God Bead.”
“Indeed. That envoy’s Blood God Bead was actually black.”
“You know what that means?”
“What?”
Deng Ziyang said in a low voice, “It means that the Moon God Cult’s leader has very likely found a way to escape the control of the Blood God. Because of this, the cult no longer values the Blood God Beads. Whether mine or others’—the envoys no longer try to seize them.”
“So that’s how it is,”
Chen Ming responded.
That wasn’t hard to understand. Anyone cultivating the Blood Demon Grand Art was essentially a blood reserve for the Demon Venerable—his backup battery. At any time, their power could be reclaimed to strengthen the Demon Venerable.
Anyone with ambition would never willingly place their life in someone else’s hands—they would naturally look for a way to resolve this hidden danger.
In that case, the Moon God Cult’s leader was indeed not simple. Given enough time, perhaps the Blood Demon Sect would produce another Demon Venerable.
He continued asking, “Within the borders of Jiangzhou, who else is colluding with the Blood Demon Sect?”
Deng Ziyang didn’t hide anything and relayed everything he knew.
“I haven’t been with the Blood Demon Sect for long, so I don’t know everything.”
“That’s enough.”
“Oh, right,” Deng Ziyang suddenly remembered something, “There’s another faction connected to the Moon God Cult—called Elysium Island. The envoy once said, if ever the Six Doors Authority cracks down on us, we can escape to the sea, find some pirates, and hide out on Elysium Island.”
Chen Ming’s heart stirred. “Where is Elysium Island?”
Deng Ziyang shook his head. “I don’t know. I only know it’s the main base for sea pirates.”
“But the envoy surely told you how to reach it, right?”
“He did. You seem very interested in Elysium Island—do you have a grudge against them?”
“You could say that. Now that the envoy is dead, wouldn’t it make sense for you to head to Elysium Island?”
Deng Ziyang caught his meaning. “You want me to go with you?”
Chen Ming said, “I was planning to go anyway. If you come along, I’ll feel much more confident about getting out alive.”
“Alright.” Deng Ziyang agreed without further questioning.
…
That same night, in a certain manor near the Six Doors Authority headquarters—
Inside the study, Du Caiyue had just finished reading a secret letter and looked worried. “This is bad. The island sent word—Master has already been placed under house arrest.”
Two others were in the study.
A middle-aged scholar furrowed his brow. “How could this happen? The Island Lord always respected Master.”
“Someone seized the opportunity during the Island Lord’s seclusion to purge dissenters. The island is in chaos—it’s likely…”
“No, we must return and rescue Master!”
“Don’t be rash. Without the Island Lord’s seal, we can’t even set foot on the island—let alone save anyone.”
“…”
The three argued for a while but came to no conclusion.
Later, the middle-aged scholar and the martial artist left first.
Only Du Caiyue remained in the study, alone and deep in thought.
“Miss Du, long time no see.”
Suddenly, a voice reached her ears. She jumped. “Who’s there?”
“What? You don’t even recognize my voice anymore?”
The study door creaked open. A tall figure stepped in.
“It’s you?”
Du Caiyue’s expression changed drastically when she saw the newcomer, her face wary. “You… who exactly are you?”
She had wanted to ask whether he was “Chen Ming” or the Demon Venerable—but stopped herself midway, sensing it was inappropriate.
It was indeed Chen Ming. He had resumed his original appearance. Entering the study, he retorted, “What do you think?”
Du Caiyue quickly composed herself. “Whoever you are, you came to find me for a reason.”
Chen Ming said, “I’m here to fulfill my promise. Didn’t you say, if I reached Second Grade within six months, I should come to you and help save your Master? Well, here I am.”
“You’re at Second Grade now?”
Du Caiyue was stunned.
“What? Need proof?”
“No. I believe you.”
Hope stirred within Du Caiyue’s heart. Whether or not he had been taken over by the Demon Venerable—if he was willing to help, that was good enough.
After all, she had no other options now.
She praised, “Young Master Chen truly is a man of his word.”
Chen Ming replied, “I owe her a debt. The body technique she taught me helped me escape death several times. That favor must be repaid. But from what you said earlier, Elysium Island is facing turmoil?”
“I just received the news. Things are unstable there.”
“Tell me about the situation on the island.”
Du Caiyue took a moment to organize her thoughts before speaking. “Actually, besides the Island Lord, there are three major powers on Elysium Island—the Fang Family, the Lin Family, and the Li Family.
“All three have Divine Repository Realm experts. Only the Island Lord can suppress them. In recent years, the Island Lord brought in many outsiders, which displeased those families. While he was in seclusion trying to break through, they made a move—slaughtering many of the outsiders.
“My Master was affected as well and is now under house arrest.”
Chen Ming was surprised. “So Elysium Island has multiple Divine Repository Realm experts, and yet the Red Sea Lord, who’s only Second Grade, dominates the seas?”
Du Caiyue replied, “My Master once said that the major families on the island have an ancestral rule—if they want to break through to the Divine Repository Realm, they must swear to stay on the island for life, never taking a single step off it.”
“Why would they do that?” Chen Ming was puzzled.
“My Master suspects it’s related to a great secret of Elysium Island. In short, all Divine Repository Realm cultivators on the island—including the Island Lord—are bound to it and cannot leave.”
Chen Ming said, “Then Elysium Island must have a secret realm, right?”
Du Caiyue confirmed, “Yes. In fact, several top-tier secret realms.”
“Several?”
Chen Ming was shocked. A single island had multiple top-tier secret realms? Was that even possible?
“Otherwise, why would those families choose to remain on the island for generations? Why would it attract so many pirates?”
He raised a question. “Since the island has so many Divine Repository Realm experts, even if I’m Second Grade, how could I rescue anyone? The gap is too vast.”
Du Caiyue explained, “You don’t know. Elysium Island also has a guardian sacred beast. This beast is incredibly ancient—even the Island Lord struggles to control it. It possesses the rare dual attributes of ice and fire…”
Chen Ming understood, “So you want me to win over the sacred beast? Ask it to plead for your Master?”
Du Caiyue nodded. “If the sacred beast is swayed, no one will dare trouble my Master. We might even gain true freedom.”
Chen Ming felt it sounded too unreliable.
Just because he cultivated both yin and yang, did that guarantee the dual-element beast would like him?
He asked, “How confident are you about this?”
Du Caiyue said, “At least fifty percent. According to my Master, the beast suffers immense pain every month due to its conflicting attributes. If you can ease its pain, you’ll earn its goodwill. Actually, the reason it remains on Elysium Island is because of two natural spirit springs—an Ice Spring and a Fire Spring.
“Whenever the backlash occurs, it relies on these springs for relief. But they’re drying up. The Island Lord is troubled by this. My Master gained her position by offering the Nine Yin True Art. Someone cultivated it to Third Grade and now serves by the sacred beast’s side—highly esteemed.”
Chen Ming felt this was more plausible now and asked, “What level is this sacred beast?”
“My Master says it’s roughly equivalent to the peak of the Divine Repository Realm.”
Peak Divine Repository—stronger than he had imagined.
He asked again, “This mission must come with risks, right?”
Du Caiyue said gloomily, “Normally, no. But now, with the island in turmoil, everything is uncertain.”
“You mentioned earlier that chaos is breaking out. Could your Master be killed too?”
“No. Unless they go insane, no one would dare harm her.”
Chen Ming, seeing her so certain, suspected this Red-Clad Woman must be hiding something.
He said, “One more thing. Do you know about Jin Yutang’s collusion with Elysium Island?”
Du Caiyue shook her head. “No. Each faction on the island has its own agenda—they don’t share such information.”
That made sense.
But it also answered his lingering question—why had Elysium Island schemed for so long to seize the leadership of Jin Yutang?
It was all for that single quota.
Though Elysium Island had its own, breaking through to the Divine Repository Realm there meant being bound to the island forever.
If it were him, he wouldn’t want to be trapped there for life either.
Even if Jin Yutang’s secret realm was only top-grade, not peak-grade, it didn’t matter.
Chen Ming asked, “So how do I get onto Elysium Island now?”
“Before she left, my Master left behind an entry token. There’s only one. If you decide to go, you’ll have to go alone.”
“Now’s not the best time to visit. Since Red-Clad won’t be in danger for now, we should wait until things settle down.”
Du Caiyue solemnly replied, “But there’s not much time. If she isn’t rescued within a month, unexpected changes may occur.”
He asked, “What kind of changes?”
Du Caiyue seemed to make a firm decision and said, “Have you heard the legend of Elysium Island?”
Chen Ming nodded. “I’ve heard a little. Supposedly, it’s an immortal island.”
She said, “It’s true. On Elysium Island, there is a Heavenly Residence. And it’s unclaimed. Back in the Previous Dynasty, a fallen emperor seeking immortality sent four great experts to find immortal islands. They never returned, which led to the dynasty’s fall.
“That tale may be exaggerated. But one part is true—those four experts found the Heavenly Residence on Elysium Island. They entered to fight over it and were trapped for many years. When they finally escaped, the Heavenly Residence sealed itself, never to be entered again.”
Her voice dropped to a whisper meant only for him. “It’s said that the four experts left a message: the Heavenly Residence will reopen in five hundred years. That time… has come.”