Chapter 306 : Rescuing Someone
Chapter 306: Rescuing Someone
Chen Ming shook his head and cast that thought aside. Things had already come to this point, and thinking too much about it was useless. It was better to think about how to leave this place.
As for rescuing anyone, with matters having escalated to this extent, it was best not to even consider it.
Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly sensed someone approaching. Immediately, he restrained his aura and concealed himself.
Voices came from inside the cave.
“Them over there have finally started fighting. Do you think we can win?”
“No matter who wins or loses, we just follow the orders of the Island Master.”
The first person lowered his voice. “Say, before the Island Master went into seclusion, do you think he already anticipated something like this would happen?”
“Watch your mouth. Is the Island Master someone you and I can speculate about?”
“Fine, I won’t say anything. Sigh… I heard the fighting outside has already turned chaotic. I just hope the flames of war don’t spread here.”
“Who doesn’t know that the Dragon Pool is a place where prisoners are held? Why would they have nothing better to do than attack here? We just need to guard this place peacefully. As long as we watch this place properly, no matter how big the fire becomes afterward, it won’t burn us.”
“…”
Hearing this, Chen Ming’s heart stirred.
This place was actually the Dragon Pool where prisoners were held. Could it be that “Sister Red” was also imprisoned here?
Thinking of this, he immediately made his move.
…
Those two men both had Third Grade cultivation. With Chen Ming attacking while they were unprepared, they were subdued before they even had time to react.
“Speak honestly. How many prisoners are held in the Dragon Pool?”
Chen Ming knocked one of them unconscious and interrogated the other alone.
“You’d better think carefully before answering. I’ll question your companion later. If your statements don’t match, you can guess what your fate will be.”
“Se-Senior… spare my life… I’ll talk… I’ll tell everything…”
The man’s bones were rather soft. Frightened by Chen Ming’s threat, he confessed everything.
The Dragon Pool was specifically used to imprison martial artists above the Third Grade. There were not many people qualified to be locked up here. At present, there were only three prisoners.
Two men and one woman.
From the description, the woman should be the one who liked wearing red—Sister Red.
After finishing the interrogation, Chen Ming knocked the man unconscious and woke the other one, interrogating him as well. The information matched almost perfectly.
“Sorry.”
He released a burst of force, killing both of them. After disposing of their bodies, he headed deeper into the cave.
According to what the two men had said, the Dragon Pool was one of the forbidden areas of Elysium Island. Normally, it was guarded by an elder of the Divine Repository Realm.
But now the island had fallen into chaos, and the elder guarding the Dragon Pool could no longer sit still and had gone out to support the fighting. At the moment, the place was at its weakest, with only a First Grade expert stationed here.
Just a First Grade expert. With Chen Ming’s current strength, dealing with him would not be difficult.
Since he had stumbled here by chance, he might as well rescue the person first.
…
Not long after, Chen Ming reached the end of the cave. He saw a pitch-black opening, and beside it stood a stone house.
In front of the stone house sat a gray-clothed old man in meditation. Sensing Chen Ming’s approach, the old man opened his eyes and stared at him.
“Who are you?” he asked in a deep voice.
“Who I am isn’t important. What matters is that I’m here to rescue someone.”
The gray-clothed old man suddenly understood. “You came for Ji Hongyu?”
Ji Hongyu?
This name…
Chen Ming had never known the real name of the woman who liked wearing red. Since he wasn’t certain, he neither confirmed nor denied it.
“You don’t seem surprised.”
“You are the third group to come rescue her.”
“No wonder. I could tell earlier—you’re injured.”
The gray-clothed old man said firmly, “You won’t be able to save her.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Chen Ming stopped talking. He drew the Emperor Moon Sword and thrust forward.
The strike was faster than lightning.
The gray-clothed old man didn’t even have time to react before the sword pierced through his heart, killing him instantly.
【You have killed an enemy LV98 and gained 3 million experience points.】
That single strike fully displayed Chen Ming’s strength—First Grade in martial arts, First Grade Yin Spirit, combined with the perfected movement technique 《Phoenix Dances Across the Nine Heavens》.
Among First Grade martial artists, very few could dodge that strike.
“With my current strength, I’m probably nearly invincible among First Grade experts.”
He sheathed the Emperor Moon Sword and searched the corpse, eventually finding a gray token.
The Dragon Pool was one of the forbidden grounds of Elysium Island. According to those two Third Grade guards earlier, inside the Dragon Pool one would constantly be affected by dragon might, greatly suppressing spiritual awareness.
At the time of day when the dragon might was strongest, one’s mind would suffer immense torment.
Only by holding a special token could one remain unaffected.
Chen Ming held the token and tried to communicate with it using the Controlling Artifact Art. Soon, he confirmed it.
“As expected, it’s this token.”
The token looked unremarkable, yet it gave him an extremely unusual feeling, similar to a peerless divine weapon—except that it had no artifact spirit.
Its function resembled a kind of rule. Though singular, it was extremely mysterious.
Holding the token, he walked toward the cave that led to the Dragon Pool.
…
The Dragon Pool was a deep pond.
The moment Chen Ming passed through the cave, a damp wind blew toward him. Within the howling wind was a terrifying majesty.
But when it touched his face, it felt like a gentle breeze, having no effect on him.
The Dragon Pool lay beneath the cave. A spiral stone staircase ran along the mountain wall downward.
Step by step, Chen Ming descended. When he reached the bottom, he saw a deep pool in the center. It was calm and without ripples, yet bottomless.
Along the stone walls by the shore were cells carved into the rock.
At a glance, he saw in one of the cells a woman dressed entirely in red. She sat cross-legged on the ground with her eyes closed, a painful expression on her face.
“Ji Hongyu?”
Hearing the voice, Ji Hongyu opened her eyes. Seeing the unfamiliar middle-aged man outside the cell, she asked, “I am. May I ask who you are?”
Chen Ming said calmly, “I came to rescue you on someone’s request.”
He stepped forward and opened the cell door.
“Can you still walk?”
On someone’s request?
Ji Hongyu was puzzled. She couldn’t figure out who would have asked this man to rescue her.
To enter the Dragon Pool unharmed, this man’s strength was obvious. Even she knew only a few people of such caliber. Her subordinates outside certainly couldn’t have invited someone like this.
“Yes.”
She struggled to stand.
No matter what, she couldn’t miss such a chance to escape.
After leaving the cell, Ji Hongyu heard the middle-aged man beside her ask, “Does this Dragon Pool really have a dragon in it?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“Of course it does.”
Suddenly, a voice came from another cell.
“Brother, could you open my cell door as well? I can tell you the secret of the Dragon Pool.”
Chen Ming looked at Ji Hongyu.
“Miss Ji, whether to rescue him or not is your decision.”
Ji Hongyu shook her head. “Don’t create unnecessary trouble.”
“Alright.”
Chen Ming said no more. Ignoring the man, he led Ji Hongyu back along the path they came and left the Dragon Pool.
…
“Thank you, Senior, for saving my life.”
After leaving the Dragon Pool, some of Ji Hongyu’s Gang Origin recovered, and a trace of color returned to her face as she solemnly expressed her gratitude.
Chen Ming suddenly recalled how, when he was weak in Qingfeng City, he had been extremely respectful before this woman.
Yet after only a year, she was now calling him “Senior.”
The feeling wasn’t bad.
“No need to thank me. I only came because someone asked me to.”
“May I ask who entrusted Senior with this?”
“Do you remember that in Qingfeng City, you once passed a movement technique to a young man?”
“You mean Chen Ming?”
Ji Hongyu was greatly surprised. She had never imagined that the person who saved her would actually be connected to that weak young man Chen Ming.
That Chen Ming had actually managed to invite such a powerful expert.
It seemed that many things had happened during the half year she had been imprisoned.
Chen Ming nodded. “Correct.”
After receiving confirmation, Ji Hongyu cautiously asked, “May I ask what relationship Senior has with Chen Ming?”
“When you see him in the future, you can ask him yourself.”
“Yes.”
Ji Hongyu didn’t dare ask further and changed the topic.
“Senior must find it strange why I didn’t rescue the other two prisoners in the Dragon Pool.”
“Why?”
“The two of them are residents of the island. They were imprisoned in the Dragon Pool for committing offenses. If they were released, they would certainly report it.”
Chen Ming wasn’t interested in that. Instead, he asked,
“What I’m more curious about is why Elysium Island imprisoned you.”
Ji Hongyu paused. After a moment of silence, she clenched her teeth and said,
“To be honest, I carry a great secret. Not long ago, the Island Master discovered it. He imprisoned me in order to obtain that secret.”
“I see.”
Chen Ming roughly understood.
The secret she carried was probably related to the Eternal Life Emperor’s False Tomb.
Judging from various signs, Elysium Island was also connected to the Eternal Life Emperor.
He changed the subject.
“Do you know how to leave this place?”
Ji Hongyu was very surprised.
“Senior has no interest in that secret at all?”
“No interest.”
…
Ji Hongyu had been imprisoned in the Dragon Pool the entire time and knew nothing about the upheaval on Elysium Island. When Chen Ming told her about it, she was deeply shocked.
Under the Island Master’s governance, although outsiders and the island’s natives occasionally had friction, it never escalated too far.
Now that the Island Master had gone into seclusion, the two sides had erupted into battle, slaughtering each other in rivers of blood.
“This situation is strange,” Ji Hongyu said in a low voice.
“Even if the two sides had conflicts, it shouldn’t have reached the point of drawing weapons. I’m afraid some external force is sowing discord.”
Chen Ming glanced at her.
“You seem rather attached to Elysium Island. What, are you planning to mediate and make both sides cease fighting?”
Ji Hongyu shook her head.
“With things having reached this stage, only the Island Master could suppress the situation. Anyone else would be useless.”
She was only Third Grade and not even part of the island’s high ranks. How could she possibly command such authority?
She stopped thinking about it.
“Leaving Elysium Island isn’t difficult. As long as we can get a ship.”
“What about the mist surrounding the island?”
“It has always been easier to leave Elysium Island than to enter it. Once you’re on a ship, ocean currents will carry it out of the mist.”
“I see. Then let’s leave quickly while they haven’t reacted yet.”
There were plenty of ships on the island. Many supplies had to be transported from outside, making ships the most important transport tool.
With Chen Ming’s strength, obtaining a small boat was easy. The two of them left the island by sea.
Just as Ji Hongyu had said, they didn’t even need to row. An ocean current carried the boat forward. Before long, they passed through the thick mist and reached the open sea.
After that, they took turns rowing. In less than ten days, land came into view.
After landing, Chen Ming bid farewell to Ji Hongyu.
“Miss Ji, Chen Ming asked me to tell you that when you return to Qingfeng City, please take care of the Chen Family to some extent.”
Before she could respond, he drifted away.
…
After parting with Ji Hongyu, Chen Ming traveled north, preparing to return to the Capital.
This trip had accomplished nearly everything he needed. It was time to return and report to His Majesty.
Once he returned to the Capital, he would peacefully farm experience points and strive to break through to the Yang Spirit soon.
Only after reaching the Yang Spirit could he advance further and open the Divine Repository.
…
Meanwhile, on Ji Hongyu’s side—
After drifting at sea for ten days, most of her cultivation had finally recovered. After disguising herself, she returned to Qingfeng City.
The first thing she did was look for Du Caiyue.
“Young Lady?”
That night, when Du Caiyue returned home, she immediately sensed something wrong. When she saw the person sitting in the room, she was both shocked and delighted.
“Is it really you?”
Ji Hongyu had already returned to her original appearance. Looking at Du Caiyue, she said with emotion,
“It’s me. These days must have been hard on you.”
She could naturally guess that the only person who would ask Chen Ming to rescue her was Du Caiyue.
Du Caiyue’s eyes instantly turned red.
“Young Lady suffered the most. The Island Master was truly heartless to imprison you in a place like the Dragon Pool.”
“After this incident, my ties with Elysium Island are severed. Now that Elysium Island has fallen into internal chaos and the Heavenly Residence Quota is about to open, none of the major powers will miss this opportunity. Elysium Island will be too busy to deal with us. This is the perfect chance to carry out our plans.”
“Everything will follow Young Lady’s instructions.”
After speaking, Du Caiyue remembered something.
“Young Lady, didn’t Chen Ming return with you?”
“Chen Ming?” Ji Hongyu looked puzzled. “Why would he be with me?”
Du Caiyue was surprised.
“Wasn’t it him who rescued you?”
“How could it be—”
Ji Hongyu suddenly froze.
“Wait. Tell me everything in detail.”
“Alright.”
Du Caiyue then recounted everything from half a year ago—about the agreement she made with Chen Ming—and also told her about Chen Ming coming to find her a month ago.
“I thought Chen Ming personally went to rescue you.”
“…”
After hearing it, Ji Hongyu remained silent for a moment.
“Whether it was him or not, this favor must be counted to his name.”
“Oh. Then Young Lady, what should we do next?”
“Go find Shang Jianfei.”
…
Half a month later, the Capital finally came into sight.
This time Chen Ming encountered no assassins. However, after arriving in the Capital, he didn’t immediately return to the Sea-Calming King’s Mansion. Instead, he stayed in an inn.
From then on, every day he used the tortoiseshell to enter Qingwei Heaven, slaughter the wandering spirits inside, and farm experience points to level up.