Chapter 416: The Mysterious Island Lord

The next battle is the so-called insurmountable darkness—Dark Demon Island. Compared to the bottom-ranked Xifeng or the depleted Sakuman, Dark Demon Island's strength is undoubtedly the pinnacle standard of the Holy Sanctuary, even considered on par with the Zenith Holy Sanctuary in some aspects, with an air of mystery that surpasses it.

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This is the most unique place in the entire Holy Sanctuary, even in the entire League of Blades. Some say the island holds the Gates to Hell, while others claim it's the cradle of demons or the prison of trapped souls. The surrounding seas are often shrouded in mist, avoided even by the seafaring sea people, making it synonymous with all things mysterious and eerie.

Such an eerie place is also the only Holy Sanctuary with two top-ten young masters. In everyone's eyes, the Rose team of six have absolutely no chance of overcoming the mountain that is Dark Demon Island.

The facts seem to prove that Rose is indeed somewhat intimidated...

After descending from Mount Maklu, Team Old Wang did not immediately set off for Dark Demon Island but chose to rest in Hegvis City for an entire week.

Their hosts were none other than Sakuman Holy Sanctuary. It must be said that this fifth-ranked cornerstone Holy Sanctuary displayed remarkable magnanimity despite losing the match. Not only did they arrange the best private villa in Sakuman for Team Old Wang, but they also granted Wang Feng's request to open their alchemy workshop, forging workshop, and exclusive training grounds—all equipped with first-rate facilities.

This wasn't out of respect for Gule. Although Gule had announced his intention to join Rose, that was contingent on Team Old Wang overcoming the Zenith Holy Sanctuary. In reality, aside from a few onlookers, those with any real insight still considered this an almost impossible task. After all, before Zenith lies the terrifying Dark Demon Island. And if only Zenith remained, it still wouldn't be feasible, as Rose would likely face not just Zenith but the entire Elder Council of the Holy City!

So Sakuman wasn't overly concerned. Their high-level hospitality was mainly to showcase their generosity to the world. On the other hand, it was because of that Thunder Pearl... In the eyes of the Vis Clan, Wang Feng willingly gifting such a precious treasure to Gule was a gesture of goodwill toward them and Sakuman, offering them a way to save face. Frankly, aside from some disgruntled junior members who thought Wang Feng was grandstanding, most Vis Clan elders were deeply gratified by his action.

That was a Hai Thunder Pearl! A treasure the Vis Clan held in the highest regard, so precious they hadn't even bestowed one upon Gule, their sole genius disciple. If Wang Feng had taken it so easily without any way to reclaim it, they would've been furious enough to cough up blood! Simply put, Wang Feng gave the Vis Clan face and spared them immense trouble. Letting Team Old Wang stay for a few days was nothing—even if they wanted to live there for a year feasting on delicacies, the Vis would've agreed wholeheartedly if it meant reclaiming the Hai Thunder Pearl.

Thus, Team Old Wang settled in comfortably. Whether it was Wu Di and Fan Texi still recovering, or Mapeier and Kela, they spent most of their time training in the martial arts grounds. Wu Di was further mastering his transformation, Fan Texi attempted to enter the Rage Tai Chi Tiger state under normal conditions, Mapeier practiced her golden wheels, and Kela meditated daily, having gained many insights from the Thunder Road that she was now processing.

Even the usually lazy Winnie stayed diligently in the training grounds this time, occasionally sparring with Mapeier and Kela. Though she still acted carefree, Kela and Fan Texi could tell this fearless girl was genuinely nervous about Dark Demon Island.

"Pah! Me? Nervous? Scared? I just don't like spooky places, that's all!" Winnie retorted righteously, earning knowing smiles from everyone.

As for Old Wang, he seemed to be working on something... spending all day in Sakuman's forging and alchemy workshops, too busy for even his squad to see him. But after witnessing his Puppet on the Thunder Road, the team knew he was surely crafting some secret weapon for Dark Demon Island.

...

Meanwhile, in the distant Shack City, located in the southwestern region of the League.

Bordered by the Endless Sea to the west and the barren continent of the beastmen to the south, the endless yellow sands made this desert city resemble an isolated island.

Xue Zhiyu, Xuecai, Aota, and others from Ice Spirit, along with people from Fire God Mountain and Quicksand Holy Sanctuary, had merged into a group of several dozen, riding Bactrian camels through the desert before arriving, dust-covered, in the city.

"So this is Shack City?" Xuecai wore a thin light summer top, her slightly developing figure creating two small bumps at her chest, though she remained oblivious as she curiously eyed the city. "I thought there'd be more trees here."

Unlike most desert oasis cities, Shack City had almost no trees within its walls. Everywhere was tinted yellow, and the streets were sparsely populated, giving it a desolate feel.

Sha He, a Quicksand Holy Sanctuary mentor who came to greet them, smiled and said, "Shack City hasn't seen rain in sixty-seven years. Trees can't grow here, and even digging a hundred meters underground yields no water. Water here is as valuable as its weight in spirit crystals—far beyond what ordinary people can afford. It might sound laughable, but most locals have never bathed in their lives and don't even have the concept... Truthfully, most original Shack citizens moved to New Shack City dozens of miles away decades ago, where conditions are much better. Those remaining are either impoverished or Quicksand Holy Sanctuary members unwilling to abandon their ancestral land."

No rain for over sixty years? Xuecai stuck out her tongue. The Quicksand mentor sighed and continued, "Many say Shack City is cursed by demons. Over the years, natural disasters have been relentless. Sandstorms are manageable—locals are used to them—but the plague half a year ago drained the city's last vitality. Recently, suspected dark demon creatures have appeared, along with several cases of demon beasts entering the city and attacking people. Now, almost all civilians have fled... Sigh, building a new Quicksand Holy Sanctuary campus is our last resort. This is our ancestral land, after all..."

As Sha He rambled on nostalgically, Xue Zhiyu and the others listened attentively.

Quicksand Holy Sanctuary needed funds to relocate—hence why Xue Zhiyu's group had come.

Frankly, Quicksand had always ranked mid-to-upper among the 108 Holy Sanctuaries, similar to Fire God Mountain. As the League's premier training ground for earth shamans—powerful warriors balanced in offense and defense—it shouldn't lack resources. The Holy City provided substantial annual funding, but staying in this isolated city meant exorbitant costs for everything, from daily necessities to cultivation materials. Moreover, wealthy merchants refused to send their children to such a desolate place, and the city held no commercial value.

With soaring costs and no sponsors, this once-stable top forty Holy Sanctuary was now struggling to pay even its mentors' meals.

Adding to their woes, recent sightings of suspected dark creatures and frenzied desert beasts attacking civilians had terrified the remaining population into fleeing. Quicksand had no choice but to announce relocation.

For such a major move, the Holy City would provide substantial support—but not enough. Thus, they sought investments from wealthy merchants. Yet with the League fixated on Rose's Eight Standards Challenge, Quicksand's pleas for funding over the past months had yielded almost nothing.

It was quite a coincidence that several disciples from the Quisha Sanctuary, responsible for attracting investments, went to the Xifeng Sanctuary to watch the Rose vs. Sakuman match. Due to their good relationship with Fire God Mountain, they got acquainted with Xue Zhiyu and others. This turned out to be the right connection.

The Ice Spirit Kingdom has nothing in abundance except for soul crystal reserves! The Quisha team cheering for Rose on the field already left a good impression on Xue Zhiyu. When they mentioned the major relocation of their Sanctuary campus and the need for investment, Xue Zhiyu decided to visit personally to discuss matters with the Quisha Sanctuary. The Fire God Mountain contingent, maintaining their long-standing friendship with Quisha, came along for the excursion, treating it as a sightseeing opportunity.

Having experienced so much, Xue Zhiyu finally understood the game of the Sanctuary. Whether within the Sanctuary or the League of Blades, having a voice isn’t just about personal strength—it’s also about having enough allies! And these allies must be steadfast, not two-faced opportunists.

Of course, this required on-site discussions and inspections. The exact amount of investment would depend on the other party’s final stance, as well as considerations for returns on investment. After all, this was an investment, not the so-called "donations" from wealthy merchants trying to get their disciples into the Sanctuary.

Xue Zhiyu listened with a smile while lost in her own thoughts. From what she could see, the Quisha Sanctuary was very welcoming to her group. After witnessing the state of Shake City firsthand, she realized her investment at this moment would be like a lifeline to Quisha. Moreover, whether observing the character of the Quisha disciples along the way or the temperament of the mentor, the Quisha people lived up to their reputation—stubbornly honest.

More importantly, given the strength of the Quisha Sanctuary, relocating to a new campus would undoubtedly ease their money troubles. Recouping the investment within ten years wouldn’t be difficult.

Xue Zhiyu had already made up her mind. She smiled and asked an off-topic question: "Do you have the Sanctuary Light here?"

"Of course!" Mentor Shahe replied with a smile. "As long as the Quisha Sanctuary exists, the Sanctuary Light will be here. Though we’re remote and impoverished, we can’t lag behind in information."

"Mentor Shahe, do you have any news about Rose Sanctuary and Sakuman?" Xue Zhiyu asked with concern. After days of traveling through the desert, they had been cut off from updates.

"They won." Shahe chuckled, already aware of the relationship between the Ice Spirit Sanctuary and Wang Feng of Rose. He briefly recounted the match between Rose and Sakuman.

"Damn, the Thunder Road, and even recruited Gule? The boss is insane!" Aota exclaimed, both shocked and delighted. Back then, Ye Dun and his crew always looked down on him as the bottom-ranked among the top ten. Now, with Gule becoming his boss’s follower, wouldn’t he have to call him "second brother" from now on?

"Haha, who do you think spotted Wang Feng first?" Xuecai was thrilled, boasting proudly. "The moment I saw Wang Feng at the auction block, I knew he wasn’t ordinary..."

"Auction block?" Chai Jing and others from Fire God Mountain were extremely curious.

"Ahem..." Xue Zhiyu coughed lightly. Wang Feng’s affairs in the Ice Spirit Kingdom wasn’t common knowledge.

Xuecai caught the hint, secretly sticking out her tongue before quickly changing the subject. "Once we’re done here, let’s hurry to the Zenith Sanctuary! Wang Feng and the others will definitely head there soon!"

"Right, right!"

"You might be too optimistic," Mentor Shahe sighed slightly. "To be honest, if this were the usual Heroic Cup, I’d say Wang Feng’s team could hold their own against the Darkmoon Island disciples. But if they’re going to Darkmoon Island itself..."

"What’s so special about Darkmoon Island? Would they dare bully the young with their elders?" Xuecai scoffed. "It’s still a fair fight. If it’s a real battle, Wang Feng’s team won’t back down!"

"Exactly, Darkmoon Island has to follow the Sanctuary’s rules too!" Aota chimed in. "Would they dare play dirty?"

Mentor Shahe shook his head with a smile. Frankly, these kids were hopelessly naive. Darkmoon Island was a place without rules, without so-called taboos or restraints... This world had plenty who could ignore the rules, but these kids had seen too little of it.

"Mentor Shahe?" Xue Zhiyu noticed something unusual and gave him a concerned, questioning look.

After a brief hesitation, Shahe said, "Though Darkmoon Island and we are both part of the 108 Sanctuaries, their status is vastly different. Their purpose is entirely unlike ours. The Island Lord of Darkmoon Island is one of the most mysterious figures in the League of Blades, among the very few who can disregard the Holy City—even the League itself—without facing any repercussions. And above all, they never accept defeat..."

The group exchanged glances. What did this mean? That Darkmoon Island would stop at nothing to win, even if it meant sending their elders to crush Wang Feng’s team if the battle turned against them?

"I can only tell you this much," Mentor Shahe shook his head, concluding with a sigh. "All you can do now is pray for them—pray the Island Lord wakes up on the right side of the bed, and that Rose can have a halfway fair fight on Darkmoon Island."

…………

Dragonmoon Sanctuary...

The hall was floored with wooden planks, the spacious room bare save for a shaven-headed man sitting cross-legged in the center.

Light filtered through the colored-glass windows. It was noon, and he seemed to be meditating—or perhaps dozing. The room was utterly silent.

"Bam bam bam!" A series of urgent knocks came from the door.

Xiao Bang’s eyes slid open. "Come in."

"Bro! Big bro Xiao Bang!" A young guy rushed in excitedly, holding a copy of Holy Sanctuary's Light. "Rose won! My idol Wang Feng is insane—he actually completed the Thunderbolt Path and even obtained a Sea Gray Pearl! He’s next-level!"

Xiao Bang smirked slightly.

Next-level? His master’s level could never be summed up by such simple words.

"Yeah, I heard," he nodded. Xiao Feng was his cousin, the son of the Dragon Prince. After Xiao Bang’s disappearance, he had been groomed as the so-called strongest genius by Dragon Moon Holy Sanctuary.

Too bad. Though his cousin’s talent was undoubtedly top-tier, his heart was never truly in cultivation. Whether it was playing polo or chasing girls, getting him to focus on training for even a day was like pulling teeth.

"Dude, aren’t you supposed to be close with my idol? Why do you look so bored?" Xiao Feng, around sixteen or seventeen, brimming with youthful energy, was drenched in sweat—likely from another polo match—yet still full of vigor. "Can’t you at least smile? Brooding all the time—doesn’t it get exhausting?"

Xiao Bang chuckled but didn’t respond. This kid was a superfan of Wang Feng, and not just because of their connection. The moment Xiao Feng saw the trash talk about Wang Feng in Holy Sanctuary's Light, he was instantly hooked. Here was a guy who lazed around, never trained seriously, yet still managed to defeat the famed captain of Fire God Mountain with just ice bees and a Skyburst Grenade.

No hard work, yet still this badass? That was Xiao Feng’s dream come true—his absolute idol, a god-tier legend, not even Wang Meng could compare! After hearing that Xiao Bang was close with Wang Feng, Xiao Feng had been bugging him daily, begging for an introduction. He’d even kneel and worship Wang Feng as his master if given the chance!

Suddenly, Xiao Feng smacked his forehead as if struck by inspiration. "Ah, I get it now!"

He strode in confidently, acting as if he could read Xiao Bang’s mind.

"Big bro, you must be worried they’ll lose, right?" Xiao Feng wagged his head, sighing dramatically. "But what can you do? Dark Demon Island has two top-ten powerhouses in their ranks, and even their substitutes are said to be crazy strong—way tougher than that crippled Sakuman squad!"

"..." Xiao Bang gave him a flat look. "I need to meditate... and I was never worried about that."

"Ah! Then you must be worried about their safety!" Xiao Feng plopped down beside him, shaking his head gravely. "Dark Demon Island plays dirty, and they’ve already banned outsiders from watching the match. That’s gotta mean they’re planning something shady! With no witnesses, even if my idol wins, will the Island Lord let them leave? Nah, they’ll just dump their bodies in the ocean and claim it was an accident during the fight. Who’s gonna call them liars?"

The more Xiao Feng analyzed, the more convinced he became, nodding furiously before growing genuinely concerned. "Tsk tsk tsk, so sketchy! Dark Demon Island has no class! Big bro, we gotta figure out a way to help my idol. We’re all in this together, right? Your brother is my brother—no, wait, my idol! How can we just sit back and watch him walk into the abyss? We gotta do something! We gotta—"

Xiao Feng was mid-rant when he noticed Xiao Bang staring at him with those deep, unreadable eyes.

"What?" Xiao Feng rubbed his face. No weird growths or sudden white hairs.

"..." Xiao Bang sighed inwardly. He didn’t know how strong the Dark Demon Island Lord truly was, but in his heart, even Indra or the Yaksha King from the Eight Tribes wouldn’t be able to keep his master trapped. But what could he say to this cousin who had already given him endless headaches?

His master had told him that mastering the fusion of inner and outer forces in the Spiral Storm required personal enlightenment. The master could only show the way—cultivation was up to the disciple. Xiao Bang had been meditating on this for a while now, but progress was slow. Breaking through a bottleneck was never easy.

One more month. By then, his master should have returned from Dark Demon Island and headed to Zenith Holy Sanctuary. Whether Xiao Bang had his breakthrough or not, he’d go to cheer for Rose. If he succeeded, he’d bring the good news to his master. If not… well, he’d watch the matches, seek inspiration, or shamelessly beg for guidance.

Of course, he knew what Xiao Feng wanted. But introducing him to his master? That was easier said than done. Back then, even Xiao Bang himself hadn’t been deemed worthy of being a formal disciple—just a nominal one, with the condition that he first become a hero. And Xiao Feng? A hero? That was… optimistic.

"I need to meditate..." Xiao Bang cut off Xiao Feng’s rambling, effectively dismissing him. "And please close the door on your way out. Thanks."

"Oh!" Xiao Feng obeyed instantly. When it came to this brother who knew his idol, he was all ears. He hurried to the door but kept talking. "Big bro, what if I get my old man to visit Dark Demon Island? He’s a prince, after all—gotta have some clout, right? With an outsider present, Dark Demon Island wouldn’t dare pull any shady moves! Plus, they could take me along. I mean, I’d basically be saving my idol’s life... Bro, you know him best. If I go all out like this, even dragging my old man into it, wouldn’t that earn me some serious friendship points? Maybe even a shot at becoming his disciple?"

*Click.*

He shut the door, growing more excited by the second. Turning back, ready to debate further, he was met with Xiao Bang’s deadpan stare.

His master? In danger? Needing Xiao Feng to save him? Please. If Dark Demon Island really tried anything underhanded against his master, Xiao Bang figured it’d be the mysterious Dark Demon Island Lord who’d have the headache. Mysterious? Compared to Master Wang Feng? Good luck.

"I meant for you to go outside first, *then* close the door. Thank you!"