Chapter 429: The Master’s Manuscript (Happy New Year)

The ripples of energy did more than just disperse the dark clouds and white mist above Dark Demon Island. Winnie and Momosang were astonished to discover that as the mist cleared, the parched, fissured earth appeared to mend in an instant. Even more miraculously, unidentified green shoots began rapidly emerging from the soil and crevices around them!

Winnie and the others were stunned, while Momosang and the black-cloaked figures behind him quivered with barely contained fervor. As members of Dark Demon Island, bound by the Dark Demon Codex, they knew all too well what this transformation signified.

Dark Demon Island's destiny had shifted!

...

In the Temple of Six Paths Reincarnation, the statue of Supreme Sage Teacher Wang Meng, which had stood there for centuries, suddenly dissolved into motes of starlight, scattering in the air and illuminating the once-dim temple with dazzling brilliance.

In the spot where the statue once stood, a blinding white light flared like an opening portal. Wang Feng emerged, wreathed in boundless holy light.

The Island Lord and six elders in the hall wore complex expressions, especially Ghost Elder, who had previously opposed this matter. Instead of skepticism or resistance, his gaze now burned with devout reverence.

Just minutes ago, no one knew what would happen after Wang Feng conquered the Heavenly Path. Beyond the Dark Codex’s decree that "whoever conquers the Six Paths shall be the Lord of Dark Demon Island," there were no further details—as if it were merely an ancestral covenant. The codex never specified Dark Demon Island’s future.

But moments ago, they had all clearly sensed Dark Demon Island’s transformation. It wasn’t just the mist dispersing—every elder could feel it: the Dark World's vortex gateway beneath Dark Demon Island had abruptly closed.

What did this mean? It meant the curse of Dark Demon Island had been lifted!

According to the Dark Codex, Dark Demon Island’s sole purpose was to guard the gate to the Dark World. For generations, the elders had been forbidden from leaving Dark Demon Island, effectively imprisoned here—wardens who were equally confined by the Holy Light. Many of the codex’s harsh rules existed solely for this purpose. Now, with the Dark World’s gate closed, those shackles had vanished. Dark Demon Island was free.

Bathed in sacred light, with blue skies and clear air outside the windows, the six elders and the Island Lord felt newborn. These guardians, who had watched over Dark Demon Island for over sixty years, had yearned for freedom more deeply than anyone could imagine.

"We greet our Lord!"

Without hesitation, the masked Island Lord led the six elders in kneeling on one knee before Wang Feng.

Wang Feng showed no reaction.

After meeting Supreme Sage Teacher Wang Meng in the Heavenly Path, this obeisance from the elders was unexpected but not shocking—nor did he take it at face value.

"You are...?"

"Verna, the fifteenth-generation acting Island Lord of Dark Demon Island," the masked figure rasped.

"Tianqiong, fifteenth-generation Heavenly Path overseer of Dark Demon Island."

"Huna, sixteenth-generation Human Path overseer of Dark Demon Island."

"Qiqiwei, sixteenth-generation Asura Path overseer of Dark Demon Island."

"Banbo, sixteenth-generation Beast Path overseer of Dark Demon Island."

"Gui Zhicai, sixteenth-generation Hungry Ghost Path overseer of Dark Demon Island."

"Lin Yu, sixteenth-generation Hell Path overseer of Dark Demon Island, humbly acknowledging our Lord!"

The seven announced their titles and names in turn.

"Such honorifics weigh too heavily for me to bear," Wang Feng quickly waved his hands. The Island Lord and the Six Paths elders—these were the legendary Seven Shades of Dark Demon Island from Blades faction legends. Of course, Old Wang had heard of them. "Please, rise!"

"Lord, according to the Dark Codex, whoever conquers the Six Paths of Reincarnation shall be the master of Dark Demon Island," Verna remained kneeling, speaking calmly. "For centuries, Dark Demon Island has guarded the Dark World under the Supreme Sage Teacher’s decree. Every successor has awaited your arrival. Now that the Dark Abyss is sealed and the curse lifted, Dark Demon Island’s future rests in your guidance."

Old Wang quickly pieced it together. Sealing the Dark Abyss was trivial for Wang Meng, but leaving Dark Demon Island behind? This was likely a "starter's bounty" from the Supreme Sage Teacher to his transdimensional counterpart.

Of course, a gift was a gift—but these weren’t inanimate objects. As the saying goes, men's hearts are inscrutable. Faith was powerful, but the Island Lord and elders, renowned across the Nine Heavens Continent, were no pushovers. If he were Dragon level now, things would be simple. But at ghost level? Best not to put on airs before a group of ghost-level peak—or even a possibly Dragon-level Island Lord. Assuming command over them as personal subordinates would invite disaster.

"Honored elders, this is absolutely unacceptable!" Old Wang stepped forward warmly, helping each person up with a face full of sincerity and words brimming with reverence. "Wang Feng is merely twenty years old, with strength barely at the Ghost Initial rank, and my reputation pales in comparison to yours. How could I possibly deserve such titles and grand gestures from you? Dark Demon Island's prestige is renowned and unparalleled across the Nine Heavens World, and I have always held the utmost admiration in my heart..."

After a round of flattery, he swiftly followed with sincere substance: "This journey through the Path of Samsara has been immensely rewarding for me. If you have any requests, honored elders, please do not hesitate to speak. But as for titles like 'master,' I beg you not to mention them again—it truly fills me with dread, and I cannot bear such honor!"

Old Wang, ever the smooth operator, combined flattery with a graceful step down, leaving the elders genuinely pleased.

It's often said that the young are brash, and someone as exceptional as Wang Feng should naturally be brimming with arrogance. Even with the elders' steadfast faith, encountering someone arrogant would have been uncomfortable. Yet here he was, courteous and treating them as elders—it was truly refreshing.

The elders all turned to the Island Lord, who pondered briefly before speaking: "Since you command it, we dare not disobey. Then we shall address you as 'Divine Envoy.'"

Before Old Wang could respond, Ghost Elder smacked his knee enthusiastically: "The Divine Envoy's arrival radiates extraordinary grace! It seems Dark Demon Island's glory is finally upon us!"

Elder Tianqiong smiled faintly: "The Divine Envoy, despite being only at the Ghost Initial rank, has traversed the Six Paths of Reincarnation—a feat even Dragon-ranked powerhouses could not accomplish. Regardless of the method, this old man is utterly impressed."

"Just call me Little Wang," Wang Feng said with a laugh. "We know our own limits. I'm merely a Saint Temple disciple, and breaking through to the Ghost level was only possible thanks to the elders' blessings and sheer luck. How could I possibly be a 'Divine Envoy'?"

The group was taken aback, then burst into laughter. Such self-deprecation didn’t diminish his image in the slightest—instead, it made him all the more relatable. Still, "Little Wang" was too informal to use outright. With the rules of the Dark Canon and the ancestral teachings of Dark Demon Island in place, simply avoiding "master" was already a great relief.

With Wang Feng's title settled, Gui Zhicai and Banbo couldn’t resist asking about the "Coiling Dragon Eightfold Array" and the "Fallen Beast God Runes." Only then did Old Wang realize these two had merely replicated the forms without truly grasping the deeper principles of these seventh-order formations.

Just as he was about to explain, the Island Lord interjected: "Dark Demon Island has just undergone a transformation, with its dark clouds dispersed. The disciples must be filled with doubt. Please, elders, go forth and reassure them. I have further words for the Divine Envoy."

The elders bowed in acknowledgment and vanished in an instant—a mere flicker of movement. The six of them, four men and two women, typically cloaked in black robes that obscured their auras, now revealed their formidable Ghost Peak cultivation as they departed. Each was on par with the likes of Karida and Fu Liye. While Ghost Peak experts were not uncommon in the League, those like Karida and Fu Liye stood at the very pinnacle, figures of exalted status capable of dominating entire regions. Yet here, there were six such beings gathered in one place...

As the elders left, Wang Feng turned his curious gaze toward the Dark Demon Island Lord, who, instead of speaking, removed the mask from his face.

The Dark Demon Mask—a treasure of Dark Demon Island, one of the legendary Six Great Masks. Across the continent, aside from Lucky Heaven’s Mask of Balance, the Dark Demon Island Lord’s mask was the most widely known.

In the tales of the League of Blades, the Dark Demon Island Lord had always been portrayed as a demonic figure—three heads, six arms, fanged and monstrous. Yet when the mask came off, what greeted Wang Feng was a face of peerless beauty.

Her delicate features were exquisitely balanced, her skin like jade-like perfection. But what truly captivated was her aura—deep and enigmatic, like a mysterious noblewoman with untold stories. Her eyes, clear and profound, were a bottomless abyss of mystery.

Those eyes made her age impossible to discern.

A woman? Stunning, icy, and ageless.

This might be the most sensational gossip of the year across the Nine Heavens World. Then again, Old Wang had heard her introduce herself as Verna—hardly a man’s name. As for the hoarse voice, well, with the Dark Demon Mask, altering one’s voice was a simple matter.

Verna set the mask aside and knelt in a deep bow. "Fifteenth-generation inheritor of Dark Demon Island, paying respects to my master."

"Didn’t we agree on 'Divine Envoy'?" Wang Feng said with a wry smile, quickly helping her up.

"My station forbids such liberties," Verna replied without hesitation. "The elders and I have different responsibilities. They may address you as such, but I cannot."

This beautiful Island Lord seemed far more devout. Wang Feng didn’t pursue the matter, instead asking with interest, "May I ask how old you are? Fifteenth generation—how does that work?"

"Sixty-one," Verna answered. "The tenure of the Dark Demon Island Lord is typically fifty years. But life is unpredictable, and much can happen in that time. I have held this position for thirty-six years—among the Island Lords of history, my tenure is relatively long."

...Though Old Wang harbored no ulterior thoughts, the contrast between her age and her stunning beauty was... well, *ahem*, focus.

Wang Feng nodded. "What exactly is this Dark Canon you keep mentioning?"

"The handwritten canon of the Supreme Sage Teacher," Verna explained. "It records the origins and history of Dark Demon Island, as well as the covenants and duties between the Supreme Sage Teacher and the island. The canon was written in the blood of the Dark Sovereign, infused with supreme runic incantations, binding all who enter the island to its oaths for life."

A handwritten canon from the Supreme Sage Teacher? And these oath-binding powers sounded like a formidable causality weapon. Old Wang’s interest was piqued. "A causality weapon? Like the Asura Blade on the Path of Asura?"