Chapter 479: Penglai Immortal Island

"Oh?"

Shen Daoxing couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. "Not even if the Island Master himself came?"

"Hehehehe!"

The Fusang elder, Xu Jin, still wore a smile. "My sincerest apologies, Island Master Shen. It’s not just you. Even if the Yingzhou Island Master and the Tan Yuan Island Master came here together, they would not be permitted entry. This is a direct order from the Sect Leader! No one may defy it."

Hearing this, Shen Daoxing’s brow twitched. He hadn’t expected the Fusang elder to bring the Sect Leader into it.

Since that was the case, Shen Daoxing paused, then suddenly turned around. "Let’s go!"

With that, he rose up on his sword and flew away from Penglai Immortal Island.

’I can’t believe it. Penglai Immortal Island was wiped from the Cyan Nether Sword Sect’s maps because of the rebellion decades ago, but it seems the Fusang faction has unknowingly taken control of it.’ Thinking back to how desperately the Fusang faction wanted his Pengze Immortal Island—even sacrificing their own disciple with a Mad Demon Dust Pill just to win—he knew ’there’s definitely more to this than meets the eye.’

Shen Daoxing couldn’t help but frown.

Liu Ying, stunned for a moment, hurried after him. "Are we just leaving like this?"

Shen Daoxing arched an eyebrow and shook his head silently. "Of course not!"

...

Meanwhile, on Penglai Immortal Island, the Fusang elder, Xu Jin, turned to the other Fusang disciples. His previous smile vanished, replaced by a sudden cold expression. "Did they see inside?"

A Fusang disciple immediately stepped forward and answered respectfully, "Reporting to the elder, no, they did not."

The Fusang elder, Xu Jin, nodded indifferently. "Good. You will all continue to stand guard here. Absolutely no one is to be allowed entry."

"Yes, sir!"

The Fusang disciples raised their hands in unison and bowed respectfully to Xu Jin.

Just then, a calm, cold voice echoed from the sky. "What’s going on? Why the sudden commotion here?"

Immediately after, Vice Island Master Han was seen slowly descending from the sky.

Seeing him, the Fusang disciples stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

Vice Island Master Han nodded and slowly turned his gaze to Xu Jin.

"Senior Brother, it was that Shen Daoxing!" Xu Jin stepped forward and said in a low voice.

"Hmm?"

Vice Island Master Han paused, puzzled. "That brat? Why isn’t he staying put on his Pengze Immortal Island? What’s he doing here?"

Xu Jin shook his head. "I don’t know."

Vice Island Master Han was silent for a moment before asking, "Did he discover anything?"

Xu Jin immediately replied, "Rest assured, Senior Brother. He didn’t discover a thing."

However, Xu Jin hesitated for a moment before continuing slowly, "But, it’s very likely this place has aroused his suspicion. We should dispatch more disciples to guard it. It would be best to have an elder at the Refining Dust realm personally oversee things."

"More men?"

Vice Island Master Han turned to look at Penglai Immortal Island, his brow furrowed. After a moment of silence, his expression suddenly relaxed. "No. Give the order for everyone guarding Penglai Immortal Island to withdraw."

Xu Jin was taken aback, completely bewildered. "Senior Brother, withdraw everyone? If that brat gets suspicious and sneaks back, won’t they discover the situation inside Penglai Immortal Island? We’d be ruined!"

Vice Island Master Han, however, just smiled faintly, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly. "It doesn’t matter. There’s no point in a dead man knowing anything."

Then, Vice Island Master Han added meaningfully, "Isn’t that right... Blood Fiend?"

Following his words, an effeminate voice slowly emerged from the shadows behind Vice Island Master Han. "That’s right, Vice Island Master Han. Hehehehe... I was just lamenting the lack of an opportunity to strike!"

...

The sun rose and set, and the sky gradually darkened.

Night fell. The moon hung high, accompanied by a smattering of stars. Everyone had returned to their own residences. Flickering candles were extinguished one by one, and the entire Cyan Nether Sword Sect fell silent.

But on Pengze Immortal Island, Shen Daoxing and Liu Ying had not returned to their quarters. Instead, they rose quietly into the air, using Sword Control to fly eastward through the clusters of Sky Islands.

Soon, the two of them arrived back at Penglai Immortal Island.

This time, however, Shen Daoxing and Liu Ying did not approach directly.

Liu Ying reached out and drew a line in the air. Suddenly, a shimmering light glowed and enveloped them both.

Instantly, Shen Daoxing and Liu Ying transformed into a swarm of pink butterflies, dancing gracefully in the sky. Then, they suddenly moved forward, silently, and in no time at all, they were flying above Penglai Immortal Island.

Penglai Immortal Island was perfectly quiet; no one noticed the two people disguised as butterflies.

The pink butterflies flapped their wings, drifting lazily through the air until they arrived over the enormous Celestial Lake in the center of Penglai Immortal Island.

Suddenly, a shimmering light flared up from within the swarm of butterflies.

Immediately, Shen Daoxing and Liu Ying reappeared in their original forms and descended lightly.

The surface of the lake beneath their feet rippled like water as they stood weightlessly upon it.

It seemed there was an invisible Restriction on the surface of this calm lake, sealing the interior of Penglai Immortal Island beneath the Celestial Lake.

Shen Daoxing took a step, sending ripples across the lake’s surface as he walked.

The scenery beneath the lake’s surface slowly came into focus.

Shen Daoxing glanced down and was suddenly stunned.

Beneath the lake’s surface lay a desolate landscape of jagged rocks, withered trees, and blackened earth. The lush greenery they had seen before was nowhere to be found.

The magnificent jade-like pavilions amidst the mountain forests had mostly collapsed and fallen into ruin. An air of decay hung over everything, with no trace of the earthly paradise it had once appeared to be.

So, the vibrant, ethereal, immortal scenery they had seen from the outside was all an illusion. This was the true state of Penglai Immortal Island.

"This..."

Liu Ying also stared, stunned, at the scene below.

"Something’s wrong. The Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi here is so thin!"

Shen Daoxing frowned, suddenly realizing that the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi on Penglai Immortal Island was abnormally scarce. It couldn’t compare to his Pengze Immortal Island; it was even thinner than the Primordial Energy on an ordinary Suspended Island.

"This is bad!"

Shen Daoxing’s expression shifted as he suddenly realized something. He began to leap rapidly across the surface of the lake, darting from place to place as if searching for something.

Puzzled, Liu Ying quickly followed.

After a short while, Shen Daoxing suddenly stopped at a spot on the lake.

There, beneath his feet, lying among a pile of shattered rocks on the lakebed, was a grayish-white stone stele. It was the Ancient Stone Stele of Penglai Immortal Island.

But at this moment, the Ancient Stone Stele had been shattered, split in two right down the middle.

It emitted no light at all and held not a single trace of Celestial-Origin Primordial Qi. It was completely inert.

The Ancient Stone Stele of Penglai Immortal Island had been destroyed!

And the island’s Celestial Essence Dragon Vein was long gone.

That’s why the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi on the entire Immortal Island was so thin.

’Wait!’

Shen Daoxing suddenly realized something, and he froze in alarm.