Chapter 497 - 221: Preparations of All Parties: Entering Celestial Star Island
Chapter 497: Chapter 221: Preparations of All Parties: Entering Celestial Star Island
The shrinking was even faster than predicted.
In just a Quarter Hour, the faint outline of a large island appeared before the crowd.
The entire island was oval-shaped. Xiao Chen couldn’t see to the end of it with a single glance, estimating it to be at least several thousand miles long.
"Agh!"
A cry of surprise suddenly came from the very front. An impatient Loose Cultivator then plummeted like a kite with a snapped string, plunging straight into the sea.
"Careful! It’s a No-Fly Restriction!"
An experienced Cultivator immediately shouted a warning and took the lead in descending.
The Cultivator who had fallen into the sea now surfaced, seemingly unharmed.
The mist at the periphery had now completely receded. Roughly three miles ahead, a massive stone monument stood tall.
Three enormous, ancient seal-script characters were carved vertically upon it.
"Huh? What are these characters?"
A Cultivator asked curiously, "Does any Fellow Daoist recognize them? If so, please enlighten us!"
"Such strange script. I’ve never seen it before!"
"I feel like I’ve seen something similar in Ancient Texts, but I don’t know what these three characters mean either."
’Ancient Texts?’
Xiao Chen, however, was suddenly reminded of the Mountain and River Divine Charm Map he had obtained from the Divine Fire Sect’s Golden Core Cultivator, as well as the mysterious Character Plate from the White Bone Sect.
They bore a silver script he couldn’t recognize, which looked somewhat similar to the three ancient seal-script characters before him.
’This is an unexpected clue.’
’When I get the chance, I should find some Ancient Texts from the Eastern Domain to study.’
’But that’s a matter for another time. Right now, I need to get on the island.’
Affected by the No-Fly Restriction, everyone had to drop into the sea about three miles from the island and swim the rest of the way.
Fortunately, there wasn’t a single Cultivator who couldn’t swim, so this posed no real obstacle.
Cao Mingjie was even a little pleased. "It would be best if flying is forbidden on the island too. That way, the Guiyuan Thick Earth Talismans we prepared will give us an edge."
He had a point.
"So this place is called Celestial Star Island."
A young man in a white robe and a blue headscarf, who looked to be in his twenties, stood beneath the stone monument and effortlessly read the characters aloud.
Although he didn’t shout, everyone present was a Cultivator with keen senses, so they all heard him clearly.
"Oh, you can actually recognize Ancient Spirit Language."
The red-robed Walking Elder of the Five Thunders Temple, standing not far away, asked with curiosity, "And which house do you hail from, young man?"
Hearing this, the white-robed youth first clasped his hands in a salute, then shook his head. "Greetings, Senior. However, my master forbids me from revealing his name or that of our sect while I’m out in the world."
’I see. He must be the heir of the Flame Manipulation Sect mentioned in the reports,’ Xiao Chen immediately understood.
’The rule about not revealing his sect is probably real, but sometimes, the statement itself is a form of revelation.’
’But he’s also clearly trying to draw everyone’s attention, to show off his status as a disciple from a Hidden Dao Lineage.’
Many Golden Core Cultivators look young on the outside, but their actual age is great.
But some are genuinely young when they break through to the Golden Core realm. Heirs like him, sent out into the world, are typically prodigies.
’Looks like this one is clearly not the type to keep a low profile.’
"Oh, I see."
The Walking Elder had clearly read the intelligence reports as well, and he smiled knowingly.
"RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!"
A tremendous roar suddenly erupted from ahead.
Immediately after, walnut-sized runes began to glow on the ground, spreading in a line toward the island’s interior.
Although the dense fog had retreated back onto the island, it had only revealed the island’s edge. The center was still completely obscured, impenetrable even to Divine Sense.
Now, as the runes shone, they instantly dispelled some of the fog, revealing a wide avenue.
Seeing this, the crowd began to advance along the avenue.
After walking for about six miles, they rounded a man-made hill of massive stones.
Ahead of them, the wide avenue suddenly split into nine smaller paths.
Each path was about twelve feet high and six feet wide, wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side at most.
’If I’m not mistaken, this must be the first trial.’
The many Loose Cultivators hesitated, but the major powers seemed to have a tacit agreement, each choosing a different path and moving forward.
"Let’s go this way."
After a moment of observation, Yu Zhenyang deliberately avoided the paths taken by the Major Sects and chose the one on the far right.