Chapter 1086: Out of the Ordinary
Enslaving servants to dig for desolate stones, yet the desolate stones lay at the bottom of the Wasteland Sea. How could they be dug out? Wouldn't it be a near-certain death?
Lin Feng quickened his pace and finally arrived at the central region of Nine Dragons Island, heading directly to the residence of the Nine Dragons Island Lord.
This was an extremely vast area. Nine dragons reigned supreme, and nine colossal dragon-shaped fortresses, even larger and more imposing than those at the edge of the Wasteland Sea, stood with majestic authority, appearing as if nine dragons were spitting out pearls.
It was said that each of these enormous dragon fortresses served a different purpose. The central dragon fortress was where the Nine Dragons Island Lord resided.
After Lin Feng produced the Eight Dragons Token, the island's guards immediately treated him with great importance. They led him toward the central dragon fortress. With the nine dragons spitting pearls, the area outside the central fortress was incredibly vast and open, showing none of the evil chaos he had imagined. The sky was clear, the sun shone brightly from the void, casting a lazy, comfortable warmth. The terrain's energy flow was quite favorable.
In a pavilion within this wide, low-lying area, the guards asked Lin Feng to wait. They were quite courteous, after all, Lin Feng held the Eight Dragons Token, second only to the Nine Dragons Token, so they had to take him seriously.
After a moment, a man strode over with the vigor of a dragon and the gait of a tiger. He wore a sable fur robe, his steps were large and bold, exuding an air of heroism. Beside him was a young man with a slightly pale face, giving off a faint, cold aura, as if suffering from some imbalance of yin and yang.
"So it's you, Brother Lin. Welcome, welcome." This middle-aged man was the one who had given Lin Feng the Eight Dragons Token that day. Lin Feng now understood that this man must hold a very high status on Nine Dragons Island.
"I'm sorry to trouble you, Senior. I hope you won't hold it against me." Lin Feng replied politely. He knew full well that the reason the man had given him the token and treated him so courteously was entirely because of the Heavenly Terrace. Setting aside the Heavenly Terrace, he was just a talented Heavenly Martial Realm cultivator, nothing more.
"Brother Lin, what are you saying? A guest is always welcome, especially an honored one like you. Please, have a seat." The middle-aged man's voice was hearty as he invited Lin Feng to sit.
"I wouldn't dare. Please, Senior, you first." Lin Feng said politely. The other man didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly. The young man also sat, his gaze occasionally falling on Lin Feng as he asked, "Are you Lin Feng, the number one Heavenly Martial disciple of the Heavenly Terrace?"
"I am Lin Feng." Lin Feng nodded and then asked, "And this brother is?"
The young man didn't answer, but the middle-aged man replied with a smile, "This is my nephew, Gu Qiuyun."
"So it's Brother Gu Qiuyun." Lin Feng smiled and nodded to him again. He had come here seeking a favor, so he had to be thorough in his etiquette.
The young man only gave Lin Feng a slight nod, his face expressionless, as if he didn't care much about Lin Feng.
Lin Feng didn't mind and said to the middle-aged man, "Senior, to be honest, I came to Nine Dragons Island this time to ask for a favor."
"Brother Lin, just say it. If I can help, I certainly will." The middle-aged man replied courteously.
"Senior, do you remember the incident last time when Nine Dragons Island seized Yang Zilan from the Wasteland Sea?" Lin Feng asked. As soon as he finished speaking, a chill emanated from the young man, who said, "Did you come for Yang Zilan?"
"Don't be rude." The middle-aged man scolded him, then smiled and said, "Of course I remember that. Why do you ask, Brother Lin? As far as I know, you seem to have some conflict with the Yang Clan."
"To be honest with you, Senior, I do have a grudge with Yang Zilan. However, some of my friends were on that Void Ship at the time, and I want to know their whereabouts." Lin Feng stated the truth. If he wanted to know where Youyou and the others were, he had to be straightforward.
The middle-aged man was slightly stunned and fell silent for a moment, while the young man beside him frowned.
"Indeed, quite a few people were captured and brought to Nine Dragons Island at that time. But, Brother Lin, which specific people are you referring to? Otherwise, I have no way to investigate."
"There was a woman, noble, cold, and extremely beautiful. She was with three other young men, all of whom were extraordinary. One had an ethereal aura with a hint of imperial qi, one was free-spirited and unrestrained, speaking directly and cheerfully, and the last was very handsome, with fair skin and a wise gaze." Lin Feng described Youyou, Jun Moxi, Huangfu Long, and Yun Feiyang respectively. As he spoke, the young man's aura fluctuated noticeably, which made Lin Feng's expression tighten. This man must know something!
The middle-aged man frowned, as if deep in thought, then said, "Brother Lin, wait a moment. I'll go find the person who brought them to Nine Dragons Island. I don't know the specific situation of those people, but he might."
"Alright, I'll trouble you, Senior." Lin Feng had no choice but to agree, although he suspected Gu Qiuyun knew something.
"Qiuyun, you and Brother Lin are both outstanding young talents. You should get to know each other." The middle-aged man left behind these words and departed.
Gu Qiuyun sized up Lin Feng, a faint, elusive smile on his lips. He spoke, "That woman you mentioned, is her name Youyou?"
"Hmm?" Lin Feng's expression tightened. This man indeed knew something.
"Yes. Brother Gu, do you know where she is?" Lin Feng stared at him, asking.
But Gu Qiuyun just shook his head with a smile and said, "No."
Lin Feng grew even more suspicious and asked, "Then how does Brother Gu know her name is Youyou?"
"That woman is very beautiful, and I've always had a fondness for beauties, so I paid extra attention. I heard the man you mentioned call her Youyou, so naturally, I know." Gu Qiuyun toyed with his own hand, a faint smile on his pale face.
"Since Brother Gu paid attention, you should know where she is now." Lin Feng pressed further, a sense of unease rising in his heart.
"I said I don't know, so I don't know. Brother Lin, are you doubting me?" Gu Qiuyun continued toying with his hand, then slowly raised his gaze to Lin Feng, revealing a cold smile.
Lin Feng stared at him, his eyes sharpening. After a moment, he put on a faint, indifferent smile and said, "Since Brother Gu says so, I naturally believe you."
At that moment, the middle-aged man returned with another man. Lin Feng recognized him; he was one of the venerable cultivators who had attacked his ship back then. Seeing Lin Feng, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He clearly remembered Lin Feng, who had used Void Arts to send others onto the Nine Dragons Island ship to save them, then jumped into the Wasteland Sea. To his surprise, Lin Feng had actually survived!
"He actually managed to survive in the Wasteland Sea!" This venerable cultivator's gaze was piercing, as if trying to see through Lin Feng, which made Lin Feng feel uneasy. Being able to survive in the Wasteland Sea was his secret. If it were leaked, his situation would be dire.
"Brother Lin, this is the man who captured your friends back then. Ask him."
Lin Feng stared at the man, but before he could speak, the other man spoke first, "Your friends have already left Nine Dragons Island. I didn't make things difficult for them. Perhaps they went to the Eight Wastelands Realm."
Seeing the lightning-like glint in the man's eyes and recalling Gu Qiuyun's reaction earlier, Lin Feng's heart slowly sank. He knew it was pointless to stay any longer. He wouldn't get any information out of them.
If Youyou and the others had really left Nine Dragons Island, they would have gone to the Eight Wastelands Realm to participate in the Stone Emperor and Yu Emperor's recruitment of Martial Emperor's Disciples. Even if they missed it, they would have gone to the Heavenly Terrace to find him. There was no way they would have disappeared without a trace. Clearly, the man was lying!
"In that case, Senior, I'll take my leave." Lin Feng stood up and cupped his hands to the middle-aged man. Staying would only be disadvantageous.
"Brother Lin, why rush? We're about to hold a grand feast here. Why not stay and enjoy it?" Gu Qiuyun said with a smile.
Then Lin Feng saw many people walking toward this open area. These people had vigorous blood energy and powerful auras, but they were carrying huge stones, as if bearing the weight of millions of jin. Their steps were extremely heavy, thudding dully against the ground.
"Desolate stones!" Lin Feng's expression tightened. These stones were all black, exuding an aura of desolation, looking especially eerie under the refraction of sunlight. More importantly, the stones were of different shapes. Some were like turtles, some like swords or halberds, and some were even human-shaped, lifelike and very peculiar. Of course, most of the desolate stones were irregularly shaped huge black rocks, seemingly hiding endless secrets within.
"These are extraordinary desolate stones. Could there really be treasures hidden inside?" Lin Feng was somewhat surprised. He didn't leave immediately. Although he was worried about Youyou and the others' safety, leaving now would be useless. He still needed to find a breakthrough on Nine Dragons Island!
PS: Originally, today was supposed to be the last day of five chapters, but I'm a bit tired. I'll take a day off and do five chapters tomorrow. Posting five chapters every day doesn't seem to generate much excitement from everyone, so I won't keep up this continuous pace in the future.