Chapter 490

Dongxing Sea Region.

Sun and Moon Twin Islands.

Most human cultivators in the Raging Current Sea actually never went to the Sun and Moon Twin Islands; on those two super‑large islands, not only is there the mighty Sun and Moon Palace, but also other aristocratic clan and sect forces—one could say this is the prosperous hub of all humanity in the Dongxing Sea Region.

These two islands... or rather, the inland area is enormously large; calculated, they even make up about half the size of the Raging Current Sea, with the two islands together covering over six million mu of land, accommodating tens of billions of people from the Dongxing Sea Region living there.

Here, one can actually see ordinary people.

"The Sun and Moon Island is so huge, I don't know when we'll be able to leave the Raging Current Sea for the Frigid Winter Ocean."

"The transportation teleportation arrays have been closed due to the beast tide; is the Dongxing Sea Region really this chaotic now?"

The speakers were none other than Xiao Ran and Ling Yan, who had just descended from the Heavenly Spirit Realm.

Xiao Ran saw the child beside him foolishly stealing someone's candied hawthorn, and he couldn't help but clench his fists.

Old thing, have some shame!

Ling Yan looked over and smiled: 'Little Xuan, how can you take without asking? Sorry, old sir.'

Ling Yan went over, apologized and paid, then led Xiao Xuan over.

Xiao Ran saw him still eating the candied hawthorn without a shred of shame, and sent a mental transmission: 'Old thing, do you really think you're a child now?'

"You little dog, I haven't eaten anything in all these years—what's wrong with trying candied hawthorn?"

"You old beast, you forgot the seafood feast I brought you just yesterday?"

"Eh eh eh, the more you scold, the uglier it gets! Do you have any manners?"

Ling Yan looked around and said: 'What should we do now? Should we fly from Sun and Moon Island to the Frigid Winter Ocean?'

"That's probably not possible. First, we're unfamiliar with the environment; second, the Dongxing Sea Region's three great seas are teeming with demonic beasts, and we're still in the beast tide—we likely can't just leave easily." Xiao Ran said.

Immediately after, Xiao Ran looked at Ling Yan and said: 'Let's split up to gather information; if we can get a sea chart, that would be best.'

"Sure."

Thus, each went their own way to gather news; along the way, Xiao Ran also asked many shopkeepers, but they seemed to know little about matters beyond the Raging Current Sea.

"Sir, these fine sandalwood prayer beads help focus the mind and steady the breath to boost your cultivation—care for a strand?" the shopkeeper called out with a smile.

"You say, how about the Frigid Winter Ocean over there? I really don't know; a few years back I did hear that the Otherworldly Race were quite active, even that whatever Dragon People showed up, but now the internal sea's Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions islands have almost all been destroyed, and Seven Star Island also has a situation of being besieged by a beast tide—who still has the leisure to inquire about those matters?"

"That's right, thanks."

"Hey hey, you just inquire but don't buy, right? Don't you know the rules?"

Xiao Ran's face twitched, and he was forced to buy the worthless wooden skewer.

Xiao Xuan looked around, brows furrowed: "Just how many years have passed? The once invincible Ascending Bright Sect has vanished."

"The Ascending Bright Sect.... is it the former Heavenly Sea Alliance, the predecessor of the Sun Moon Palace?"

"You say that, but the Heavenly Sea Alliance was founded by the Ascending Bright Sect, a coalition that united the major powers of the Dongxing Sea Region. The Ascending Bright Sect is the Ascending Bright Sect, the Heavenly Sea Alliance is the Heavenly Sea Alliance. Even today's Sun Moon Palace follows the same path as the Heavenly Sea Alliance back then."

"Then how did it become such a mess? Do the top echelons of these powers really not care about the life or death of lowly cultivators?"

"Hehe, only those with value are worth paying attention to. The Dongxing Sea Region is not lacking in lowly cultivators; you haven't been to the Myriad Dao Mountain Range, do you really think the cultivation world only has that few people?"

Xiao Ran nodded; back when he was at Golden Core stage, he inadvertently crossed the Myriad Dao Mountain Range and entered it, only then discovering the true cultivation world of the Nan Ting Mountain Region.

There, he also encountered many things, but he successfully turned them into nourishment for his cultivation, advancing to the Nascent Soul stage.

If nothing unexpected happens, he will continue cultivating in this perilous yet safe manner; he just doesn't know how far he can go.

"Fellow Daoist, I wonder if you'd be interested in joining us?"

"Huh?"

Xiao Ran looked at the Nascent Soul Cultivator walking over from the side, puzzled: "Who are you?"

"I am Lie Tian of the Sun Moon Palace; lately many Nascent Soul Cultivators have come to Sun Moon Island, I suppose you, Fellow Daoist, are also here for the contest over the leadership?"

"Contest for leadership?"

Xiao Ran stared blankly; Lie Tian froze a moment: "You still don't know? The Sun Moon Palace has reached an agreement with the various factions: whoever can bring out the Sect Master's seal of the Ascending Bright Sect from the anomalous zone can become the leader of the Dongxing Sea Region; this matter has long been spread far and wide."

"Ah?"

"If you, Fellow Daoist, are interested, why don't we find a place to sit down and talk?"

Xiao Ran thought it over; this also wasn't a bad way to learn the situation, so he nodded in agreement and they went to the nearby tavern to chat.

Soon, Xiao Ran learned the full story.

"How about it, Fellow Daoist Xiao? Are you interested in joining my Sun Moon Palace's team? That way, as long as you can bring back the Sect Master's seal, the Sun Moon Palace will surely reward you handsomely! Even if you fail to bring it back, the anomalous zone itself is full of opportunities, countless in number, and it's also not a bad place for a treasure‑hunting expedition."

Xiao Ran thought it over; he wasn't in a hurry to refuse, so he said: "I still have a fellow traveler Daoist; if possible, Fellow Daoist Lie, leave a means of communication, I'll talk with her and then decide."

"Of course that's possible."

After Lie Tian left, Xiao Ran looked at the signal token in his hand, gazed at Xiao Xuan, and asked: "Old coot, do you think this is reliable?"

"Huh? Do you mean the matter of becoming leader by bringing back the seal, or are you talking about the anomalous zone?" Xiao Xuan said lightly.

"Although that's so, I think you shouldn't worry too much about the whereabouts of that seal; I reckon these people don't really expect a Nascent Soul Cultivator to be able to bring out the seal. Looking at their intentions, Nascent Soul Cultivators are merely the first batch sent in to scout the situation, and only later will higher‑level cultivators enter, which will be the true start of the contest." Xiao Xuan laughed.

Xiao Ran suddenly realized: "Exactly, the Sect Master of the Ascending Bright Sect must have perished deep in the anomalous zone; which Nascent Soul Cultivator could possibly penetrate that far?"

"Hmm, there's also one thing that Lie Huo didn't make clear to you: the anomalous zone overseen by the Sun Moon Palace is likely near the place where a sage attained the Dao years ago. If that's the case, perhaps the anomalous zone now surrounds that place of Dao attainment. Although the sage's power suppresses it, it won't let the anomalous aberration's rosy qi invade, but it must certainly lie deep within the anomalous zone." Xiao Xuan laughed.

"A sage's place of Dao attainment?!" Xiao Ran's pupils contracted, and he couldn't help but feel stirred.

Although nowadays few people know how many sages there are in the Five Domains, it's certainly no more than double digits.

Each sage's place of Dao attainment, or a saint's dojo, is the ultimate holy ground cultivators dream of; however, saint's dojos are usually managed by the sage's junior disciples, whereas a place of Dao attainment—if one is fortunate—might still allow entry to listen to the saint's lingering resonance.

"Don't even think about it; that kind of place isn't somewhere you can go." Xiao Xuan rolled his eyes.

"Just thinking about it isn't enough?" Xiao Ran was speechless.

Afterwards, he met up with Ling Yan and told her what had happened.

Afterwards, he met up with Ling Yan and said what had happened.