Chapter 1 The Volcanic Lake

Yulong Tianchi (Dragon-Guarding Heavenly Lake) is a volcanic lake nestled among the mountains, more than two thousand meters long from north to south and over three thousand meters wide from east to west.

Looking out, the lake surface is smooth, clean, and pure.

Usually, Tianchi is like a huge mirror, inlaid between these mountain crevices.

But at this moment, at the heart of Tianchi, the lake water is surging and turbulent, swirling into a vortex.

At the center of the vortex, light flickers, emitting a gem-like luster.

Apart from that, there is nothing else here. As for the ninja troops and the mountain-guarding elder that the ninja mentioned, there is no trace of them.

"That's the boundary gate leading to Elysium Island. It seems we're one step late. They might have already gone in," Chu Qingluan said, pointing to the vortex in the heart of the lake.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go in too!" Chen Xiao said, about to fly into the vortex.

At this moment, Chu Qingluan stopped him, "Mr. Chen, it's too reckless to just go in like this! I don't think this is so simple. This is likely a trap."

"What makes you say that? Do you know something?" Chen Xiao asked, puzzled.

Chu Qingluan shook her head. "I don't know anything, but I think this is likely a trap set by Grandpa Guardian for those Dongyang (Eastern Ocean) bastards. Because, knowing Grandpa Guardian's character, he would rather be beaten to death than open the boundary gate for those Dongyang bastards, unless he was confident of being able to kill them!"

Chen Xiao frowned. "We can't worry about that now. The mountain-guarding elder has disappeared. If we want to enter Elysium Island, this is the only entrance. If we hesitate any longer, it'll be too late!"

The vortex in the heart of the lake is getting smaller and smaller. It looks like the boundary gate will close before long.

"Whether you want to come in with me is your decision!" Chen Xiao said finally.

"For Grandpa Guardian, I'm willing to try even if it's a mountain of knives or a boiling cauldron, but I'm worried..."

"Since you've decided to try, then don't 'but' anything. Looking before and after is a sure way to accomplish nothing. Everyone, get on, let's go!"

Chu Qingluan and Xiao Hongchan, along with Da Hui (Big Gray), all jumped onto Chen Xiao's Yitian Sword (Heaven-Reliance Sword).

The three people and a wolf flew into the vortex. After a dizzying spin, they passed through a crack in space and fell into a forest.

As soon as they fell in, the spatial crack quickly closed and disappeared, cutting off any possibility of returning the way they came.

"Is this Elysium Island?" The trees in front of them were incredibly tall, blocking out the sun, and the surrounding environment was warm and humid. Chen Xiao felt like he had come to a primeval forest.

"Big brother, I feel like my body is so heavy, I'm about to collapse..." Xiao Hongchan muttered with a frown.

After Xiao Hongchan's reminder, Chen Xiao realized that it was indeed the case.

After arriving in this space, he felt his body become much heavier, his strength also decreased a lot, and he felt unusually weak.

Most importantly, in this space, his divine sense was no longer working well... and the circulation of spiritual energy had also become extremely sluggish, so much so that he could not even fly on his sword.

Chen Xiao's current strength was probably less than one-tenth of his normal strength.

At this time, Chu Qingluan reminded them, "Don't panic. The environment on Elysium Island is like this. I should have reminded you earlier. The old ancestors of the ancient martial world thought this environment was more suitable for cultivation. Not only could it improve the strength of a martial artist's body, but most importantly, it could temper a martial artist's fighting will."

Chen Xiao was speechless. To become stronger, how far had these people pushed themselves?

But then again, their theory made some sense.

The principle was similar to runners tying sandbags to their legs. When the sandbags were removed, they could run like the wind.

But the problem was that this method was too primitive... It was hard to imagine that this was an improvement method imagined by a group of martial gods.

In short, it was too primitive.

But this also raised a question in Chen Xiao's mind. These Lesser Realms seemed to be realm spaces artificially created by someone.

These restrictions were very telling.

Just then, a rustling sound suddenly came from the bushes beside them.

"Wow, it's a wabbit!"

"Wabbit is so cute, I'll wuv it even more when it's in my tummy!" Xiao Hongchan said, pointing to the bushes.

Chen Xiao and Chu Qingluan looked in the direction she was pointing and saw a cute little rabbit.

The rabbit didn't seem to be afraid of people at all. It was only two or three meters away from Chen Xiao and the others, but it was still leisurely eating grass, with no intention of running away.

Da Hui (Big Gray) was a wolf. A rabbit leisurely eating grass in front of a wolf?

That was too offensive! Where was the wolf's dignity?

Da Hui couldn't stand it anymore. It pawed the ground with its hind paws, opened its bloody mouth, and pounced on the little rabbit.

The little rabbit didn't seem to realize that disaster was imminent. Da Hui was close at hand. With one bite, it could tear the little rabbit to pieces.

However, at this moment, the little rabbit suddenly kicked out its legs and kicked Da Hui away.

Da Hui flew out three or four meters before landing on the ground.

Then, the little rabbit abandoned the grass in its mouth, glared fiercely at Da Hui with its blood-red eyes, and then rushed over!

Chen Xiao was a little dumbfounded. What was going on?

A rabbit was charging at a big gray wolf?

"Ferocious beast, it's a ferocious beast!" Chu Qingluan's face was pale, and her body was shaking uncontrollably. "I know where this is..."

Chen Xiao didn't have time to ask Chu Qingluan what she had discovered. Da Hui was his wolf, he couldn't just watch Da Hui get killed by a rabbit!

He raised his foot and kicked at the rabbit!

With a bang, the rabbit was kicked out more than ten meters away before falling to the ground.

Next, an even more incredible scene occurred.

The rabbit was still alive after it landed on the ground. It got up, shook its head, and then hopped away, its speed so fast that they couldn't keep up with their eyes!

Chen Xiao was completely dumbfounded. Although his strength was greatly restricted in this ghostly place, and his strength might only be one-tenth of what it normally was, he shouldn't be unable to kick a rabbit to death with one kick, right?

"This rabbit is definitely strange!" Chen Xiao said with certainty.

Chu Qingluan nodded. "Yes, it's not an ordinary rabbit, it's a ferocious beast. And if I'm not mistaken, this is the forbidden area of Elysium Island, the Ferocious Beast Forest."

"Ferocious Beast Forest? Forbidden area of Elysium Island? What is this place?" Chen Xiao asked, full of confusion.

Chu Qingluan explained with a wry smile, "Almost all the creatures living in this forest are ferocious beasts in the Transformation Stage... I understand Grandpa Guardian's intention."

"He opened the boundary gate to use these ferocious beasts to kill those Dongyang bastards."

"Mr. Chen, we really shouldn't have come. Today, we may all die here..."