Chapter 1132: Preparation

"How should I address you?" Lu Ye suddenly realized this question.

An ethereal voice emerged from the pure white spiritual light: "You can call me whatever you wish."

"Hat."

In terms of its shape, the Heavenly Mystery Disk indeed resembled a hat resting on the head of the Nine Provinces. However, it existed in a state imperceptible to the naked eye; even when viewed from the starry sky beyond the Nine Provinces, its true form remained hidden.

Lu Ye clearly sensed that Heavenly Mystery seemed slightly dissatisfied with this appellation. Although it was an artifact spirit and had no inherent need for a name, having protected the human race of the Nine Provinces for so many years, it understood which names were pleasant to the ear and which were not.

Lu Ye smiled. It appeared Heavenly Mystery was not a cold, emotionless, and demand-free artifact spirit, which was somewhat different from his preconceived notions of such beings. This was a good thing. With emotions and needs, it wouldn't be too rigid. His current experience undoubtedly proved this; if it were truly a rigid artifact spirit, it likely wouldn't concern itself with so many matters, nor would it have guided him here to demonstrate the numerous changes in the Nine Provinces.

"Since you are an artifact spirit born from the fusion of a portion of the Nine Provinces' will of heaven and earth, let's call you Xiao Jiu."

"Alright!" Heavenly Mystery quickly affirmed this name. Although simple, it was certainly much better than "Hat" or anything similar.

Through the portal opened by Xiao Jiu, Lu Ye departed Immortal Yuan City.

He reappeared in a wilderness.

The insect plague had swept across the Nine Provinces for several years, leaving widespread desolation. However, due to the presence of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, it would take no more than a year or two for the environment to recover its former state.

Before Lu Ye could even ascertain his location, he immediately sensed several powerful auras nearby. At the same time, a familiar voice reached his ears: "Yi Ye!"

Lu Ye turned his head and saw the Sect Master.

Not only were the Sect Master present, but also Qian Wudang, Pang Zhen, and several other Division Chiefs whom Lu Ye had previously met at the Grand Council. Nian Yuexian, who had set off with him from the Great Insect Clan Secret Realm, was also there.

Lu Ye pondered for a moment and generally understood what was happening. He and Nian Yuexian had stepped into the misty vortex from the Great Insect Clan Secret Realm together. However, while he entered Immortal Yuan City, Nian Yuexian had appeared directly at this location. Not seeing Lu Ye and unable to contact him, Nian Yuexian was naturally worried about what had happened to him. The Sect Master and others must have been summoned by her transmission. When Lu Ye appeared, they were clearly attempting to enter through the portal, but unfortunately, they were blocked by Heavenly Mystery. How could they have entered?

Seeing Lu Ye return safely, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. As the greatest contributor to the Nine Provinces' army's counterattack against the Great Insect Clan Secret Realm, the name Lu Yi Ye was a resounding symbol not only in Bing Province but throughout the entire Nine Provinces. With the celebration banquet yet to begin, nothing could be allowed to happen to such a hero.

Before anyone could inquire, Lu Ye bowed first: "Sirs, this junior has a request."

Two months had passed since the Nine Provinces' army counterattacked the Great Insect Clan Secret Realm. The army's withdrawal from the Great Insect Clan Secret Realm took about a month, primarily due to the vast number of people and the inconvenience of passage. In the month following their return, cultivators across the Nine Provinces diligently worked to eradicate the remaining insectoids. By now, it could be said that the insect plague throughout the Nine Provinces had been largely resolved. While there might still be some scattered stragglers, they no longer posed a significant threat.

This marked the first time in the history of the Nine Provinces that the two major factions had extensively united to resist an enemy, achieving such glorious success. This momentous event was destined to leave a vivid mark in the annals of history, and it naturally deserved celebration. Before Lu Ye's return, the Nine Provinces had already begun preparations for a celebration banquet. However, because the greatest hero had not yet appeared, it remained only in the preparatory stage.

Upon Lu Ye's return, the preparations accelerated significantly, and the venue for the celebration banquet was quickly decided. It was to be held in Haotian City, Bing Province, a location anticipated by the Myriad Demon Ridge faction. After all, Lu Ye was a cultivator of the Haotian Alliance in Bing Province, and if he made such a request, others would find it difficult to refuse.

This grand banquet would serve not only as a celebration but also as an exchange of opinions among the high-ranking members of the two major factions. With the insect plague overcome, how the two major factions should interact afterward became a matter requiring deep consideration. Peaceful coexistence seemed somewhat unrealistic, while a hasty return to their former adversarial positions felt premature. The current situation was, to some extent, awkward. Therefore, both high-ranking parties intended to use this celebration banquet to determine how they should interact in the future. Otherwise, at a time when the Nine Provinces were awaiting reconstruction, even after a decisive victory, there would be no need for such a grand celebration.

The event was set for ten days later. Those eligible to receive invitations were exclusively the top Divine Sea Realm cultivators from various major provinces. However, in addition, Haotian City in Bing Province specifically extended invitations to dozens of sects. This move left many slightly puzzled because these dozens of sects included those from both the Haotian Alliance and Myriad Demon Ridge. Most were third-rank or above, with a few being fifth or sixth rank, showing no discernible pattern. This action not only puzzled the Myriad Demon Ridge faction but also utterly confused a member of the Haotian Alliance Elder Council in Bing Province, who was responsible for the matter. But this was Lu Ye's request, so he could only comply. After all, he was the greatest contributor to this major war, and being so young, he naturally had the right to make certain demands.

A large number of cultivators received invitations to the grand banquet, virtually encompassing the entire Nine Provinces' most elite cultivators. As for how many would actually attend, that would depend on the cultivators' own arrangements. Haotian City in Bing Province was also incredibly busy, with numerous cultivators preparing various aspects of the celebration banquet. It was foreseeable that Haotian City would be teeming with Divine Sea Realm cultivators, creating a magnificent spectacle.

Qian Wudang, finding a moment of leisure amidst his busyness, sought out the Sect Master to complain: "Old Tang, what exactly is Lu Yi Ye up to? The number of invited people this time is too vast. Even if only half of them show up, it'll still be an astonishing figure. With so many Divine Sea Realm cultivators gathered in Haotian City, if anything unexpected were to happen, we simply couldn't bear the responsibility."

Upon Lu Ye's return that day, he had made a request: to widely invite heroes from across the Nine Provinces to gather in Haotian City, where a significant announcement would be made, one that concerned the future of the Nine Provinces. If anyone else had said this, people wouldn't have taken it too seriously. But coming from Lu Ye, with the halo of a war hero, they couldn't help but pay close attention. It was only then that Pang Zhen and others insisted on holding the celebration banquet in Haotian City, Bing Province, using this opportunity to widely invite heroes from all sides.

However, with events unfolding this way, even Qian Wudang began to feel apprehensive. The number of invited guests was simply too large, inevitably leading to a situation where Divine Sea Realm cultivators from all corners of the Nine Provinces would converge on Haotian City. Moreover, he still didn't know what Lu Ye was planning, so he could only seek advice from the Sect Master.

The Sect Master knew more than him and replied: "Don't worry, nothing unexpected will happen." Compared to what Lu Ye was about to announce, the internal conflicts within the Nine Provinces were insignificant. Taking the response to the insect plague as an example, though they might squabble among themselves, they could still unite wholeheartedly and stand against external enemies when necessary.

Qian Wudang slyly leaned closer: "Old Tang, do you have any insider information? Just a little hint, so I can be prepared."

The Sect Master sighed and then spoke with him in a low voice for a while. Primarily, this matter couldn't be kept secret; Lu Ye was going to announce it publicly in a few days, so knowing it in advance now made no difference.

Qian Wudang listened, dumbfounded: "Something like this... can actually happen?"

The Sect Master said, "Truthfully, even I can hardly believe it, but since Yi Ye made such a request, he must have achieved a definite outcome."

"Such things can't be proven by words alone," Qian Wudang's expression grew solemn.

"Yi Ye said he has his own means to prove it, and it will be known at the celebration banquet."

"Where is he now?" Qian Wudang prepared to go and ask Lu Ye in person.

The Sect Master replied, "He seems to have gone to Danxin Sect."

Qian Wudang felt helpless. He couldn't possibly chase him all the way to Danxin Sect, so he could only send a message to inquire.

At this very moment, Lu Ye, accompanied by Nian Yuexian, was on a spiritual peak in Danxin Sect, paying respects to his senior sister-in-law, Qiu Min. Nowadays, only within the major sects throughout the Nine Provinces could such lush mountain peaks be found. This was because each sect had its own cultivators guarding it, ensuring that any appearing insectoids were immediately slain, preventing them from damaging the foundation of their sect's mountain gate.

Lu Ye had long been aware of his senior sister-in-law's existence, but due to the past grievances between Danxin Sect and Biluo Sect, he had never had the opportunity to visit her. Some things needed to be conveyed to his senior sister-in-law beforehand, so she could be mentally prepared. He had previously informed the Sect Master that his senior brother was still alive, then told Taishan, and also mentioned it to Nian Yuexian on the way to Danxin Sect. There was no reason not to inform his senior sister-in-law, as she was, after all, his senior brother's closest kin.

When Nian Yuexian heard the news, she nearly lost control of her spiritual power and stumbled mid-air. At this moment, his senior sister-in-law's reaction was no better than Nian Yuexian's. She repeatedly asked Lu Ye to confirm he wasn't deceiving her, and as she spoke, her eyes reddened and tears streamed down her face. Lu Ye didn't know how to comfort her and could only let her vent her emotions. Anyone who learned that a spouse believed dead for many years was actually alive and would soon be reunited, would react no differently than his senior sister-in-law.

He also took the opportunity to reply to Qian Wudang's message.

A moment later, after finishing his communication with Qian Wudang, Lu Ye looked at Qiu Min: "Originally, we were separated by two realms, and it was uncertain if we would ever meet again. So, when I returned, Senior Brother instructed me not to disclose that he was still alive, to avoid disturbing the hearts of his loved ones."

Qiu Min raised a hand to wipe away her tears and softly asked, "Then why are you willing to tell me now?"

Lu Ye replied, "The situation has changed somewhat. It won't be long before Senior Sister-in-law can reunite with Senior Brother."

Qiu Min was stunned, her eyes gleaming with light. "Do you mean... I can go to that Blood Refinement Realm, or that he can return?"