Chapter 1290: Star Chart

The Wind Rises in Kyushu

When Lu Ye ascended to the Star Constellation realm, a unique aura emanated from him. Though the commotion wasn't grand, any cultivator with sufficient cultivation could sense it.

Jian Gihong naturally perceived it and immediately realized that someone had ascended to the Star Constellation realm. As for the identity, a quick inquiry led him to pinpoint Ao Mountain's location, prompting him to send a message to Lu Ye.

Upon seeing him now, it was indeed Lu Ye who had reached the Star Constellation realm.

Jian Gihong felt genuinely pleased. Among the billions of cultivators in Kyushu, Lu Ye was the most highly regarded by the older generation, including Jian Gihong himself. This was naturally attributed to his various contributions in the past. If one were to ask who in Kyushu possessed the ability to lead the realm to a new pinnacle, all Star Constellation realm cultivators would likely point to only one individual.

Lu Yiye of the Crimson Blood Sect!

Thus, Lu Ye's advancement to the Star Constellation realm held immense significance for Kyushu. It meant he could transcend the "small pond" of Kyushu and step onto the grand stage of the starry sky. His future endeavors would solely depend on his own abilities.

"Senior, why did you summon me?" Lu Ye asked.

Jian Gihong usually maintained a serious expression, not out of arrogance, but simply due to his inherent nature. Yet, at this moment, he uncharacteristically offered a faint smile. "Now that you've been promoted to the Star Constellation realm, when do you intend to set off into the starry sky?"

"Within the next few days," Lu Ye replied. He had no intention of lingering in Kyushu. Before his promotion, he had diligently striven for this goal, and now that he had achieved it, it was only natural for him to depart and explore the vast wonders beyond.

Had Jian Gihong not summoned him, Lu Ye would likely have stayed at Green Bamboo Peak for a few days to first experience the profound mysteries of the Star Constellation realm before departing.

There was no need to bid farewell to anyone, as all necessary goodbyes had already been made. When the time came, he would only need to inform his second senior sister.

Jian Gihong nodded slightly. "Where are you planning to go? Or rather, in which direction?"

How would Lu Ye know which direction to go? Beyond Kyushu, the space was spherical. Without a specific destination, he would simply let destiny guide him.

However, Jian Gihong surely wouldn't ask such a foolish question. Lu Ye's heart stirred, and he asked, "I haven't decided yet. Does Senior have any guidance for me?"

"Follow me!" Jian Gihong gestured with his hand.

Lu Ye followed closely behind him, entering the adjacent side hall.

Upon entering, Lu Ye immediately revealed a look of surprise. Inside the side hall, a spherical object was placed. It appeared to be made of wood, but it was clearly more complex than it seemed, as Lu Ye sensed the properties of a spiritual treasure emanating from it. In other words, it was indeed a spiritual treasure, though he was unsure of its purpose there.

He turned to Jian Gihong with an inquiring expression. Jian Gihong gestured and said, "Try channeling your spiritual power into it."

Lu Ye stepped forward, placed his hand on the sphere, and channeled his spiritual power into it.

With a soft hum, tiny specks of fluorescent light suddenly emanated from the spherical spiritual treasure, instantly filling the entire side hall. At first glance, it appeared as if fireflies had suddenly appeared in the hall, or as if one had been transported into the starry sky, with each speck of light representing a celestial body.

Not only these, but there were also some oddly shaped light clusters.

A central light spot was brighter, subtly flickering, as if it had a life of its own.

All the illuminated sights radiated outwards from this central light spot. However, it was clear that many areas remained blank, devoid of any fluorescent specks.

At the very edge in another direction, there was the brightest point of light!

Lu Ye initially had no idea what this was, but after observing it for a moment, he suddenly realized, "Senior, is this perhaps a map of the space outside Kyushu?"

Jian Gihong nodded. "Precisely, it's a map of the space outside Kyushu. We call it a 'Star Chart'!"

Lu Ye gasped in surprise. "This... When was this created? I had no idea."

It appeared that while he had been diligently cultivating, the pioneers had not wasted any time. They, too, were undertaking tasks within their capabilities that cultivators below the Star Constellation realm could not accomplish.

Jian Gihong's voice resounded. "Currently, there are over eight hundred Star Constellation realm cultivators in Kyushu. These individuals are presently exploring the starry sky; some have journeyed further, others closer. They record the sizes and positions of numerous celestial bodies in the starry sky, then transmit this information back to me, and I use it to compile the star chart."

This was the biggest reason he remained in Kyushu!

Kyushu cultivators had begun to venture into the starry sky. However, as a newly advanced large realm, the Star Constellation cultivators understood that they needed to operate as a cohesive unit rather than disparate factions. Therefore, even after Lu Ye offered his suggestions, Jian Gihong and the others, after careful consideration, decided to designate one person to remain in Kyushu.

Not for the sake of guarding Kyushu, but for the convenience of those who followed.

Surely, it wouldn't be ideal for every cultivator advancing to the Star Constellation realm to be utterly bewildered before venturing into the starry sky. The exploration experiences of these pioneers were incredibly valuable and needed to be passed down for the benefit of more individuals.

This is why Jian Gihong, Wuchang, and others built a grand hall here, known as the Kyushu Guardian Hall. The one who remained to oversee it, naturally, became the Kyushu Guardian Envoy.

The Guardian Hall's duty was straightforward: to provide newly ascended Star Constellation cultivators with diverse information about the starry sky, enabling these newcomers to avoid unnecessary detours and explore more efficiently.

This also represented the awkwardness and growing pains inherent to every newly advanced large realm, as there were no established paths from predecessors to follow, meaning everything had to be slowly explored.

Unlike established large realms and even top-tier realms, where Star Constellation cultivators already possess comprehensive starry sky data before departing their home realm, with star charts that can span trillions of regions.

Kyushu cultivators lacked such convenience; currently, every Star Constellation realm cultivator was a pioneer of history.

The first task they needed to undertake was to perfect the star chart of the space beyond Kyushu. Having experienced the Spirit Stream Battlefield and the Cloud River Battlefield, Lu Ye well understood the crucial importance of maps.

Immediately, he felt a profound respect and bowed reverently to Jian Gihong. "Senior's painstaking efforts will not be in vain; we juniors will certainly follow your example."

Jian Gihong smiled faintly. "This was a collective decision made by all Star Constellation cultivators, not solely my own effort!" Lu Ye shook his head. "Nevertheless, at this crucial juncture, Senior was the first to volunteer to stay. Your dedication to Kyushu is certainly worthy of being remembered by future generations."

Just like Lu Ye, who, upon advancing to the Star Constellation realm, also felt an eager desire to explore the starry sky, how much more so must it be for an elder like Jian Gihong, who had spent hundreds of years in the Divine Sea realm? Yet, he still suppressed his own aspirations and chose to remain in Kyushu.

The period of his remaining in Kyushu would not be brief. It was inconceivable that someone would replace him after merely a month or two, as journeys through the starry sky are exceedingly long, and those Star Constellation cultivators who had departed would not return so quickly.

During the discussions among Jian Gihong and the others, there was no compulsion regarding this arrangement. If, one day, a Star Constellation cultivator weary from their wanderings, or having accumulated a sufficient amount of spirit jade, required a stable environment for cultivation, they would return to Kyushu to assume the duties of the Guardian Envoy from Jian Gihong. Only then would Jian Gihong be free to embark on his journey into the starry sky.

Of course, should no one return, Jian Gihong could also choose to conscript someone to replace him. In any case, given the current trajectory of Kyushu, new Star Constellation cultivators would continue to emerge.

Of course, these were all matters for later.

Jian Gihong smiled faintly and said no more on the matter. Since he had decided to remain alone in Kyushu, he would not wallow in self-pity but would fulfill his agreed-upon duties.

This star chart was the fruit of his recent efforts.

"This is Kyushu!" Jian Gihong declared, pointing to the brighter light spot at the very center. Lu Ye had already surmised this; as it was Kyushu's star chart, it would naturally be centered on Kyushu.

He then pointed to the brightest light spot at the very edge. "This is the Sun Star!" No one currently knew the exact distance of the Sun Star from Kyushu, as no one had managed to fly there. Therefore, it was positioned at the outermost edge, symbolizing a vast distance.

"Now look here." Jian Gihong pointed in another direction, where there was also a relatively bright light spot.

"This star, we call it the Grand White Star!" Jian Gihong explained. "In the starry sky, it's incredibly difficult to ascertain one's exact position. In such a vast environment, there's no 'up, down, left, right,' nor 'east, south, west, north.' Consequently, cultivators new to the starry sky can easily get lost. Don't laugh, but I assure you, this was the most common problem encountered by our first group of cultivators venturing into the starry sky! Fortunately, none of us traveled too far back then, so we all managed to return safely. However, if one ventures further, returning might not be possible. So, in the starry sky, how can one accurately locate Kyushu?"

Jian Gihong paused slightly, giving Lu Ye space to think.

Without Jian Gihong's prior guidance, Lu Ye might not have thought of anything, as he was completely uninitiated in such matters, having never even ventured into the starry sky on his own.

But with Jian Gihong's specific guidance, Lu Ye vaguely understood. "By using the Sun Star and the Grand White Star to pinpoint Kyushu's location?"

Jian Gihong nodded. "Precisely! As long as you can identify the positions of these two stars, finding Kyushu's orientation won't be difficult."

Lu Ye mentally pictured what it would be like in the starry sky and began to grasp the concept.

This was the invaluable experience passed down by predecessors. If Lu Ye had to figure it out alone, he might eventually succeed, but it would undoubtedly consume considerable time and energy. Moreover, if he truly got lost in the starry sky, there was no telling where he might drift.

"What is this?" Lu Ye asked, pointing to a location on the star chart where a hazy cluster of light had gathered, not resembling a typical star.

"I'm not certain what it specifically is," Jian Gihong replied. "The descriptions received portray it exactly like this. I merely materialized the object at this location based on those reports."

Lu Ye stared intently at the cluster of light. He observed that at first glance, it seemed to take the form of a fierce beast, but such an enormous creature could not possibly exist in the starry sky. A flash of insight then struck him: "A starry sky wonder!"

"What?" Jian Gihong showed a puzzled expression.