Chapter 1310: Fangcun Mountain Little People Clan

Wind Rises in Kyushu

Haitang was clearly very weak at this moment. She had been trapped in the ghost ship for several months longer than Lu Ye, her physical body confined, and her vitality continuously draining away.

Strictly speaking, the Haitang that Lu Ye encountered on the ghost ship was not her true body, but a manifestation of her soul and spirit. This was why she could repeatedly revert to an earlier state with each reincarnation. Her real body had remained trapped somewhere within the ghost ship. With her soul and spirit separated from her true body, Haitang was utterly unable to control her physical form. Under such circumstances, she naturally grew weaker and weaker, until she would eventually perish.

What astonished Lu Ye was not her current condition, but her physical form. The Haitang he had seen inside the ghost ship appeared to be a normal human cultivator. However, the Haitang now before Lu Ye's eyes was only palm-sized. Though she looked human, Lu Ye was certain Haitang was not human! There were no humans that small in this world. Among the races Lu Ye had encountered, the smallest in stature were undoubtedly the Elves, but even individual Elves were about the size of a baby, several sizes larger than Haitang.

Haitang forced a faint smile onto her pale face. "Forgive my appearance, Junior Brother. I am from the Pixie race of Fangcun Mountain."

"The Pixie race of Fangcun Mountain?" Lu Ye was stunned. "But on the ghost ship, Senior Sister, you clearly..."

Haitang replied, "That's likely one of the ghost ship's rules. In truth, the crew members you saw probably belonged to various races, but on the ship, they all appeared in normal human form."

Lu Ye finally understood, realizing his own limited knowledge. However, this was the first time Lu Ye had ever seen someone so tiny, and he found it incredibly novel. But this was no time for curiosity. Haitang's condition was clearly not right, so Lu Ye said with concern, "Senior Sister, please recover first!" As he spoke, he extended a hand, gently lifted her, and placed her on his shoulder. Haitang nodded and sat down cross-legged.

"Do you need spirit pills?" Lu Ye asked.

Haitang shook her head. "Spirit pills from the outside world are not suitable for my race. I have my own means of recovery, Junior Brother, so you needn't worry." Lu Ye didn't ask further. He realized that the spirit pills he used were almost half the size of Haitang's head; how could she possibly take them? Would she have to bite and gnaw on them? That would be far too undignified.

While Haitang recovered, Lu Ye began to survey their surroundings, determining the direction of Kyushu. The time spent on the ghost ship hadn't been long, roughly ten days at most, so they shouldn't have drifted too far. He observed the Sun Star, then located the Venus Star in the vast cosmos. After a quick calculation, he confirmed Kyushu's position, then propelled himself forward, embarking on the journey back.

This first venture outside Kyushu, into the star-filled sky, had truly been eventful. Lu Ye mentally reviewed his experiences. It seemed only the initial three months had been uneventful, spent merely searching for spirit jade and exploring. After that, he encountered a large group of stellar beasts and engaged in a fierce battle. Just as he was about to return, he met Feng Rumao, who then guided him to the ghost ship. He had always believed the star-filled sky around Kyushu would be quiet and desolate, especially since Yang Qing had mentioned that Kyushu was located in a remote area. But now, it seemed that while it might be remote, it could still be quite lively at times. Various drifting objects or beings in the cosmos might, at any time, float towards Kyushu.

Maintaining his speed within a controllable range and dedicating part of his attention to monitoring his surroundings, ensuring he wouldn't accidentally crash into anything, Lu Ye then focused his mind inward to examine himself. As he finally left the ghost ship, a thick expanse of fog had surged into his body. Although his talent tree showed no unusual reaction, and the mist itself had claimed it was a benefit, Lu Ye dared not be careless before thoroughly investigating what this benefit truly was.

His divine sense swept over every inch of his flesh and blood, finding no abnormalities. This was quite strange... With no physical abnormalities, Lu Ye then examined his Divine Sea. Sure enough, he discovered something amiss. Previously, only traces of the Soul Suppressing Pagoda existed within his Divine Sea, but now, looking out over that vast spiritual ocean, a dilapidated ship was sailing. The dilapidated ship's appearance was identical to the ghost ship!

The actual ghost ship couldn't have entered his Divine Sea; Lu Ye had watched it depart earlier. If that was the case, then what was this ghost ship doing here? Lu Ye manifested his soul and spirit, flying down to land on the ghost ship. Instantly, various profound mysteries enveloped his mind. Lu Ye closed his eyes, focusing his attention on comprehending them. A moment later, he opened his eyes, which gleamed with brilliance.

The mist's final words were indeed true; this was truly a magnificent gift! The ghost ship within his Divine Sea could be considered a brand or imprint of the actual ghost ship, possessing some of its characteristics and rules. Of course, it wasn't as formidable as the true ghost ship. And this item could be used in soul-based conflicts.

For Lu Ye, now venturing into the cosmos, he would inevitably face powerful adversaries he couldn't contend with physically. The chaos of the star-filled sky was incomparable to Kyushu. Within Kyushu, cultivators generally wouldn't encounter enemies far beyond their own cultivation level. Spirit Creek Realm cultivators fought in the Spirit Creek Battlefield, Cloud River Realm in the Cloud River Battlefield—all engagements among peers. Even upon advancing to the True Lake Realm and joining the various provincial guards, Divine Sea Realm cultivators would mutually constrain each other. True Lake Realm cultivators were rarely bullied by those in the Divine Sea Realm, and even if they were, their own Divine Sea Realm allies would quickly intervene.

However, the cosmos was different; there were no such restraints. For instance, Yue Xin had forcibly descended upon Kyushu, intending to enslave its lands. If Yang Qing hadn't obliterated him, the cultivators of Kyushu would likely have become his servants. Another example was Feng Rumao, whom Lu Ye had encountered earlier. If Feng Rumao had been a bloodthirsty individual, Lu Ye would have had no chance of survival. Navigating the cosmos relied on both one's strength and luck. No matter how powerful, if one's luck was bad and they encountered an unmatched powerhouse, they could only resign themselves to misfortune.

One's cultivation level had to be improved step by step; there weren't many shortcuts for that. However, there were many unique methods for soul protection. The Soul Suppressing Pagoda in Lu Ye's Divine Sea was one such method. Once cultivators reached the Constellation Realm, they each had their own clever ways to protect their souls, mostly relying on treasures or cultivating special soul secret arts. For Lu Ye, however, the Soul Suppressing Pagoda was merely a passive defensive measure, only able to keep his soul stable and unable to even intercept enemy divine sense intrusions. But the ghost ship imprint he had now obtained was a means for active offense! In the future, if he encountered enemies he couldn't match physically, or if a powerful entity initiated a soul-based conflict, this ghost ship imprint would prove invaluable.

As various mysteries about the ship filled his mind, Lu Ye let out a low cry, "Everyone to your positions!" As his words fell, the previously dilapidated ship restored itself to the ghost ship's undamaged form. Immediately afterward, several somewhat ethereal figures appeared on the deck. Upon closer inspection, these figures were none other than Qin Zong and the other crew members. The dense fog that surged into Lu Ye's body after he left the ghost ship's treasury was formed from the disappearance of Qin Zong and the others. Therefore, this ghost ship within him also bore their imprints, allowing Lu Ye to command them at will. In other words, if Lu Ye were to engage in another soul-based conflict, it wouldn't just be a simple clash of souls. Lu Ye could command the ghost ship and lead his crew members, catching the enemy completely off guard. Even if it was merely a pure soul conflict, Lu Ye could conjure a treasure ship... The thought of such a scene was terrifying. One could only imagine the expression on the enemy's face when struck!

Now, within his Divine Sea, he had the Soul Suppressing Pagoda for defense and the ghost ship for offense, truly achieving a balance of both. After freely navigating the ghost ship within his Divine Sea for a while, Lu Ye withdrew his consciousness. Overall, he was quite satisfied with the benefit bestowed by the mist. Moreover, judging from the mist's words, he was likely the only one throughout history to receive such a boon. In the past, even if cultivators passed the ghost ship's trials, they typically only left with a single treasure from the vault. In comparison, the value of the ghost ship in his Divine Sea was no less than any item in the treasury; this thing could turn the tide of battle at crucial moments. What was most important for a cultivator? Survival. As long as one lived, there was hope.

From this perspective, his firm decision to bring Haitang along had turned out to be an unexpected stroke of luck. Frankly, he was very reluctant to give up the treasures in the vault; the items there were indeed precious and rare. However, compared to his final choice, they paled in significance. If he had only brought out a single treasure, his conscience would have troubled him indefinitely.

He sped onward. It took a full month for Haitang's condition to slightly improve. Although she was still weak, her situation had at least stabilized, and now all she needed was quiet recuperation to gradually recover. Haitang rose from Lu Ye's shoulder, looked at his profile, and sincerely bowed. "Thank you, Junior Brother Lu, for bringing me out of suffering. This kindness, this gratitude, Haitang will remember forever!"

Lu Ye smiled. "Senior Sister Haitang, you're overstating it. In truth, I should be thanking you. If not for your final effort, I wouldn't have been able to pass the ghost ship's trial. If that were the case, we would likely still be on the ghost ship, relying on each other and weeping tears of despair." At the end of the nineteenth reincarnation battle, Lu Ye steered the ghost ship to ram the last enemy vessel. He hadn't managed a decisive blow, and just as the enemy ship's formation buzzed and shone brightly, Haitang timely controlled the attack formation, delivering a fatal strike to the enemy vessel. This was what made it possible for Lu Ye to pass the trial. From this point alone, Haitang owed Lu Ye immense gratitude.

Finding his words amusing, Haitang couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. "Regardless, Junior Brother Lu gave Haitang her life back. In the future, should you have any commands, I will obey without question!"

She spoke earnestly, but Lu Ye waved his hand. "You saved me, and I saved you. We've simply helped each other; there's no question of who owes whom. Besides, my decision to bring you along, Senior Sister, wasn't without its own benefits. The boon I received is no less valuable than any of the treasures in the vault."