Chapter 1452: Mermaid's Invitation

Ultimately, Lu Ye was likely trapped here due to the will of the Constellation Hall. This will had already detected his ability to move freely within the Myriad Phenomena Sea, which is why it brought him here. However, he received no revelation. If Lu Ye hadn't been quick-witted, he probably wouldn't have realized his actual task was simply weeding.

Yet, on second thought, the Myriad Phenomena Sea is home to intelligent beings like the Merfolk. If the will of the Constellation Hall simply needed help with weeding, it could have easily enlisted the Merfolk. Why bring him here instead?

Lu Ye vaguely suspected there might be a deeper meaning he didn't grasp. However, given the current circumstances, he had no choice but to diligently weed, which was proving to be a time-consuming task for him.

In the following days, Lu Ye continued his monotonous and tedious work as a weed remover. His storage ring was almost completely full, and any seaweed that couldn't fit had to be brought back to the Constellation Hall and piled up.

From time to time, star beasts from the Myriad Phenomena Sea attacked, and Lu Ye would dispatch them with his sword qi. Occasionally, he would sense the presence of Moon-Illuminated star beasts, which he naturally dared not engage. He would promptly avoid them and retreat to the Constellation Hall for safety.

Lu Ye noticed something peculiar: although the Constellation Hall's main gate was open, very few star beasts ever entered. He wondered why.

The first seahorse he encountered had clearly entered because it was being hunted and had no other escape.

About ten days later, as Lu Ye was diligently weeding outside the Hall, he suddenly caught sight of something approaching in his peripheral vision. Focusing his gaze, he saw it was the Merfolk tribe, led by none other than Bailu.

The Merfolk were still riding their seahorse star beasts. Bailu, having clearly spotted Lu Ye, approached him and watched him with curiosity.

Lu Ye gestured for her to enter the Constellation Hall and wait for him. Bailu nodded and led her kinsmen inside.

Lu Ye quickly followed them back.

It was time for the payoff! Lu Ye was eagerly anticipating how many spirit crystals Bailu would bring.

Upon entering the great hall, Lu Ye looked around.

This time, only four Merfolk had arrived, seemingly led by Bailu. However, Lu Ye's gaze was immediately drawn to a woman standing beside Bailu.

It wasn't because she was particularly beautiful, but primarily because Lu Ye could sense that this woman was a Moon-Illuminated realm Merfolk!

He had previously speculated that the Merfolk tribe would have Moon-Illuminated cultivators, as it was a complete race and unlikely to have only Constellation realm members. This now confirmed his suspicion. Whether they had Sun-Illuminated cultivators remained unknown.

Bailu appeared visibly delighted, exclaiming excitedly to Lu Ye, "Li Taibai, we won!"

Although the cost was considerable, they had ultimately won the tribal war. This meant the Merfolk tribe would not face the crisis of annihilation for the time being.

The greatest credit for this victory undoubtedly went to the formation plates Bailu had brought back. With those fifty plates, the Merfolk formed fifty formations, each playing a crucial role in decisively sweeping away the enemies who had invaded their homeland.

This also made the Merfolk tribe fully realize the immense power of the formation plates and the tremendous enhancement they could bring to a race like theirs.

"Congratulations!" Lu Ye nodded slightly.

He was not surprised by this outcome. The Merfolk tribe had been locked in a fierce battle with an unknown enemy before. Although Lu Ye hadn't witnessed the actual battlefield, he estimated that their strengths were not vastly different. Under such circumstances, an overall enhancement on one side could easily lead to victory.

"Oh, right, these are the spirit crystals for our exchange," Bailu suddenly remembered, quickly taking out the spirit crystals she had brought.

Instantly, a pile of spirit crystals as tall as a person appeared before Lu Ye.

As he looked at the spirit crystals, Lu Ye remained outwardly calm but felt quite pleased inwardly. Opportunities to acquire so many spiritual items with such ease were rare.

This pile of spirit crystals, in terms of sheer value, was worth at least ten million spirit jades. Of course, this was merely a value conversion; in reality, ten million spirit jades in the starry sky would absolutely not buy this many spirit crystals.

However, Lu Ye had witnessed grand spectacles before, and he still had a hundred million spirit jades tucked away. While the quantity of these spirit crystals was considerable, it wasn't enough to cause him significant emotional fluctuation.

With a sincere expression, Bailu said, "Li Yebai, as a princess of the Merfolk tribe, I extend our most heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for your contributions and support on behalf of my kinsmen. From this day forward, you are our most important friend!"

Lu Ye politely replied, "I didn't do much."

Indeed, his primary motivation for providing the formation plates was seeing how affluent the Merfolk were, hoping to acquire more spirit crystals. From the current outcome, it had undoubtedly been a good decision. As for friendship... some things are useless to say; what matters is how one acts.

He was slightly surprised that Bailu was a princess of the Merfolk tribe; this was something he hadn't expected. He had only known her status wouldn't be low, which was evident from the previous reactions and attitudes of the other Merfolk.

Bailu shook her head. "Without your support, more of my kinsmen would certainly have died, and this war might truly have been lost, leaving us homeless."

Once the Merfolk lost their sanctuary, they would face endless perils in the treacherous Myriad Phenomena Sea. While Lu Ye indeed hadn't *done* much from his perspective, to the Merfolk, it was an immense favor.

The Moon-Illuminated Merfolk beside her let out a soft cough.

Bailu then recollected herself. "Li Taibai, this is our Grand Elder Yan Miao. She has come on behalf of our tribe to discuss some matters with you."

Lu Ye looked at the female Merfolk named Yan Miao.

Yan Miao offered a faint smile. She was exceedingly beautiful, her eyes filled with allure. Her smile possessed a captivating charm, but Lu Ye didn't understand what she said.

Bailu explained, "The Grand Elder wishes to perform the Enlightenment Technique to resonate with your thoughts, which will facilitate communication."

Lu Ye understood. His previous experiences had taught him that he could resonate with anyone who performed the Enlightenment Technique on him. If Yan Miao truly wanted to converse with him, she would first need to use the secret art.

He nodded, indicating his agreement.

Yan Miao softly opened her mouth, and a song began. She raised a slender finger and lightly touched Lu Ye's forehead.

Compared to Bailu's singing, Yan Miao's was undoubtedly more melodious, and it was clearly not just due to her higher cultivation.

Just like his previous experience, Lu Ye felt a slight tremor in his Divine Sea, followed by a sensation of something opening.

Yan Miao's voice resounded in his ear: "Young friend Taibai, I am Yan Miao."

Lu Ye cupped his fist and replied, "Li Taibai greets fellow cultivator!"

Cultivators of the upper three realms, when interacting without any special relationship, could address each other as "fellow cultivator." Of course, Lu Ye could also have called her "senior"; although Yan Miao looked young, her cultivation level indicated she had certainly lived for an untold number of years.

Hearing Lu Ye call her "fellow cultivator," Yan Miao was unperturbed, maintaining her gentle smile. "To inform you, young friend, I have come here by order of our tribe's Queen to conduct a transaction with you."

"Formation plates?" Lu Ye inquired.

Having tasted the benefits of the "Shared Spirit Intertwined" formation plates, the Merfolk tribe would certainly want more. This was well within Lu Ye's expectations. After all, formation plates weren't particularly durable; he had crafted them casually, and they were easily damaged. Bailu had taken fifty back previously, but after the battle, only a little over twenty remained, indicating more than half were ruined.

The Merfolk tribe naturally wanted to stock up on more for future contingencies. This was good news for Lu Ye.

"Yes, we wish to purchase more formation plates from you," Yan Miao nodded.

"No problem," Lu Ye nodded. "Cash on delivery. You can have as many as you want!"

A look of delight appeared in Yan Miao's eyes; the smooth progression of events was clearly beyond her expectations. Changing the subject, she said, "Additionally, our tribe's Queen also wishes to invite young friend to the Imperial Conch Palace as a guest, to thank you in person. Would that be convenient for you?"

Bailu, standing nearby, showed an expectant look.

Lu Ye decisively shook his head. "Not convenient!"

Not only did he still need to weed here, but even if he didn't, venturing alone deep into a tribe's territory was not a wise move.

Staying in the Constellation Hall, even a Sun-Illuminated cultivator couldn't easily harm him. Besides, he only wanted to acquire spirit crystals from the Merfolk; being a guest was unnecessary.

"Does young friend have any concerns?" Yan Miao clearly saw through Lu Ye's thoughts. "If so, then you can rest assured."

She turned to look at the Constellation Hall and spoke, "From ancient times, humans have never appeared within the Divine Hall. Young friend, you are the first. I do not know how you came to be here, but your presence indicates that you are favored by the Divine Hall. Toward those favored by the Divine Hall, our Merfolk tribe dares not harbor any ill intentions, otherwise we would surely be abandoned by the Divine Hall. If that were to happen, our tribe would have no place to stand in this vast Myriad Phenomena Sea!"

"Divine Hall?" Lu Ye knew that the "Divine Hall" she spoke of referred to the Constellation Hall, but for the Merfolk tribe to call it that clearly held an unusual significance.

Yan Miao smiled. "The various races in the starry sky are likely unaware of the Myriad Phenomena Sea's origin, and even the star beasts that have lived here for countless years have no knowledge. However, our Merfolk tribe possesses extremely ancient records: the Myriad Phenomena Sea exists because the Divine Hall is here. It was the Divine Hall that gathered immense cosmic energy to form this vast Myriad Phenomena Sea, and thus, the entire Myriad Phenomena Sea is under the protection and shroud of the Divine Hall."

Her explanation further confirmed Lu Ye's suspicion that the will of the Constellation Hall had long detected his secret of being able to move freely within the Myriad Phenomena Sea.

"Our tribe is inherently cursed and can only survive within this Myriad Phenomena Sea. If we were to lose this place, then in the vastness of the starry sky, only the fate of extinction would await us."

Yan Miao looked at Lu Ye again, the allure in her eyes completely gone. "Therefore, under no circumstances would our tribe dare to harm you, young friend. Please rest assured on this point."