Chapter 1458: Singing Loudly

This thought immediately broadened his perspective.

The Heavenly Snail Palace trials consisted of four elements: playing wind instruments, plucking string instruments, striking percussion instruments, and singing, with the singing portion also requiring graceful dancing. Lu Ye knew he couldn't rely on the first three categories; it was too late to learn them now, and he lacked the appropriate instruments. Graceful dancing was entirely out of the question—a domain he would never consider entering. Therefore, the only thing he could count on was singing!

Lu Ye actually believed he possessed some singing talent, though his recent attempt at mimicking the Merfolk language had been completely off-key. After a moment of contemplation, Lu Ye’s expression turned serious, and he began to sing in a low voice.

"Calabash Babies, oh Calabash Babies, seven flowers bloom on one vine, they fear no wind, no rain, la la la la… Ding dong dang dong dong, oh Calabash Babies, ding dong dang dong dong, their powers are mighty, la la la la…"

As Lu Ye was testing his abilities, a group of Merfolk outside the Heavenly Snail Palace also wore solemn, anxious expressions. Bailu was on the verge of tears. Li Taibai had entered the Heavenly Snail Palace almost two days ago and still hadn't reappeared. This was unprecedented. Historically, when Merfolk entered the Heavenly Snail Palace for trials, results typically emerged within an hour, with the longest recorded duration being just two hours. This was clearly abnormal!

Bailu realized her mistake; something must have gone wrong with Li Taibai inside the Heavenly Snail Palace, or he wouldn't have remained hidden for such an extended period.

"Nonsense!" Yan Miao reprimanded. "The Heavenly Snail Palace is a secret realm connected to the Imperial Snail Palace. Throughout history, only our Merfolk have entered; there's no precedent for outsiders. No one knows the consequences of an outsider entering. Why didn't you consult me first?"

Bailu lowered her head and replied, "I didn't think there would be any problems. The trials inside are not dangerous, and none of our kin have ever encountered harm there." However, she knew the Great Elder was right. Since ancient times, only Merfolk had entered the Heavenly Snail Palace. Now, a human had suddenly entered, and who knew if his experience would be the same as theirs?

Yan Miao was at a loss for words. She understood that Bailu likely wasn't entirely to blame; the authority to allow Li Taibai into the Heavenly Snail Palace must have come from the Queen, implying the Queen's involvement in the matter. Yet, the Queen was still the Queen, and no one could reprimand her, regardless of her age.

"Great Elder, can we find a way to open the Heavenly Snail Palace? I want to go in and check on him," Bailu pleaded, needing at least to know if Li Taibai was alive or dead.

Yan Miao shook her head. "Once someone enters the Heavenly Snail Palace, it seals completely, and no one can open it. However, we can be certain he is not dead; otherwise, the palace would not remain sealed."

Bailu understood this principle, but the extended time without any sign of Li Taibai emerging inevitably made her anxious. If Li Taibai truly died inside this time, Baishuang would undoubtedly carry a lifetime of guilt, and she, as the elder sister, would not be able to escape blame either.

While the Merfolk waited anxiously outside the palace, inside the Heavenly Snail Palace, Lu Ye sat cross-legged, having already sung several songs. He naturally couldn't imitate the Merfolk's songs and could only perform what he already knew. Initially, his voice was subdued, but as he continued singing, he relaxed, reasoning that no one else was present to witness his performance. At this very moment, a soaring song echoed through the endless darkness.

"When the sun rises, I climb the mountain slope, reaching the peak, I wish to sing. My song drifts to my sister, and hearing my voice, she smiles with delight…"

In the complete darkness where no light had been present, tiny specks of luminescence began to appear, seemingly out of nowhere. They resembled stars orbiting him, and as his song reverberated, their number steadily increased. Realizing this was a promising sign, Lu Ye sang with even greater effort. He surmised that these light particles had only ever heard the Merfolk's melodious chants, never such an unconventional and powerful song, which was why so many had been drawn forth.

"The vast sky above, is a man's domain, a youth who once dreamt beneath countless stars, not knowing the sky's height, nor the ocean's breadth, yet swore to take you far, to the farthest corners of the world…"

Lu Ye sang until his throat was parched. Although an increasing number of light particles had been drawn to him, now forming a veritable sea of stars, he still had no sense that he could leave. Something seemed amiss! Based on the light particles' reactions, they would disperse if his performance was poor, but gather if it was good. Given the multitude of gathered light particles, he should have theoretically passed the trial. Why was he still unable to leave?

He continued singing, yet frowned as he observed the light particles. Just as he had observed upon entering, these light particles varied in color, with white being the most abundant and gold the least. However, their sheer number was now significantly greater than what he had initially seen—at least a tenfold increase. Previously, each song Lu Ye sang attracted numerous new particles, but now no more were appearing. He estimated that all possible light particles had probably been drawn out.

After a brief pause, Lu Ye extended his hand while still singing, reaching for the nearest cluster of light particles. An unexpected sight unfolded. When he first entered the Heavenly Snail Palace, he had also attempted to grasp a light particle to examine it, but it had eluded his touch like a playful maiden. Yet, as he extended his hand this time, it seemed imbued with an endless pull, and large masses of light particles actively converged toward his outstretched palm. Immediately, Lu Ye's hand began to radiate a kaleidoscope of colors.

A realization struck Lu Ye: he could choose one light particle and take it with him, and that would be the reward for passing the Heavenly Snail Palace trial! However, with so many light particles converging, he was momentarily unsure which one to choose. He finally understood: the trial hadn't failed to end; he simply hadn't realized it, and had been singing this entire time…

With this realization, Lu Ye knew what to do. Since he was to select a single particle, it was logical to choose a rarer one, as scarcity often denotes value. His attention immediately focused on the golden light particles. Yet, the golden particles were still numerous, making it difficult for Lu Ye to choose, and he had no idea what kind of reward such a selection would bring.

He decided to simply grab one at random. Just as he was about to act, Lu Ye's gaze suddenly shifted to the side. There, remarkably, was a cyan light particle! Previously, it had been obscured by countless other particles, and Lu Ye hadn't noticed it at all, given its minuscule size and the surrounding kaleidoscope of colors which made cyan less conspicuous. Now, with a large number of particles actively converging toward his hand, this cyan particle was finally revealed.

Lu Ye instantly changed his mind. He gently flicked his hand, shedding the countless particles clinging to it, and reached directly for the cyan particle. This particle was even rarer than the golden ones; it might be the only one of its kind. As if sensing his intention, the cyan particle actually darted toward him, and Lu Ye firmly grasped it in his hand!

Lu Ye vaguely felt something in his grasp, but before he could look, the countless light particles swirling around him floated upwards, converged, and transformed into a glowing portal before him. This had to be the exit! Lu Ye stood up tall and stepped forward. As his vision shifted, he found himself outside the Heavenly Snail Palace, greeted by a multitude of relieved faces.

Utterly surprised, he asked, "Great Elder, and all of you esteemed elders, why are you all here?"

Yan Miao let out a long breath, her ample chest heaving significantly. "Little friend Taibai, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Lu Ye nodded, casually putting away the item he had brought from the Heavenly Snail Palace.

Yan Miao nodded. "It's good that you're well. You stayed inside for such a long time that we worried something might have happened to you, so we've been waiting here."

Only then did Lu Ye understand the worry in their eyes. He glanced at Bailu, noting the self-reproach in her gaze, and gave a self-deprecating smile. "My skills aren't refined enough, so it took me a little longer to pass the Heavenly Snail Palace trial."

Yan Miao said, "Since you're unharmed, I'm relieved."

"Now that things here are settled, I should return," Lu Ye stated. His primary purpose in coming here was to complete a transaction with the Merfolk. With the deal now concluded, there was no reason to linger. He also hoped to complete the Star Palace's task quickly, to see if he could return before the end of the Ranking Battle.

Yan Miao, however, displayed a hint of apology. "There's something I need to explain, little friend. I did promise to assign some of our people to help clear the debris from the temple, but the dispatched Merfolk reported that they couldn't even approach the temple's outer perimeter. Curiously, entering the temple directly had no effect on them. Therefore, my clan may not be able to assist with clearing the temple."

"They can enter the temple directly but can't approach its outer perimeter? What kind of logic is that?" Lu Ye asked, bewildered.

Yan Miao shook her head. "I'm not sure either. Perhaps I'll need to investigate in person to understand. If you're heading back, little friend, I can escort you and check on the situation there at the same time."

"That works," Lu Ye nodded.

Without delay, Yan Miao immediately summoned several seahorse mounts, gathered a few clan members, and led Lu Ye toward the Star Palace. Bailu did not accompany them this time, seemingly due to the previous incident, and she even apologized to Lu Ye before their departure. Lu Ye naturally didn't dwell on the Heavenly Snail Palace incident. Bailu had not acted maliciously, and Baishuang's granting him the opportunity to enter the palace had been a gesture of goodwill. While the process had been somewhat convoluted, Lu Ye had ultimately benefited, and it certainly counted as a unique experience on his life's journey.

With Yan Miao leading the way, they had no fear of encountering danger en route. Although Sun-illuminated Star Beasts inhabited the Myriad Manifestation Sea, their numbers were not vast, and each beast generally kept to its own fixed territory. As long as they did not rashly trespass, there was little concern of provoking them. For example, Lu Ye's previous encounter with a Sun-illuminated Star Beast was a rare event for the Merfolk, occurring perhaps once in a century.