Chapter 1461: No Hero on the Accumulated Contribution List

Although Bailu was a mermaid princess, she was undoubtedly guileless, or perhaps she harbored a certain degree of trust in Lu Ye. Such matters would never have been directly disclosed to him otherwise.

Only then did Lu Ye understand why the merfolk treated him with such kindness. Yanmiao had previously made similar remarks, but not with this level of detail.

Ancient prophecies and similar notions, however, were clearly unreliable. Lu Ye had no idea how to help the merfolk alleviate the cursed venom's influence.

He certainly lacked the ability to do so at present, but if he were to gain such power in the future, he wouldn't mind assisting the merfolk.

That day, Lu Ye returned from weeding. As always, he activated his Talent Tree to absorb fire-element treasures, replenishing his depleted fuel reserves, and chatted casually with Bailu.

He took out the Azure Conch and channeled spiritual power into it.

Each time he returned to the Star Palace, Lu Ye would try, but ever since it opened a portal that one time, the Azure Conch had remained dormant.

To his surprise, the Azure Conch reacted this this time. Lu Ye paused, then quickly brought it to his lips, puffed out his cheeks, and blew.

Bailu clearly sensed something, quickly fell silent, and watched the Azure Conch intently.

As Lu Ye's spiritual power poured in and the conch emitted a sound, a faint blue light began to flicker and coalesce. Then, at a certain moment, a single point of blue light shot forth, expanding before Lu Ye and transforming into a portal.

"Is this the portal that leads to the Heavenly Conch Hall?" Bailu asked, surprised.

Lu Ye nodded, then stood up and said, "I'll send you back!"

Bailu was visibly reluctant, but considering she had been there alone for several days and it was indeed time to return, she obediently followed him.

They passed through the portal one after another, and when they reappeared, they were indeed outside the Heavenly Conch Hall.

Bailu looked around and smiled, "Li Taibai, if you wish to visit our tribe's territory again, it will be simple. If you come, remember to find me!"

Lu Ye said, "This portal won't last for long. I'll need your help to explain the situation to the Queen and the Grand Elder."

"Of course," Bailu readily agreed. It was indeed appropriate to inform the Grand Elder and others beforehand to avoid any misunderstandings.

"Then I'll head back first," Lu Ye said, turning and stepping back into the portal.

"You..." Bailu had just opened her mouth when Lu Ye vanished, and her fishtail instinctively slapped the ground.

After Lu Ye's figure disappeared, the portal vanished as well.

Upon returning to the Star Palace, Lu Ye noticed the portal's disappearance. This time, the portal lasted noticeably less time than before; previously, he had waited for a moment outside the Heavenly Conch Hall, but this time, he returned almost without delay.

It appeared that the portal vanished the moment he returned, regardless of how long it had been active.

Calculating the time, it had been approximately seven days since he last used the Azure Conch to open a portal.

Perhaps seven days was the interval for using the Azure Conch's power! This was merely a speculation, of course, as he had too few attempts to confirm it. He would know for sure the next time he used it.

He tried to activate the Azure Conch's power, and as expected, it remained unresponsive.

Lu Ye continued weeding. While doing so, he often found scallops, conches, and similar items among the seaweeds, all of which he collected.

However, because his storage rings were limited in number and mostly filled with spirit jade and spirit crystals, Lu Ye had no choice but to pile the seaweeds in a corner of the Star Palace. These seaweeds had now grown into a small mountain.

Every seven days, Lu Ye would attempt to activate the Azure Conch's power. He discovered that, just as he had surmised, once used, it required a seven-day wait before it could be used again. He had no idea of the underlying principle.

Lu Ye initially thought that the item might not need to be blown, and could be activated by simply channeling spiritual power into it. However, after trying, he discovered that it absolutely required being blown to function; not blowing it rendered it useless. This was quite peculiar.

He also finally understood the purpose of the Azure Conch's imprints: they served as a form of localization.

If Lu Ye had previously left an Azure Conch imprint at a specific location, then upon activating its power to open a portal, the portal would appear at the imprinted spot.

If no imprint was left, it would appear outside the Heavenly Conch Hall in the merfolk territory. As the item originated from the Heavenly Conch Hall, this connection was not difficult to comprehend.

Overall, the Azure Conch was a valuable treasure. If it could indeed allow Lu Ye to enter the merfolk's territory directly from the Myriad Phenomena Sea, he could forge a unique path to wealth for himself.

Moreover, it could be used for travel. By leaving an imprint somewhere in advance, he could simply activate the Azure Conch's power whenever he wished to return.

Conversely, using it for escape was somewhat impractical. Activating this treasure required a little time and also involved blowing it. If he were truly being pursued by powerful individuals, this item would be of little use; by the time he managed to activate it, Lu Ye would have already fled a significant distance.

The only remaining question was that Lu Ye did not know the distance limit for the Azure Conch to open a portal. If the range wasn't far enough, it would still be useless. This could not be tested for now and would have to be gradually explored later.

Gazing at the dark stone tablet in the center of the Star Palace, Lu Ye was filled with helplessness.

Calculating the time, the Star Palace's Ranking Battle was likely nearing its end, while his weeding was only halfway complete. He wouldn't be able to participate in this Ranking Battle.

It was somewhat regrettable.

In Hall No. 1863, Chu Shen was also observing the Accumulation Ranking Board, while holding his sound talisman and attempting to contact Lu Ye.

He had been trying for many days, but no matter how he attempted it, the message wouldn't go through. Now, with only a few days remaining until the Star Palace closed, he still couldn't establish contact.

"What is Senior Fa doing?" Chu Shen frowned, his face etched with confusion.

No cultivator at the Star Realm would willingly miss something as significant as the Star Palace Accumulation Ranking, as missing it meant forfeiting a crucial opportunity for future advancement.

However, ever since he parted ways with Fa Wuzun after that auction, Chu Shen had not seen him again.

It was certain that Senior Fa was still alive, as his name remained on the Accumulation Ranking. If a person died, their name would vanish from the ranking.

But if he was alive, why wasn't he participating in the Ranking Battle? He couldn't possibly be trapped in a contested area and unable to escape; such an occurrence had never happened before.

In Chu Shen's estimation, Fa Wuzun's individual strength was sufficient to secure at least a top-ten ranking on the Accumulation Ranking, or even higher, which offered substantial benefits.

Yet, in reality, Fa Wuzun's ranking had almost fallen off the Accumulation Ranking entirely!

This was because every time someone challenged him, if he failed to accept within a certain time limit, he would be deemed to have lost, and his accumulation points would decrease.

Initially, few people challenged Fa Wuzun because many had personally witnessed his strength and understood his formidable power, rendering a challenge largely pointless.

However, as Fa Wuzun's ranking continued to fall, an increasing number of challengers emerged, leading to a swift decline in his position.

By the time Chu Shen checked the Accumulation Ranking once more, Fa Wuzun's name was no longer to be found on the list, prompting him to sigh.

Since childhood, he had admired few people, and Fa Wuzun was among them. Knowing Senior Fa's formidable strength, he genuinely did not wish to see his name pushed out of the Accumulation Ranking.

In a fit of indignation, he couldn't resist challenging a lower-ranked cultivator, only to return moments later with a bruised and swollen face. His early-stage Star Realm cultivation was ultimately too disadvantaged against an experienced late-stage cultivator; had it not been for the valuable treasures he carried, he would have been killed.

"Senior Fa, where are you?" Chu Shen sighed, looking up, feeling as though the Accumulation Ranking lacked true heroes, allowing many lesser talents to rise to prominence.

Joining Chu Shen in observing Fa Wuzun's ranking were Xiao Dai, Xiao Wai, and the sisters Caiyue and Caixing. The four women had gained immense benefits by following Lu Ye during the chaotic battle, and thus naturally held a greater concern for him.

Furthermore, all of them possessed Lu Ye's sound talisman imprint and had attempted to contact him, but to no avail.

Several more days passed. The Star Palace suddenly shook, and the Accumulation Ranking burst forth with brilliant light. The numerous names etched onto the ranking appeared to come alive, soaring out one after another.

In the next instant, these names were imprinted in the void according to their Accumulation Ranking. A grand, majestic sound seemed to reverberate throughout the entire Myriad Phenomena Star System. Countless cultivators turned to watch, and no matter their location or distance from the Star Palace, as long as they looked in that direction, they could clearly see the gigantic list imprinted in the void.

On that list, each name shone brilliantly; another generation of powerful Moon Glimmers was about to emerge!

Nearly every cultivator whose name appeared on the Star Palace Accumulation Ranking possessed strength far exceeding that of ordinary cultivators after advancing to the Moon Glimmer realm. While those from extraordinary backgrounds naturally had their paths laid out, cultivators of humble origins were undoubtedly prime targets for major forces to recruit.

As this list was imprinted in the void, the perpetually open gates of the Star Palace slowly began to close.

The millions of cultivators within the Star Palace were suddenly enveloped by an unknown force. When they regained their senses, they found themselves in various locations across the Myriad Phenomena Star System.

These locations were not fixed; when the Star Palace closed, any cultivators still inside would be randomly cast out somewhere by the palace.

From the outside now, the Star Palace appeared both ethereal and substantial, standing as mysteriously as ever in the depths of space.

Inside the true Star Palace, Lu Ye gazed at the dark stone tablet in the center of the hall. Since his arrival, the tablet had remained unresponsive, until just now, when numerous names suddenly appeared.

Lu Ye recognized many familiar names among them, undoubtedly those who had previously been listed on the Accumulation Ranking.

His name should have been among them, but unfortunately, it was no longer visible.

Lu Ye was not surprised by this outcome. While he remained stagnant here, those outside would show him no mercy. It was only a matter of time before his name fell off the Accumulation Ranking.

He took deep breaths of fresh air, his chest heaving.

Confusion, bewilderment, and a host of other emotions surged through him.

Where was this?

Then, Shi Yu instinctively surveyed his surroundings, growing even more bewildered.

A single dormitory room?

Even if he had been successfully rescued, he should be in a hospital room now.

And his body... how could it be completely uninjured?

Filled with doubt, Shi Yu's gaze quickly swept across the room, finally settling on a mirror at the head of the bed.

The mirror reflected his current appearance: roughly seventeen or eighteen years old, and quite handsome.

But the problem was, this wasn't him.

His former self was a handsome young man in his twenties, with an extraordinary demeanor, who had been working for some time.

Yet now, this appearance seemed to belong to a high school student...

This transformation left Shi Yu in a daze for a long time.

Please don't tell him the surgery was a success...

With both his body and appearance altered, this was clearly not a matter of surgery, but rather something akin to immortal magic.

He had completely transformed into another person!

Could it be... he had transmigrated?

Besides the mirror at the head of the bed, which was clearly positioned with poor feng shui, Shi Yu also discovered three books nearby.

Shi Yu picked them up, and the titles instantly left him speechless.

"Essential Beast-Rearing Handbook for Novice Breeders"

"Postpartum Care for Pet Beasts"

"Appraisal Guide for Heterogeneous Beast-Eared Girls"

Shi Yu: ???

The titles of the first two books seemed normal enough, but what about the last one?

"Cough."

Shi Yu's gaze sharpened, and he reached out, but his arm quickly stiffened.

Just as he was about to open the third book to see what it was, a sharp pain suddenly pierced his brain, and a flood of memories surged forth.

Icefield City.

Pet Beast Breeding Base.

Intern Pet Beast Breeder.

Beast Master?