Chapter 1499: You Are Strong Enough

Winds of Kyushu

If Chu Shen's plan genuinely comes to fruition, the future security of Peerless Island will no longer be a concern. No short-sighted forces will dare to cause trouble there. This is because Peerless Island will undoubtedly host numerous businesses belonging to various factions. In such an intricate web of interwoven interests, anyone who dares to harm Peerless Island would be making enemies of all forces with establishments there. Therefore, from a long-term perspective, Chu Shen's aspiration to transform Peerless Island into a commercial spiritual island is a very astute decision.

The Soul Race woman still refused to speak a single word to Lu Ye. Ever since she brought him back from the Myriad Manifestations Island auction, Lu Ye still didn't even know her name. However, the woman showed no intention of escaping or resisting. When Lu Ye was in the cave, she would sit quietly by his side, silent and undisturbed, like a puppet.

Through persistent deduction, the Life Origin Art finally made significant progress. Based on this, a new spirit pattern was born. However, the efficacy of this spirit pattern was somewhat peculiar, and without personally trying it, Lu Ye couldn't quite grasp its true mystery. Lu Ye himself wasn't even sure if this spirit pattern was useful or not. There are countless spirit patterns in the world. Some can stably form and be constructed, but they actually have no effect. These types of spirit patterns are generally ineffective and, if not too complex, are mostly used by spirit pattern masters for practice. With no suitable subject to test it on, Lu Ye could only temporarily set it aside. Fortunately, after this period of deduction, Lu Ye had some ideas on how to dispel the Life Origin Art. As soon as he could return to Kyushu, he could begin experimenting. Choosing the next spirit pattern to deduce, Lu Ye continued his work.

One day, an uninvited guest suddenly arrived in the cave. Lu Ye looked at Ban Ci, who was sitting before him, curiously observing the Soul Race woman beside him, and frowned, asking, "What is it?" Although they were both on Peerless Island, Lu Ye and Ban Ci didn't have much interaction. Their only previous encounter was when Ban Ci first arrived and greeted him. Therefore, Lu Ye wasn't sure why she had come to see him.

Undeniably, Ban Ci was very strong. Among other things, Lu Ye had no idea how she managed to trap a Moon Splendor cultivator back then; he simply couldn't understand how she did it. Although that confinement only lasted for a short time and Ban Ci paid some price for it, it was truly astonishing that a Star Constellation cultivator could achieve such a feat.

"I'd like to ask for your help," Ban Ci said seriously, withdrawing her gaze.

"I'm busy!" Lu Ye immediately refused. They weren't very familiar with each other, and based on Lu Ye's and Chu Shen's deductions, Ban Ci was likely sent secretly by Jiuyan to protect Chu Shen. Someone like her, even if not from the Cheling Realm, must have a significant background. What could she possibly need his help with?

Ban Ci smiled faintly. "You're refusing without even hearing me out?"

"I still have many things to attend to."

"What if I told you I could offer you good compensation?" Ban Ci looked at Lu Ye.

Lu Ye shook his head. "I'm not short on Spirit Jade!" He still had eight million Spirit Jade and Spirit Crystals worth ten million. That would be enough for his own use in the short term. Once Peerless Island was running smoothly and generating income, he would have more incoming funds. At the very least, Chu Shen would certainly give him the Spirit Jade from selling the One-Breath-Connected formation disks.

"Then how about this?" Ban Ci said, flipping her palm, and an object immediately appeared in her small, jade-like hand. Lu Ye fixed his gaze on it, slightly stunned, because he recognized the item; he had seen a piece of it not long ago.

Phoenix Sky Blue Crystal!

This Phoenix Sky Blue Crystal appeared to be slightly larger than the one he had seen at the Myriad Manifestations Island auction, undoubtedly making it more valuable. Most importantly, this item was something money couldn't buy. Lu Ye had asked Cao Xiang to keep an eye out for it for so long, and only one piece had appeared at the last auction. Lu Ye hadn't expected that after missing a Phoenix Sky Blue Crystal at the auction, Ban Ci would actually bring another one to him.

However, he wasn't swayed; instead, he became wary. "How did you know I need Phoenix Sky Blue Crystal?"

Ban Ci looked as if it was obvious. "You're a weapon cultivator, so of course you need this."

That was true; no weapon cultivator at the late Star Constellation stage would disregard Phoenix Sky Blue Crystal. However, for Ban Ci to offer such a treasure as compensation, the task she needed help with was clearly not simple. After a slight pause, Lu Ye asked, "What do you want me to do?" If it were anything else, Lu Ye truly wouldn't have been tempted. Ban Ci's origins were mysterious, and her methods were extraordinary; anything she needed help with would likely be very troublesome. Phoenix Sky Blue Crystal was indeed good, but Lu Ye wouldn't easily put himself in danger for it.

"Accompany me to a place," Ban Ci said concisely.

"Elaborate," Lu Ye frowned.

It was only after Ban Ci's explanation that Lu Ye understood what she intended to do. She was in the late Star Constellation stage and preparing to advance to Moon Splendor. However, the greatest challenge faced by Star Constellation cultivators when advancing to Moon Splendor was the transformation of their own spiritual power into spiritual essence. This hurdle prevented many Star Constellation cultivators from crossing the threshold to Moon Splendor. This transformation was very difficult to achieve solely through a cultivator's own power and required an extremely long time. Therefore, during this process, cultivators typically relied on external aids, such as elixirs and miraculous medicines, or rare treasures. However, elixirs capable of transforming a cultivator's spiritual power were extremely expensive, and as for rare treasures, they were even harder to come by. The rewards from the Star Constellation Accumulation Rankings were also a method, and in terms of effect, they were better than any elixir or rare treasure. This was also why many veteran Star Constellation cultivators delayed their advancement, waiting for the Star Constellation Hall to open. As long as they could get their names on the Accumulation Rankings, they could use the power of the Star Constellation Hall to advance to Moon Splendor. Ban Ci planned to go to a secret realm, which possessed a power that could help her accelerate the transformation of her spiritual power. Therefore, she needed an assistant or a guard, so she could focus on transforming her spiritual power without external disturbance.

After listening to Ban Ci's explanation, Lu Ye had a faint feeling that the matter might not be so simple. If Ban Ci was truly sent by Jiuyan, she could have simply asked Jiuyan for help with transforming her spiritual power. Jiuyan could have easily sent a Moon Splendor cultivator with her. Why would she come to him and even offer something like a Phoenix Sky Blue Crystal?

"Is there danger in that secret realm?" Lu Ye asked.

Ban Ci knew what he was thinking and explained, "It's somewhat dangerous for me because I need to withstand the power of that secret realm. If I can't bear it, I will certainly suffer a backlash. But for you, there's no significant danger. It's just that others might enter that place, so I need to ensure I'm not disturbed while I refine my spiritual power."

"You could find a Moon Splendor cultivator!"

"I don't know any Moon Splendor cultivators, nor do I have anyone I can trust," Ban Ci said, looking at Lu Ye with clear eyes.

Lu Ye stared at her expressionlessly, but saw no ripples in her eyes. Secretly, he wondered if his and Chu Shen's conjecture was wrong. Was she not sent by Jiuyan? Thinking about it, if Ban Ci truly was sent by Jiuyan, she shouldn't be leaving at this time. She should be constantly by Chu Shen's side. Yet, she had never done so and hadn't shown any particular care or concern for Chu Shen.

"Why choose me?" Lu Ye asked.

"You're strong enough!"

"Pu Ke is also strong enough!" In terms of individual strength at the Star Constellation stage, Pu Ke was considered top-notch, especially now that most cultivators ranked above him on the Accumulation Rankings had already entered the Star Constellation Hall to advance.

"Don't you know what kind of person Pu Ke is?" Ban Ci glared at him irritably.

Lu Ye remained silent. Of course, he knew what kind of person Pu Ke was. Although Ban Ci was petite, she had a good figure and was quite attractive. Pu Ke probably hadn't held back from chatting with her recently. Naturally, Ban Ci didn't want to choose Pu Ke.

"If you agree, then when we emerge from that secret realm, this will be yours. If you don't, then I'll have to find another way," Ban Ci said, casually tossing the Phoenix Sky Blue Crystal in her hand.

"Where is this secret realm?" Lu Ye asked.

"I can only tell you that from here, it will take us almost three months to reach. The exact location... it's hard to say."

"When do we leave?"

"The sooner, the better!"

Ban Ci left. Lu Ye looked at the Soul Race woman quietly sitting by his side, then stood up and headed outside. "Come with me!" The Soul Race woman followed obediently without a word.

The Phoenix Sky Blue Crystal held great appeal for Lu Ye. Although he didn't quite understand why Ban Ci would choose him as a guard, he ultimately agreed. With such a piece of Phoenix Sky Blue Crystal, when he eventually advanced to Moon Splendor, his Mountain Breaker Saber could also be upgraded to a magic weapon.

However, before that, the Soul Race woman needed to be properly settled. Taking her along would ultimately be inconvenient. Even though she had been as quiet as a puppet, Lu Ye was certain that if he encountered any danger, this Soul Race woman would definitely try to take advantage of the situation. It had nothing to do with character; for her to escape, that was the only way. Originally, Lu Ye hadn't wanted to expose some of his special methods in front of her, but at this point, he couldn't afford to worry about that.

Summoning his starship, he left the Myriad Manifestations Sea and arrived at a barren planet. Lu Ye took out his Azure Conch and blew into it. When the clear, misty portal appeared, the Soul Race woman's usually placid expression finally showed a hint of ripple. She gazed curiously at the portal, her deep eyes seemingly trying to peer through it to see the world beyond.

"Go in!" Lu Ye pushed her.

The Soul Race woman stepped into the portal, and Lu Ye followed closely behind. As usual, they appeared before the Celestial Conch Palace, where two male merfolk were still guarding. Lu Ye glanced at them, knowing it was useless to talk to them, and directly activated his spiritual power. A moment later, Elder Yan Miao, sensing the commotion, instantly appeared. Usually, Bai Lu would be the first to arrive, but Bai Lu was currently cultivating with You Ling and was unable to spare a clone.

"Great Elder!" Lu Ye bowed.