Chapter 1521: Everything is Ready

After a brief chat with Bailu, Lu Ye explained his purpose, and Bailu quickly led him to meet the Grand Elder, Yan Miao.

Lu Ye had come to the mermaid territory for only one reason: to borrow money!

He had very little spirit jade left. As he was preparing to return to Kyushu, he naturally needed to buy some things. Among other necessities, he definitely needed to purchase a batch of starships. Otherwise, with so many Constellations in Kyushu relying solely on their own flight, the journey would not only take longer but also be unsafe.

Moreover, the starships he intended to buy were not small ones; they were large starships capable of accommodating many people, and such items were generally quite expensive.

Hearing this, Yan Miao smiled and asked, "How much do you need, fellow Daoist?"

Lu Ye replied, "How much can your noble clan provide?"

Yan Miao pondered for a moment and asked, "Is fifty million enough?"

Although the mermaid clan occupied a massive spirit jade mine as their habitat, they couldn't simply mine it freely. Since it was their dwelling place, spirit jade mining was always planned. They mined it under the premise of ensuring the mine's scale would not be reduced, so the amount of spirit jade that could be extracted annually was limited.

Furthermore, the mermaid clan themselves needed spirit jade for their cultivation, so they always had to keep a portion as reserves. Thus, fifty million was all they could provide.

"Enough!" Lu Ye quickly nodded. He just needed to buy some starships, which shouldn't cost too much.

"Then please wait a moment, fellow Daoist," Yan Miao said. "I'll have my clansmen pack it and send it over."

Yan Miao departed. Lu Ye didn't have to wait long; in about an hour, a mermaid brought over the fifty million spirit jade.

Lu Ye had intended to write an IOU, but Bailu stopped him. She told him that sending more spirit pills or resources the mermaids needed in the future would suffice.

Lu Ye said, "I'm afraid I won't be able to come back within the next ten years."

Bailu's expression changed slightly. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'm returning to my homeland," Lu Ye explained. "The journey is long, and it will take some time for the round trip."

Bailu then understood. Though she felt a little reluctant, she couldn't stop him. She could only ask Lu Ye that if he returned in the future, he should first come to inform them of his safe arrival.

Lu Ye readily agreed.

As usual, he borrowed a seahorse star beast from the mermaid clan. Riding it, he headed towards the Constellation Hall. After less than half a day, he arrived at the Constellation Hall, pushed open the great door, and entered.

The seahorse star beast had traveled back and forth with Lu Ye several times and was already familiar with the route. Seeing Lu Ye enter the Constellation Hall, it returned to the mermaid territory on its own.

Inside the Constellation Hall, Lu Ye had also placed some storage rings containing a large quantity of Soul Refining Grass and the corpses of star beasts from under the Myriad Manifestation Sea.

Lu Ye thought for a moment. He took a small portion for personal use and left the rest there. Then, he returned to the area beneath Wushuang Island through the portal of the small Constellation Hall.

After swimming a certain distance, he quietly emerged from the sea and returned to Wushuang Island.

As soon as he entered the spirit island, Chu Shen came to greet him. "Senior Brother, you're back?"

He had heard that Lu Ye was back before, but hadn't been able to find his whereabouts, and now realized Lu Ye had gone out again at some point.

"Yes, anything?" Lu Ye asked.

Chu Shen said mysteriously, "Senior Brother, come with me first."

As he spoke, he led Lu Ye to his personal chamber. Then, like presenting a treasure, he handed a storage ring to Lu Ye, happily saying, "Senior Brother, please take a look!"

Lu Ye was puzzled. He took the storage ring and immersed his consciousness to inspect it, finding nothing else inside, just about ten million spirit jade.

"This is..." Lu Ye said, looking at him.

Chu Shen explained, "This is the spirit jade from the sale of your formation plates, and also our share of Wushuang Island's profits!"

"So much!" Lu Ye exclaimed in surprise.

Lu Ye wasn't entirely sure how much spirit jade the formation plates had sold for, but it definitely wasn't this much. It could be said that a large portion of it was Wushuang Island's share of profits.

Chu Shen smiled broadly. "Brother, you might not know this, but Wushuang Island has made a name for itself now. It's quite a reputable establishment in the Myriad Manifestation Sea. Just from renting out shops, we get a large income every year. We also participate in the management of some shops and get a share of those profits. It's no exaggeration to say we're earning a fortune daily. This is just the beginning; it will only increase in the future."

Lu Ye looked at him with approval. "Well done!"

Receiving the praise, Chu Shen smiled even more brightly. "It's all thanks to Senior Brother's guidance," he said. "Without you, there would be no Wushuang Island today!"

Lu Ye shook his head. While he had indeed helped somewhat when Wushuang Island was first established, Wushuang Island's current development was inseparable from Chu Shen's initial planning and his various efforts during this period. Chu Shen's contribution to Wushuang Island's current prosperity was immense.

Nowadays, whenever Chu Shen was mentioned, everyone knew him as the Island Master of Wushuang Island and showed him great respect. No one referred to him as the son of a Sun-illuminating realm powerhouse, or the son of Jiuyan, anymore.

A Constellation, leading a group of other Constellations, being able to establish such a vast foundation in a complex environment like the Myriad Manifestation Sea, was nothing short of a legend.

"By the way, I'm leaving for a trip soon," Lu Ye said. "It will take about ten years for me to return."

Chu Shen was startled. "Senior Brother, where are you going?" he asked.

"Back to my homeland!"

Chu Shen understood. Since he was returning to his homeland, it made sense. However, he didn't know where Lu Ye's homeland was, and he was surprised that the round trip would take ten years.

"Senior Brother, do you want to bring a few people along? They could help on the way," Chu Shen offered. However, upon closer thought, it seemed inappropriate. Elder Fa's own strength was already at the peak of the Constellation realm. Who from Wushuang Island could truly help him? Only Tang Jun, but Tang Jun was Wushuang Island's only Moon-Disciple. If he left, who would oversee Wushuang Island?

"No need," Lu Ye shook his head. "I'll be more at ease going and returning quickly by myself."

"Then Senior Brother, please be careful on your journey," Chu Shen said earnestly. "I'll await your return!"

Lu Ye nodded. Then he thought of something else. "Do we have a shop on the island that sells starships?"

Chu Shen replied, "Yes, we do. Does Senior Brother want to buy starships?"

"I need to buy a batch," Lu Ye said. "How do the quality and price of the starships in that shop compare to those at the Myriad Manifestation Chamber of Commerce?"

Chu Shen smiled. "Many of the starships at the Myriad Manifestation Chamber of Commerce are supplied by them, so the quality is definitely guaranteed. And the prices are even a bit cheaper than at the Chamber of Commerce. Of course, if Senior Brother wants to buy, I'll make sure they give you the best possible price!"

Less than half a day later, under Chu Shen's arrangements, a late-stage Constellation cultivator brought a beautiful catalog and respectfully handed it to Lu Ye.

The catalog seemed to be crafted from a unique metal. It contained patterns of various starships. When Lu Ye infused spiritual power into it, the starship patterns seemingly came alive, transforming into ethereal projections that floated before Lu Ye, allowing him to inspect the details of each starship more closely and comprehensively.

Lu Ye continued to examine them, finding that these starships were indeed excellent. There were all kinds of types; not only was the variety complete, but the quality was also impressive.

Lu Ye quickly took a liking to a starship called "Silver Fish."

Su Yuqing had once given him a starship by the same name, and its appearance was similar to the one in the catalog, both resembling a silver fish.

However, the starship Su Yuqing gave him was only a small one, capable of carrying a maximum of nine people.

But the Silver Fish that Lu Ye was currently interested in was a large spirit boat, capable of easily carrying hundreds of people.

The price was quite steep. Even with Chu Shen's connections, which secured the most favorable price, it still cost a full eight hundred thousand spirit jade.

Lu Ye decided to buy thirty of them. Firstly, there were many Constellations in Kyushu, and a smaller number of starships would certainly not be enough. Secondly, he wanted to leave a portion in Kyushu, to make it convenient for any future Constellations from Kyushu who might wish to travel to the Myriad Manifestation Sea.

Although he had already chosen the Silver Fish starship, Lu Ye still flipped further through the catalog, wanting to see if there were any more suitable options.

As he looked, he didn't find any more starships that particularly caught his eye. Instead, Lu Ye became interested in a warship called "Tiger Shark"!

He thought about it. When a large number of starships traveled through space, if they were escorted by warships, it would be safer.

The Tiger Shark warship was shaped like a shark in the sea and had a fierce appearance. This type of warship wasn't large; it was considered small, and three to five people could operate it. After all, even with Lu Ye's current financial resources, he couldn't afford a large warship.

Warships were undoubtedly more expensive. Even though the Tiger Shark warship was only a small one, each was worth five hundred thousand spirit jade.

After a brief calculation, Lu Ye finally placed an order with the Constellation cultivator, ordering thirty Silver Fish starships and ten Tiger Shark warships.

The sixty million spirit jade he had just received immediately dwindled by more than half.

The Constellation cultivator clearly hadn't expected such a large business deal. After receiving the deposit, he beamed with joy and guaranteed that the goods would be prepared and delivered within ten days.

After the Constellation cultivator departed, Lu Ye sent a message to Tang Jun. Then he went to An Zhe's shop to buy some Dragon's Breath Crystals for spare use, and also bought many assorted gifts to take back as presents.

After all these expenses, Lu Ye was left with only ten million spirit jade.

This spirit jade could no longer be touched, as both starships and warships would require spirit jade for future voyages.

Returning to his cave, he waited patiently.

During this time, Lu Ye tried to send a message to Poke. After all, Poke was one of his few friends in the Myriad Manifestation Sea, and since he was leaving, he ought to say goodbye.

He found he couldn't reach Poke. Then he suddenly remembered that Poke had long since fled, seemingly hiding from his arranged marriage.

He wondered if Poke had already advanced to Moon-Disciple. Logically, he should have been able to enter the Constellation Hall for advancement a while ago.

Even before the ten days were up, the starships and warships Lu Ye had ordered were already ready.

Lu Ye personally inspected them, ensuring that all the starships and warships were in perfect condition, with no damage or signs of prior use. Only then did he pay the remaining spirit jade.

With everything prepared, he could now set off to return to Kyushu!

Inside the cave, Lu Ye stood up. He looked at Lishang beside him. Lishang understood his unspoken command and instantly lunged forward, activating her Soul Attachment secret art to attach herself to Lu Ye. Her identity was special, and it was ultimately inconvenient for her to be exposed. Even though Soul clan members had unique abilities to conceal themselves, she couldn't guarantee that she could completely evade a Moon-Disciple's detection.