Chapter 1528: Source

The stellar energy on Wushuang Island was abundant. Lu Ye silently calculated and realized that if things continued this way, Wushuang Island would likely become a high-grade spirit island in just a few months.

How little time had passed for it to transform from an uninhabited, desolate island into a high-grade spirit island?

The Minor Star Palace's effectiveness far exceeded his expectations. Moreover, this was because he was still controlling its power, preventing it from operating at full capacity.

The power it was currently exerting was likely less than ten percent of its full potential.

If he were to unleash its full power, Wushuang Island would have become a high-grade spirit island much sooner.

While the front half of Wushuang Island was lively, the back half remained quiet. That area served as the living and cultivation quarters for the island's native cultivators.

The largest dwelling there was Tang Jun's residence.

Lu Ye floated over. Before he even entered, he heard Tang Jun's hearty laughter from within. The old man seemed to be entertaining guests, as Lu Ye sensed the presence of more than just Tang Jun in the hall—there were also two other unfamiliar Moon Aspiration realm auras.

Not wanting to disturb them, Lu Ye decided to leave for the time being.

He made his way to the front half of Wushuang Island and strolled along its streets. Soon, he detected a familiar aura coming from inside one of the shops.

He leisurely entered, observing several cultivators lingering inside, examining the merchandise.

Shop assistants were attending to customers while the shopkeeper sat behind the counter. Upon seeing Lu Ye, he quickly stood up and eagerly greeted him, "Brother Li, what brings you here? Please, come in, come in!" As he spoke, he tried to usher Lu Ye into an inner room for a private chat.

The shopkeeper was An Zhe, who had clearly secured a shop here.

Lu Ye said, "I'm just browsing, Brother An, no need to be so polite."

An Zhe didn't press the matter, instead personally accompanying him. "These are all specialties from our realm," he said. "If Brother Li sees anything he likes, please feel free to take it!"

Without Lu Ye's connection, it would have been impossible for him to secure a shop on the bustling Wushuang Island. But precisely because Lu Ye had spoken on his behalf, he was able to acquire this shop for his realm under very favorable terms. This single act was a great service to his home realm. Consequently, he had been highly influential in his realm lately, living a very carefree and comfortable life.

Lu Ye casually browsed, primarily out of curiosity, as many of the items were new to him. An Zhe personally accompanied him, chatting idly.

Before long, Lu Ye left the shop. An Zhe said, "Brother Li, let's skip the pleasantries. If you ever need Dragon Breath Crystals in the future, I'll give you the lowest price."

Lu Ye nodded, "Thank you very much. Brother An, please carry on with your work for now. I'll trouble you again another day when I'm free."

After bidding farewell to An Zhe, Lu Ye continued to stroll around.

Thanks to Chu Shen's meticulous planning, Wushuang Island was now bustling yet well-organized, with no one causing trouble. After all, the interests of many forces, including numerous top-tier powers, were tied to the island. Therefore, even if Wushuang Island's own strength wasn't particularly formidable, no one dared to cause any disturbance, as cultivators who reached the Star Aspiration realm were all shrewd and adaptable individuals.

Lu Ye wanted to see if the alchemist woman had opened a shop here, but after searching around and not finding her, he gave up.

He had only mentioned it casually that day; if she wasn't willing to come, there was nothing he could do.

A sound note arrived. Lu Ye checked it and found it was a message from Tang Jun, containing only one word: "Come!"

He had clearly sensed Lu Ye's earlier presence but was entertaining guests at the time and didn't want to neglect them.

Lu Ye flew directly towards Tang Jun's sleeping quarters. Before long, he saw the old man in the reception hall. Beautiful maidservants came to offer tea, and Lu Ye watched with wonder and admiration.

The old man now looked quite high-spirited, and…

"Why do you look so much younger?" Lu Ye frowned, half-suspecting he was seeing things.

Tang Jun smiled triumphantly. "A few days ago, I spent a hefty sum to buy an Everlasting Fruit," he explained. "It extended my lifespan significantly, and it seems to have quite an effect!"

Lu Ye knew the old man didn't have much lifespan left, but he hadn't expected him to actually acquire a spirit fruit that could increase lifespan. His luck was truly extraordinary.

"Didn't you used to say you weren't afraid of death, old man?" Lu Ye teased. Indeed, Tang Jun used to give him the impression that he wasn't afraid of death, as he knew his remaining time was short.

Tang Jun laughed, "I wasn't afraid of death before because I had nothing to look forward to! Now that I do, of course I want to live longer."

The old man had been enjoying a period of immense success and good fortune lately.

He recalled how, upon first arriving in the Myriad Manifestation Sea, despite being a Moon Aspiration realm cultivator, no force was willing to accept him, leaving him feeling like a pitiful, homeless stray.

But times had changed. As Wushuang Island's only Moon Aspiration realm cultivator, and a mid-stage one at that, Chu Shen, the island master, undoubtedly valued him greatly. Not only did he receive a very generous salary, but he also had a certain degree of say and advisory power in Wushuang Island's operations.

It was precisely because of this that many Moon Aspiration realm cultivators personally came to visit him and forge connections.

If not for such connections, how could he have easily acquired a treasure like the Everlasting Fruit, capable of increasing lifespan?

Along with the rise of Wushuang Island, Tang Jun's own ambitions also soared!

He felt he could still strive further. Even if he couldn't reach the Sun-Embracing realm, he should at least advance to late-stage Moon Aspiration, right?

"By the way, you vanished for more than half a year again," Tang Jun said, looking at Lu Ye with a hint of displeasure. "What have you been up to?"

Lu Ye had previously vanished for half a year, going to that secret realm with Ban Ci. Now he had disappeared for another half a year, truly elusive like a divine dragon.

Lu Ye's expression turned serious. "Old Tang, I know how to return to Jade Snail!"

Tang Jun curled his lips. "Where did you get that information now? Don't get tricked again," he said. Having had such experiences before, Tang Jun no longer held much hope for the reliability of information Lu Ye sought out.

Recently, he had also been quietly gathering information, but unfortunately, he had found nothing.

Since he couldn't unearth any useful information himself, he didn't believe Lu Ye would have made any progress.

"I can't elaborate on the source of the information," Lu Ye replied, "but this time, there's absolutely no doubt!"

Tang Jun's expression slowly turned serious as he turned to look at Lu Ye. He knew a little about Lu Ye's character, and for Lu Ye to use the word "absolutely" indicated that this information was highly reliable.

"How long will it take approximately?" Tang Jun asked in a deep voice.

Knowing he was asking about the journey's duration, Lu Ye replied, "Within three to five years!"

"What are your plans?"

Lu Ye said, "Naturally, I plan to unite your Azure Dawn Dao Realm and the Jade Snail Realm, then bring people back to the Myriad Manifestation Sea. Jade Snail is too remote; staying in such a place and remaining stagnant isn't beneficial. Only by bringing them to the Myriad Manifestation Sea, allowing them to witness its myriad wonders, can our two realms achieve good development in the future."

Tang Jun nodded slightly. "There's no problem with the Azure Dawn Dao Realm. When the time comes, just tell Wu Zhuo, and he'll cooperate with you. As for Jade Snail..."

Last time, Tang Jun had given Lu Ye a jade slip to deliver to Wu Zhuo. Unfortunately, Lu Ye was tricked by Zhu Yuan then, who took him to meet Ma Bin, a former expert from the Nine Provinces, instead of allowing him to return to the Nine Provinces.

"You'll have to figure out how to deal with Jade Snail, kid," Tang Jun said, slowly shaking his head. "The people there aren't easy to handle." He hadn't had much contact with people from the Jade Snail Realm, but he could sense their arrogance. For Lu Ye, a Star Aspiration realm cultivator, to go to Jade Snail would likely not be a smooth endeavor.

Lu Ye chuckled, "I'll help them get rich. If they're still unwilling after that, then there's nothing more to say; let them fend for themselves."

"When are you leaving?"

"In a few days; I still have some things to arrange."

"Tell me when you leave, and I'll see you off!"

Lu Ye nodded. "Indeed, I'll need your presence then!" Originally, Lu Ye had worried that the old man's intervention might not be effective, but seeing the current situation, the old man was quite a figure in the Myriad Manifestation Sea now. Having him intervene would be far more effective than Lu Ye acting alone.

Returning to his cave, Lu Ye instructed Li Shang to remain there, and he himself departed from Wushuang Island.

After leaving the Myriad Manifestation Sea, he arrived at the same barren star's hidden spot as before. He blew the Azure Conch to open the portal, transformed into Fa Wuzun's appearance, and stepped inside.

He had barely stabilized himself when a figure lunged at him, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks!

Lu Ye raised his hands to parry and block, subduing the attacking figure in just a few moves.

Looking at the Spirit, who had her backside sticking out and was facing away from him, Lu Ye irritably asked, "What are you doing? Rebelling?"

The Spirit tilted her head and angrily demanded, "Let go!" Both her hands ached from Lu Ye's grip, and being in such an embarrassing posture was truly uncomfortable.

Lu Ye gave a forceful push, and the Spirit stumbled forward a few steps before regaining her balance. Angrily, she said, "Where have you been? You didn't come to pick me up for so long!"

"Didn't you want to come here yourself?"

Back then, the Spirit had constantly clamored to come here and cultivate with Bailu. Yet now she was blaming him, which was utterly unreasonable.

"But you can't just leave me here!" the Spirit fumed. She glared fiercely at Lu Ye and then walked towards the portal.

She was clearly about to leave.

Having entered and exited here several times, she knew she didn't need to wait for Lu Ye; as long as the portal remained open, she could leave on her own.

Before her figure vanished, she fiercely told Lu Ye, "Once I advance to Moon Aspiration, you'll be the first one I deal with!"

Only then did Lu Ye understand why she was in such a hurry to leave; she was clearly preparing to advance to the Moon Aspiration realm.

At the barren star's hidden spot, the Spirit reappeared and quickly fled outwards, fearing Fa Wuzun would chase her and beat her. Secretly, she plotted that once she advanced to Moon Aspiration, she would definitely catch Fa Wuzun and string him up for a beating, to avenge all the humiliation she had repeatedly suffered.

In the mermaid territory, Lu Ye had no intention of leaving at all. When the portal disappeared, Bailu, who had heard the commotion, also rushed over.

Seeing Lu Ye, Bailu was clearly very happy.