Chapter 1566: Qingli Dao Realm

Qingli Palace, a vast complex of continuous buildings, was situated not far from Qingfeng City. In contrast to the tranquil palace, Qingfeng City seemed much livelier.

The great cultivators from the Upper Realm never stayed for long, usually departing within ten days. However, news had just arrived that they would be leaving Qingfeng Realm tomorrow, seemingly in a rush to return to the Upper Realm.

No one knew why, as this had never happened before.

Zhou Dingtian and the others didn't want to rush back so soon; after such a long journey, they certainly needed to rest. However, the information Lu Ye had previously revealed was extraordinary, especially concerning Tang Xiaoyue, who was already impatient to return to Qingli Dao Realm. How could they possibly want to stay?

Tang Xiaoyue and Sun Ye were still recovering from their injuries. Zhou Dingtian, filled with many doubts, took the initiative to visit Lu Ye, hoping to glean more information.

However, Lu Ye didn't elaborate much, as providing more details to Zhou Dingtian would be pointless. Once they reached Qingli Dao Realm and met Wu Zhuo, he simply needed to present the jade slip Tang Jun had given him, and everything would become clear.

Wu Zhuo still needed to be the one in charge of Qingli Dao Realm; Zhou Dingtian was, after all, merely a Star Constellation cultivator.

A female cultivator, dressed as a maid, arrived as instructed to offer spirit fruits and fine wine. Lu Ye initially paid little attention, but upon noticing Zhu Yue's figure, his eye suddenly twitched.

He finally recalled what he had forgotten earlier in the day.

He had left Zhu Yue by the abyss and forgotten to bring her back, feeling a twinge of apology. While a few thousand miles were nothing to him, it would take a True Lake cultivator some effort to fly all the way back.

And if he wasn't mistaken, when he had taken Zhu Yue away, she had apparently been on her way to participate in the Grand Competition...

As Zhu Yue presented the spirit fruits and was about to withdraw, Lu Ye suddenly spoke, "What was the outcome of the Grand Competition?"

Zhu Yue paused, realizing Lu Ye was speaking to her. Her expression tightened, and she quickly bowed her head, replying, "To the esteemed cultivator, I missed the deadline and was counted as a forfeit."

Previously, she hadn't known the terrifying extent of Lu Ye's cultivation, so she hadn't been very nervous around him. However, after witnessing his display of power, she no longer dared to overstep any boundaries. Moreover, being assigned here to serve an esteemed cultivator was an honor for her sect; if she made a mistake and angered him, it could bring repercussions upon her entire sect.

"What a pity!" Lu Ye murmured.

Zhu Yue respectfully withdrew.

Zhou Dingtian, however, asked with keen interest, "Do you know this young woman, Fellow Daoist?"

Lu Ye casually explained how he had "recruited" her earlier. Zhou Dingtian then understood that Zhu Yue had missed the Grand Competition's deadline because of Lu Ye.

Unable to extract much concrete information from Lu Ye, Zhou Dingtian could only take his leave. Regardless of Lu Ye's intentions, since they were both heading to Qingli Dao Realm, he would find out once they met the Palace Lord.

The following day, outside Qingli Palace, the sect masters and patriarchs from Qingfeng Realm's major sects gathered, their gazes reverently fixed on the spirit boat hovering before the palace.

Beneath the spirit boat, thirty individuals waited with eager expressions. These thirty were the cultivation prodigies who had triumphed in the Grand Competition and were soon to enter Qingli Dao Realm for further training.

The thirty stood in three rows. The ten True Lake cultivators were relatively composed, their higher cultivation levels lending them more stable temperaments. In contrast, the Spirit Stream and Cloud River realm cultivators were more energetic, standing proudly, with some bolder ones even craning their necks to marvel at the spirit boat's intricacies. Each time this happened, their elders would secretly send them stern warnings to behave.

After a long wait, the grand gates of Qingli Palace swung open, and a small group of people emerged. The many sect masters and patriarchs immediately grew solemn, bowing respectfully and collectively shouting, "Welcome, esteemed cultivators!"

Zhou Dingtian and Lu Ye walked side by side at the front, with Tang Xiaoyue and Sun Ye following close behind. Beside Tang Xiaoyue was Li Shang, holding Yaya.

"Please, Brother Lu!" Zhou Dingtian gestured, reaching the star-boat.

Lu Ye didn't decline, stepping forward and ascending. Zhou Dingtian and the others followed closely. Sun Ye, who hadn't boarded yet, looked at the thirty individuals and, under their eager gazes, announced, "Everyone's here, board the boat!"

The True Lake cultivators activated their spiritual power, enveloping the nearby Spirit Stream cultivators and bringing them aboard the star-boat. The Cloud River cultivators ascended independently; the star-boat wasn't high, making it easy to fly up. In a flash, all thirty individuals had boarded.

The group of sect masters and patriarchs below all wore expressions of contentment. Naturally, those cultivators who hadn't made it into the top ten of the Grand Competition were filled with envy.

Zhou Dingtian walked to the front of the deck, scanned the crowd below, and suddenly asked, "Where is Zhu Yue of the Zhengyang Sect?"

From the Zhengyang Sect's side, Sect Master Zhu Shang was startled by the question and quickly looked at Zhu Yue beside him. He couldn't understand if she had made a mistake, wondering why an esteemed cultivator from the Upper Realm would suddenly call her name.

Zhu Yue was equally bewildered, but she responded and stepped forward, bowing gracefully. "Zhu Yue is here!" she affirmed.

Zhou Dingtian looked at her and smiled, "Zhu Yue of the Zhengyang Sect, you recently assisted in slaying beasts and protecting the peace of a region, yet you missed the Grand Competition. Considering your cultivation and aptitude are still commendable, I specially grant you permission to accompany me to Qingli Dao Realm for training. Do you wish to go?"

Zhu Yue was dumbfounded.

While it was true she had missed the Grand Competition, she had never done anything like assisting in slaying beasts or protecting the peace of a region. At most, she had only provided Lu Ye with a small piece of information when he had taken her. She had assumed that missing this competition meant waiting another decade, so she was completely caught off guard by this unexpected turn of events.

She suddenly recalled that the esteemed cultivator named Lu had casually inquired about the Grand Competition's outcome last night. At the time, he hadn't said much, and she hadn't thought anything of it. Now, she immediately understood that the esteemed cultivator from the Upper Realm making an exception to bring her along was a direct result of that casual question from the cultivator named Lu!

"What are you waiting for?" came Zhu Shang's anxious voice from beside her. Seeing her standing there dumbfounded, Sect Master Zhu Shang quickly prompted her.

Zhu Yue snapped back to reality and quickly declared, "This disciple is willing to go!" This was her lifelong pursuit; how could she possibly miss such an opportunity?

Zhou Dingtian smiled faintly, raised a hand, and said, "In that case, please board the boat!"

Zhu Yue glanced back at Zhu Shang, and urged on by his gaze, she leaped onto the vessel.

Next, Zhou Dingtian exchanged a few encouraging words with the sect masters and patriarchs of the realm, primarily urging them to carefully cultivate their own disciples and send more exceptional talents to Qingli Dao Realm. The group of sect leaders readily agreed, and he also bestowed many cultivation resources, for which everyone was grateful.

A moment later, the star-boat vibrated and slowly ascended into the sky.

On the deck, the thirty-one cultivators from Qingfeng Realm, including Zhu Yue, all knelt and prostrated themselves deeply towards the ground below.

Although cultivating in the Upper Realm was the only path for Qingfeng Realm cultivators and the ambition of nearly all, this departure could very well mean eternal separation.

To return to Qingfeng Realm, one would need to cultivate to at least the Star Constellation realm. Over the years, Qingfeng Realm had sent many talents to Qingli Dao Realm, but how many had truly managed to cultivate to the Star Constellation realm and return home in glory?

The path of cultivation was fraught with hardships and trials; failing to overcome any single obstacle could lead to death and the annihilation of one's dao.

The star-boat ascended and departed. It was a long while before the gathered sect masters and patriarchs slowly dispersed. The next time Qingfeng Realm would experience such a bustling event would be ten years later.

The thirty-one cultivators from Qingfeng Realm were assigned to various cabins. The journey to Qingli Dao Realm was expected to take about two months.

This estimated travel time was for Zhou Dingtian and his group piloting their star-boat. If Lu Ye were to pilot his own star-boat, it would likely take only one month, as his vessel significantly outperformed theirs in various aspects.

However, he had no intention of rushing. He spent his days cultivating and meditating in his cabin. After all, it was only an extra month of travel, and now that he was back in the Jade Snail Star System, there was no need to be anxious.

Yaya, however, couldn't sit still, running around the boat all day. Li Shang followed her like a doting caretaker, appearing utterly exhausted.

Tang Xiaoyue repeatedly tried to visit Lu Ye to glean more information about Tang Jun, but finding no opportunity, she reluctantly gave up.

The journey remained peaceful.

After approximately two months, they arrived at Qingli Dao Realm.

On the deck, Lu Ye and Zhou Dingtian, having received the news, stood side by side, gazing at the realm ahead.

A large realm like Qingli Dao Realm, which had flourished for thousands of years, was undoubtedly far more magnificent in appearance than Qingfeng Realm. This grandeur was evident even from outer space, without needing to enter the realm itself.

The number of Moon Auras in Qingli Dao Realm was scarce, with only Wu Zhuo currently presiding over the realm. However, Star Constellation cultivators were quite numerous. Over a month ago, active Star Constellation cultivators could occasionally be spotted in space. Sometimes, these cultivators, who were searching for spirit jade, would even approach the star-boat to greet Zhou Dingtian and his companions, chat briefly, and then continue on their way.

This became more frequent as they neared Qingli Dao Realm.

As they drew closer to the realm, traces of cultivators moving in and out of the clouds were visible.

Once inside the realm, the star-boat descended directly towards a spirit island in a vast, magnificent ocean. According to Zhou Dingtian, this island was the location of the Divine Martial Palace. Since Lu Ye was going to meet Wu Zhuo, he naturally had to visit the Divine Martial Palace first.

The star-boat descended onto a massive plaza on the spirit island. As Lu Ye surveyed his surroundings, he suddenly felt a powerful divine sense extending from a certain direction on the island.

Lu Ye quickly looked in that direction, where a spiritual peak stood like a sword, topped by a tall tower. The divine sense originated from within that tower.

Wu Zhuo!

Lu Ye immediately identified the owner of the divine sense. There was only one Moon Aura cultivator in the entire Qingli Dao Realm, and this matched Tang Jun's information: Wu Zhuo was a mid-stage Moon Aura cultivator.

The divine sense was clearly probing Lu Ye; after all, the master of any realm would naturally be concerned when a stranger arrived.

Lu Ye cupped his hands towards that direction and declared in a clear voice, "Lu Yiye of Nine Heavens, I have specially come to your esteemed realm to pay my respects, Fellow Daoist!"

The divine sense had initially only been a brief probe, but upon hearing Lu Ye's words, it suddenly grew much heavier. A deep voice then emanated from within the tall tower: "If you wish to call me friend and discuss the Dao, you must first prove your qualifications!"

As the words ended, a sudden surge of power emanated from the tall tower, and then a massive handprint materialized out of thin air, pressing directly towards the star-boat!