Chapter 1581: Please Advise

A few days later, among the star-faring fleet, Lu Ye emerged. He summoned his starship, propelled it at full speed, and headed towards the Qingli Dao Realm.

He wanted to go ahead to see how preparations were coming along in Qingli Dao Realm. However, his main concern wasn't Qingli Dao Realm itself, but rather Yukui Realm.

With the jade slip Tang Jun had given him, he believed Wu Zhu would certainly trust him and be willing to cooperate fully. But he couldn't be sure of the situation with Yukui Realm. He hadn't had time to visit Yukui previously, so he could only ask Wu Zhu to make the trip. Lu Ye had no way of knowing the specifics, so he decided to check for himself.

If Yukui was willing to go to Myriad Manifestations Sea together, that would naturally be ideal. Cultivators from the same star system always shared a natural affinity, making cooperation easier. Moreover, establishing a foothold in Myriad Manifestations Sea truly required the assistance of a Moon-level cultivator from Yukui.

If Yukui was unwilling, Lu Ye wouldn't insist. However, such an opportunity was beneficial for any realm, so Lu Ye estimated that Yukui would likely be interested. Regardless, going ahead would give him a clearer idea of the situation. Although the fleet's speed was not slow, he could travel much faster alone.

Two months later, the Qingli Dao Realm came into view.

From a distance, Lu Ye saw someone waiting outside the realm boundary, boredly gazing in his direction. As he drew closer, he realized it was a familiar woman.

"Tang Xiaoyue, what are you doing here?" Lu Ye stopped his starship and asked, looking ahead.

Tang Xiaoyue bowed gracefully and said clearly, "Greetings, Senior Brother. I am here on Hall Master Wu's orders, waiting for you!"

"Does Hall Master Wu have any instructions?"

Tang Xiaoyue replied, "Hall Master Wu said that if Senior Brother arrived, I was to bring you to Shenwu Hall. Please, Senior Brother, follow me."

Lu Ye understood immediately; Tang Xiaoyue had been arranged to specifically wait for him. This arrangement was reasonable, as Lu Ye had a good relationship with Tang Jun, so Wu Zhu had Tang Xiaoyue come forward to facilitate communication. Lu Ye put away his starship and flew towards the realm with Tang Xiaoyue, asking as they flew, "Has Hall Master Wu returned?"

"He returned half a month ago!" Tang Xiaoyue replied.

"Do you know the situation with Yukui Realm?" Lu Ye asked again.

"I don't know the exact situation, but when Hall Master Wu returned half a month ago, about a hundred people from Yukui followed, led by a late-stage Moon-level cultivator."

Lu Ye heard this and knew the matter was settled. Yukui's people were definitely coming to Myriad Manifestations Sea, though a hundred individuals seemed a bit few.

It was understandable. Lu Ye knew better than to put all his eggs in one basket, so Kyushu had only sent a portion of their Star-levels. Yukui was surely thinking the same. They would first send a hundred people to scout ahead and see the situation in Myriad Manifestations Sea. If it was suitable, more could follow later. Moreover, the fact that their leader was a late-stage Moon-level indicated that Yukui took this matter quite seriously.

Tang Xiaoyue then whispered, "Senior Brother, Hall Master Wu asked me to tell you that the Moon-level cultivator from Yukui... is a bit arrogant. If anything she says makes you uncomfortable, please don't take it to heart. Hall Master Wu said that people from Yukui are generally like that."

Lu Ye nodded. "I understand." Tang Jun had given him a similar warning when he first departed from Myriad Manifestations Sea. It was not hard to understand. Yukui Realm, after all, was the dominant force in this star system, with the most formidable strength. A bit of an "elder brother" demeanor was to be expected.

As they spoke, they arrived outside the main hall of Shenwu Hall. Many Star-levels, seemingly from Yukui, were scattered around the entrance.

Tang Xiaoyue landed with Lu Ye outside the hall, cupped her fist, and announced, "Hall Master Wu, Senior Brother Lu Yiye has arrived!"

"Enter!" Hall Master Wu Zhu's deep voice resonated from within the hall.

Lu Ye nodded to Tang Xiaoyue beside him and stepped forward. However, he had barely taken a few steps when someone suddenly blocked his path. The person, clad in a tight black outfit, held a long saber horizontally, standing squarely in front of the hall. He looked up at Lu Ye, then raised his hand slightly, cupped his fist, and declared, "Shi Chuan of Yukui, I seek your guidance!"

Lu Ye frowned.

At the same time, inside the grand hall, Wu Zhu also frowned, looking at a woman beside him. "Daoist Luan, what is the meaning of this?"

This was, after all, Qingli Dao Realm, and Lu Ye was a guest of Qingli Dao Realm. He, the host, had already invited Lu Ye in, yet a person from Yukui had blocked his path. Moreover, judging by Shi Chuan's posture, he clearly intended to spar with Lu Ye. Wu Zhu naturally knew this couldn't be Shi Chuan's own idea; it must have been implicitly authorized by the woman opposite him! Therefore, Wu Zhu couldn't understand why. If Yukui wasn't interested in Myriad Manifestations Sea, they wouldn't have sent a late-stage Moon-level cultivator with a hundred Star-levels here. But since they were here, why cause trouble for no reason?

Opposite Wu Zhu sat a tall and slender woman. She wore a pristine white form-fitting dress, her beautiful hair tied into a high ponytail, further highlighting her efficiency and competence. This woman was Luan Xiao'e, the leader of the Yukui Realm's delegation this time. Luan Xiao'e's late-stage Moon-level cultivation ranked her among the top in all of Yukui, indicating the importance Yukui placed on this trip.

What a realm like Yukui currently lacked were Sun-level cultivators. But advancing from Moon-level to Sun-level was incredibly difficult. For many years, several late-stage Moon-levels in Yukui had been diligently cultivating but had made no breakthrough. To this end, they had traveled far and wide, searching for opportunities for advancement, but had found nothing. After all, the Yukui star system was located in a remote area, with no suitable places to travel nearby.

Myriad Manifestations Sea, a place that embraces all, was undoubtedly their best opportunity. Compared to traveling far and wide, going to Myriad Manifestations Sea to interact with more Moon-levels, and even having the chance to consult with Sun-level powerhouses, was something they had long dreamed of. So when Wu Zhu approached them, Yukui Realm hardly hesitated before deciding on the plan for Luan Xiao'e to lead the team to Myriad Manifestations Sea. Going to Myriad Manifestations Sea was not just to find a future path for their realm's Star-levels, but more importantly, to achieve Sun-level advancement. As long as a Sun-level could emerge in Yukui, the realm's standing would reach a new level.

However, Luan Xiao'e indeed had her own reasons for secretly instructing Shi Chuan to act that way. If things proceeded as planned, this expedition would naturally be led by Lu Ye, as no one was more familiar with the route, having traveled all the way back from Myriad Manifestations Sea. But with the arrogant nature of Yukui cultivators—they even looked down on people from Qingli Dao Realm—how could they allow a newly promoted realm to dictate terms and direct their actions?

A sparring match between cultivators was perfectly normal. If, through such a contest, Lu Yiye of Nine Heavens could recognize the strength of Yukui cultivators, he would naturally yield the leadership. Luan Xiao'e couldn't act personally. Shi Chuan was the ideal choice because he was also a late-stage Star-level, and like Lu Ye, he was a blade-wielding combat cultivator! Luan Xiao'e believed that a late-stage Star-level cultivator from Nine Heavens Realm could not possibly be Shi Chuan's match!

That was her internal reasoning, but to Wu Zhu, she gave a different explanation. Luan Xiao'e's cold voice resonated, "Daoist Wu, you mentioned earlier that this Lu Yiye grew up in Myriad Manifestations Sea, cultivates very fast, and seems to have good strength, even stronger than your hall's late-stage Star-levels?"

"Yes!" Wu Zhu replied gravely. He had learned about the events in Clear Wind Realm from his disciple, Zhou Dingtian. If Zhou Dingtian hadn't lied, Lu Yiye's strength was significantly greater than his own.

"Words alone are not proof; seeing is believing. We are all going to Myriad Manifestations Sea. Let's see how strong a cultivator who grew up there truly is. If he is capable, it means Myriad Manifestations Sea is worth looking forward to. If he is easily defeated, it means Myriad Manifestations Sea is nothing special, and we don't need to be too concerned."

Wu Zhu opened his mouth, wanting to warn her, but the words died on his tongue. He also wanted to see if Lu Ye's strength was truly as terrifying as Zhou Dingtian claimed. After all, no matter how strong a late-stage Star-level cultivator was, there was a limit. He had heard of Shi Chuan; he was said to be one of the strongest Star-levels of this generation in Yukui, which was precisely why he had joined the team bound for Myriad Manifestations Sea. Their conversation was very quick. After speaking, they looked towards the hall entrance. Although they couldn't see the outside directly, with their divine sense covering the area, everything outside was imprinted in their minds.

Outside the grand hall, Lu Ye looked at Shi Chuan, who had suddenly appeared. Although he wasn't entirely sure of his intentions, it was nothing more than a few possibilities. Given that the person was from Yukui, he generally had a guess in his mind. This was likely an attempt to test the strength of Kyushu cultivators before cooperation. Since that was the case, Lu Ye had no reason to back down. He secretly decided he must perform well, otherwise, when they cooperated later, others might not take Kyushu cultivators seriously.

"Nine Heavens, Lu Yiye!" Lu Ye responded.

Shi Chuan slowly drew the long saber from his waist. The saber was somewhat different from the Pan Mountain Saber; it was slightly curved. But the spiritual light on the blade indicated it was an exceptionally fine spirit treasure. Shi Chuan held the saber with one hand and said with a grave expression, "We're both combat cultivators, so shall we keep it simple?"

"No problem!" Lu Ye nodded, but made no move to draw his own blade.

Shi Chuan waited for a few breaths. Seeing that Lu Ye still made no other move, he couldn't help but frown, and his aura began to circulate and rise. The many Yukui cultivators nearby looked over, with an air of anticipation for a good show. Someone said, "Guess how many strikes this person can withstand from Senior Brother Shi?"

Someone else laughed, "Senior Brother Shi originally followed the path of body cultivation; his raw strength was unparalleled among his peers. Although he later switched to combat cultivation, his foundation in body cultivation remained. If this person dares to engage Senior Brother Shi in a saber duel, I don't think he'll last five strikes."

"Lasting five strikes from Senior Brother Shi would still be impressive. I bet he's sure to lose in three strikes! Although they are all late-stage Star-levels, not all of them are as strong as Senior Brother Shi. Even in our Yukui, there are few Star-levels who can withstand five head-on strikes from Senior Brother Shi."