Chapter 1607: Reception Dinner

On the warship, Lu Ye looked calm. He returned a bow to the four Sun Radiance cultivators and said, "It was a fortunate coincidence, not my doing. You are too kind, fellow Daoists!" Jiang Shang smiled slightly, "Young friend, there's no need to be modest. We've thoroughly understood the specifics of the battle. Without you this time, the Four Directions Star System would surely have been devastated." In such an imbalanced battlefield, the Dancer suddenly appeared, disrupting the situation and giving the cultivators of the Four Directions Star System a chance to breathe. Initially, Luo Xie, Ning Bu'ao, and others thought the Dancer's appearance was accidental, but when they saw Lu Ye playing the bone ocarina, how could they not realize she had been drawn there by him?

If that had been all, the impact on the battle would not have been significant. After all, all living beings on the battlefield were affected by the Dancer's power, and once she left and her strange power vanished, the battle's course would have resumed as before.

However, Lu Ye possessed the ability to dispel the Dancer's power from others. He first freed Li Guan, then Ning Bu'ao and Luo Xie. This was the true key to turning the tide of the battle.

The Dancer's power was something even the Sun Radiance experts of the three races couldn't withstand, yet Lu Ye managed to resolve it. Even those who experienced it firsthand, like Li Guan, couldn't describe what kind of power it was. Undeniably, for someone at the Constellation Realm to display such mysterious and unfathomable abilities was truly beyond imagination.

A life-saving grace, a world-saving grace—such a profound gesture from the Sun Radiance cultivators was certainly warranted.

"Young friend," Jiang Shang gestured, "a banquet has been prepared in the Sacred Palace. Consider it a welcoming feast for you and your friends. Please do us the honor of attending!"

It wasn't a celebration feast; although the battle was won, there were too many casualties, even a Sun Radiance cultivator had died, leaving nothing to truly celebrate. However, a victory had ultimately been achieved, and some gesture was necessary. A welcoming feast for Lu Ye and his companions was the best option.

Given such hospitality from the Sun Radiance cultivators, Lu Ye naturally couldn't refuse. He immediately stepped forward and entered with Jiang Shang and the others.

Moments later, inside the grand hall of the Unfettered Sacred Palace, all the Sun Radiance cultivators had gathered. Besides those from the Four Directions Star System, there was Lu Ye, a Constellation Realm cultivator, and Luan Xiao'e, a Lunar Glow Realm cultivator. Apart from the serving maids, no one else was present.

Outside the hall, however, it was bustling. Tables covered the entire plaza, where the victorious cultivators from the Four Directions Star System and the Three Realms cultivators were arranged together.

This arrangement was naturally because the hall itself wasn't spacious enough. With over four hundred cultivators from the Three Realms and fifteen hundred from the Four Directions Star System, totaling nearly two thousand people, the Sacred Palace's grand hall, though vast, couldn't accommodate everyone drinking and celebrating together. Therefore, they could only be arranged outside. This also allowed them to get acquainted with each other, as many of them were heading to the Myriad Manifestation Sea. Familiarizing themselves in advance would enable them to assist each other once they arrived.

Luan Xiao'e was very nervous. Before participating in that great battle, she had never seen a Sun Radiance cultivator. Even during the battle, though she felt their immense power from afar, it didn't require close proximity.

Now it was different. Only eight people were seated in the entire hall; apart from Lu Ye, the other six were all Sun Radiance cultivators.

She discreetly glanced at Lu Ye out of the corner of her eye... only to see the young man calmly chatting with the Sun Radiance cultivators of the Four Directions Star System, showing no signs of timidity despite the vast disparity in their strengths.

Luan Xiao'e was deeply impressed. To possess such composure at the Constellation Realm was truly remarkable. Had she not known Lu Ye hailed from Nine Heavens, a newly ascended large realm, she might have thought he came from a top-tier realm, one where he was accustomed to the awe-inspiring presence of Sun Radiance cultivators. Otherwise, how could he show no nervousness at all? If she had been at the Constellation Realm and faced so many Sun Radiance cultivators, she would surely have been unable to speak coherently.

If possible, Luan Xiao'e would have preferred to be outside the hall, enjoying herself with the Three Realms cultivators, which would have been much more relaxed. However, as the person in charge of the Three Realms fleet and the only accompanying Lunar Glow cultivator, how could she remain apart at such a moment? Luan Xiao'e speculated that these Sun Radiance cultivators regarded her as Lu Ye's elder, which was why she had been invited to join them.

As she sat upright, lost in thought, Qin Yi seemed to notice her nervousness. She smiled and looked over, saying, "I see that Junior Sister Luan also has a late-stage Lunar Glow cultivation. Do you have any questions about advancing to the Sun Radiance Realm? If so, you can talk to me later. My experience might not directly apply to you, but learning from others is always beneficial." Luan Xiao'e's spirits lifted, and she was almost moved to tears!

For countless years, the Lunar Glow cultivators of Jade Snail had been troubled by the question of how to advance to the Sun Radiance Realm. Generations of cultivators had explored little by little but never grasped the key. Moreover, a place like Jade Snail lacked experience passed down from ancestors or guidance from anyone. Her accompanying journey to the Myriad Manifestation Sea was precisely to see if she could find an opportunity to seek advice from a Sun Radiance cultivator. Who would have thought that her wish would be granted even before reaching the Myriad Manifestation Sea, and that too, initiated by the other party!

Momentarily flustered, Luan Xiao'e quickly steadied herself and looked at Qin Yi gratefully. "Indeed, there are many things I don't understand. Given your generosity, Senior Sister, I will not be shy. I will certainly seek your guidance later."

"Of course!" Qin Yi smiled and nodded, then briefly discussed other matters with Luan Xiao'e, who gradually began to relax.

Meanwhile, Jiang Shang inquired about the bone ocarina. They were simply too curious about it, unable to understand why it could attract even the Dancer.

"I haven't quite figured out what that bone ocarina truly is," Lu Ye explained, as there was nothing sensitive about the matter. "It was a treasure I obtained from the Great Wheel of Fortune when I passed through the Long Cloud Star System years ago!"

"The Great Wheel of Fortune!" Several Sun Radiance cultivators perked up, clearly having heard of this stellar treasure.

"The Long Cloud Star System is truly fortunate; the Great Wheel of Fortune actually appeared there," Luo Xie said with an envious expression, regretting that the treasure hadn't descended upon his own star system.

Luan Xiao'e was puzzled and looked curiously at Lu Ye. After Lu Ye's brief explanation, Luan Xiao'e finally understood what the Great Wheel of Fortune was. She was surprised by its novelty, realizing such a peculiar stellar treasure existed in the world.

"When I acquired the bone ocarina, I inadvertently discovered that it had a tremendous appeal to star beasts. Once played, any star beast in the nearby starry sky would inevitably be drawn to it! So, after using it twice, I stopped. This time, I was forced by circumstance and only tried it as a last resort, but I never expected it would actually attract the Dancer." Lu Ye had primarily seen the Dancer escape into that desolate starfield; without that information as a basis, he wouldn't have thought to use the bone ocarina. In that battle, only the Dancer's mysterious power could turn the tide; even attracting that terrifying Green Bird would have been futile.

"After the Dancer was attracted, she relentlessly pursued me, seeming very interested in the bone ocarina. Left with no choice, I had to give it to her. Only then, with the ocarina in hand, did she leave. I suspect that item might have some effect on her injuries." Luo Xie sighed wistfully, "It's a pity such a wondrous treasure was lost like that!" Lu Ye replied, "If it can save lives, then there's nothing to regret." What good is a treasure, no matter how great, if you lose your life? Lu Ye felt it was a worthwhile exchange to trade a bone ocarina for the lives of hundreds of cultivators from the Three Realms, and it also incidentally saved so many people from the Four Directions Star System.

"Young friend, you are truly broad-minded; you're absolutely right!" Luo Xie laughed heartily, raising his cup. "This old man was shortsighted." Lu Ye picked up his cup and drank with him.

Ning Bu'ao, however, was more interested in the Great Wheel of Fortune. "Young friend, I previously heard Senior Brother Jiang Shang mention that to reach the Myriad Manifestation Sea, one must pass through the Long Cloud Star System. Is that Long Cloud Star System perhaps where the Great Wheel of Fortune descended?"

"Precisely!"

"I wonder if the Great Wheel of Fortune is still there," Ning Bu'ao mused, stroking his chin. If it were, then on their journey to the Myriad Manifestation Sea, when they passed through Long Cloud, everyone could pay a visit and test their luck. There were many stellar treasures in the world, but few were as peculiar as the Great Wheel of Fortune. If one was lucky enough, a visit to the Great Wheel of Fortune could yield many benefits, even leading to instant wealth.

"It's been several years, so it's probably no longer there," Lu Ye replied. Although he wasn't sure how long the Great Wheel of Fortune would remain once it appeared, it was unlikely to stay for years. Such stellar treasures typically arrived and departed without a trace.

"That's a shame," Ning Bu'ao shook his head. He didn't have any personal designs on it. While the Great Wheel of Fortune was entirely a matter of luck, people had observed a pattern: the stronger a person was, the lower their chance of gaining benefits and the higher the likelihood of encountering misfortune, especially for Sun Radiance cultivators, who almost invariably met with bad luck if they entered. Lunar Glow cultivators fared slightly better. Those who typically benefited were from the Constellation Realm. As they were speaking, a small figure suddenly darted into the hall. Lu Ye turned his head and saw Ya Ya running playfully towards him. Yi Yi, who had chased after her for a while but couldn't catch her, stood outside the hall with a helpless expression.

"Daddy!" Ya Ya ran over and sat in Lu Ye's lap. Lu Ye gave Yi Yi a look, and Yi Yi then withdrew.

Inside the hall, several Sun Radiance cultivators curiously observed Ya Ya. They had all learned from Jiang Shang that this small figure, who looked like a child, was in fact a Sun Radiance expert. For some unknown reason, her cultivation usually remained hidden, and she even called Lu Ye 'Daddy'. Such a peculiar phenomenon was rarely seen, and it wasn't appropriate to inquire further. Luan Xiao'e's expression was also odd because, before Ya Ya revealed her Sun Radiance power, she truly believed Ya Ya was just a child. Yet, during the battle, Ya Ya had suddenly unleashed her full Sun Radiance cultivation, clearly evident, even repelling a Blood Clan Sun Radiance cultivator—a sight Luan Xiao'e had witnessed firsthand.