Chapter 1621: Family traitors are hard to guard against

Outside the main hall, Aunt Yue waited briefly before preparing to depart. Her only duty was to bring Lu Ye to this location; her involvement ended there. As for why the Realm Master chose to personally punish the person inside the hall, Aunt Yue speculated it was related to Chu Shen. Given the significant disagreement between Chu Shen and the Realm Master over the Wushuang Island affair, the Realm Master had no other outlet for her accumulated frustration, making Li Taibai the unfortunate recipient.

A small figure suddenly bounced over from a distance—it was the little girl who had been standing among the flowers earlier. She approached Aunt Yue and clearly called out, "Master!" Aunt Yue nodded. "Come with me. It's been a while since I assessed your cultivation. Let's see if you've been slacking off lately." The little girl replied with a serious expression, "Absolutely not! I've diligently completed everything you asked of me." Aunt Yue smiled faintly, said no more, then activated her spiritual energy, enveloped the little girl, and ascended into the sky.

Meanwhile, in a private chamber, Chu Shen appeared restless and distracted, scratching his ears and head. Facing him sat an elegantly noble figure—the Realm Master of this world, Jiuyan, who was also the sole Sunlit cultivator in Cheling Realm. Jiuyan was also assessing Chu Shen's cultivation, and as they engaged in a series of questions and answers, time slowly passed. After a moment, Chu Shen could no longer bear it. "Mother," he said, "a friend has arrived, and I need to go meet him." He felt quite helpless. Just as he received Lu Ye's message and was preparing to meet him, his mother had also sent a message, summoning him. Now that he was here, she was demanding to assess his recent cultivation progress. Under normal circumstances, an assessment wouldn't be an issue; he was quite pleased with his recent progress and confident he wouldn't disappoint his mother. However, this particular timing was highly inconvenient.

Hearing this, Jiuyan replied, "Don't worry. I've already sent your Aunt Yue to pick up your friend. He's currently in the Hall of Rectified Hearts. Once I've finished assessing you, you can go and meet him." Upon learning that his mother had already made the arrangements, Chu Shen said nothing further and diligently answered Jiuyan's questions. As they continued their dialogue, Jiuyan's expression gradually softened into one of contentment. "My son has truly grown up," she murmured. Previously, despite Chu Shen's exceptional talent, his temperament was always restless. Especially after reaching the Star Constellation stage, he constantly sought ways to venture outside. However, after the recent incident, Chu Shen had clearly matured significantly. Lately, he no longer spoke of leaving, and he diligently cultivated even without her direct instructions. She, of course, understood the reason behind this change. In the past, Chu Shen hadn't grasped the importance of personal strength, believing he could live freely simply by having a Sunlit realm mother as his backing. Now, however, he deeply understood the significance of immense power and was naturally eager to grow stronger. From this perspective, while the previous incident was a setback for Chu Shen, it ultimately proved to be beneficial in the long run.

"Cultivation is akin to drawing a bowstring," Jiuyan earnestly advised. "While you cannot be lazy, you must also balance effort with rest. Furthermore, do not be overly fixated on certain matters, as this can give rise to inner demons, which are detrimental to your cultivation." Chu Shen replied seriously, "I've noted that, Mother. Please rest assured; I understand what I should and shouldn't do." Jiuyan nodded with satisfaction. "Very well, you may go." Chu Shen bowed and immediately departed. He had been delayed for almost an hour, and he feared his elder brother was growing impatient. He resolved to apologize upon meeting him and also explain the situation regarding Wushuang Island.

"Shen'er," Jiuyan's voice suddenly called from behind him. Chu Shen paused, turned back, and asked, "Do you have any further instructions, Mother?" Jiuyan hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "What do you think of this friend of yours? What kind of person is he?" Chu Shen did not answer immediately. After careful consideration, he replied, "Although I haven't known him for very long, nor have I had extensive contact, I believe Senior Brother Li is a person with great potential. As for his character... I wouldn't describe him as purely benevolent, but he possesses a strong sense of integrity!" He paused, then added, "Mother, though I may not have extensive experience or discernment, I can still distinguish between those who are worthy of friendship and those who should be kept at a respectful distance." He clearly misinterpreted Jiuyan's concern, assuming she feared he might associate with undesirable individuals.

Jiuyan nodded slightly. "A person with integrity... yes, he is certainly worthy of friendship. You may go now." Chu Shen quickly departed from Jiuyan's presence, hurrying along until he finally reached the Hall of Rectified Hearts. He looked around curiously, surprised to find the main doors closed. He was somewhat puzzled. If Aunt Yue had arranged for his elder brother to be here, why would the doors be shut? Without much thought, he took a few steps forward and pushed them open. At a glance, his expression froze. Lu Ye stood there, pale-faced, drenched in sweat, and hunched over!

As their eyes met, Chu Shen discerned a hint of bewilderment in Lu Ye's gaze. Lu Ye was indeed somewhat bewildered. While waiting for Chu Shen, the entire hall had been plunged into darkness, and more importantly, he had been burdened by an immense pressure, preventing him from moving even a single inch. The unseen individual had controlled their power with exquisite precision, applying just enough pressure to be overwhelming without causing any actual harm. He initially assumed it was Aunt Yue acting covertly, but upon careful reflection, he realized it couldn't be. Even if Aunt Yue were at the late Moonfall stage, her remote power couldn't possibly be so subtle and precise. If it wasn't Aunt Yue... Lu Ye hesitated to consider the implications, but then, why? Was someone warning him to keep his distance from Chu Shen in the future? Perhaps she felt he had implicated Chu Shen because of the Wushuang Island incident? If that were the case, a direct appearance and a single word would suffice; there was no need for such an elaborate ordeal. This was clearly just a minor form of discipline.

The moment Chu Shen opened the door, the boundless darkness that enveloped Lu Ye melted away instantly, like snow under a scorching sun, leaving no trace. Chu Shen evidently noticed nothing amiss. "Elder Brother!" Chu Shen exclaimed, greatly alarmed, and rushed forward to support Lu Ye. "What happened to you?" he asked, utterly bewildered. He couldn't comprehend how his elder brother, who had merely been waiting for him, could end up in such a state, as if he had just fought a powerful adversary. Lu Ye glanced at him, too weak to even speak. He felt utterly drained, as though hollowed out, and with Chu Shen's support, he settled onto a nearby seat. Chu Shen then fumbled to retrieve several high-grade spirit pills, which he administered to Lu Ye, before standing by anxiously.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Lu Ye gradually recovered. Though his body still felt somewhat depleted, his complexion regained its healthy color. Chu Shen asked again, "Elder Brother, what exactly happened?" Lu Ye glanced at him, seeing the genuine concern in his expression, and shook his head. "While waiting for you, I was bored and decided to try comprehending a secret art. I made a mistake in the process and suffered some backlash." He couldn't reveal the truth. If the individual in question truly had an issue with his association with Chu Shen, they might currently be monitoring the area. Chu Shen couldn't help but smile wryly, then asked with concern, "Are you feeling better now?" "It's nothing serious."

Only then did Chu Shen finally relax. He then suddenly clasped his hands at Lu Ye, bowing his body straight, and said in a heavy tone, "Elder Brother, I have failed you!" Lu Ye had assumed Chu Shen was apologizing for some other fault, but it turned out to be this. He raised a hand to help him up. "If your power isn't as great as others, there's no need to blame yourself. Even if I had been here, I wouldn't have been much help; what was fated to be lost would still have been lost." "But Wushuang Island was ultimately your domain, Elder Brother," Chu Shen said, his face etched with guilt. If Lu Ye hadn't initially agreed to let him and a few women settle on Wushuang Island, none of the subsequent events would have occurred. In Chu Shen's eyes, Wushuang Island would forever have only one true master: Li Taibai. He himself was merely the ostensible administrator.

Lu Ye shook his head. "Wushuang Island isn't solely mine; half of it belongs to you." Without Chu Shen's dedicated efforts over those years, Wushuang Island could never have achieved its later prosperity. Even if Lu Ye had been able to transform Wushuang Island into a spiritual island using the Small Star Constellation Hall, the most probable outcome would have been fierce contention from various factions. It was precisely because of Chu Shen's background that he could successfully forge cooperative relationships with major powers, enabling Wushuang Island to rise rapidly in a very short time.

"Tell me about it in detail," Lu Ye said, gesturing for Chu Shen to sit down and explain. "I've only recently returned to the Myriad Manifestations Sea and am not entirely clear on what happened to Wushuang Island. I only know it's been renamed Tianyan Island. Is 'Tianyan' referring to the Tianyan of your Myriad Manifestations Star System?" Chu Shen's expression darkened. "Indeed, it's the Tianyan of our own star system. One can guard against outsiders, but guarding against traitors within is impossible. I never imagined Wushuang Island would be undermined by our own people!" Thereupon, Chu Shen recounted the changes that had befallen Wushuang Island in meticulous detail.

Ultimately, it boiled down to one simple truth: an innocent man becomes guilty when he possesses a treasure. If Wushuang Island had merely been a high-grade spiritual island, the previous arrangements could have been maintained. However, with the Small Star Constellation Hall continuously operating beneath it, nearly a year ago, Wushuang Island—which had already attained the status of a high-grade spiritual island—began showing signs of evolving into a top-tier spiritual island. Outsiders could only speculate, unable to confirm their suspicions, but Chu Shen knew for certain that Wushuang Island was indeed transforming into a top-tier spiritual island. He had discovered traces of a spiritual jade ore vein forming in a restricted area of the island. This was a clear indicator of a top-tier spiritual island! Chu Shen immediately recognized the gravity of the situation. Top-tier spiritual islands were rare in the entire Myriad Manifestations Sea, and all of them were controlled by the most powerful factions. Although he had Jiuyan as his backing, Wushuang Island's overall strength was relatively low. It had only managed to maintain peace due to its intricate connections with various powers. However, if word of the spiritual jade ore vein got out, it was uncertain what turmoil it might cause.