Chapter 1623: Puzzling and Intricate

Since Ban Ci had left the mystic realm ahead of them that time, neither Chu Shen nor Lu Ye had seen her again. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.

What happened that time was an accident and unavoidable. As both of them were under the influence of the Heaven Desire Demonic Spider, Ban Ci had no choice but to use that method to lure it out. Otherwise, both she and Lu Ye would have died in the mystic realm.

The result was fairly good; the Heaven Desire Demonic Spider indeed appeared and was slain by their combined efforts.

Before that incident, Lu Ye had not had much interaction with her, and they weren't even particularly familiar.

"This woman... she truly is free-spirited," Lu Ye mused. Since a woman could be so unattached, he naturally wouldn't get entangled. Thus, even though he hadn't seen Ban Ci since then, he hadn't sought to inquire about her whereabouts.

Like ships passing in the night, they met and then parted ways.

The reason he asked this question now was primarily because he had noticed someone in the Cheling Realm.

When Aunt Yue brought him there, he had seen a young girl, about ten years old, in the valley. At the time, she had simply struck him as familiar, as if he had vaguely seen her before, but he hadn't given it much thought.

However, just now, a flash of insight struck him: the young girl's face seemed to resemble the little girl he and Ban Ci had rescued years ago in a certain realm.

Years ago, when he and Ban Ci passed through that realm, all living beings within it had been massacred by the Heaven Desire Demonic Spider. They split up, and Ban Ci found a sole survivor in a cellar.

That child was the only survivor in the entire realm and was later taken by Ban Ci into a small world for safekeeping.

If the young girl he had just seen was indeed the one rescued from that unknown realm years ago, then the situation was quite intriguing.

If Ban Ci wasn't from the Cheling Realm, how could the little girl be here? Judging by the time that had passed, a few years, the girl would have grown to that size, and her features did indeed closely resemble the child they had rescued.

Alternatively, perhaps Ban Ci had some undisclosed connection to the Cheling Realm that Chu Shen was unaware of, and she had sent the little girl here herself?

"When I arrived, I saw a young girl, about ten years old..." Lu Ye recounted the scene and described the girl's appearance.

As soon as Chu Shen heard this, he knew whom Lu Ye was referring to. "Elder Brother must be talking about Ban Xia."

"Ban Xia?" Lu Ye narrowed his eyes slightly. Ban Ci, Ban Xia... To call that a mere coincidence would be far too coincidental.

"She's Aunt Yue's disciple, whom she took in a few years ago. I don't know where Aunt Yue found her; I was still on Wushuang Island at the time. I only heard Aunt Yue say that Ban Xia is a 'Child of the Realm,' blessed with immense fortune, and is destined for great achievements in the future!"

"What's the significance of a 'Child of the Realm'?" Lu Ye asked, intrigued.

Chu Shen sighed, "Aunt Yue said Ban Xia is a pitiful child. The realm she was born in experienced a cataclysmic event, and everyone within it perished, leaving only her alive. Aunt Yue explained that in such a situation, the fortune of the entire realm is bestowed upon that sole survivor. Even if her cultivation aptitude were poor, she would still be destined for great opportunities and significant achievements. Otherwise, Aunt Yue wouldn't have been moved to take her as a disciple. However, from what we've seen so far, Ban Xia not only possesses immense fortune but also has exceptional cultivation aptitude. Aunt Yue has truly high hopes for her."

Lu Ye's heart stirred slightly as he listened.

There was no doubt; the young girl named Ban Xia was definitely the one Ban Ci had taken with her back then.

But strangely, if Ban Xia was here, where was Ban Ci? Why had Chu Shen claimed Ban Ci wasn't from the Cheling Realm?

"Elder Brother, do you know Ban Xia?" Chu Shen asked, puzzled. There was no logical reason for Lu Ye to suddenly inquire about Ban Xia unless he had met her before.

"No, I don't," Lu Ye shook his head. "I just asked casually." He stood up. "Take me to see Old Tang and the others."

Unable to fathom the situation with Ban Ci, and finding it inappropriate to inquire further, he decided not to dwell on it.

"Elder Brother, please follow me," Chu Shen said, rising and heading outside.

Within the vast Hidden Flower Valley, a picturesque area was ablaze with competing colorful blossoms. Several women gathered there, picking flowers and adorning their hair, which only enhanced their beauty.

Not far from them, by a clear lake, an old man sat fishing with a rod, his expression serene.

Suddenly, the old man's expression shifted. He turned his head to look in one direction, just as Lu Ye strode into view.

"I heard Chu Shen describe what happened earlier. I imagined you, old man, would be confined to bed, barely clinging to life. I never expected you'd have the leisure for this," Lu Ye remarked as he approached Tang Jun, observing him closely. He noticed that Tang Jun appeared largely unharmed, though his aura was slightly weak.

The fact that he even had the leisure to fish here suggested that his injuries had recovered quite well recently.

"This old man almost died, and you've come here to gloat!" Tang Jun couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Nearby, Cai Xing, Cai Yue, and the others, seeing Lu Ye's arrival, excitedly rushed over to greet him. Lu Ye's gaze swept over them, confirming that they were all unharmed. He surmised that even if they had been injured, their wounds weren't as severe as Tang Jun's, explaining their current recovery.

Furthermore, the cultivation levels of the women had all improved. Previously, they were all in the early stage of the Constellation Realm, but now they had collectively advanced to the mid-stage.

"When did you return?" Tang Jun retrieved a chair from his storage ring, placed it beside him, and only spoke after Lu Ye had settled into it.

"Half a month ago," Lu Ye replied.

"How was the trip?" Tang Jun inquired again. This was his main concern. Since Lu Ye had returned, it implied he had indeed gone back to Yu Luo and then made his way back again.

"It went fairly well. In the Yu Luo Star System, our three realms have formed an alliance, and all have sent people here."

"How many people came from my Qingli Dao Realm?"

"One hundred people, though we encountered some mishaps on the journey, and about twenty perished."

In the battle outside the Wuding Realm against the Insectoids and Blood Clan, over sixty cultivators from the three realms died in total. Only about ten were from Kyushu; the rest were from the other two realms.

Tang Jun's eye twitched, a clear sign of distress, but he also understood that for such a long journey through the star systems, unforeseen accidents were common. For only twenty out of over a hundred people to perish was considered a favorable outcome.

"Wu Zhuo was a bit conservative," Tang Jun sighed. Considering the reputation of the Myriad Manifestations Sea and the rarity of such an opportunity, sending only a hundred people seemed uncharacteristic of Wu Zhuo. It was fortunate that Tang Jun, fearing Wu Zhuo might not believe Lu Ye, had specifically given Lu Ye a jade slip to take back.

"It's not Wu Zhuo's fault. I believe he wanted to send more people, but since the Yu Luo Realm only sent a hundred, he probably felt it inappropriate to send a greater number."

Yu Luo only sent a hundred people out of caution. They had no one personally present in the Myriad Manifestations Sea, and all information they received came from Wu Zhuo and Lu Ye. Without seeing it for themselves, they wouldn't easily trust the reports.

As the Yu Luo Realm only dispatched a hundred, the Qingli Dao Realm naturally found it difficult to send a larger contingent. Kyushu, on the other hand, had no such reservations and sent three hundred directly.

The fishing rod dipped slightly, a clear sign of a bite, but Tang Jun had no inclination to reel it in. Instead, he let out a heavy sigh. "I've let you down. Wushuang Island couldn't be held."

He was largely aware of Wushuang Island's situation. Although Chu Shen was the ostensible manager, in reality, half of Wushuang Island belonged to Lu Ye.

When Lu Ye departed years ago, he had entrusted Wushuang Island to Tang Jun's care. Now, Lu Ye had returned, only to find Wushuang Island gone...

If Wushuang Island still existed, cultivators from the three realms would have had a natural place to settle. Furthermore, Wushuang Island was a remarkably prosperous location, ranking among the best in the entire Myriad Manifestations Sea. For cultivators from the three realms arriving from Yu Luo, it would have been an instant leap to success, ensuring they would never have to worry about cultivation resources in the future. They would merely need to cultivate diligently to continuously enhance their power and bolster their respective realms.

But now Wushuang Island had changed hands and even its name. What future could there be to speak of?

Having spent so many years in the Myriad Manifestations Sea, Tang Jun was an old hand and naturally understood how challenging it was for ordinary cultivators to establish themselves there. Even with the current alliance of the three realms, their combat strength at the Moon Reflection level was insufficient, meaning their future would likely be difficult. What was the point of merely occupying barren islands if they couldn't secure a spirit island? Was it possible that so many cultivators from the three realms would be reduced to performing menial tasks here just to earn spirit jades?

With this thought, he found himself somewhat relieved that only a hundred people from his realm had come.

"If Wushuang Island is gone, it's gone. As long as people are alive, that's what truly matters," Lu Ye said.

Tang Jun looked surprised. "You don't blame this old man for my failure in battle?"

Lu Ye found it strange. "Their fists were bigger; you were hitting a rock with an egg. It's a good outcome that you survived at all. Did you expect to drive them all away? That's unrealistic."

Besides, Lu Ye wasn't even present during the great battle and contributed no effort whatsoever. What right did he have to blame someone who exerted great effort and nearly lost their life?

Tang Jun gazed at him intently for a long moment before letting out a self-deprecating chuckle. "I'm old, truly muddled. I don't see things as clearly as you young people! What a regret!"

"What do you regret, old man?" Lu Ye asked.

Tang Jun was distraught. "If I had known you thought this way, I wouldn't have resisted so fiercely. Not only was it useless in the end, but it also caused the island master to lose all these years' worth of income!"

If he hadn't fought so desperately earlier, the invading enemies wouldn't have developed a murderous intent towards him, and then Chu Shen wouldn't have had to buy their lives with spirit jades later.

That way, even if Wushuang Island was lost, at least sixty million in profits could have been preserved.

That was a staggering sixty million... Tang Jun had never seen so many spirit jades in his entire life. Every time he recalled losing such a vast sum due to his stubbornness, his heart bled.

Lu Ye raised a hand and patted his shoulder. "As long as one is alive, anything is possible. If spirit jades are lost, they can be earned again. As you grow older, your state of mind should be more peaceful; that's how you'll live longer. Don't always dwell on what you have or don't have, or you'll shorten your lifespan!"

Tang Jun immediately bristled, his eyes wide. "Stop talking to this old man with that 'father lecturing son' tone! My age is more than enough to be your ancestor; you have no respect!"

Despite his words, Tang Jun's melancholy expression clearly brightened considerably.